Anti-Seize

[Rockhead]

Who use's it on their spark plugs?

[inspiron]

You're kidding, right?

[Rockhead]

Lets say no.....

[GregR1]

i'm new to bikes, so i can't say on that front, but on cars i never did - just a bit of motor oil. i DO use anti-seize on other bolts, especially those that are most exposed to water / snow / salt and would tend to corrode fastest (and there, i use the copper loctite anti-seize exclusively), like the brakes / suspension / wheels.

[ChicsterMG]

Umm, no.

[Clint]

It's not a bad idea in some cases, but I can't tell you what they are. I think the key is to never try to remove spark plugs from a hot engine.

[jkersh]

I have used it ever since I had a plug seize in an aluminum block. Broke the plug at the threads and had to drill it out. I say use it. Its cheap and it would have saved me many hours of work if I had used it.

[omegajim]

spark plugs, no.

The nut holding on the trailer hitch ball, yes.

On a bike, you should be checking your plugs often enough that this is not an issue. Say, once a year.

[Jerryzuki]

I use it anytime I put a sparkpulg in an aluminum head.

[92Notch]

I used antiseize on the thransmission to bell housing bolts on my mustang once .... they backed out ... ruined the rear of the trans .... I did not use antiseize on the bolts when bolting in the new trans .... its usually a good idea to use when unlike metals are involved, probably not a bad idea on the plugs, just a little bit, don't goop them up .... that being said... no, I do not use it on my plugs.

[D_Klein]

The crush washer on plugs will help keep the plug in place when used in addition to anti-sieze... It's standard practice to use anti-sieze on spark plugs and I've never heard of anyone having bad luck with it for that application.

I've found that it's most useful in applications where the plugs are difficult to access.

[919Hooligan]

In the miriad of vehicles that I've owned I've had 6 spark plugs frozen solid in their heads, all of which were aluminum. It is recommended that in an aluminum head you use anti sieze on the spark plugs. If you regularly change your plugs it probably won't be an issue, but when they are left in for extended periods of time without anti sieze they can cause problems. So, basically, if you're a slacker and may not keep up on your maintenance it's not a bad idea. Honestly, it's never a bad idea. the investment is minimal; I bought a small can of it about 8 years ago and it has lasted me through about 40 vehicles.

[92Notch]

is there anything harder to get off your hands then anti-seize? that stuff seems worse then gutter adhesive (I made a hell of a mess with that stuff one time, it sticks to everything!!!! ... the joys of a first house...)

[Rockhead]

I posted this thread because this was a debate on another one of my forums. I wanted to see where everyone else here stood as far as using or not. Myself I always used a dab on the threads of all the spark plugs IV thrown in engines over the years.

One person claimed he had ran tests before on Bosch plugs, insisting the anti-seize insulates the plug from the head and caused the cylinder temperatures to rise by 35%. Well I thought that was pretty significant and IV never heard that claim before. Most of the time the gripes are proper torque, pre-detonation and coils wearing out prematurely. If this has any truth to it im considering for myself not using it again.

[D_Klein]

Originally Posted by 92Notch

is there anything harder to get off your hands then anti-seize? that stuff seems worse then gutter adhesive (I made a hell of a mess with that stuff one time, it sticks to everything!!!! ... the joys of a first house...)

Yeah, tree sap!

[GregR1]

Originally Posted by Rockhead

.....insisting the anti-seize insulates the plug from the head and caused the cylinder temperatures to rise by 35%. Well I thought that was pretty significant.....

my first reaction to someone claiming that would be "smoke up my arse? no thank you!" the spark plugs aren't really going to help cool the cylinder heads by a big amount - that's the job of the coolant! if a small 3/4" plug is responsible for drawing THAT much heat OUT of the cylinder head - well, we should all be running 12 plugs per cylinder!!! make the entire cylinder out of spark plugs!!!

[dcstrng]

For plugs, yep...

[92Notch]

Originally Posted by GregR1

my first reaction to someone claiming that would be "smoke up my arse? no thank you!" the spark plugs aren't really going to help cool the cylinder heads by a big amount - that's the job of the coolant! if a small 3/4" plug is responsible for drawing THAT much heat OUT of the cylinder head - well, we should all be running 12 plugs per cylinder!!! make the entire cylinder out of spark plugs!!!

I think the theory behind it is that the reduced conductivity would reduce the spark which would potentially cause the fuel not to be ignited, which would mean the compression would ignitie instead ... which would cause umong other issues, excessive heat. ... personally, I do not think the goop would have that effect, and if I were running alunimum heads I would definitly use some on the plugs (unlike metals react... causing seize). but i do not know for sure.

[919Hooligan]

Originally Posted by 92Notch

I think the theory behind it is that the reduced conductivity would reduce the spark which would potentially cause the fuel not to be ignited, which would mean the compression would ignitie instead ... which would cause umong other issues, excessive heat. ... personally, I do not think the goop would have that effect, and if I were running alunimum heads I would definitly use some on the plugs (unlike metals react... causing seize). but i do not know for sure.

The whole conductivity thing is just rediculous for anyone to say. Anti seize or not, the plug is securely grounded when properly tightened, not only at the threads but also at the crush washer. If the fuel were not being fully ignited by the spark then the plugs would just get full of carbon deposits and foul out prematurely. If the compression were high enough to ignite the fuel on it's own (which it's not) this would cause higher combustion chamber temps, but that is not the case. You are correct in thinking that it would not have that effect.

[Tooltech]

The biggest problem with antiseize, is that it actually allows the plugs to be severely over-torqued. The reduced friction can literally pull the threads from the head, with very minimal effort. It is sometimes necessary on high mileage interval plugs (cages) or on exhaust bolts, but otherwise should be avoided.