I haven't seen the copper anti seize in years. I was using it on some knock off wheel nuts and wire wheels long ago, and then it was withdrawn from the market as too poisonous. It must be reformulated by now.

Anyway, I threw down for a small tube of the aluminum stuff today , a small tube to try and contain the mess with that stuff. And since it an aluminum motor, aluminum anti seize will be ok. I was concerned about conductivity and the electrical connection through the plug wall, plus I had never use anti seize on a spark plug before , that is why I questioned the anti seize assembly suggestion .

Went to an Auto zone website about spark plug installation. When it said dissimilar metal, as in aluminum verses the plug material, I know I would be going anti seize. If these plugs are asked to go the listed 100,000 miles, I would not want to be around to explain why I didn't use anti seize like was on the plugs that came out, and how galvanic reactions never sleep, they just keep eating and growing.

I also got shrink tubes with adhesive inside. That stuff is great, and fun to use besides.

I have already used it to fabricate more connection strength into the work around connection the parts guy at the dealer gave me.

Seems the rubber elbow I brought in was unknown in the parts computer, and it was, if ever found , a component part of a pipe system, not just a simple rubber elbow . Luckily, the counter guy gave me a nylon 90 degree fitting that accommodated the two differently sized connector hoses needed.
But the lip for the hose attachment was short, risking a slip off if stressed, or perhaps even under prolonged vibration once the rubber got hard .

If I pushed the hose up past the stop to gain more attachment, I risk over expanding the hose, with heat cracks and failure down the road. Both not great situations on a fitting so hidden and necessary.

Presto, shrink tubes with glue inside and a simple, clean solution since the shrink tube constricts on the fitting and the hose for a comfortable length. I wish I could fix the world with shrink tubing, that stuff is great.

Will probably double up on the shrink material, more durability, and, anyway, I have a lot of the stuff left over.

Now I just have to tin some wires , splice and shrink on those too. ( a separate repair) I have a Coleman battery operated (!) Soldering iron that will be perfect for the job at the car . As seen on TV!

 

Just finished the last 2 plugs in my truck and I guarantee you will never get a torque wrench in where those last 2 plugs are. Think I'll keep doing it the way I have, never failed me once.

 

If you're that impressed with shrink tubing, I would direct your attention to a product called "Duct Tape". You'll LOVE it!

 

Its a spark plug change not brain surgery. Never used a torque wrench either. You have to be on roids to strip the plug in there.

 

That may have been true for iron heads but alluminum will strip. Just got done tapping and heli coiling the spark plug holes on a honda head. Due to some oaf thinking tighter was better.

 

I have always had aluminum heads and unless you are purposely trying or it just doesn't happen. When I go to the salvage yard I'm going to try it on a motor and see how hard it has to be turned before it strips it. Ill give my findings by hand and by a torque wrench on a I4 motor since they are easier but still aluminum.

 

Ditto, just changed the plugs last week with the help of a double swivel Snap On Socket, made the job tolerable, screwed it in by hand, used anti seize and a gave it a slight turn, don't know if I could even get a torque wrench in there.

 

Thanks again for the interest and help.

To the good poster who offered the NGK link . Thanks , I dug it, I used to use only those plugs, then I got a 1964 Jag 4 door. It would only work best with champion plugs.

Some electrical circuits need a fine balance, and my experience with the puzzling , but real, phenomenon with the old jag greatly influenced my decision to go with AC plugs, instead of NGK or another market leader. I would caution to read the section about anti seize on the NGK website. They have a coating that eliminates the need for anti seize, a great benefit. But with any other plug, steel screwed into aluminum will need a release agent in time.

I guess I over did it with the anti seize. When I started the engine after the plug install, it was smoking, and I was freaking. I quickly understood what was happening, but it was not one of my better repair moments. I try to avoid results like that.

Torque wrench was out of the question. They were in good and tight, so I put them back in with about the same effort, backed off a little.

It was my first time changing plugs on this car and I was not about to be the first kid on my block to run heli coils in his vette.

I learned my lesson about over torque damage long ago. It was pretty bad. A friend was dating a football player who was out of town, and she was driving around in his brand new 340 Z Nissan. She parked it in two spaces to try and take good care of it, but in retaliation for taking extra space someone let the air out of her tire. I got the call to change the tire before the guy came in the next morning.

So I'm out there in the dark tightening the lug nuts when the stud shears off. New car now has four wheel studs instead of five, because of me. I was using the tools that came with the car, nothing with super leverage where you have to be aware of the damage potential. I was just doing it the way my daddy always told me to do it, get it as tight as you can, back when almost everything on a car was steel.

Ever since then I am most careful to understand how to get the results I expect.