New Spark Plugs for My 2005
3/21/16, 07:37 PM
#1
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New Spark Plugs for My 2005
I decided to change the stupid 2 piece spark plugs for the Champion 7989.
My 05 GT had about 76,000 Kms or 47,000 miles and I have owned her about 2 years.
I was really dreading and worried about doing the job, I guess I was expecting the worst.
Those 7989s are expensive around here. The cheapest place was like $24 each and they wanted $240 for the lisle tool.
Screw those prices, I bought them off ebay for $112 can for 8 and the lisle tool was $85 can.
As part of the pre prep I ran 3 cans of Sea Foam cleaner through it, 1 can for every half tank.
Some tools I would recommend for the job, telescopic magnet pickup tool, 12" 3/8 drive extension, 9/16 spark plug socket, and a 3/8 breaker bar.
I mostly followed the TSB. I loosened the plugs off 1/8 turn or a little more and sprayed Canadian Tire throttle body cleaner up to the nut.
Oh I forgot to say it was on a cold engine too. I let the throttle body soak for a good hour. I was going to use Sea Foam deep creep over night.
I just decided to tackle the first plug after an hour. I have a torque wrench, but decided to use a 3/8 ratchet.
I didn't rush it, back and forth a quarter turn at a time, and slowly backed them out until they turned fairly easy.
I have a fairly good idea how much 33 ft lbs is. I was choked right up on the ratchet and never forced anything.
Well I don't know if it was technique or luck, but I got them all out without breaking any...Yesssssssssssssss!!!!!
I couldn't find any small containers of the nickel anti seize anywhere. I bought some silver high heat crayon stuff.
After doing some reading, the crayon stuff was good for 1500 deg. and an online read said the nickel is good for 2400 deg.
I could have got a small container at Canadian Tire for $20, but they were sold out.
Every other place I went to had these huge containers (probably enough for a few hundred cars) for around $45 - $50
My buddy had some that was neither silver or nickel, but was good for 2000 deg so I used that.
Ya I even used dielectric grease on all the cops too.
Just as a side note I looked up some reviews for the 7989 plugs and they aren't very good.
There seemed to be some real bad quality control issues. All my plugs looked perfect.
If any ones interested when I was looking on ebay there appeared to be 2 slightly different 7989 plugs
I'm wondering if one wasn't an older version or older stock.
My 05 GT had about 76,000 Kms or 47,000 miles and I have owned her about 2 years.
I was really dreading and worried about doing the job, I guess I was expecting the worst.
Those 7989s are expensive around here. The cheapest place was like $24 each and they wanted $240 for the lisle tool.
Screw those prices, I bought them off ebay for $112 can for 8 and the lisle tool was $85 can.
As part of the pre prep I ran 3 cans of Sea Foam cleaner through it, 1 can for every half tank.
Some tools I would recommend for the job, telescopic magnet pickup tool, 12" 3/8 drive extension, 9/16 spark plug socket, and a 3/8 breaker bar.
I mostly followed the TSB. I loosened the plugs off 1/8 turn or a little more and sprayed Canadian Tire throttle body cleaner up to the nut.
Oh I forgot to say it was on a cold engine too. I let the throttle body soak for a good hour. I was going to use Sea Foam deep creep over night.
I just decided to tackle the first plug after an hour. I have a torque wrench, but decided to use a 3/8 ratchet.
I didn't rush it, back and forth a quarter turn at a time, and slowly backed them out until they turned fairly easy.
I have a fairly good idea how much 33 ft lbs is. I was choked right up on the ratchet and never forced anything.
Well I don't know if it was technique or luck, but I got them all out without breaking any...Yesssssssssssssss!!!!!
I couldn't find any small containers of the nickel anti seize anywhere. I bought some silver high heat crayon stuff.
After doing some reading, the crayon stuff was good for 1500 deg. and an online read said the nickel is good for 2400 deg.
I could have got a small container at Canadian Tire for $20, but they were sold out.
Every other place I went to had these huge containers (probably enough for a few hundred cars) for around $45 - $50
My buddy had some that was neither silver or nickel, but was good for 2000 deg so I used that.
Ya I even used dielectric grease on all the cops too.
Just as a side note I looked up some reviews for the 7989 plugs and they aren't very good.
There seemed to be some real bad quality control issues. All my plugs looked perfect.
If any ones interested when I was looking on ebay there appeared to be 2 slightly different 7989 plugs
I'm wondering if one wasn't an older version or older stock.
3/21/16, 10:17 PM
#2
Legacy TMS Member
You need to be careful with the anti seize.
I went and found this stuff you used. Interesting PDF on it:
http://hybris.cms.henkel.com/henkel/...N&matnr=504469
Says on page 4:
I... might be finding the nickel and doing that instead. And I might be figuring out how to get that stuff outta the heads, to be honest. The stuff just seems really *really* nasty, to read all the warnings.
It's made of petroleum distillates among its chemicals. And aluminum.
The distillates will carbon up, and I would bet money the aluminum would weld things together, and all that will actually cause the spark plugs to get stuck again. Although, sure, you used one piece, but have fun getting those back out.
The reason you want Nickel and NO OTHER is that it won't turn to carbon, and doesn't react to the head, like the copper stuff would. And high heat, that helps, of course.
I ordered my tub of nickel anti-seize on purpose and online. And expect it to last 10000 years for the amount I use. But that's ok, it's somewhat inert and will just sit there... I will use it for other stuff too, so that's fine.
Other than that, congrats on the 8 for 8 pull! Nice!
I went and found this stuff you used. Interesting PDF on it:
http://hybris.cms.henkel.com/henkel/...N&matnr=504469
Says on page 4:
Conditions to avoid: Keep away from heat, spark and flame.
It's made of petroleum distillates among its chemicals. And aluminum.
The distillates will carbon up, and I would bet money the aluminum would weld things together, and all that will actually cause the spark plugs to get stuck again. Although, sure, you used one piece, but have fun getting those back out.The reason you want Nickel and NO OTHER is that it won't turn to carbon, and doesn't react to the head, like the copper stuff would. And high heat, that helps, of course.
I ordered my tub of nickel anti-seize on purpose and online. And expect it to last 10000 years for the amount I use. But that's ok, it's somewhat inert and will just sit there... I will use it for other stuff too, so that's fine.
Other than that, congrats on the 8 for 8 pull! Nice!
Last edited by houtex; 3/21/16 at 10:21 PM.
3/22/16, 09:50 AM
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Thanks for the heads up
The stuff I used was some kind of high heat moly stuff. I haven't got the bottle in front of me
I did a search for high heat moly anti seize and all it said was no aluminum or copper and for extreme pressure
I just used it sparingly on the sleeve part. I hope I don't have to worry
On a non 3 valve engine with aluminum heads, my buddy used it on the plug threads.
Hey just a quick question, do I need to disconnect my battery for any relearning for the new plugs...I didn't, seems fine
The stuff I used was some kind of high heat moly stuff. I haven't got the bottle in front of me
I did a search for high heat moly anti seize and all it said was no aluminum or copper and for extreme pressure
I just used it sparingly on the sleeve part. I hope I don't have to worry
On a non 3 valve engine with aluminum heads, my buddy used it on the plug threads.
Hey just a quick question, do I need to disconnect my battery for any relearning for the new plugs...I didn't, seems fine
3/22/16, 07:31 PM
#5
Legacy TMS Member
Huh. The link has 'country=US' in it, so maybe...? It's a PDF file...
Anyway, cool beans, just makin' sure you don't accidentally lock your sparks in there.
I did, but then, I also did the throttle body while I was there, and I always re-learn her for that.
Anyway, cool beans, just makin' sure you don't accidentally lock your sparks in there.
I did, but then, I also did the throttle body while I was there, and I always re-learn her for that.
3/27/16, 10:19 AM
#6
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Dam you Houtex...lol Ya you got me thinking and seconding guessing myself.
I picked up a bottle of the nickel anti seize at Canadian Tire for $20
So after a week I pulled my plugs again, well they came out like butter.
When I initially used the anti seize I just used it sparingly on the barrel part only
To be honest there wasn't much left really, more of the anti seize was on the part above the barrel.
Its all good though, It was easy to pull the plugs again and nice to look at them anyways.
I installed the plugs again with the nickel anti seize on the barrel
I kinda wonder how long does the nickel stuff last. Does it get washed off, blown out, etc.
Maybe the Permatex stuff is better than my Canadian Tire stuff.
My stuff seemed not runny, but not real pastey, in between.
By rights because I used the one piece champions, I shouldn't have a problem.
If I can be so bold to make a recommendation Id say use the one piece
Maybe the 2 piece with nickel anti seize will never be a problem.
If you live in the US and can source the Champion 7989 locally I would say go for it.
Inspect the plugs before hand and if you have any questionable ones, return them.
To extract a broken plug seems straight forward enough I did watch a video
where a ford tech said the metal in plug middle broke above the barrel
and the pusher tool just mushrooms it. He had to get in there with a drill.
Now that is probably a few and far between scenario, but what if.
Another thing the ford tech guy said. There have been revisions with the Lisle tool.
The extractor shaft would break at the tip. Later versions had rings in the middle of it.
The more rings, the later the version...I presume better metal.
The extractor shaft in my Lisle tool had 4 rings.
If anyone is looking for Permatex nickel anti seize here is the numbers 77134, 77124, 77164
the 77134 is a small tube and it has a picture of a high thread plug on the package
I picked up a bottle of the nickel anti seize at Canadian Tire for $20
So after a week I pulled my plugs again, well they came out like butter.
When I initially used the anti seize I just used it sparingly on the barrel part only
To be honest there wasn't much left really, more of the anti seize was on the part above the barrel.
Its all good though, It was easy to pull the plugs again and nice to look at them anyways.
I installed the plugs again with the nickel anti seize on the barrel
I kinda wonder how long does the nickel stuff last. Does it get washed off, blown out, etc.
Maybe the Permatex stuff is better than my Canadian Tire stuff.
My stuff seemed not runny, but not real pastey, in between.
By rights because I used the one piece champions, I shouldn't have a problem.
If I can be so bold to make a recommendation Id say use the one piece
Maybe the 2 piece with nickel anti seize will never be a problem.
If you live in the US and can source the Champion 7989 locally I would say go for it.
Inspect the plugs before hand and if you have any questionable ones, return them.
To extract a broken plug seems straight forward enough I did watch a video
where a ford tech said the metal in plug middle broke above the barrel
and the pusher tool just mushrooms it. He had to get in there with a drill.
Now that is probably a few and far between scenario, but what if.
Another thing the ford tech guy said. There have been revisions with the Lisle tool.
The extractor shaft would break at the tip. Later versions had rings in the middle of it.
The more rings, the later the version...I presume better metal.
The extractor shaft in my Lisle tool had 4 rings.
If anyone is looking for Permatex nickel anti seize here is the numbers 77134, 77124, 77164
the 77134 is a small tube and it has a picture of a high thread plug on the package
3/27/16, 02:13 PM
#7
Legacy TMS Member
I knew my thinkworm would wind its way through yer brain and make ya right.
I don't know the answer to the 'how long', but I'll find out... in about 60K miles or so, so I'll check back here in 3 years, I guess. Let ya know then.
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