As a bunch of you know, I am also one of the TT event flatbed guys. I have always had the urge to do a bunch of mods prior to any TT event and a couple of times those mods have bitten me.

Tomorrow I start a drive down south for 2 weeks and then end up in St. Louis for TT-Central before getting back to Chicago.

However, the TT was showing a misfire on cylinders 3 and 4 and I figured preventative maintenance was worth breaking the 1 month pledge.

I already had 4 new IK22 plugs and coilpacks waiting. I called STTevo to see if he was also up to doing the same thing. He jumps in his TT and heads over, along with bringing me a new fuel filter. Having 94K on the TT and also having gone through several fuel senders I felt putting in a new fuel filter would be a good thing.

I had always thought cylinders were counted as #1 to be on passenger side and #4 to be on drivers side. What I found were the coilpack in the left most passenger side spots were nasty and looked as if they were the culprits. The two coilpacks on the drivers side were clean as a new when pulled out.

We needed to move the turbo discharge pipe and I happened to drop the nut from one of the hinged clamps. That particular nut is a coarse thread for an 8mm stud. It takes a 13mm socket, but is an M8 nut. I find that Ace Hardware carries a great selection of bolts and nuts that neither HD or Lowes does.

I had a heck of a time removing one of the plugs that was in one of the misfire spots. It would turn free, but would not come back up the hole. After tightening and untightening it finally came out. No signs of galling or misthreading. Engine was cold.

When reinstalling, I knew the torque values for the plugs and the coil pack bolts. However, when I removed everything nothing seemed to be really tight either with the plugs or the coilpacks. It had been 45K miles since the plugs had last been replaced and various of my coilpacks have been replaced under warranty. As I tightened each plug with the torque wrench I never go to the recommended torque value. I have one of the nicer digital type torque wrenches from Sears. I loosened all plugs and then retightened by hand. I did the same for the coil pack bolts. Never got the proper torque value. I will check tightness of all coilpacks after I drive for awhile.

The IK22 plugs that came out of my car looked OK, but the gap was now about 0.036 or greater. But hey, they lasted a long long time and won me some autox's and great times on some big tracks.

Next up was the fuel filter. I needed to get SparTTan to come over and show Sttevo and I where the majic button is on the fuel filter. It is on the side OPPOSITE the flat spot on the hose. That was a quick change out.

Lastly, I pulled the gasket that seals the hood to the area just in front of the wipers. I put some of the stuff Schwing and I have used to wrap the edges of sharp stainless mesh. I believe Schwing sells this as a mod to lower the engine temperature. STTevo has it on his car and says it works well.

There, I guess those really aren't mods, excepting for the gasket thing. But then again a new Optima battery that failed on my way to TT-East a few years ago was also maintenance stuff. The good news is that I have an extended warranty for the next 6K miles.

I have decided to retire from the autocross and big track stuff.

Next up were the plugs on STTevo's car. That went pretty well.

It was nice to see a couple of other TT's in the driveway today. I have been on the other end of a chop saw and nail gun too much lately. Alot of the house remodeling is finally coming together. This past week I ripped our 4 separate staircases and completely rebuilt them and finished them with oak treads and painted risers.

Now going on a little driving vacation. (Taking the toolbox with me.)

 

Sounds like you are ready to go now....;-)

 

Or a lift (!!!), You're welcome to crash here....

 

Thanks, but heading through Columbia and going to stop and see Dave, Gottogo

 

Glad you got all that done - sounds like you are going to have a blast - ENJOY!

 

Nope, not a camera in site, just sweat and rain drops, or maybe it was just raindrops.

 

Nice, John...I have to get some of that gasket stuff in red.....

 

I failed to mention that to you when you were here. Plugs and coilpacks are sitting in the garage now and will be changed out next weekend--along with fuel filter.
Safe travels!

 

How is Oregon and married life?

 

Very well, thanks, John. Hope all is well there.