Replacing Spark Plugs in 1MZ-FE... - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

Cammy4U2NV · 08-09-2005, 12:30 AM

does anyone have any tips or any online tutorials etc. about replacing the plugs in a 1MZ-FE engine? if it helps my actual car is in my sig...

jackfrost1031 · 08-09-2005, 12:51 AM

twist the plug wires before you try to yank them out, getting one broken in the valve cover sucks ass. Also, only remove one wire at a time so you have no chance of mixing things up. Make sure you have a bunch of different extensions for your ratchet, I ended up using a bunch of combinations due to clearances. If you feel confident, you can pull the intake plenum off and it'll be pie to get ot the rear cylinders, otherwise it's a lot of working in the dark.

AMScamrySE · 08-09-2005, 07:39 AM

Make sure you have a good spark plug socket...

alxch1n16 · 08-09-2005, 07:56 AM

its really straightforward. just twist off the wires, have a wratchet with a long extension and a spark plug socket. always examine them to see what kind of wear there is on them, ie if they are burnt, or are covered with oil, etc. when putting the plugs back in, take the wratchet off and just use the extension, sometimes you can get the plug in at a weird angle, and then force it in, happened on my saab and i broke the plug. then tighten until tight and add the wratchet, and then give it a quarter turn past tight. just be gentle with them because while they are strong, the platsic sucks and is brittle somtimes.

jackfrost1031 · 08-09-2005, 08:32 AM

plastic?

spark plugs are made of porcelin

Yeah, don't make a mistake and cross thread the plugs, some kids did this at school on an expedition and blew out the plug while driving, taking the coil pack out with it. They only had the plug threaded in a little bit, and it was obvious by what was left. I don't know what done about it after the fact.

alxch1n16 · 08-09-2005, 09:26 AM

sorry, it was a wee early when i wrote that. porcelin, dont let it crack and fall into the engine, it sucks when that happens.

Cammy4U2NV · 08-09-2005, 03:53 PM

so basically the plugs are under that black cover...and your blind doing it?

kenny1773 · 08-09-2005, 04:16 PM

The front 3 plugs are under the black cover and the bloack cover comes off easily and exposes them.

Those 3 are the easy ones, should take 5 minutes tops

The back three are pointed towards the firewall and are under the intake plenum, these 3 will take a better part of an hour no matter how you look at it.

In my 1995 V6, I used 3 extensions (2 - 6 inch and 1- 3 inch)and a universal joint and managed to get the socket into all three without too much of a struggle. If i had to do it a second time, I would be faster. Taking the intake plenum off is the way the manual suggests, but that would eat up some time as well.

You will also need a good spark plug socket (one that grips the plug). Basically on the back three plug, you have to blindly slide the socket with the plug down the tube. Not hard to do at all.