I'm having trouble removing 3 of my 6 plugs. I'm scared to turn it too hard in fear I may snap one off. What's the best way to get these plugs out ?
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Safest way to remove stuck spark plugs ?
diggyd357
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I appreciate your advice...it may be sinking in. 
Another trusted Ferrari tech I know, also follows NGKs advice and never uses anti-seize either.
Another trusted Ferrari tech I know, also follows NGKs advice and never uses anti-seize either.
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anti seize is great stuff... dont get me wrong... its just not designed for heat... (i dont what what the exact temp # is) but our FCM's run anywhere between 190 and 600 degree.. and the heaters are literally welded in if you use anti seize (after the heater goes bad and needs to be removed)
I dont know off the top of my head what the temp is @ the spark plug well but i can tell you that after repeated heating and cooling...
well...
just keep that in mind
there are other high temp lubricates that can be used for that application, engine oil works good.
I dont know off the top of my head what the temp is @ the spark plug well but i can tell you that after repeated heating and cooling...
well...
just keep that in mind
there are other high temp lubricates that can be used for that application, engine oil works good.
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i should add that i only know this because i anti seized a few heaters.. and a few months later spent hours drilling them out with a machine down on my shift (cost about 500$ for the line being down and then the added cost of the hr personal)
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Chrome plated spark plug thread ends should NOT be treated with antiseize (hence the Bentley reference, because the recommended BMW sparkplugs are all chrome plated = no corrosion = should come out easy if torqued correctly).
Antseize on those sparkplugs = bad idea. Same as over-torqueing the plugs. Hard to pull out.
Antseize on those sparkplugs = bad idea. Same as over-torqueing the plugs. Hard to pull out.
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That's interesting.
To my knowledge, nobody here said that before (and here is where I get most of my knowledge).
- The truth about spark plug torque and anti-seize sacrificial-anode paste (1)
Drat.
- One user's pictorial DIY for replacing the BMW M54 engine spark plugs (1)
The TIS (from my spark plug DIY thread) says not to use anything:
Yup. This is from my spark plug DIY above:
I used the gray anti-seize, but I didn't know about the baking effect at the time. Sigh.
Now you tell me.
If that's the case, the anti-seize would cause seizing!
You'd think they'd mention NOT to use the stuff in high heat applications. I don't know if my jar does or not (it's nighttime and I'm not going outside to the garage) but if it does, then shame on me.
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It is just the way you wrote your post. I read it like you were directly responding to the OP who should be long past this problem now.
Did I miss something here? I thought Bentley was a third party with no affiliation to BMW and they personally recommend using anti-seize while BMW recommended against it in the first place so how could they "still recommend using" on newer cars?
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This is a canonical thread, which simply means it was referenced in the bestlinks, when someone looks for how to remove stuck plugs.
So, from that respect, it should have as much information as possible, for one-stop shopping, for the next person with the same problem.
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no that was directed at you, for making the comment about it being a old post,
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I just realized I didn't have in the pictorial DIY a mention of what the Bentley says, so, here it is (so the next person doesn't have to look for it).
![Image]()
EDIT: Incidentally, it's the ONLY place in the first service manual that mentions the word "copper-based" but the Bentley does use the word "copper paste" in a few locations (always for the exhaust "manifold mounting studs", which implies high heat conditions, as Burning2nd intimated.
![Image]()
EDIT: Incidentally, it's the ONLY place in the first service manual that mentions the word "copper-based" but the Bentley does use the word "copper paste" in a few locations (always for the exhaust "manifold mounting studs", which implies high heat conditions, as Burning2nd intimated.
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Going to chime in here, for what it's worth, with my experience. Been using anti seize since I began working on motors... (Let me put it this way, bout the time Rod Stewart was with Jeff Beck ) Never had a plug that had anti seize on it stick. Never had a lug nut with anti seize on it stick either and lug nuts on race cars can get very hot.
I don't use a torque wrench on spark plugs, I trust my hands to know what tight feels like and have never stripped a plug. I think a reliance on torque wrenches for plugs can lead to problems, say, if the wrench is not properly calibrated people believe the wrench and not their hands. This however more for weekend mechanics than for seasoned professionals who use a torque wrench on plugs etc, every day.
Also never use an air ratchet to tighten spark plugs. On a real deep reach plug I many run it down with an air ratchet to save time, but always finish them off by hand. (Same for lug nuts and an impact wrench)
Had some very good mechanics tell me the use of anti seize on plugs would cause a misfire, but I use it all the time and the misfire they swore would happen never did. They were amazed.
Of course, this information is worth exactly what you paid for it.
doc
) Never had a plug that had anti seize on it stick. Never had a lug nut with anti seize on it stick either and lug nuts on race cars can get very hot. I don't use a torque wrench on spark plugs, I trust my hands to know what tight feels like and have never stripped a plug. I think a reliance on torque wrenches for plugs can lead to problems, say, if the wrench is not properly calibrated people believe the wrench and not their hands. This however more for weekend mechanics than for seasoned professionals who use a torque wrench on plugs etc, every day.
Also never use an air ratchet to tighten spark plugs. On a real deep reach plug I many run it down with an air ratchet to save time, but always finish them off by hand. (Same for lug nuts and an impact wrench)
Had some very good mechanics tell me the use of anti seize on plugs would cause a misfire, but I use it all the time and the misfire they swore would happen never did. They were amazed.
Of course, this information is worth exactly what you paid for it.
doc
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I guess, in cases where it's glopped on, it could...
Interesting.
They used good instrumentation to conclude that the DIS (distributorless ignition system) spark was shorting along the side of the spark plug and arcing to the long arm of the J gap, because excess anti-seize compound plugged the gap.
This, they say, was causing the fuel:air mixture to explode when the intake valve was still open.
They saw the visual arc along the plug from the 35,000 volts. They surmised that in a distributor system, the arcing occurs at the distributor. Here it was arcing down the side of the spark plug, leaving a burn mark where it hit the steel shell, and the ceramic is cracked.
![Image]()
Due to contamination of the spark plug gap, the arc on one side created carbon hot spots on the other side.
![Image]()
Presumably the hot spots were causing the backfire.
They concluded that a "little" anti-seize is ok, but all three spark plug manufacturers don't recommend it (as we knew), but, for four reasons (some of which are counter intuitive).
First, they explained how anti-seize works, in that they said the metal particles embedded in the grease sacrifice themselves instead of the spark plug metal, but, the grease itself causes:
a) Torque wrench issues
b) Which results in damage to the spark plug due to what they called 'stretched threads'
c) And, strangely enough, they said it might make the spark plug even HARDER to take out (due to what they called "jammed threads")
d) And, more importantly, squeezed out grease can cause, they say, contamination of the spark plug gap
I found the explanation a bit far off that the grease can cause "jamming" of the threads, but I did get the main point of how it can "pump" excess anti-seize into the chamber onto the business end of the spark plugs.
Interesting, they also said the grease that comes with the spark plug boot does three things:
1. Makes the boot easier to remove years later
2. Fills the air gap between boot and ceramic ribs to prevent arcing
3. Helps the boot fit into the ribs of the ceramic (huh?)
Interesting vid. IMO, the engineer uses a bit of spin to make his case, wherein he states the use of anti seize can cause over torquing. However he might have instead more accurately stated, using anti seize with a torque wrench can produce over torquing problems when using the dry torque settings.
I think the other guy states it far better when he says "using a little anti seize many not be a bad thing." This engine's problem arose as he accurately stated, from, "excessive amounts" of anti seize. We know that excessive amounts of anything can cause problems. I would point to the cases of runners dying during marathons. It was later discovered that they were drinking excessive amounts of water while running, leading to hyponatremia.
Metal and grease are both good conductors of electricity. I would suggest the use of light amounts of anti seize may well promote the improved conduction of electricity and so assure adequate grounding of the spark plugs.
doc
I think the other guy states it far better when he says "using a little anti seize many not be a bad thing." This engine's problem arose as he accurately stated, from, "excessive amounts" of anti seize. We know that excessive amounts of anything can cause problems. I would point to the cases of runners dying during marathons. It was later discovered that they were drinking excessive amounts of water while running, leading to hyponatremia.
Metal and grease are both good conductors of electricity. I would suggest the use of light amounts of anti seize may well promote the improved conduction of electricity and so assure adequate grounding of the spark plugs.
doc
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I agree with you that they were "pushing" their case a bit too far.
However, it was nice to know that the way anti-seize works is as the sacrificial anode embedded in (what may just be ordinary) grease.
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