Changed my coilpack and found rust??!!??

[Dyldo]

Went to change a dead coilpack tonight that i found via the "Loon Illimination" method, and found the damn thing to be rusted like its been on the poopdeck of the Titanic.



I feared that maybe I've lost a head gasket, or worse, but then good ol' Father-in-Law comes out and reckons it absolutely fine and that water would get in no worries but the unit is sealed and would stay carry a charge.

I don't really want to pull the others as I haven't the right tool (am only using a pair of pliers), but need my ride for tomorrow and need to get her fueled up so was just looking for the collective opinion if she is fine?

[DNA Tuning]

Doesn't exactly seem like rust; looks more like oil leaking from your rocker cover gasket onto and around the coilpack boot. Maybe abit of moisture in there as well. It's not your head gasket.

[Dyldo]

when i pulled it out (quickly i might add) i got a few drops of water on the top of the engine (intake runner?) and the coilpack just smelled like it was rusty. I can't imagine the rocker cover gasket, but would imagine if oil can seap out then maybe water can get in?

Either way, feel this is fine to drive with? or is it symptomatic of something that warrants attention?

[Dyldo]

Well, nothing has gone pop, fizzle or bang in the engine bay. yet

Driven probably 100kms so far today with varying rev ranges and everything is sweet.

[Big_M]

Mate if you haven't had it from new Or have had it detailed and they power washed your engine bay wouldnt put it past that as an explanation.

[WhO]

Yeh dont worry about it, one of mine is like that. I figure its just from washing the bay.

What do you mean by the right tool to remove them? I've always just pulled them out by hand?

[Dyldo]

.... and then i found sludge. wtf?

Check the pic below. Basically the plugs were pulled in that order, so the driver side plug is #1 and so on. I kept one or two of the coilpacks as they looked relatively good (No real indicator i know) but the other plugs and coilpacks looked feral. Is this normal?


Car does run nicely now though

[Dyldo]

hahaha, check plugs 4 and 6!! thats not normal.

[WhO]

Certainly right that plugs 4 and 6 look pretty shabby! The only one that worries me out of all of them is 6 because the rust clearly has penetrated past the seal and rusted down the threads! This just likely means that that plug wasn't fastened properly but its not a good thing as you would likely have been blowing compression (and thus fuel and air mixture) past that one thus not only dropping power but also altering the fuel mixture in that cylinder.

Oh well i'm sure all should be well! Makes me wonder what mine look like... although that said, i accidentally spilt a heap (read filled the spark plug holes) of oil down 5 and 6 when i had the coil packs out the other day so i dare say they wont rust! Hard as i could try there's still oil traces down there... oops!

Anyway back to yours, might feel a bit better now that all is fresh!

[Dyldo]

My torque wrench is 1/2inch and the plug socket was 5/8inch, so I didn't torque the plugs down.

Can they be over tightened?

[WhO]

My torque wrench is 1/2inch and the plug socket was 5/8inch, so I didn't torque the plugs down.

Can they be over tightened?

Yup, the head is alloy so if you went really ridiculously tight you theoretically could strip the head! I've never torqued spark plugs TBH, new plugs are tightened as per the instructions on the packet, usually something like once the washer bottoms out tighten an extra 2/3 of a turn or something like that. Thus i'm not sure you can use a torque wrench on them the first time you install them. Otherwise when re-tightening old plugs i've always trusted my feel for how tight they are. That said since i use a torque wrench on practically everything else i probably really should use one on the plugs!

[Back Door Shenanigans.]

Hey dyldo if you want a set of 6 coil packs for free give us a buzz.

[Dyldo]

Hey dyldo if you want a set of 6 coil packs for free give us a buzz.

dude, you're kidding!! I just had 6 sent in from ECS

[Back Door Shenanigans.]

dude, you're kidding!! I just had 6 sent in from ECS

Oh dam, Bad timing. Only just thought about them then haha

[Dyldo]

all good BDS.

Anyway, took her for a 10min run and within the first 30 secs detected a slight hesitation, and sure enough we have misfires and definite hesitation under load in most gears. over say 2500rpm she seems fine, but definitely under load and initial accel she is labouring a bit with hesitations. No spluttering or misfire bangs yet.

Fueling issue?
I guess i should clean my air filter, but that still should be fine right?
Spark plug gap?