seanski06 Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 i have a EJ22 96 impreza L with 202k miles i have plugs and wires....are there any kind of washers that i should have? and what should i look for when im changing these things...early warning signs or hints that my engine is taking a s*** soon... first time changing spark plugs so be easy on me.....also anyone know off hand what the gauge is for these plugs....im sure its in the manual but i've got these things on the computer desk so i could do it right aways thanks -sean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hohieu Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 Replace the wires one at a time -- to ensure that you don't cross them up. To be safe, you could squeeze a bit of dielectric grease into the the ends of your wires. You may need to remove the air cleaner box and the wiper fluid resevoir to gain access to the plugs. Washers come with the plugs -- be careful not to overtighten -- screw the plugs in by hand until the plug is seated, and turn them another 1/4-1/2 turn with a ratchet. Duct tape the plug socket and extension together to save yourself some grief. If you have oil in the spark plug wells or some seepage around your valve covers, tighten up the valve cover bolts just a tad, 1/8 of a turn or so. Click on this site for visual guides on plug condition: http://www.centuryperformance.com/spark2.asp Not sure on the gap specs for your car, on my 2.5 SOHC, it's .039-.043 in. (1.0-1.1 mm). Goold luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brus brother Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 HOHIEU covers it pretty well. You didn't say when the plugs were changed last, but time and an overly aggressive tightening on last change will present as a remarkably stubborn plug to remove. Controlled force will save your knuckles. When removing the wires, (do one at a time) remember to grab the boot and not the wire and wiggle it side to side as you pull. Anti-seize grease on the spark plug threads will make subsequent replacement a breeze. I have had best luck using NGK plugs as spec in manual. Deep socket with rubber insert and duct taped to the extension is a good tip. There were certain SOA model years where you needed to be a contortionist to access the plugs. Hope your's is an easy one or you are limber. On my 2000, and as HOHIEU recommends, I remove the air intake ducting and windshield washer reservoir as a few minutes and screw removal makes it so much more accessable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill90Loyale Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 Dielectric grease on the spark plug threads will make subsequent replacement a breeze. I think the brus brother meant ANTI-SEIZE grease on the plug threads, and dielectric grease on the plug wire ends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
86subaru Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 do not over tighten the plugs , just take your time 1 at a time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seanski06 Posted September 11, 2006 Author Share Posted September 11, 2006 thanks for the replys....thats basically what i had in mind....but its always reassuring to hear it from you guys..i have no idea when last these things were changed....iim hoping i dont run into any kinds of cross treading....i cant really afford to have the car down a day what about washers or seals? are there any kind of seals that may sit between the spark plug and the seat? thanks -sean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnceggleston Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 i went to autozone for ngk plugs, they didn't stock them. should i order the m, or is bosch platnum ok?? i had a miss, threw a code for #4 missfire. when i look under the hood 3 of the plug wires were seated well. the "t-grip" on the boot was flush with the top of the valve cover . but on #4 the t-grip was sticking out about , well at least 1/2" if not more. still change to oem wires? i think so. current wires are ngk and look relativly new. 97 obw with 108k miles, i've had it since 97k miles. on a side note, i was a little surprised the computer didn't throw a code a sooner. i could feel the miss and knew i had a problem before the cel came on. i guess they programed in some lag time ?? do not over tighten the plugs , just take your time 1 at a time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 save yourself some grief and install Subaru OEM wires only. any other off the shelf wires from the parts store are likely to cause issue sometime down the road, i've even seen brand new ones cause problems. the design of the EJ motors is not very forgiving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brus brother Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 Corrected. Thanks. I think the brus brother meant ANTI-SEIZE grease on the plug threads, and dielectric grease on the plug wire ends. what about washers or seals? are there any kind of seals that may sit between the spark plug and the seat? The washers come already installed on the spark plugs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seanski06 Posted September 11, 2006 Author Share Posted September 11, 2006 great...that about sums it up and for the records im using subaru specific plugs and wires......dont want any kind of problems with this thing....nor do i need any kind of power upgrades....so stock it is Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dude Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 I highly recommend investing in a torque wrench. Overtighten a spark plug, and you'll strip the threads. Undertighten a spark plug and the engine will spit it out. Once a spark plug has been spat out, the threads are usually permanently damaged. What you save on labor by replacing the plugs yourself will more than cover the torque wrench. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brus brother Posted September 12, 2006 Share Posted September 12, 2006 You are in Pa. Try DiscountParts.com. They are the online venture of Liberty Subaru in NJ, maybe close enough to keep shipping down. When you call Liberty, ask for the Parts Department and then specify the "discount parts" price. It's basically the same as local mechanics would pay. Jamie aka SubieGal on this site (search members) is very knowledgeable (and a major hard driving babe;)) affiliated with a west coast dealer and in CT. we have subarupartsforyou.com. The discounted price makes it real easy to use genueeny Subaru parts. Put an order together for plugs, wires and filters and no tax covers shipping plus great prices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seanski06 Posted September 12, 2006 Author Share Posted September 12, 2006 damn...i already bought the plugs and wires....wires from the dealership for definately more than 40 bucks...and plugs off a guy from rs25.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unibrook Posted September 18, 2006 Share Posted September 18, 2006 2001 Forester EJ251 engine. 82,500 miles. I had that one cylinder hesitation on acceleration and slight miss at idle problem, so I figured I would replace plugs first since I bot this car with 75k on it and I think the plugs were changed at 60k. If you are new at it, expect plug change to take 2 hrs start to finish. U need 10mm and 12mm sockets to remove the windshield reservoir and the plastic air channel assembly. Good idea to plan in advance and run your reservoir nearly empty. U need a 5/8" plug socket with rubber insert, 6" rachet extension, clean rags, a torque wrench would be nice too. It seems recommended to use the anti-seize lube on the plug threads and dielectric goop in the plug boots, so I did. People seem to recommend using 6" of surgical tube to get the plug threads started so you don't cross-thread them. I had less feel with the tubing, so I just used the plug socket attached to the 6" extender and gently threaded the plugs in by hand before attaching the rachet driver to tighten them up. I have a pretty good feel for 21 ft/lbs of torque, so I didn't use a torque wrench. The feeling you want is snug-tight....without forcing at all. All 4 old plugs were pretty clean and free of carbon buildup, and the forward 2 boots were clean and dry inside and out. The old plugs all came out with about .047" gap on them. I installed the new ones with .040" gap. The driver's side rear plug (#4 cylinder) had oil around the outside of the boot, around the hex nut part of the plug and the nearby 2 threads and up about 1/8" on the porcelin....there was no oil inside the boot or on the tip or base of the plug. The passenger side rear plug (#3 cylinder) was dry and clean as was the inside of the boot, but the outside of the boot shaft up towards the wire end was oily. My guess is that since this oil was present, I am due to take off the valve covers and replace the spark plug donut grommets and the valve cover gasket (new ones are rubber, Subaru says don't use any goop on it). Anyway, the car is running like new with the new plugs, so I will do the valve cover grommet project next month maybe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hohieu Posted September 18, 2006 Share Posted September 18, 2006 2My guess is that since this oil was present, I am due to take off the valve covers and replace the spark plug donut grommets and the valve cover gasket (new ones are rubber, Subaru says don't use any goop on it).Anyway, the car is running like new with the new plugs, so I will do the valve cover grommet project next month maybe. I tightend my valve cover bolts just a tad -- 1/8 turn or so and the leaks have subsided. If you go ahead with replacing the valve cover gasket and spark plug well seals, you may want to check the valve clearance while you're in there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnceggleston Posted September 18, 2006 Share Posted September 18, 2006 If you are new at it, expect plug change to take 2 hrs start to finish. i did mine on sunday. i would recommend starting with the left rear plug (#4) first. the set up i used on the right side (#1, #3) didn't work for me on the left rear, so i had to re-learn the procedure. my old plug wires were not oem and when i remoped the #1 wire, it left the metal connecting insert on the plug. this was quite a challenge to work around. i couldn't reach it with pliers so i needed a longer socket to clear the "extended" plug. asa matter of fact the old wires weren/t even for a subaru. the boot / well covers were rectangular, not teardrop shaped. and #4 wasn't even inserted far enough for the metal connector to reach the plug. no wonder #4 was misfiring. i got a scare when i fired it up after the change. my at temp light started flashing. OH CRPA!! i turned it off and restarted, and all was well. the next time i started the car, the CEL was even off. amazing, everything working just as it should. it did take 2 hours and 3 beers though. and a lot more fun than cutting the grass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WoodsWagon Posted September 19, 2006 Share Posted September 19, 2006 As a side note, 21ft lbs is for cast iron heads, 15 ft lbs for aloy heads. Just don't over or under tighten too much, it's a real pain putting a thread insert in. Make sure that the gasket comes out with each of the old plugs too, don't want to stack a pair by accident. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unibrook Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 I went back under the hood and tightened the valve cover bolts 1/8th turn as some of you suggested. My 2001 has been running perfectly ever since. I guess I will hold off on the valve cover gasket and spark plug donut seals change for now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unibrook Posted October 23, 2006 Share Posted October 23, 2006 Oh damn, I spoke too soon. I am getting intermittant severe hesitation again. CEL came on this time, I went to AutoZone to pull codes: misfire at both #2 and #4 cylinders (those are the driver side cyl's). Hmmm. Well, I have changed the plugs, so next step is to change wires and coil since they are easily accessible. Let me know if anyone has any other ideas. I have not yet replaced the valve cover gaskets and sp plug donut grommets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hohieu Posted October 23, 2006 Share Posted October 23, 2006 I would start with the wires. You can get an OEM set at 1st.subaruparts.com for around $30 + shipping. Also try cleaning all the connection and terminals of your coil. I have instructions for checking the resistance on an ignition coil for my 99 Forester but doubt that specifications are the same for your car. Could email you the page if you want. Maybe someone else can chime in. Oil leaks around your valve cover gaskets or spark plug wells should not cause a drivability problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unibrook Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 Since the CEL misfire codes on cyl's 2&4 came back again. (more frequently now). I bot replacement OEM wires from Cityside Subaru here in Belmont, MA ($39). Interestingly, they are not the exact same lengths as the original wires....but near enough to use. If anyone cares, the #4 wire needs to be the longest, the #1 wire should be the shortest. The connector points on the coil housing seemed to be perfectly clean, so I just slapped some dielectric goop on them and in the plug ends of the wires and installed them. Naturally, the car is running like new.......but. It also ran like new when I first put in the new plugs and air filter, so let's not count our chickens yet. I will report back in a month if it continues to run well and I get no further CEL action. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avk Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 Note that replacement wires whose part numbers begin with "SOA" (SOA430Qxxx) are, in fact, aftermarket wires packaged in Subaru boxes and are not identical to those installed at the factory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unibrook Posted November 20, 2006 Share Posted November 20, 2006 I have had no further hesitation symptoms or CEL's, so I am declaring the fix complete. Replacing the wires seemed to be the cure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unibrook Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Oh dang. Spoke too soon again. Got same misfire codes thrown again after 2 months of smooth operation. Both the #2 and #4 cyl's. Hmmm, I have so far replaced plugs, wires, air filter. Next is coil. AutoZone said pull it off and look for cracks on bottom, there were none. Anyone want to email me the testing procedure for the coil before I buy a new one?? Thx in advance. It is a 2001 Forester with 83k on it. nwlovell@yahoo.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dickensheets Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Why one plug at a time? Does the 2.2 not use a top mount coil pack? rd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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