what do you uys use on spark plugs?

[stuttgart]

Hey Fella's
I am getting some hesitation and i think it could be bad plugs i havent changed them since i have owned the car. which is a year and ahalf now. any good ideas to keep them from bonding.. like anti seize

thanks guys.
Eric Mckenna
78SC

[Wayne 962]

Eric - I've disabled your account. I've asked you four times now to update and change your email address. Every day I get about 20 emails from huffybikes.com bouncing back, telling me that your email no longer is valid. I have disabled your account, until you send me an updated email address...

-Wayne

[Rot 911]

I always check my plugs at least every other month for cleaning/regapping. I don't use anything on the threads.

[Targa77]

just make sure you torque them to specs and put dielectric grease on the tips but not the threads.

[beepbeep]

i use anti-sieze and torque them to spec.

[911pcars]

There was a lot of discussion on this topic a few weeks ago. There are basically two camps:
1. Use nothing
2. Use antiseize

Sherwood Lee
http://members.rennlist.org/911pcars

[Superman]

Nothing. Just don't overtorque them. Change them annually.

[David Ceruti]

Targa 77
What is the dielectric grease for?

[Wayne 962]

Dielectric grease is typically used in distributors, to the best of my knowledge.

There's a factory bulletin from Porsche that says not to use anti-seize...

-Wayne

[Jim Sims]

Dielectric grease (usually a silicone based grease - not silicone rubber, silastic, RTV, etc.!) may and probably should be used on a all mechanical contact type electical connections exposed to the atmosphere and weather. When a dielectric grease coated connection is tightened or assembled the grease shears out of the way of the very few contact patches between the two connecting elements. When the metal surfaces of the elements touch/slide at these patches they wipe or clean the oxide layers off and establish a low resistance contact. Over time oxygen can diffuse into the contact patch, make new oxides, increase resistance and degrade the contact. If the contact patches are surrounded by dielectric grease this diffusion process is greatly slowed. Many modern automotive harnesses come with the connections packed with dielectric grease including the ends of the spark plug wires that connect to the outer end of the spark plug. Do not use dielectric grease on the spark plug threads.

I do not believe the Porsche explanation (if it really came from Porsche) that anti-sieze compounds on spark plug threads were causing grounding problems. It would be very hard to insulate the scraping, sliding interface that constitutes a spark plug thread with these metal loaded anti-sieze compounds especially against high voltage. I do believe people were getting the compound on the spark plug electrode insulators (by using too much) and causing electrical breakdowns. Now the newer Bosch spark plug threads may be coated/plated with silver or some other anti-galling compound but that doesn't mean a set of vintage NOS plugs or other brands have this thread coating. I think I'll continue to use a very small amount of carefully placed anti-sieze compound on my spark plug threads and reduce the tightening torque slightly (say to 15 ft-lbs). I rather pull a shorted plug and replace it than repair a head with a stripped spark thread. To each his own. Cheers, Jim

[TimT]

I do not believe the Porsche explanation (if it really came from Porsche) that anti-sieze compounds on spark plug threads were causing grounding problems. It would be very hard to insulate the scraping, sliding interface that constitutes a spark plug thread with these metal loaded anti-sieze compounds especially against high voltage. I do believe people were getting the compound on the spark plug electrode insulators (by using too much) and causing electrical breakdowns. Now the newer Bosch spark plug threads may be coated/plated with silver or some other anti-galling compound but that doesn't mean a set of vintage NOS plugs or other brands have this thread coating. I think I'll continue to use a very small amount of carefully placed anti-sieze compound on my spark plug threads and reduce the tightening torque slightly (say to 15 ft-lbs). I rather pull a shorted plug and replace it than repair a head with a stripped spark thread. To each his own. Cheers, Jim

Bravo!!!!!!

The warnings about the use of anti-seize on spark plug threads probably was a result of pulling many plugs and finding anti seize on the electrode and insulator... Most people think if a little is good then more will be better. I have seen plugs removed from engines that are covered with anti seize..All it takes do make plug removal easy is a dab of anti seize on the threads...

and YES the plug will maintain the ground

[RoninLB]

my reasons for using anti-seize are simple minded, so I use Loctite Graphite-50...which is at least 2X as conductive as copper anti-seize..and it's recommended by Loctite, on the can, to use it on spark plugs...whatever...............Ron

[Targa77]

I use the dielectric grease on all electrical contacts. Makes sure that the sparkplug boots are easier to take off in the future and prevents corrosion from ruining an otherwise good electrical connection. It's just something that I've always done on other cars that I've owned.

[beepbeep]

I'll rather risk plug getting loose than braking off/stripping the thread in the cylinder head.

Factory is probably oposite...they'll rather charge $$$ for complete head removal than have customer with intermittant/hard to diagnose electrical problems beacuse of too much anti-sieze.

I really really cannot see any reson not to use small amount of anti-sieze on plug threads.