Learning Something Is Fun Sometimes.... Twice Over!

Chat about all things Bonneville (and related cars). Off-topic stuff should be in the lounge, and all mechanical problems should be posted in the proper forum.
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Blown93SSEi
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Learning Something Is Fun Sometimes.... Twice Over!

Post by Blown93SSEi »

I did my Spark plugs and Wires for the first time myself. Did everything right with the plugs. Gap at .060, put antiseize in the threads, and screw until tight. But I fooked up pretty bad on the wires. I marked them to remind me which goes where and it got erased somehow. After trying to remember what goes where I fired her up. Holy cow she ran like s*it!

Got a little :sad5: and :angry7: at myself.

Went to O'reilly's in the morning and got the correct locations for the plugs. Now shes running just as good as before. :D

Learning is fun. Knowing that whoever put the last set of plugs in never gapped them. They we're all at .070 to 0.090. Which I have no idea how much it affects everything :???: .
Last edited by Blown93SSEi on Sat Jun 07, 2008 2:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Jacob, Dark Green 1997 SSEi "The Green Lantern" Over 268,000 Miles and Still Going Strong!
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Mods/Stuff: INTENSE! FWI, ScanGauge 2, Mobil 1 HM Oil, Valvoline HM Transmission Fluid, Mildly Tuned PCM, Drilled 180 Thermostat, Cleared Corners, Silverstars, Chrome T-Stars, NGK Iridium Plugs, NAPA Belden Wires.
lash
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Re: Learning Something Is Fun Sometimes....

Post by lash »

Oh. By "fun" you meant PITA... :)

It's true though that doing something the first time is usually quite rewarding when done.
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92BonneSE
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Re: Learning Something Is Fun Sometimes....

Post by 92BonneSE »

Blown93SSEi wrote:I did my Spark plugs and Wires for the first time myself. Did everything right with the plugs. Gap at .060, put antiseize in the threads, and screw until tight. But I fooked up pretty bad on the wires. I marked them to remind me which goes where and it got erased somehow. After trying to remember what goes where I fired her up. Holy cow she ran like s*it!

Got a little :sad5: and :angry7: at myself.

Went to O'reilly's in the morning and got the correct locations for the plugs. Now shes running just as good as before. :D

Learning is fun. Knowing that whoever put the last set of plugs in never gapped them. They we're all at .070 to 0.090. Which I have no idea how much it affects everything :???: .
FWIW, I do them one by one. Remove wire, take out plug, install new plug, install new wire. That way you cant get them messed up :wink:
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Boreas
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Re: Learning Something Is Fun Sometimes....

Post by Boreas »

You made the same mistake that I made. I learned later that you dont put anti-sieze on the threads of a spark plug and that you just tighten them a little bit to make sure you are not over-tightening them (14 pnds of torque if I remember correctly?). But thats ok, nothings gone wrong with my cars yet. :eek2:
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Re: Learning Something Is Fun Sometimes....

Post by TenGHz »

Don't plugs get 'out of gap' as they age? Maybe that explains your gap differences? Or am I just stupid? lol :ack:
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Re: Learning Something Is Fun Sometimes....

Post by harofreak00 »

should have just used us and saved a trip ;)

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Re: Learning Something Is Fun Sometimes....

Post by b18jason »

non-platinum plugs will show some wear as they age and the gap will increase, platinum's will too in extreme cases but I've also seen them at 100,000 miles still gaped perfect.
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Re: Learning Something Is Fun Sometimes....

Post by wjcollier07 »

Haro beat me to it. These things are not hard to figure out...even just reading the coil packs and using logic a few times should lead you to the right place. But otherwise, yes, just undo one at a time.
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Blown93SSEi
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Re: Learning Something Is Fun Sometimes....

Post by Blown93SSEi »

Yeah the wire thing was my fault completely...

Heres a Part Deux: Oil Change!

Roughly 5 months since I got the oil changed last with Mobil 1. I just went what the hey and bought the Mobil 1 special at Advance. I was nervous that this is my first time doing this solo (last time a friend showed me how to do it with me doing the work) so if I screwed up somehow I was well screwed!

Went fine basically. Had a few darwin moments. I did it before dusk but not in enough time for me to finish when it got dark, so I was working with a spotlight and a kajillion bugs, I cut myself lubing the new oil filter, didn't use the funnel (I lost it) poured a tiny bit around the filler and it smoked the spilt oil on the first startup, and I forgot to move the wedges I used to keep the car from moving and I was wondering why I couldn't move out.

Yeah, not exactly the sharpest tack in the box... But I did it!

I think whats left for basic maintaince is an alignment and a tranny fluid flush. But I'm debating the fluid change on that when my line exploded I lost roughly 5 qts of the stuff. Or am I able to put it off for a little while?
Jacob, Dark Green 1997 SSEi "The Green Lantern" Over 268,000 Miles and Still Going Strong!
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Mods/Stuff: INTENSE! FWI, ScanGauge 2, Mobil 1 HM Oil, Valvoline HM Transmission Fluid, Mildly Tuned PCM, Drilled 180 Thermostat, Cleared Corners, Silverstars, Chrome T-Stars, NGK Iridium Plugs, NAPA Belden Wires.
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