H.E.L.P. Spark Plug Questions

[Liquid-Darkness]

I am sure this is not the first time its happend on here. I think the guy I got it from before did it.

Well dang it I went to put a new spark plug in my 85 Honda 350x today. DR8ES-L Tightened it till it stopped, then I went to snug it like I have done a million times with other spark plugs and guess what happens... Yup it kept turning. So I backed it up a lil and tried again. It snugged up a lil but I am almost sure my spark plug hole is trashed..

What are my options? Can I tap the head and use a bigger spark plug? Heli coil it? What can I do? Please let me know I want this bad boy to run as I am going to do the registration at the end of the week!!

[rg97]

Pull the plug an access damage. I say go heli-coil. There was an info thread somewhere here to explain how to properly use a heli coil. You can try and see if you can fund it. I will edit my post if I find the link.

[DohcBikes]

If you are going to heli-coil or time-cert the hole yourself, I recommend getting more information than just the info that you find on this site.

Load yourself up on information, tips, and techniques before you attempt this for the first time. You can do it. Good luck.

[yaegerb]

Find the dimensions of your sparkplug hole and fix it with a time sert, don't use helicoil. Its more expensive, but stronger than stock and will last forever.

http://www.timesert.com/html/sparkplug.html

[Liquid-Darkness]

Well I feel like a dummy... lol I went back out side to my bike and thought "I gotta be missing something." So I pulled the new spark plug and examined it with the old one.. The old plug was all black with soot on the tip that sparks.. It also did not have the washer like the new one did.. I thought to my self, its gotta be the wrong socket I was using (3/4) standard I think. I got a 19mm socket and tried to tighten it up and sure enuf to my luck the plug started to tighten. I tightened it pretty good like a normal spark plug.. I am leaving it well enuf ALONE now hehehe until I gotta tune it up again..

Thanks for the support though and I hope to keep this thread because if I am wrong, I will proly have to redo the spark plug hole. Man I lucked out hehehe. Oh thank god it tightened hehehe.

[barnett468]

Well I feel like a dummy... lol I went back out side to my bike and thought "I gotta be missing something." I thought to my self, its gotta be the wrong socket I was using (3/4) standard I think. I got a 19mm socket and tried to tighten it up and sure enuf to my luck the plug started to tighten.

All spark plugs are designed to use inch/decimal sockets NOT metric ones. That plug takes an 11/16” [.6875”] socket. An 18 mm is slightly larger but will also fit. A 19 mm socket is .748” which is .0605” larger than 11/16”. A 3/4” socket is .750” which is .062.5” larger than 11/16”.

Well So I pulled the new spark plug and examined it with the old one.. It also did not have the washer like the new one did…

All plugs with a non tapered seat use a washer.

Well The old plug was all black with soot on the tip that sparks..

I am leaving it well enuf ALONE now hehehe until I gotta tune it up again…

If the plug was dry and black it is running very rich and should be jetted properly. Make sure the air cleaner is clean and the GAS level in the carb is correct before jetting.

If your plug is moist and gooey black, it is burning oil and may also be rich.

Lite gray smoke from the exhaust pipe is burnt, very dark smoke is too rich and may also be burning oil.

[barnett468]

POST CORRECTION

"burnt' should be "burnt oil"


I have no edit button.

[CRAZY70MAN]

Sometimes the socket wall itself is so large if you are not using a plug specified socket it will hit the head area. I have encountered that same dismal feeling....lol... The 350x has a pretty tight area to work with for sparkplugs in my opinion....

[DohcBikes]

18mm socket works just fine.

I prefer not to use regular spark plug sockets on motorcycles, they always seem to get stuck on there on the worst position or leave the o-ring behind when you pull the socket off.

Its a weird preference maybe but thats my .02

Don't feel like a dummy for putting time in and working on your bike. Everyone makes mistakes. Be proud that you can admit it when you do!!

To save damage on the trail, I keep my spare plugs in the box they came in until I need them.

[Liquid-Darkness]

Thanks for all the help fellas. It should be alright I am gunna take it for a spin later this morning..

[dougspcs]

All spark plugs are designed to use inch/decimal sockets NOT metric ones. That plug takes an 11/16” [.6875”] socket. An 18 mm is slightly larger but will also fit. A 19 mm socket is .748” which is .0605” larger than 11/16”. A 3/4” socket is .750” which is .062.5” larger than 11/16”.

Sorry Barnett, I'm gonna have to call you out on this one. Your information is incorrect..

The NGK DR8/DR9 and others ARE a metric plug.

18MM is correct..the 11/16" will not fit. What the OP is stating about using the 3/4" and having it slip on the plug is correct..this was his original problem (thank goodness)

[barnett468]

Sorry Barnett, I'm gonna have to call you out on this one. Your information is incorrect..

The NGK DR8/DR9 and others ARE a metric plug. 18MM is correct..the 11/16" will not fit.

I must confess, I haven’t personally had a socket on one of those small plugs in a while, however, I thought my old Chinese 11/16” socket did fit them, lol

In my defense, since it appears as though I need one now, I DID in fact reconfirm what I thought by looking it up on the internet BEFORE I posted, the plug wrench sizes I mentioned are posted below along with the link to the sites the info came from.

Now can ANYONE please tell me if they have ever seen a 17.5 mm socket like the one NGK mentions as the proper metric size for their plug?

Maybe plugs were a hair smaller years ago and the new ones are being made in China now and are a hair larger, lol.


I DID actually mean to say they were metric, however, an 11/16” "should" fit. As Fabiodriven once said recently, “It was a TYPO.”. Yes?...Maybe?...Not goin for that one?

Hey, at least I was the ONLY one BEFORE you that knew it was NOT a 3/4” or 19 mm, lol.


Below is right off NGK’s site. Just click on “SPECS”.

"Hex Size: 11/16" (17.5mm)"

http://www.ngk.com/product.aspx?zpid=9747


From another site.

"Hex Size 18mm (11/16")"

http://www.gsparkplug.com/shop/ngk-dr8esl.html

[dougspcs]

In my defense, since it appears as though I need one now, I DID in fact reconfirm what I thought by looking it up on the internet BEFORE I posted, the plug wrench sizes I mentioned are posted below along with the link to the sites the info came from.

The internet a source of WRONG information?? NNNHHHOOOOO!

[Liquid-Darkness]

Hehehehe.. What I really need is one of those sockets that are a true spark plug thin socket that fits in a tool kit on the grab bar.

[barnett468]

Hehehehe.

Hey, stop laughin, nobody asked you, lol.

Hehehehe.. What I really need is one of those sockets that are a true spark plug thin socket that fits in a tool kit on the grab bar.

Ok, I’ll be brave [or stupid] and give it one more try.

Here’s some, they use a hex wrench, 3/8 drive or a short rod through the hole in the top and it is a thin wall, SO SAYETH THE INTERNET!

I would think you "should" be able to find a cheap stamped steel original style one for 5 bucks somewhere but hey...I've apparently been wrong BEFORE.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Motion-Pro-S...#ht_1013wt_930

http://www.toolsource.com/thin-wall-...-p-103191.html

http://www.google.com/search?q=18mm+...ient=firefox-a

The internet a source of WRONG information?? NNNHHHOOOOO!

Hey, it wasn’t just the internet, it was from the NGK SITE. Maybe NGK sells 17.5 mm sockets, lol.


NO WARRANTEES OR GUARANTEES EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED WITH THIS POST!