spark Plug change

[mgaut]

having changed the rotor/cap/leads on the S3 the plugs are proving a nightmare to shift.
Have consulted the bible but nothing to assist.
Should I stop being a big girl and give the spanner a good shift or can anyone suggest anything ?
Any advice much appreciated.

[sledgedog]

Normally use a 1/2 inch drive ratchet and a spark plug spanner. They often can be quite tough to move. Depends on how keen the last person to do them up was. I personally would give them a good tug! I've never had one break or ring off. Make sure your socket fits well though.

All the best.

Crispin

[mgaut]

thanks Crispin; judging by the look of the plugs they have been in for a while so perhaps more effort required.

cheers, Mike

[mgaut]

nearly 2 hours later and it's running like a good 'un.

all sorted for a trip to VW on Sunday.

thanks again Crispin.

[sledgedog]

Glad it all went well. Just hope that I can get mine back on the road again soon.

Have fun
Crispin

[bridgdav]

Welcome to the 'S' club Mike....

As this is you first post and you have only just got your car, I thought I should give you the obligatory......



Also to explain..

What..did you get?
Where..did you get it?
When..did you pick it up?
And Why..did you get it?

See you Sunday.

Dave

[M@H]

Hi & welcome..

for next time, sometimes running the engine good and hot will help shift the sparkplugs as the block expands a little more than the plugs do IIRC.

Cheers
Matt.

See you on sunday then.

[tonyvid]

interesting point and we had a debate for about a week over this in the office....when metal gets hot and it expands slightly do holes get bigger or smaller?....the debate never came to a real conclusion, anyone care to answer this one!!!!

[M@H]

tonyvid said:

interesting point and we had a debate for about a week over this in the office....when metal gets hot and it expands slightly do holes get bigger or smaller?....the debate never came to a real conclusion, anyone care to answer this one!!!!

Bigger of course...

Imagine the material expands from a virtual central point, that point being the centre of the hole.

Cheers,
Matt.

[bridgdav]

Smaller...

The molecule size increases....

Therefore with volume increase the hole diameter reduces.

Think of the block being made from lots of little balls...
If the size of the balls were increased the hole diameter would reduce...

[roy c]

Trouble is you burn your hands trying to get no.3 out.

[tonyvid]

see what I mean!.....

[nawarne]

When replacing the new plugs ALLWAYS smear a little copper type lubricant on the threads - You'll never have seized threads again...or be worried about the sizes of holes or balls!!!

[Roy_S2]

I agree with M@H with the hole getting bigger. Being a solid modeller I`ll explain it this way: If you take a solid object and put a hole through it, then scale the object by an amount (eg thermal expansion factor) the hole will increase in size by that amount. Probably not the best explanation but there you go.

Roy.

[bridgdav]

Hi Roy...

Solid modeller also...

When you select the solid with the hole in you are also selecting the hole as an element and are scaling this also...Therefore increasing in size...

[M@H]

IT GETS BIGGER...

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/thermo/thexp2.html


Cheers,
Matt



>> Edited by M@H on Friday 20th February 13:55

[mgaut]

Dave

in response to your "no good without pictures" I'll gladly start a "look what I've got" thread if you'd do the honours with the digital camera on Sunday.

In answer to the what/when/why etc, it's a beautiful S3C with 60K on the clock and I picked it up 2 weeks ago. Plenty of tinkering required, but meantime it's the "smiles per mile" that you'll all know about.

Mike

[M@H]

mgaut said:

Dave in response to your "no good without pictures" I'll gladly start a "look what I've got" thread if you'd do the honours with the digital camera on Sunday.

I should have one with me anyway so can help out

[Roy_S2]

Excellent find M@H! Glad thats settled, that could have gone on for months!

Roy.

>> Edited by Roy_S2 on Friday 20th February 14:54

[M@H]

Roy_S2 said:

Excellent find M@H! Glad thats settled, that could have gone on for months! Roy. >> Edited by Roy_S2 on Friday 20th February 14:54

No Problem.