PLEASE DONT LAUGH

JACKO · Post by **JACKO** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 11:45 am

Morning Guys

I have decided due to a bit of a cough and splutter on acceleration i should change the spark plugs.

What is the quickest way to change the plugs (dont say with a spanner) without stripping everything off.

If you tell me i have got to take the front fairing off i am going to cry because one of the studs around the headlight has snapped in the moulding on the fairing so it wont come out (hammer/grinder time)

Please be kind and dont take the p*ss too much

Cheers

Jacko

Quan-Time · Post by **Quan-Time** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 12:27 pm

umm,, honestly ive never done it,, id actually say drop the fairing AND radiator.. but ive only done it on a stripped engine (trx that is, other bikes are a PIG).

umm,,, id have to look, but prolly fairing / rad i would say..

want a laugh ?? my bike cough'd / stuttered today.. wondered why.. turned fuel tap, still nothing..

oops, id left it on reserve last time i went to servo, and DIDNT put it back onto FUEL.. ran the bastard dry and had to get friend to bring me fuel. all my work mates driving by pissing themselves laughing when they found out..

such is life.. gl with teh plugs.

nukes · Post by **nukes** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 12:32 pm

gday jacko, if you undo the bottom radiator bolts and the rear fairing screws its heaps easier to get to the plugs, still a bit of a squeeze but not too bad.

Greg · Post by **Greg** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 5:00 pm

Jacko ---

Wierd this one cos I was going to ask the selfsame question, but from a slightly different perspective.

I''m in the process of fitting FCRs and thought I'd change the plugs as I'd not changed them before. Even with the fairing right off it's a bitch of a job, not difficult but as fiddly as f*k.

Certainly you'd have to remove the lower rad bolts, but I went the whole hog and took off the top mounts too just to give me better access. The LH plug is ok, but the RH plug has a coolant spigot just in the wrong place and meant that I could only get a 16th turn on my spanner - it took fruggen ages to get it out!

The question I'd ask is.... if you're doing a plug chop to check mixture etc., is there an easier way to get them out? (my guess is there's not!

)

bevie · Post by **bevie** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 5:55 pm

Hi Jacko,
Sorry easiest way is to take radiator and fairing off then changing them is no prob,gives you a chance to change the coolant as well.
Bev.

Red Rex · Post by **Red Rex** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 7:26 pm

'Course it helps if you are a skinny little bugger with delicate little fingers like me. I can (just) get at them to change them without loosening anything but it's a squeeze in there. A bit like doing an unsavoury internal inspection of a cow's arse! I wasted a lot of time removing the tank and airbox only to find a chunk of frame barring the way so no help going that way either.
Have fun anyway.

Killerwhale · Post by **Killerwhale** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 7:48 pm

Red Rex wrote:'Course it helps if you are a skinny little bugger with delicate little fingers like me. I can (just) get at them to change them without loosening anything but it's a squeeze in there. A bit like doing an unsavoury internal inspection of a cow's arse! I wasted a lot of time removing the tank and airbox only to find a chunk of frame barring the way so no help going that way either.
Have fun anyway.

So what youÃƒâ€šÃ‚Â´re saying is that we should all get our missus to do da job?? GREAT!!

Wombat · Post by **Wombat** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 7:48 pm

Yeah, take off the fairing, BUT, just undo the bottom 2 bolts holding the radiator and angle it forward from the bottom. Saves taking the rad off completely and gives you just enough space.

Bob

Post by **Max** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 12:00 am

Just an additional tip. If you have an air compressor handy, a bit of air blown into the little hole on the left side of the cylinder head will pop the plug caps off. They can be a bitch to get off by hand if they haven't been removed in a while. Also, the air will blow any debris away from the plugs before you remove them.

Quan-Time · Post by **Quan-Time** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 6:54 am

heh, thats actually REALLY useful.. im gonna remember that one.

bevie · Post by **bevie** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 9:42 am

Max wrote:Just an additional tip. If you have an air compressor handy, a bit of air blown into the little hole on the left side of the cylinder head will pop the plug caps off. They can be a bitch to get off by hand if they haven't been removed in a while. Also, the air will blow any debris away from the plugs before you remove them.

I've always worried about the debris falling in plug hole

but don't have access to air supply,I smear the rubber gromit with some grease before putting plug leads back makes life a lot easier when removing next time

Bev

Glen1TRX · Post by **Glen1TRX** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 10:13 am

When in the shed at home I use a 3/8" drive Snap-on plug socket with rubber pickup inside and a universal with two extensions. The 4" extension directly onto the socket, then the universal and then a 10" extension onto the ratchet. Take the bottom radiator bolts out so you can get your hands in to get the plug boots out of the head - that's the biggest problem I have. Also bars on full left lock to allow the socket and extension to go down and to let the plug, socket and extensions to come back up. Near side plug is a piece of cake but the off side is a bastard.

On the side of the road (have had to do it) - Yamaha plug socket and a 17mm ring / open ender - tough but do-able.

Still need to remove the bottom radiator bolts though to get your hand in.

Fairing on in both occasions.

JACKO · Post by **JACKO** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 10:20 am

thanks for the help guys.
as soon as the temp gets above freezing in my garage i will have another try. its too fecking cold at the moment and i will proberbly slip and take another knuckle off.

thanks again for all your help

cheers

jacko

Ridgifumi · Post by **Ridgifumi** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 10:48 am

Glen1TRX wrote:When in the shed at home I use a 3/8" drive Snap-on plug socket with rubber pickup inside and a universal with two extensions. The 4" extension directly onto the socket, then the universal and then a 10" extension onto the ratchet. Take the bottom radiator bolts out so you can get your hands in to get the plug boots out of the head - that's the biggest problem I have. Also bars on full left lock to allow the socket and extension to go down and to let the plug, socket and extensions to come back up. Near side plug is a piece of cake but the off side is a bastard.

On the side of the road (have had to do it) - Yamaha plug socket and a 17mm ring / open ender - tough but do-able. Still need to remove the bottom radiator bolts though to get your hand in.

Fairing on in both occasions.

don't ya mean in Ridgey's driveway at 6 in the morning

Glen1TRX · Post by **Glen1TRX** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 11:07 am

and at the BP at Oxenford at 6:30

I'm good at it now