Ok another reason to hate the 3VZE. Today I decided to check out a couple of spark plugs to see how they looked, since they have about 12,000 miles on them. To my dismay all 6 of the spark plugs were only finger tight. A couple of them were 3-4 full turns loose.

Also I hate how the passenger’s side sucks at getting to, I always get scraped, and the driver’s side is easy to get to once you remove the air intake.

Why were my spark plugs so loose? Anyone else have this problem?

 

I wouldn't blame the 3.0 for loose plugs. Sounds like the installer didn't torque them down right. Who did the install?

 

I changed them about 8 months ago. I had them tight.

 

I've also have had the problem! No idea why, I torqued them to specks..

 

Never had a problem with plugs coming loose on my 3.0, though I agree they are a PITA to get to.
And as for the scraping I thoroughly recommend Mechanix gloves, got some recently after 20 years of working on cars without. All of my knuckles now have intact skin

 

Maybe someone was trying to steal them?

 

Mine like to work themseves loose too. I put a dab of Loctite on them - still easy to remove and no more backing out. I've had one fall off on the highway before - sucks to be running on 5 cylinders smelling unburnt gas and sounding like a Model T.

 

yeah but when it blows you can go get a 3.4 or sell it intact to another poor soul who has blown a HG

 

Passenger side plugs are easy to get to if you do one thing:

Remove the evaporation canister.

Once you do that, a nice hole opens up and you can get to the #3 and #5 plugs easily with an extension.

The evaporation canister is an easy removal as well.

 

you use a torque wrench to put in sparkplugs?????

 

Does your 3.0l have clockwise or anti-clockwise swirl chambered heads? If you have the anti-clockwise heads, you need to get swirl force cancellation type plugs, otherwise the high swirl forces will eventually loosen the plugs. If you have clockwise swirl heads, you need standard plugs, as the swirl will keep them tightened just fine.

 

Unless you're in the southern hemishpere and the toilets swirl backwards.

 

Never had them come loose in the 3.0, but they did it all the time in my 22RE. I wouldn't say that makes it a bad engine... I just remembered to check them every time I did an oil change, thats all. Sometimes the rear 2 were loose, sometimes not.

Same went for the exhaust pipe, it worked loose from the manifold flange regularly for years, then finally it quit coming loose. (Because I put steel nuts on there, so some future poor SOB will enjoy get THAT apart...)

 

Had the same problem w/the exhuast manifold flange nuts on my '84 22r, and a friend w/his '85 22re

 

If they were torqued down from the beginning you would have never had this problem, Try some Loctite also and stop over oiling the threads, most plugs come lubed already! To get to the pass. side you need a "stubby" ratchet it works the best combined with a short ext. The biggest problem with the 3.0 is people hate or don't know how to work on them! You have to love the 3.0, the sob will last forever! Oh I know I'll hear it now: What about the HG recall and how hard it is to work on everything? :cry: I'll take a 3.0 any day of the week, they're relatively simple to work on if you know what your doing! What about the 22RE fuel filter? Yeah that's a piece of cake to change! NOT!
Good Luck!

 

You are NOT supposed to lube the sparkplug threads before you put them in. Also, it's always a good idea to clean the threads inside the head with a solvent like carb cleaner before you install them. I've been doing this for years and I've never had the sparkplugs come loose on mine. I usually like to properly torque them down to spec too.

The reason why some here have had their exhaust manifolds come loose is because the stock factory style nuts are a "one time use only" nut. They are not designed to be used again.

As for the counter-clockwise rotation of water in the southen hemisphere, well that's bogus. "Mythbusters" debunked that myth a long time ago.

 

Amen. The first time I opened the hood on my runner I was a little intimidated to say the least. But since then, I've made the 3.0 my b*tch.

 

My Toyota dealer service people told me to oil the threads on the 3.0 plugs and NOT use anti-seize. Not sure why, and based upon how hard they were to remove last time, I may use anti-seize next time. Never used a torque wrench on plugs in over 30 years of wrenching. Plugs haven't fallen out or stripped the threads..

Yep, cleaning the threads is a good idea.


Man, some people take themselves too seriously. It was a joke bud.

 

I might have an idea. The plugs have this washer like thing you crush when you torque 'em down. I'd say use a torque wrench and see if it fixes it. Otherwise, you will feel some resistance, then the washer deal starts to give, then it turns a bit easier, then you hit way more resistance as the plugs actually tighten.

I have had your problem on a different motor.

Frank

 

Ahhh, Toyota service people. I try to steer clear of those folks as much as humanly possible. Well... except for warranty work that is. If you oil the threads before you install the plugs, it'll be almost impossible get a good friction seal against the threads in the head. Maybe with WD40 you can, but with oil? Hmmm. I don't know.

Shoot, if they're recommending that procedure for the plugs on the 3vzfe, no wonder people think the 3.0's are dogs. They're running with loose plugs on their engines.



Well...sometimes when I'm feeling anal about things I'll use the torque wrench, but usually I just use a 3/8 drive ratchet and do them 1/8 turn past snug.


No need to be offended. I knew you were joking hence the "" icon I put after the sentence I wrote.


However, to be quite honest with you, I sorta believed in the counter-clockwise flow in the southern hemisphere myth before they debunked it.