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How to...change the spark plugs on an FN2

43K views 23 replies 16 participants last post by  Victoriaw09 
#1 ·
Or to put it better, how to access the spark plugs on an FN2! ;)

I've found text based guides on the forum which I found very useful, but nothing with pictures.

And for changing the plugs themselves, only picture and video guides for a 7th gen Type R (same engine I know, but they don't seem to have the access issues we do).

So while doing a change on my FN2 I thought I'd try and capture some visuals, match it up with the existing wording and (hopefully!) be of assistance to some other members who want to have a crack at some basic DIY maintenance.

In terms of when to change your spark plugs, the book says around 70-75k miles. I'm at 55k and my car has been very lumpy and juddery of late. That's a story for another thread, but changing the sparks was among the suggestions for getting a smoother ride. And I'm glad I did.

Quotes from Honda are around the £150 mark. Sounds a lot, but actually having done it now myself I can see why they need to charge a fair whack for labour. It is quite fiddly and therefore time consuming to get into the plugs (change itself is quick and easy). All in all, taking my time, allowing for the engine to cool and wrestling with some very stiff / stuck plugs fitted from the factory, it took me two hours. I am a novice and was pretty cautious. I'm sure others could nail this within an hour, perhaps less.


Tools


Ratchet
10mm socket
6inch and 10inch extension bars
16mm spark plug socket
Copper grease

Replacement spark plugs from Tegiwa:

NGK LASER IRIDIUM SPARK PLUGS HONDA K-SERIES F-SERIES
Product SKU : IFR7G-11KS


Getting started


Ideally tackle this with a completely cool engine. You don't need to disconnect the battery (don't laugh, I Googled it! Like I said, DIY newbie).




First thing you'll notice on the FN2 is how the coil pack cover is tucked away. No room to work or get a socket in. You need to remove the windscreen cowling and heat shield first. Credit to RevMoneky for a useful explanation given here:

http://www.civinfo.com/forum/engines-transmission/108464-changing-fn2-spark-plugs.html


Scuttle panel

Three plastic trim clips need removing. Gently lift and pop them out with a flat blade screwdriver. There is one in the centre, and two others far left and right.







Peel off the rubber bump strip from the scuttle panel.



The panel is held in place by a plastic lip which clips under the metal heat plate. Pull the panel down and towards you, and if needed also gently tug it upwards from the sides to free it. But don't remove the panel completely yet.

On the left hand side you'll see a rubber pipe that feeds the windscreen washers. Find the connecting point then twist the sleeve and unsnap the two parts. Once freed, you can remove the scuttle panel completely and move it out of the way.




Heat plate


Now exposed, you can see the various bolts that need removing. The centre, far left and far right ones are obvious and easy to remove with a 10mm socket.



More tricky are the ones to the back of the plate. There are three more you need to locate and remove – making six bolts in total. I used both the six and ten inch extension bars to get to these. Just be careful with the nuts once loosened – don't drop them, try and get your hand it to act as a block.







Before you try and remove the plate you'll find a cable on the far right hand side. Gently lift this and you'll see the plate is tucked in to that taped block you can see in the picture. Pull it free.





I found the plate a bit stiff to remove (was even checking for hidden bolts!) but in the end it came away OK. Manoeuvre it out and place to one side.



Finally you have some space to work in!


Coil pack cover


First off, two useful links – Type R owners and You Tube

Just done service - my quick How-To



Yes, these aren't for FN2s but similar enough and I found both very helpful.

Back to the job in hand, and you need a 10mm socket to remove two long and two short bolts that hold the cover in place. Lift it away and remove it. Now the coil pack is exposed.






Coils and plugs


Coils one and three are again removed with the 10mm socket. I used a spanner to get two and four out – the bolts are longer as they form part of the cover attachment.



Work through the coil packs and spark plugs one at a time. Lift the coil pack up slightly, squeeze the blue clip and disconnect the coil connector. Take the coil pack out completely and now you can look in and see the top of the spark plug.


Plug removal


I'll admit it, I struggled here! My factory fitted plugs were extremely tight and I had to try all four before one was freed slightly and I knew which direction I should be turning to. Worse than that, I was using a 16mm spark plug socket with a rubber bung and an extension bar. Because of how hard I was having to pull, the bar popped out of the socket and left it in the chamber attached to the spark plug. Panic! :confused:

But I managed to reattach the bar, wriggle it and get the socket out again. Solution? A back-up tool I had seen in Halfords, purchased but kept to one side because it was fairly expensive (£14) – and if not required, I'd take it back. Stupid idea – don't compromise on tools. This socket is excellent, rock solid, heavy duty and a good fit for the FN2. It's also magnetic, so grips the plug much better than the rubber bung.

Halfords | Laser Magnetic Spark Plug Socket 10mm

Here it is in action. I didn't photograph each stage of removal as you can see that on the other thread I linked to or the video. I applied copper grease to each of the new plugs to make removal easier should it be needed. And I didn't over tighten the plugs (unlike Honda!).



Once all four are completed, re-fix the bolts and ensure the connectors have clipped back in.




Work your way back!


Basically, follow the above steps in reverse to re-fix the coil pack cover, heat shield and scuttle panel. A word of caution! I sheared one of the smaller bolts when securing the coil pack cover, it snapped as I went to tighten it with my socket wrench. Just take it easy. No drama, the cover is secure with the remaining three bolts. But obviously you want to avoid this if possible.


Fire her up


Once everything is back in place start the car and let it idle. Make sure everything is smooth and there are no misfires. I was pleased with the improvement after a quick test drive. Car felt very sprightly and accelerated cleanly.

Did I change too early? Here are pictures of the removed plugs, pretty dirty and blackened.





They may have a bit more life in them, but I still think 75k is a long time to wait. Besides, it gave me a chance to experiment with some DIY and save a good chunk of cash versus a trip to a garage.

Good luck everyone and I hope you found this useful :D:D:D

Cheers

Nick
 
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#2 ·
Excellent write up, I was always amazed at the change interval for sparks on K20's.
 
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#4 ·
Good to use straight out of the box - set as you need them to be.

Cheers

Nick
 
#6 ·
I'll be honest mate, I don't know. Hopefully you can access the spark plugs without having to remove the trim / parts that we do with the Type R! It will certainly save you some time.

Perhaps a fellow 1.8 owner can assist??

Cheers

Nick
 
#9 ·
You're welcome mate, hope you get on ok. It's pretty simple with the right tools.

Cheers

Nick
 
#10 ·
Hi, this is something I'm considering having a go at, because the dealer quoted £145 to replace the spark plugs on my 1.8. It's a great guide and gives me the confidence to do it once I've got the right extension bar. Only two questions after reading it: which way did you have to turn your ratchet to loosen the spark plugs; and what did you use the copper grease for?
 
#15 ·
Yep, mine were pre gapped too. Hope you get on ok mate, and enjoy saving some cash!
 
#18 ·
Did mine on my 1.4 today. The barstewards were at the back of the engine on mine! Opie oils were cheapest for the platinum plugs.

Followed above steps to get access to the back. Plugs came out nice and easy.

Cleaned out screen bottom and took wiper arm off to change blades etc whilst had it all apart, other than that the plugs were relatively quick to do. Only lost one of those little black plastic plugs after dropping it into the engine bay. Other than that, no dramas!
 
#19 ·
I always warm the engine up before trying to remove spark plugs - the aluminium in the cylinder head expands more than the steel of the plug body - plugs can be pretty tight in a cold engine. In the past I have had tight plugs that have taken a while to get out by screwing them out one turn and back half a turn - these were the older 'normal' plugs which were zinc plated threads. Iridium plugs are designed to stay in for a long time and have nickel plated threads to stop them bonding with the aluminium.
 
#20 ·
NGK LASER IRIDIUM SPARK PLUGS don't need any anti seize! it is said on their website !
However will try out this method when pictures will be shown to me can't see them atm lol
5 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT SPARK PLUGS
1. Anti-seize

NGK spark plugs feature what is known as trivalent plating. This silver-or-chrome colored finish on the threads is designed to provide corrosion resistance against moisture and chemicals. The coating also acts as a release agent during spark plug removal. NGK spark plugs are installed at the factory dry, without the use of anti-seize. NGK tech support has received a number of tech calls from installers who have over-tightened spark plugs because of the use of anti-seize. Anti-seize compound can act as a lubricant altering torque values up to 20 percent, increasing the risk of spark plug thread breakage.

2. Corona stain

Corona stain is observed as a light brown or tan discoloration above the hex (located on the ceramic body of the spark plug). Corona stain is created by oil or dirt particles surrounding the spark plug. Spark plugs create a high amount of static electricity as they fire, attracting these particles to the exposed ceramic between the plug boot and the hex. Corona stain is completely normal and should not be mistaken for exhaust gas blow-by or broken seals inside the spark plug.

3. Gapping fine-wire spark plugs

In the late 1980s, when fine-wire spark plugs first appeared, installers used incorrect gap tools and procedures resulting in bent or broken-off firing electrodes. As a result, many people assumed that one cannot adjust the gap on a precious metal plug. While most NGK spark plugs are pre-gapped, there are instances where the gap requires modification. NGK recommends a wire-style or feeler gage gap tool, which can adjust the gap without prying against the center electrode. NGK also recommends adjusting the gap no more than +/- 0.008” from the preset gap.

4. Torque

Torque is critical in the plug’s ability to dissipate heat and perform properly. Always follow the manufacturer’s recommended torque specification. An under-torqued spark plug can lead to excessive vibration and improper heat dissipation, causing spark plug and/or engine damage. An over-torqued spark plug may cause thread damage or breakage, or compromise internal seals within the spark plug, leading to improper heat dissipation or exhaust gas blow-by.

5.“Copper plugs”

“Copper spark plugs” is a term mistakenly used for a standard material spark plug. A standard material spark plug traditionally uses a nickel-alloy outer material fused to a copper core. Almost all spark plugs use a copper core center to conduct the electricity, jump the gap, and promote heat dissipation. However, as an outer electrode material, copper would not be a good choice, as it is soft and has a low melting point (resulting in a plug that would last minutes, not miles). Nearly all NGK spark plugs, including precious metals iridium and platinum, have a copper core. When one talks in terms of nickel alloys, platinum and iridium, one is referring to its durability, or how long a spark plug will last before it needs to be replaced. However, when one talks about copper, he or she is referring to its ability to conduct electricity that is needed to fire across the gap and ignite the air-fuel mixtur
 
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