Diablo Spark Plugs
Author
Discussion

evil_dr_fish

Original Poster:

2,481 posts

255 months

Thursday 28th August 2008
quotequote all
Hi all...

Ok I've done about 1.5k miles in my car now and am going around the car giving it a bit of a 'consumables-spring-clean'

The recommended Champion plugs are close to impossible to find - I've read that NGK Iridium's (DR9E-IX?) are also suitable (and at ~£6.50 a pop, are far more reaonably priced than Eurospares' £20 each!)

Do any of you guys carry out basic servicing on your own cars? What are you using in yours?



  • Just found on the Denso www a Cross reference chart matching A59GC with Denso Iridium IX27 / IXU27


Also I've ordered 2 K&N Air Filters which I believe will fit - I shall keep you posted as to their success when they arrive :-)

Edited by evil_dr_fish on Thursday 28th August 11:22

HUW JONES

2,005 posts

233 months

Thursday 28th August 2008
quotequote all
Have you tried calling Ant Hawkes? He has a probably unrivalled supply of Lambo parts and knowledge.
Cheers.

ruttboy

595 posts

256 months

Thursday 28th August 2008
quotequote all
The plugs you need are Champion plugs, part number RA59GC.

Give Dave Allison of All Parts High Wycombe a call, and he will supply them, as he has done to me for many years.

This will save you vast cost!!

Cheers,

Ruttboy.

evil_dr_fish

Original Poster:

2,481 posts

255 months

Thursday 28th August 2008
quotequote all
Hi guys...

After a couple of days of googling I've just found http://www.spark-plugs.co.uk/

Direct link:

http://www.ferodo-brakes.co.uk/pages/pricing/appli...


They have the Lamborghini recommended A59GC (The same plugs also seem to hold the part number "OE103")

£5+shrapnel per plug biggrin That's infinitely more reasonable!


Edited by evil_dr_fish on Thursday 28th August 13:35

evil_dr_fish

Original Poster:

2,481 posts

255 months

Monday 1st September 2008
quotequote all
Hi all

Ok... I know a lot of you guys are at that very fortunate stage in life where time is more important to you than money (that's awesome!)

Alas, while no pauper, I still can not spend cash like it's water so have to spend wisely.

Recently I have bought:

Spark Plugs (as discussed)
Distributor Cap + Gasket
Rotor Arm


Now from our well known, well used, supplier of Lambo parts (I'm going to stop mentioning them as this is not a thread about criticising / attacking any vendor individually) this total bill would have come to:

£1000! (As near as damn it!)

Doing a bit of googling and research I have managed to find the whole lot for:

(wait for it!)


£146!!!!!!

Now... I don't know about you - but that is SUCH a saving that I can barely understand how anyone can pay the 'received' prices for such things!


Admittedly the dizzy cap is from an XJS - but it's absolutely 100% the same Marelli part, from the same factory and is 100% functionally identical - at worst it might be labelled differently.

I can't say I'd be willing to spend £700 for something I know I can get for ~£70 purely so there is different labelling on it - especially as I will probably never need to touch or even look at the thing again!


I did actually work it out as an hourly rate of return hahaha. I have save in the region of £850 for a total of aobut 4 hour's googling / researching.

At about ~£210/hour Im not sure how many of us get paid that much! lol wink

I'm not secretive about any of the information so, having done the looking I'm happy to have save anyone else the time.

The main site waas the Lambo Web page for which I can take no credit and I am sure loads of you are well familiar with

http://www.lamboweb.com/Car%20Parts.htm

The Spark plugs were from http://www.spark-plugs.co.uk/ and saved me £230 (from ~£300 down to ~£70!)

The Dizzy Cap is from
http://www.britishparts.co.uk/.sc/ms/dd/Jaguar%20X...

...and was the princley sum of £44 instead of £375!


The Rotor arm was from the same place and cost £17 instead of £175!

Edited by evil_dr_fish on Monday 1st September 09:56

andrew.

10,361 posts

222 months

Monday 1st September 2008
quotequote all
where do you buy your petrol from ?

evil_dr_fish

Original Poster:

2,481 posts

255 months

Monday 1st September 2008
quotequote all



whistle

andrew.

10,361 posts

222 months

Monday 1st September 2008
quotequote all
...that must be quite exciting when you apparently live in a semi-detached volcano

ianqv

1,278 posts

243 months

Monday 1st September 2008
quotequote all
Robin and all

I do exactly the same for my Countach.

At the beginning of the year I replaced ALL the suspension. the bill from Lamborghini (just for the parts) would have been close to 6K (yes 6 thousand pounds!!!).
I got all six shocks / springs AND fitting kit from Spax UK for................ £1100!!!
Saving a whopping £4900!!! plus the shocks I got have adustable height, bump and rebound.

Regards

Ian












< FORZA WEST

1,038 posts

239 months

Monday 1st September 2008
quotequote all
At about ~£210/hour Im not sure how many of us get paid that much! lol wink



Better lower my labour rates then to £205 hehehe

Good bit of research there, well played....

Im off out to a Diablo breakdown Weds which has a cracked cap...Cost £50, the retail from Lambo is extortion...

You should build a parts catalogue, there again maybe I should...



jdwcd

2,519 posts

232 months

Monday 1st September 2008
quotequote all
Not sure mr fish but could this be yours. i viewed it before i bought the roadster





ps
are you coming to the annual dinner


PompeyBlue

372 posts

220 months

Monday 1st September 2008
quotequote all
That one doesn't look like it has white interior like Mr Fish's one.
Nice colour.

evil_dr_fish

Original Poster:

2,481 posts

255 months

Monday 1st September 2008
quotequote all
Nice pic, thanks! :-D

I *think* there may be *A* VT out there in the same colour scheme (any way to tell a VT from a 2WD externally?) Otherwise, it's probbaly mine!

The PO is a PH-ER Will Smith, he's on here somewhere - he may know if that pic was while it was his perhaps?


Cool V5 eh?! Currently shows Will SMith & Robin Williams! lol Must be worth at least.. nothing biglaugh

evil_dr_fish

Original Poster:

2,481 posts

255 months

Monday 1st September 2008
quotequote all
Annual Dinner - I can't do the 13th - *mutter* some nonsense to do with my sister and some kind of wedding rolleyes

I hope to get up there on the 14th - but will play it by ear (esp. re:weather!)

jdwcd

2,519 posts

232 months

Monday 1st September 2008
quotequote all
evil_dr_fish said:
Annual Dinner - I can't do the 13th - *mutter* some nonsense to do with my sister and some kind of wedding rolleyes

I hope to get up there on the 14th - but will play it by ear (esp. re:weather!)
girl!

evil_dr_fish

Original Poster:

2,481 posts

255 months

Monday 1st September 2008
quotequote all
Let me guess... It's the hair! biglaugh

andrew.

10,361 posts

222 months

Monday 1st September 2008
quotequote all
evil_dr_fish said:
Annual Dinner - I can't do the 13th - *mutter* some nonsense to do with my sister and some kind of wedding rolleyes

I hope to get up there on the 14th - but will play it by ear (esp. re:weather!)
sod the weather
on sunday i had oversteer on piccadilly, tc on pall mall, a big slide on the m4, a beetle spin in front of us on a roundabout and a certain f50 got drowned
wait for the weather and you'll wait a long time smile

will smith

82 posts

220 months

Monday 1st September 2008
quotequote all
Hi Robin

dont think thats your car, the badge on the front looks straightbiggrin

the deflectors on the wiper are an unusual colour?
think they are carbon on your car

it also looks like you have done more miles in two months than i did in two years!!!!!

evil_dr_fish

Original Poster:

2,481 posts

255 months

Monday 1st September 2008
quotequote all
Well noticed - Re: deflectors!

The badge looks straight on mine (ours?! lol) :-|

tongue out


I have deffo been enjoying the car biggrin That's why I'm going around it giving it a bit of a once over / mini service - it doesn't need to mileage wise or timewise, as Carlo had it serviced prior to delivery but I am just babying it a bit as it's probably a bit of a shock to the system! lol

Doing the plugs, dizzy, filters (K&Ns biggrin ) and will do a fluids change (engine oil, brakes and maybe clutch) - might treat it unnecessarily to some new front pads if I can get hold of some Ferodo-Racing pads biggrin

evil_dr_fish

Original Poster:

2,481 posts

255 months

Thursday 11th September 2008
quotequote all
Ok!

I replaced the Distributor Cap and Rotor last night in an hour.

Standard, off the shelf Jaguar part from http://www.britishparts.co.uk/.sc/ms/sch/ee?search...


Distributor Cap: JLM 1909

Rotor: JLM 1911

Gasket: JLM 1910

Total cost including vat & delivery <£90!

Arrived the next day!

I can't believe the difference it has made. I could tell within seconds of firing up, just how much more smoothly it was running. Much more responsive.

It was really easy to do - just remember to mark up the old dizzy as you're taking the leads off and copy all the markings over to the new one.

You will need a short, (not stubby) phillips screwdriver to reach the bolt beneath the cap.

You will also need TWO 8mm sockets & wrenches to get the rotor off!

I had to buy a spark plug socket and an extender bar to get in at them - don't buy a really long socket or plug wrench as they are too thick and will foul against bolts coming out of the plenum.

I then butchered a 12" spark plug wrench with a hack saw and made a tool to push the Plug Caps on (after filing ALL sharp edges off it!)

Now it's all as easy as it should have been all along!


You do still need to remove the throttle linkages - they literally just pull off (*carefully!*) and you will need to unbolt a few airhose assemblies and bolted on cable holders.


I know I've put way too much informatino here but I hope this is of use to someone in future shoudl they ever do a search of the archive!


I'll add pics of the tool I made, later smile