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Spark Plugs!

81K views 240 replies 78 participants last post by  onewizard 
#1 · (Edited)
D.I.Y - Spark Plugs

Well, I noticed a drop in fuel economy on my beloved and I noticed power seemed to be a touch off as well. I looked into the motorcycle owner's manual and found out that the required interval for spark plugs happens to be 7,500 miles. With 6,300 on the clock, I decided to tackle the job on a beautiful, warm Friday afternoon - the temps all week have been at a high of about 37F-44F and a low of 19F-22F, and Friday the temps got into the 60s :D

So, for anyone that might be interested, I decided to to a step-by-step photo journal of the whole process.

First, a few tools:
1. 4mm Allen wrench - this took care of the bolts holding the windshield and the fairing on.
2. 3/8" drive 8mm socket - this was for the acorn nuts that the windscreen bolts screw into (I used a 1/4" drive socket but I should have used a 3/8" drive just to rreduce the amount of tools I had sitting out).
3. 3/8" drive 5mm hex-head socket - this was used to remove the bolts holding the air box on the throttle body.
4. 3/8" drive 10mm socket - this is to remove the bolts holding the fuel tank in place.
5. 4" long 3/8" drive extension - you'll see why in the pictures.
6. 3/8" drive ratchet
7. 3/8" drive torque wrench - one that will accurately read 11 lb-ft to properly torque the spark plugs. Or, do like me, and torque spark plugs to 15 lb-ft, which is as low as a 0-75 lb-ft deflecting beam torque wrench will accurately indicate.

Also, the spark plugs in question are NGK CR9EIA-9 6289 Iridium spark plugs.

Last but not least - gasoline weighs in as much as 6.5 lbs (http://www.santacruzpl.org/readyref/files/g-l/gasoline.shtml), so when you know you're going to be doing the job, make sure you run the bike as close to empty as possible. That said, please don't run so low that you run out of gasoline in the middle of nowhere, as an engine shutdown due to lack of fuel casualty can lead to such things as a temper control meltdown, a lacerated dignity, or even, in more extreme cases, a motorcycle implosion due to kicking, punching, and screaming at the closest inanimate object available.


Now, onto the surgery!

First, I removed the windshield so it would be out of the way. This was done using the 4mm allen wrench and the 8mm socket:


Then, I removed the bolts for the left and right cowling. All bolts are 4mm hex-head bolts, and removed using the 4mm allen wrench:






After I removed the cowling, I noticed that one of the rubber grommets popped off with the cowling, so I reinstalled it on the fuel tank:


I also removed the black plastic covers that sit below the tank and the cowling. There are 3 rubber grommets holding it in place (red) and 1 philips-head screw (green):


For my next trick, I removed the bolts retaining the fuel tank. There are two bolts, and they are 10mm:


Unfortunately, I did not get any pictures of the tank removal itself, however, the process is fairly straightforward.

To remove the tank, I lifted up on the back end of the tank. As I did, it pivoted on a pair of rubber mounts on the front end of the tank, which are located roughly as shown underneath the tank:


After removing the tank, I bungeed the tank to a ladder to keep it supported, up and out of the way, and still leave the lines connected to the tank and the bike:


So, with that out of the way, it was on to the next step.

Again, I didn't think to get pictures for this part. You will see the exposed air box, with a cover panel that is held in place by a rubber hose and 4 philips-head screws. The rubber hose connects to a sensor mounted on the front of the airbox. I removed the hose, unscrewed the screws holding the cover panel in place.

I also removed the air filter, held in place with a single philips-head screw:

 
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#66 ·
I was doing this alone and even though I had only about 1 1/2 gallon of gas in the tank, the tank feel really heavy when you are working alone... I end up with a tiny dent on my tank and not knowing till much later, kept lifting the tank while try to disconnect all the hoses and connectors... Will have someone help me in the future...

BTW, there are 3 hoses, 1 fuel line, and 2 electric connectors to take off if you want the tank off completely...
 
#67 ·
caution when tightening spark plugs

I used a torque ranch and did everything right, 15nm of torque and all that, but the stupid spark plug still broke. I got it out real quick tapping a screw driver into it and then screwed it out with pliers’. Thank god it came out!!!

Caution when tightening!!!
:thumb:
 

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#68 ·
I used a torque ranch and did everything right, 15nm of torque and all that, but the stupid spark plug still broke. I got it out real quick tapping a screw driver into it and then screwed it out with pliers’. Thank god it came out!!!

Caution when tightening!!!
:thumb:
It's not the spark plug's fault. When you tighten a new spark plug, you can feel when the plug comes up against the gasket. Then you can feel the gasket crush down, at which point the torque suddenly increases. Give it 1/4 turn after that, and quit. I never use a torque wrench on plugs.
 
#70 · (Edited)
I put a bit of grease on the thread as recommended by my mechanic on the original plugs. I'm now doing it by hand. Live and learn.

The pic looks worse then it is. I've been told that they look good as new by my motorcycle mechanic. I don't think that they were over tightened as they haven't been touched since factory.

Anyway there are heaps of pics of people using a torque rench. Now I Know.

Thanks for the advise everyone.

Invader, how do you know if the gasket is crushed. Can you tell by looking at it? I'm asking because I may have over tightened the new one a little. Can you get replacement gasket? canyou use a washer?? If so what should I use?
 
#71 ·
Your gasket should be fine if it wasn't excessively overtorqued. I wouldn't worry about it. I just wasn't sure what I was seeing in the threads. If the gasket had been leaking, your spark plug would've been blackened above the threads as well... Grease or anti-seize compound on the threads leads to overtorquing with a torque wrench, from the reduced friction resistance on the threads.

"Applying anti-seize to the threads of spark plugs that have a special metal plating thus allowing the installer to mistakenly over-torque the spark plug in the cylinder head. Over-torque stretches the metal between the last thread and the seal between the cylinder head and spark plug, causing a much higher probability that the spark plug will either break during installation or upon removal."
NGK Technical Bulletin: http://www.ngkplugpro.ca/content/contentfiles/pdf/NGKSP-0907-1R-Anti-SeizeonSparkPlugs.pdf

A used gasket is already compressed, and requires less rotation to achieve proper torque. Here, NGK recommends tightening a new 10 mm plug 1/2 turn (180°) after it's seated by hand, and 1/12 turn (30°) with a used gasket: http://www.ngk-sparkplugs.jp/english/techinfo/qa/q18/index.html
 
#79 ·
I used a large step ladder that I placed straddling the bike. It was easy for me to bungee the tank to the ladder, but the ladder was somewhat in the way for the rest of the process. Still, it was all straightforward. Next time I won't remove the tank either, but I might have the ladder to the side of the bike (like the original post of this thread) to leave the left side of the bike completely free. The left side of the bike has the easiest access to the connection at the bottom of the airbox (I am pretty sure I remember that correctly).

I changed the plugs even though the old ones did not look very worn. In that regard I will always follow the manufacturer's recommendation.

Good luck and have fun - just remember to follow Invader's lead and correctly torque the plugs to 11 ft-lbs (though I will never go to the point of making little shims to make sure that my spark is pointing in one way or another - that is an amazing attention to detail on his part).

Paul
 
#77 ·
Actually, I'd recommend removing the tank completely while doing this and other service. It really isn't a big deal and not a drop of fuel dripped.

I cleaned the air filter at 12,000km (witch was black from dirt, bit of a surprise actually) but only visually checked the spark plugs and returned them.
They looked fine and I needed to wait a week for new ones so back they went.


Cheers.
 
#82 ·
Thanks for your instruction ozran. I changed my plugs and airfilter this weekend after 16.5K and she runs great. I noticed immediatley after I started it sounded different, suppose from the air filter change. Mine was pretty funky. BTW I'm sure others have figured this out but there's a perfect spark plug tool in tool pouch that works beautifully forget the 4' extension.
 
#83 ·
+1 on that, i just used that tool with socket torque wrench directly on and it was sweet. done mine at 16,000 km and a good chance to clean air cleaner as well. Parked the bike against my workbench and just leaned fuel tank against bench, thought it was safer than using a ladder to support tank
 
#84 ·
Changed the plugs today following ozyzan's excellent photos and instructions. That said I agree with some of the comments stating that it is premature to change plugs at 7.5K, even with some hard track days on the V. It looks like they could have gone another 7.5K.

That said, it was definitely a worthwhile experiment even though I have 21 fewer dollars my pocket from the purchase of the new plugs at the local K dealership . I now have more confidence in tackling other projects on the V.
 
#85 ·
Felt the same when changed my plugs out at 16,000km but the air cleaner was really dirty so good chance to clean that. I did not did disconnect the fuel line but just sat the tank up and leaned against workbench as had park bike hard up-against bench to do job just for that purpose. Whoop having a memory lapse, already commented on that before, better go back and tune my zimmerframe.
 
#86 ·
Interesting and informative thread. I am kinda surprised that the iridium plugs change interval is 7.5k, rather short lifespan. But when I think of such plugs in cars that are supposedly good for 60 to 100k km, but when applied for a bike that has rpms going more than 2X that of cars, and has 2 cylinders less that a 4-cyl car, the working rate of a plug in a Versys is probably at least 4X more than a car. I know, it's a simplistic calculation but its reasonable.

I have a set of NGK iridiums in my car, with expected lifespan of 100k km but really, the car's performance drop after about 70k km. It's sluggish. Since plugs in cars are easily accessible, I removed them and inspected the wear. The ground electrode has taken a lot of beating and the iridium tip has noticeble wear and instead of having a flat tip, it is now angled. I didn't have a new set of plugs with me, so I narrowed the gap by dropping the plug on the floor in a controlled manner in which the ground electrode would hit against the floor first. I did it a few times to my visual satisfaction ( I don't have a gage ... talking about unpreparedness) . Put those plugs in, and the car returns to normal performance. I also did file the ground electrode a little to try to get back some sharp edges but I don't think it did much.

I don't know, perhaps regapping the plugs for the Versys may gain another 6k miles. Iridium plugs is quite costly in my country, so extracting out every ounce of life from the plugs works out ok for my pocket.
 
#93 ·
Also, I am curious if anyone thinks the life of the plugs is affected by gasoline quality or any other 'regional' factor. Some owners on here say their plugs are worn pretty well at 7500 or 15000, others say their plugs look brand new.

By the way, I don't think I'll need to replace mine for a year or so, but the information in this post is great!
 
#94 · (Edited)
Great Thread Here. I usally wouldn't attempt this project because i'm not good at fixing things but after viewing this thread i gave it a shot today. Everything went smooth as silk the Spark Plug Wrench in the Versys tool kit is worth its weight in gold. See where a few guys hooked thier tank to a ladder i used a tie down strap and hooked it to the back of the bike worked great. While i was changing the plugs i put in a BMC Filter the stock filter was dirtier than i had expected.Put everything back together and went around the block the bike was really smooth the milage on the bike is 8864. Went with the Denso Plugs
 
#96 ·
Nice piece. Thank you. How long did it take you? I had the shop do it (my plugs were at 7600 miles) and it was rather involved just getting TO the plugs after all the covers have to come off and so they charged 3 hours labor. They replaced the air filter while they were in there.
 
#97 ·
And thanks for reading :D

As I recall, it took a good bit of the afternoon - I was still fairly new to doing my own bike maintenance at the time. Started around 2:30 - 3:00 in the afternoon, ended around 6 or so with the bike back together. It is a bit of labor getting to the plugs but it'll save in the wallet if you're willing to do the labor yourself ;)
 
#99 ·
Does anyone knows if the quality of gasoline affects the duration of the spark plugs?
I certainly can imagine that the quality of gasoline could affect the spark plugs (for instance, if you are not receiving enough octane to prevent knocking). It would seem that, since people on this forum keep removing perfectly good-looking plugs at what seems to be a too-frequent interval, that even relatively poor quality gas should not be a problem vis-a-vis the plugs. Just change them at the recommended interval.
 
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