sparkplug
 

I have worked on many cars and am just learning on my bike. Is there an easy way to change the sparkplug, without removing half the engine? I have not looked too hard, just getting a few a little time to work on it some. Thanks for any help.

Re: sparkplug
 

Well, THAT post has me a little concerned !! :cry:

I haven't done it yet but I ASSumed that all you needed to do was remove the tank.....which really is fairly easy.

There is a shop manual available on here in PDF format; maybe that would help ??

Someone who really knows will be along shortly. :tup:

Re: sparkplug
 

No you do not need to remove the tank, just the little chrome cover on the left side of the head, the spark plug is right there, I use a 3/8" drive long barrel socket, forget the size at this second, and a 1/4" ratchet with a converter on it to make it fit 3/8" because there is not enough room for an extention in there but the long barrel socket is just a hair short, so the converter makes it fit just right, plus it is easier to carry around a 1/4" ratchet on the bike than it is a 3/8".



Update: the socket size for the plug is 18mm, yes like basically everything else on these bikes it is metric.

Re: sparkplug
 

Created a How-to on this. Hope it helps.

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=1715

Re: sparkplug
 

Yes, most things made in Japan ARE metric !! :biggrin:

Re: sparkplug
 

It's easy as cake. Take off the gear-shifter side chrome cover, gently but firmly remove rubber boot, and unscrew the spark plug. You do not need to remove the tank.

My tool kit contains a plug puller.

Re: sparkplug
 

Got the spark plug changed no probs. Found the chrome cover over it, removed it with one of the tools in my handy little bag. Thanks for your help. I had a little more time this past weekend to tinker with it a little and find all the important components, changed the oil, checked the air filter, checked the brake fluid, and a couple of other minor things.
About the Spark plug and worrying if I had to remove half the engine to get to it, I had a 2002 Chevy Camaro SS that it was almost impossible to get to the back spark plugs. I wasn't sure just how difficult it would be to get to. At least I knew that there was only one.

Re: sparkplug
 

Yeah. Some cars are bad about having the back one or two plugs inaccessible. I owned a 3000GT where the back 2 couldn't be reached and talked to a couple of Mitsubishi mechanics about it. They independently told me that the manufacturers generally put in 100k mile plugs in those cylinders to get past it. Since the timing belt and other major components need to be changed before the 100k mark, they usually recommend waiting until the car is in for the "late-life" tune-up.

I never bought much into it, but I also never changed out those back plugs either, and it ran fine through 150k.

Re: sparkplug
 

I hear ya about the "inaccessible plugs". I once had a Buick Regal, and I was able to replace all but two plugs on my own. After hours of swearing and damning the car to hell, I finally took it to a shop. They wanted 175 just to replace those two plugs! So I sold the car. haha.