Changing sparkplugs

Okay, so i tackled the changing of the sparkplugs today. Not too bad of a job until I hit #4. I removed the oil cooler and had to bend the oil cooler bracket out of the way and hold the oil cooler out of teh way in order to get the socket positioned enough to get in the tube. Man, what a job that was. Not a fun time.
Then I took out the air filter, only to find out there had been a little critter nesting in there. He chewed a hole in the paper part of the filter and the only thing keeping crap out was the metal screen! Good idea to check this time to time if you store your bike someplace where they might try to make a home for themselves. Hopefully the new BMC filter will work fine.

 

Ya, lots of stories of vermin in the air box. It has cost a few guys big time!

 

Just saw this post, I am going to be doing my plugs soon as well and was curious if you caused any damage to the oil cooler while having to move it?

 

I am curious about this myself.

 

I "bent" my oil cooler out of the way and back a few months ago to change the plugs on my '98 without causing any problems. Just go REAL gentle and only move it as far as necessary. Little bit at a time.

 

Sounds like a high potential for something bad to happen "real gentle" it will be then.

At the risk sounding stupid did you bend it up or down?

Thanks.

 

I had slowly bent the cooler bracket up and just enough to get the sparkplug socket and extention in . I wouldn't want to be bending it back and forth too much in case the welded joint broke or something. Just be cafeful and take your time.... Although I do tend to worry too much! Also, put some black electrical tape on the extention and spark plug socket to keep them together. Trying to "fish" out a sparkplug socket can be frustrating to say the least. And a magnet to pull out the plug after it becomes loose is quite handy.

 

A good welded joint should be at least as strong as the surrounding metal; but you're right to avoid bending any metal parts repeatedly. Every time you bend a piece of metal it hardens it a bit, making it more and more brittle.

 

If I recall, changing plugs on a 5th Gen. You remove 2 bolts above oil cooler, it drops down and using the plug wrench in your tool kit with a box whench on the end - presto.

 

bada bing bada boom! yeah, it's a no brainer with the spark plug wrench in the tool kit. And yes, the oil cooler, just flops down once it's unbolted. Don't have a clue what the hell you've done besides not using the tool kit.

Right tool for the jobs makes helluva difference. Say no to hillbillyism.

 

I bent mine downward...actually more forward than downward, I guess. Had the socket and extension there so I could tell just how far I had to bend it down.

 

on earlier VF/VFRs u need to remove the 2 lower radiator bolts and swing it away to access front plugs, but be careful not to damage radiator fins.....