Help! Iridium spark plugs & rubber boot!!!

bboySushi

bboySushi

Well-known member
So my bike (2007 GSXR600) wouldn't start recently, it would crank but thats about it. I feared it was a more serious problem, but after charging the battery and disconnecting my alarm I wanted to try the spark plugs before bringing it to a mechanic as a last resort.

I took out the old stock NGK CR9E spark plugs and they weren't bad looking but figured I'd replace them anyways since I went to the trouble of taking them out. Crappy tire didn't have them in stock so I bought iridium spark plugs, same company/model, CR9EIX.

SO here's the problem. I put them in, even gave them an extra twist just to make sure it wasn't a kink in the thread or the washer giving me trouble, but for the love of me, I could not get any of the rubber boots fully inserted back on top of the spark plugs!! Without them in, the boot goes all the way flush to the top, but with the plug in, the gasket barely goes into the hole. WTF is going on?

Just to check anyways, I threw the bike together and started it and it fired up fine...ok ONE relief. but I can't leave the boots like that, especially now that its a bit rainy. IT started up and soudned different though, not sure if it was because of the iridium plugs or because of the loose boots. Sounded a bit more chug-gy.

So what is this problem? I can't tighten the spark plugs anymore i'm sure of that. I accidentally left my old spark plugs at crappy tire so I can't compare them. What should I do?
 
When I put iridium plugs in my bike I had to unscrew the little nipple on the top of the spark plugs, just leave the little threaded part exposed, boots clipped right on!

-Jamie M.
 
toysareforboys said:
When I put iridium plugs in my bike I had to unscrew the little nipple on the top of the spark plugs, just leave the little threaded part exposed, boots clipped right on!

-Jamie M.
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This.

Also, a word to the wise. Get some compressed air and blow the area where the plugs are sitting before removing them. This prevents any junk from falling into the cylinders
 
my immediate guess would be that you accidentally got the wrong sized plugs.
if they are CR9E's they should look and fit identically, except for the iridium tip.

just to be clear: are you sure you torqued them down to spec?
 
dunno if you know this but you gotta use a bit of muscle to push down on the rubber "boot" before they snap in place
 
Thanks Jamie and Rockerboy! I wasn't sure if the boot was supposed to click into the tip of the spark plug because I'm not familiar with how the current is delivered but the boot went down quite a bit further. It's not ALL the way down like with the stock plugs, but its far enough down for the gasket to cover the opening. Not sure if it'll work well in heavy rain but we'll see. If I have problems I could throw some silicone in there. As far as the firing goes, it seems to work fine. Starts right up, drove it around in 1st and 2nd for a bit and no problems at all.

Thanks again! Just one of those oddball bike-specific things I suppose.
 
Look at your old plug and compare it to the new one, if it doesn't have the tip on it just remove it with a pair of pliers. There's no reason your boot shouldn't fit the same way it came off.
 
bboySushi said:
I would like to, but unfortunately I left it at the counter at crappy tire :(
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If you leave it the way it is you can melt your boot, wreck your coils, etc. if it's arc'ing between the boot and the nipple on the spark plug. Take them out, remove nipple, re-install. Don't risk it.

-Jamie M.
 
bboySushi said:
I would like to, but unfortunately I left it at the counter at crappy tire :(
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I think I know what your issue is now.....you purchased the Slim Tip NGK CR9-EIX....I think the stock plug calles for a CR9-IX which is a slim tip without the extra cap on top. I believe they put the cap on top so that it works for a lot more applications.

A CR9-IA wouldn't have the cap on it, but would also have a regular tip on it....like a CR9-E...lots of little variations with plugs.

I would inspect the bottom of the coil packs, they usually have a little retainer clip/plier looking thing to ensure that was no damage. I was working on a GSXR that has a intermittent cylinder misfire issue...the cause was that the coil pack's retainer was worn.


Here is a picture of what I am talking about:
CR9-EIX on the left | CR9-e on the right.....

SparkPlugComparison.jpg
 
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Sorry rockerguy haha

I did take the nipple off Jamie. Still I will revisit it this weekend as it looks like the coil should go all the way down (thanks for the pix frekeyguy). The metal insert should 'click' over the top threads of the plug from what I hear so maybe I Just need to apply some more downward force.

crappy tire did a look up (surprised they had motorcycles in their database) and this was the iridium plug they said was for my bike..guess thats why they're called crappy tire. I will try to find the CR9IX or just use stock ones for the next change (not for a while though). Will update this thread tomorrow.
 
Alright, so I opened it up again and gave it some love taps and the boots did go down more. There's probably only a few mm left, but the rubber sleeve is well inserted and the outer gasket covers over the openings. Engine sounds better actually, glad I didn't leave it the way I did.

Unfortunately I checked and my bike doesn't have that gas tank stay in the trunk hahaha.

Thanks again guys, appreciate all the help!
 
bboySushi said:
Alright, so I opened it up again and gave it some love taps and the boots did go down more. There's probably only a few mm left, but the rubber sleeve is well inserted and the outer gasket covers over the openings. Engine sounds better actually, glad I didn't leave it the way I did.

Unfortunately I checked and my bike doesn't have that gas tank stay in the trunk hahaha.

Thanks again guys, appreciate all the help!
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Don't tap / hammer on those coil packs. Just push down on the slowly....they will go into place.

The coils aren't designed to take impacting forces.....
 
YEs, the resistor cap must be removed. Also, you can always apply a small amount of die-electric grease to the tips of plugs or inside the boots to A - help it slip on and B - promote current transfer.
 
Thanks for the info. If I encounter any problems I will revisit the plugs again and keep this in mind should I need to change them out in the future. Anyone know someone in the springwire business? Wouldn't mind paying a bit for a quick-fix tank stay made from some scrap wire
 
bboySushi said:
Thanks for the info. If I encounter any problems I will revisit the plugs again and keep this in mind should I need to change them out in the future. Anyone know someone in the springwire business? Wouldn't mind paying a bit for a quick-fix tank stay made from some scrap wire
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metal super markets have stuff in their scrap bin you can make/modify
 
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