Spark plug replacement & Throttle body sync advise

[Buggy Nate]

I over check my valve clearances, (always have) at 20k kilometres and the plugs always still look perfect. They’d last 40k easy with a proper tune.

As above don’t bother with snake oil iridiums. Standard plugs are great.

[Wintersdark]

17 hours ago, petshark said:

So as not to make any mistakes, I'd appreciate any tips concerning my next (first time) job.

I have found this excellent write up by @Wintersdark and expect the TBS to go well as I even have the exact same tool.

What about the spark plugs, don't want to under/over torque these and I've only ever changed the spark plug on my Yamaha RD50 when I was 16, or my lawnmower.. 

I bought this tool:

Tighten by feel or torque wrench? I really don't want to strip those threads. 😰

So any other advise for a rookie mechanic? Other things to do while the tank is off? I will clean the air filter and box.

 

If you're doing it yourself, two things.

1) Absolutely use a torque wrench.  As others have said, stripped cylinder heads will make you very, very sad.

2) Thread them in by hand - that is, fingertips on the socket extension - all the way first.  Absolutely do not try to just rachet them in, because they're at the bottom of a deep, blind hole and it's real easy to cross thread them.  And against, wrecked cylinder heads will make you very, very sad. 

 

It's really not hard, but be gentle and careful.  Getting the new plugs seated nicely can be fiddly depending on your tools, and make sure you have a way to pull them out should you drop a plug in the hole.  Say, the insert on the socket lets go, or - as was the case when I did this not too long ago, the magnetic insert just lets go of the socket and stays stuck on the spark plug that's left sitting loose down that hole.

3 hours ago, roadrash83 said:

   8000mi or 12 months? Since when do spark plugs wear out at 12 month in service regardless of the miles. I will have no problem running those plugs for 36 month and 12000mi.

Yeah, I changed my plugs *very roughly* then, as the manual said so (2019 anyways does).   Mostly just because I hadn't looked at them yet and wanted to see how they looked as a window to how the bike's been running with the Booster Plug installed making the mixture richer.  And if I'm taking them out, I may as well put new ones in because they're super cheap anyways.  Incidentally, they both looked perfectly fine, and where in perfect condition.  I'm sure they'd have been fine for twice that or more. 

[petshark]

12 hours ago, piotrek said:

In case you become tempted by the promise of Iridium.... I had a nasty experience with (supposedly compatible) Iridium plugs last year. Unless NGK offers a direct replacement, I would stay with what the book calls for.

I was tempted and did some research but ordered the NGK's that the book calls for in the end. 😅

10 hours ago, roadrash83 said:

   8000mi or 12 months? Since when do spark plugs wear out at 12 month in service regardless of the miles. I will have no problem running those plugs for 36 month and 12000mi.

It seems soon indeed. I'm mostly changing them to rule out a bad spark plug and was pleasantly surprised to find that I'm actually supposed to at the exact mileage that I'm at.

6 hours ago, Wintersdark said:

It's really not hard, but be gentle and careful.  Getting the new plugs seated nicely can be fiddly depending on your tools, and make sure you have a way to pull them out should you drop a plug in the hole.  Say, the insert on the socket lets go, or - as was the case when I did this not too long ago, the magnetic insert just lets go of the socket and stays stuck on the spark plug that's left sitting loose down that hole.

Thanks. I feel confident that this will go well as I can't imagine things like thread locker, lube, or already stripped threads getting in the way on this one. The way you describe it is the way I would do it instinctively so I should be good.

I've recently bough one of those flexible magnetic pickup tools. The magnet is really strong so that should work well if I loose the plug in the hole.

No advice on ordering a different socket extension? Will the one I have now work?

[keithu]

17 hours ago, petshark said:

Thanks. Will this work with the 11" extension that I bought, you think?

I am going from memory as I last did the sparkplugs more than a year ago, but I don't think you will need the long extension. I think I removed mine with just a sparkplug socket and a short extension. 

[petshark]

35 minutes ago, keithu said:

I am going from memory as I last did the sparkplugs more than a year ago, but I don't think you will need the long extension. I think I removed mine with just a sparkplug socket and a short extension. 

I got the one in the OP and that 11" extension is part of the socket. So I need to make sure if I can use it or if I need to return it and get another one.

[Wintersdark]

2 hours ago, petshark said:

 

No advice on ordering a different socket extension? Will the one I have now work?

I just used a regular socket extension.  It's not that deep.  If you've got a regular socket set, you're good for extensions.

[keithu]

1 hour ago, petshark said:

I got the one in the OP and that 11" extension is part of the socket. So I need to make sure if I can use it or if I need to return it and get another one.

The socket and extension are one piece? Weird. I don't think it'll work on the Tracer, but maybe if you buy a Camaro or something it'll come in handy one day. 

[stevesweetz]

3 hours ago, petshark said:

No advice on ordering a different socket extension? Will the one I have now work?

Get a normal spark plug socket without a permanently attached extension so you have the flexibility to use whatever length extension you wish.  Then get a set of socket extensions if you don't already have them.

I believe a 4" extension is short enough that you can still maneuver it the hole, but will stick up far enough that you can still attached the socket wrench directly to it.  I only have 3" and 6" extensions.  The 6" is too long to get it in there without frame blocking it, the 3" is too short to attach the socket directly to it and still have room to turn the wrench.  I should probably just get a 4" someday instead of using my U-joint setup, but meh, it works.

[skipperT]

On 5/18/2021 at 6:10 PM, roadrash83 said:

   8000mi or 12 months? Since when do spark plugs wear out at 12 month in service regardless of the miles. I will have no problem running those plugs for 36 month and 12000mi.

Ok I’m a little late to this party:

they don’t “wear out” at 12 months. It’s an either/or situation in the maint chart. For example; if it’s been 12 months since you changed the oil, change it (regardless of miles).  Change brake fluid every 2 years, regardless of miles. Same with coolant. Sometimes you need to think about what the chart is saying and take it 100% literally as fact  

Yamaha recommends 8k for plugs in some markets, 12k in others (makes no sense to any of us...) I recommend sticking with either 12-16k miles intervals, mostly because these engine run a bit lean which creates higher combustion temperatures which wears the plugs. 

we’ve been down the iridium path before: DON’T RUN IRIDIUM PLUGS!  Run the plug Yamaha calls for...  at least 2 members here have learned this the hard way!

finally @petshark I don’t believe the spark plug socket you linked above will work for 2 reasons:

1- you need (probably) a 3inch extension and a universal to make it easiest as cyl’s 1 and 3 sit close to edge of the frame. 20cm is too long. Others here have given you good advice on this. 

2- spark plug socket size is 5/8”.

HTH,

-Skip
 

Edited May 20, 2021 by skipperT

[petshark]

16 hours ago, keithu said:

The socket and extension are one piece? Weird. I don't think it'll work on the Tracer, but maybe if you buy a Camaro or something it'll come in handy one day. 

I don't think I have ever even seen a Camaro in real life, so I guess I'd better return it. 😎

16 hours ago, stevesweetz said:

the 3" is too short to attach the socket directly to it and still have room to turn the wrench.  I should probably just get a 4" someday instead of using my U-joint setup, but meh, it works.

 

2 hours ago, skipperT said:

1- you need (probably) a 3inch extension and a universal to make it easiest as cyl’s 1 and 3 sit close to edge of the frame. 20cm is too long. Others here have given you good advice on this. 

@skipperT stevesweetz says the 3" is too short but that depends on how long the socket is. Would you agree that a 4" will work? I'm about to order one.

2 hours ago, skipperT said:

2- spark plug socket size is 5/8”. NOT a 14mm! 

Where do you see 14mm? It's a 16mm (or 5/8").

[duckie]

Not sure if this has been mentioned...

Use a rubber hose fitted over the spark plug when reinstalling plugs. 

You want a hose that fits snuggly but not tight. The goal is to prevent cross threading. If starting cross threaded, the hose will turn but not the spark plug. 

Also, put the plug in the spark plug hole, turn it as if removing, and stop when you feel a little bump type feeling. This ensures the both threads, head and plug, are at the proper starting point. 

 

[skipperT]

4 hours ago, petshark said:

I don't think I have ever even seen a Camaro in real life, so I guess I'd better return it. 😎

 

@skipperT stevesweetz says the 3" is too short but that depends on how long the socket is. Would you agree that a 4" will work? I'm about to order one.

Where do you see 14mm? It's a 16mm (or 5/8").

Sorry I must have mis-read the link! Yes 16mm should work. 

3” Ext +wobble +socket. Or 4” Ext + socket should work. I’d you want the money socket, buy a magnetic one. They’re the stuff. 

-S

[mikerbiker]

 @petshark, I just did my plugs for first time along w AIS delete. Definitely remove 2 upper and 1 lower radiator bolts.  Gives plenty of room to work.  I used magnetic sparkplug socket and two 3" extensions. A 6" wont have angle to get in there.  Good luck!

 

[petshark]

On 6/1/2021 at 1:41 AM, mikerbiker said:

 @petshark, I just did my plugs for first time along w AIS delete. Definitely remove 2 upper and 1 lower radiator bolts.  Gives plenty of room to work.  I used magnetic sparkplug socket and two 3" extensions. A 6" wont have angle to get in there.  Good luck!

 

Thank you, I did this today and it went fine. Didn't see a lower radiator bolt though? It's more like a hinge on mine so I just tipped it forward. I did take it apart twice because I couldn't believe that this was how it is supposed to be bolted back together (the offset on the left one) but it is also like that in the manual diagram. If anyone can confirm I can sleep easy.

 

The throttle body sync seemed impossible at first as there was a lot of stuff in the way of the left vacuum plug. Access was blocked from all sides. This was not in @Wintersdark 's tutorial or any of the video's that I watched.  I tried to get those small hoses off but they seemed glued on so I gave up, not wanting to risk tearing them. I finally unhooked the fuel line and that metal bracket instead and somehow managed to get the plug off and the hose on, still blind but at least with the space to just get some needle-nosed pliers in there. I used a size 8 spanner to get the plug back on.

 

Edited June 4, 2021 by petshark
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[Ride365]

Big kudos to y'all tackling this stuff, I'll let my well trusted local dealer do this for me.