Tacoma spark plugs

[montesa]

1st gen Tacoma. Just swapped the plugs for the second time at 215k miles. So 8 plugs total to get that far. Found two coil packs with cracks running down the side. The plugs were shot. In there for about 110k miles and it had started to run rough.

I also found that when I adjusted the valves I didn’t tighten the valve cover enough and failed to tighten a couple of clamps. 10 years ago or so. No problems though. I am always worried about over tightening.

 

[swampratt]

Tighten the gap and keep on trucking.
I did an experiment with a 1982 Mustang with 200" inline 6 carbed engine.
I kept the factory Motorcraft plugs for the entire time I had the vehicle just gap and go.
They looked better (More center ground electrode) than in your picture though and I gave the engine and trans to a friend at 376,000 miles.
The car fell apart but everything else was fine.

 

[montesa]

Tighten the gap and keep on trucking.
I did an experiment with a 1982 Mustang with 200" inline 6 carbed engine.
I kept the factory Motorcraft plugs for the entire time I had the vehicle just gap and go.
They looked better (More center ground electrode) than in your picture though and I gave the engine and trans to a friend at 376,000 miles.
The car fell apart but everything else was fine.

I didn’t even know you could do that. I just put in new factory plugs for 25 bucks.

 

[montesa]

Now I’m just going to leave the engine alone until 300k. Do a valve adjustment, valve cover gasket, clutch and rear main seal at that time.

Swampratt, any idea how long a factory Toyota clutch lasts?

 

[swampratt]

Yes you can clean and re gap and go or just re gap and go if they are not too yucky.

If you are going to replace plugs and know ahead of time look on Rock auto for plugs.
I paid 2 something each for plugs that I would pay 9+ bucks for locally.

I picked up a fuel filter and air filter while I was at it and got 2 sets of plugs.
All that cost less there than a fuel filter would have cost me locally.

The wider the gap gets the more it will misfire and the more strain it puts on the coil or module.

I have GM HEI distributors from the late 70's that still work and have original coil and modules in them.
But i ran .035" plug gap not the .045" or larger that some called for.

I have had Nissan Z car clutches last well over 300,000 miles.
Just depends on how much you abuse it.

I have seen clutches in BMW's go a few hundred thousand and stick a lead foot drag racer in the same car and you get 2 weeks if you are lucky.

 

[montesa]

Yes you can clean and re gap and go or just re gap and go if they are not too yucky.

If you are going to replace plugs and know ahead of time look on Rock auto for plugs.
I paid 2 something each for plugs that I would pay 9+ bucks for locally.

I picked up a fuel filter and air filter while I was at it and got 2 sets of plugs.
All that cost less there than a fuel filter would have cost me locally.

The wider the gap gets the more it will misfire and the more strain it puts on the coil or module.

I have GM HEI distributors from the late 70's that still work and have original coil and modules in them.
But i ran .035" plug gap not the .045" or larger that some called for.

I have had Nissan Z car clutches last well over 300,000 miles.
Just depends on how much you abuse it.

I have seen clutches in BMW's go a few hundred thousand and stick a lead foot drag racer in the same car and you get 2 weeks if you are lucky.

So according to my manual the plugs should be .031. Some online said .041. They came at .041. I left them alone. It runs perfect now though.

So, I didn’t realize that it causes strain on the coil or module. I have coil packs. Could that have caused the longitudinal cracks or is that just from heat and 20 years on a plastic part?

I drive really easy and slip the clutch minimally. Hoping to make it 300k miles.

 

[swampratt]

Could be external heat cracked them.
Yea my corolla calls for .031" and I always had those carbon tracking lines on the porcelain part of the plug where it meets the steel nut portion.
Tighten the gap to .025 and no more misfires and MPG came up a tick and idle got smoother.

I was at Able racing a couple years ago and they had a Ford twin turbo truck in there with a misfire.
Dealership could fix it.
Yes more boost was ran on this set up than factory.
New plugs and new coils and then some aftermarket racing coils added.

On the dyno for a couple pulls and they pulled a spark plug.
They passed it around and everyone thought it looked fine.

Yea it has less than 20 miles on it and i got it in my hands and noticed that faint misfire line on the porcelain.
I told them tighten the gap this is finding a different path to ground as too much cylinder pressure and too much gap is causing it.

They Had new plugs on the way and tightened the gap and all was well.

I would not run that .041"
Look at your old plugs do you see the little straight dirty lines on the porcelain.

Thing is about plug gaps is try and see what works best for you.
Its free to do so.
I like trying free things.

 

[Bocephus123]

1st gen Tacoma. Just swapped the plugs for the second time at 215k miles. So 8 plugs total to get that far. Found two coil packs with cracks running down the side. The plugs were shot. In there for about 110k miles and it had started to run rough.

I also found that when I adjusted the valves I didn’t tighten the valve cover enough and failed to tighten a couple of clamps. 10 years ago or so. No problems though. I am always worried about over tightening.

perfect color gap my be a touch big coil packs probably the culprit

 

[montesa]

Could be external heat cracked them.
Yea my corolla calls for .031" and I always had those carbon tracking lines on the porcelain part of the plug where it meets the steel nut portion.
Tighten the gap to .025 and no more misfires and MPG came up a tick and idle got smoother.

I was at Able racing a couple years ago and they had a Ford twin turbo truck in there with a misfire.
Dealership could fix it.
Yes more boost was ran on this set up than factory.
New plugs and new coils and then some aftermarket racing coils added.

On the dyno for a couple pulls and they pulled a spark plug.
They passed it around and everyone thought it looked fine.

Yea it has less than 20 miles on it and i got it in my hands and noticed that faint misfire line on the porcelain.
I told them tighten the gap this is finding a different path to ground as too much cylinder pressure and too much gap is causing it.

They Had new plugs on the way and tightened the gap and all was well.

I would not run that .041"
Look at your old plugs do you see the little straight dirty lines on the porcelain.

Thing is about plug gaps is try and see what works best for you.
Its free to do so.
I like trying free things.

I think you’re right and I wish I would have asked here first. I did read several forums with people talking about why the .041 gap was best with those plugs. I’m going to leave it. But if anything feels off I’ll know what to check. Right now it’s running like new.

 

[EhlerDave]

So according to my manual the plugs should be .031. Some online said .041. They came at .041. I left them alone. It runs perfect now though.

So, I didn’t realize that it causes strain on the coil or module. I have coil packs. Could that have caused the longitudinal cracks or is that just from heat and 20 years on a plastic part?

I drive really easy and slip the clutch minimally. Hoping to make it 300k miles.

Our truck a 04 Dodge Ram with the Hemi has 10 coils and 16 spark plugs on a v-8. When it was time to change the plugs I found they were just $16.95 each, umm yeah thats not going to happen. They got cleaned and gapped. The extra 8 pugs are in the exhaust side for emissions. One coil fires 4 at a time, each time, its why the 2 extra coils and the wires. The intake side are direct connect to the top of the plug. I like the system but man a few are not even visible unless you know a few tricks of the trade. lol

As to the clutch it will last until it just wears or breaks. I had one with 35k miles or so and a dampener spring broke, locked the clutch so it would not disengage and tore up the disk facing. On another used for street racing never a problem, several engines same clutch setup.