2008 R12RT - changing lower spark plugs

W7lej1

Kindly curmudgeon

• Jul 23, 2016

• #1

Hi All,

This has probably been previously discussed and I just missed it.

Can anyone point me to a suitable thin-wall socket (it would seem, VERY thin-wall) for extracting and installing the lower spark plugs? My Craftsman deep socket walls didn't look very thick, but wowsers, that's tight in there.

Thanks for any suggestions and guidance.

Marty

 

henzilla

not so retired

Staff member

• Jul 23, 2016

• #2

Hey Marty,
try this thread, I have collected a few thru the years, some fit, some have been ground down

http://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?77837-Sparkplug-socket&highlight=spark+plug+socket

 

W7lej1

Kindly curmudgeon

• Jul 23, 2016

• #3

henzilla said:

Hey Marty,
try this thread, I have collected a few thru the years, some fit, some have been ground down

http://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?77837-Sparkplug-socket&highlight=spark+plug+socket

Click to expand...

Thanks, Steve!

Marty

 

David13

New member

• Jul 24, 2016

• #4

Your best bet is to grind one down.
They may read "thin" or anything like that. The ad may say really thin or ultra thin.
But once you get one stuck in there they can be very hard to get out.
So I think grinding is the easiest.
dc

 

ponch1

Ponch

• Jul 26, 2016

• #5

David13 said:

Your best bet is to grind one down.
They may read "thin" or anything like that. The ad may say really thin or ultra thin.
But once you get one stuck in there they can be very hard to get out.
So I think grinding is the easiest.
dc

Click to expand...

That's what I did. Works fine now.

 

lkchris

Active member

• Jul 27, 2016

• #6

The BMW special tool works really well.

 

tinytrains

Still plays with trains.

• Jul 27, 2016

• #7

Is the bottom plug well tighter than the top one?

I have pulled the top plugs with no problem, but have not tried pulling the bottom ones yet.

Thanks
Scott

 

AntonLargiader

Active member

• Jul 27, 2016

• #8

The BMW shop tool works best. It is very thin, has retention, and is long enough to work without any extension. I wish BMW sold one like this for the newer engines.

The Snap-On socket fits well also. Only use it with a locking extension (same with any socket IMO).

The old 1100/1150 toolkit tool works well, too. No retention, though.

 

Dann

New member

• Jul 31, 2016

• #9

I have an ITC 16mm deep socket that works perfectly for both spark plugs on my 07 RT

I never noticed that the top and bottom ones were different.

 

lkchris

Active member

• Aug 2, 2016

• #10

Dann said:

I have an ITC 16mm deep socket that works perfectly for both spark plugs on my 07 RT

I never noticed that the top and bottom ones were different.

Click to expand...

The spark plugs are not different. Just less clearance around the lower ones.

 

Dann

New member

• Aug 2, 2016

• #11

lkchris said:

The spark plugs are not different. Just less clearance around the lower ones.

Click to expand...

That's what I meant...

 

AntonLargiader

Active member

• Aug 3, 2016

• #12

FWIW the BMW 12 3 510 tool (83 30 0 401 695) is 20.5mm diameter. The Snap-On 5/8 spark plug socket (S9706KRA) is 21.15mm. The BMW toolkit tool from the R11xx era (71 11 2 316 193) is about 21.2mm. I haven't seen the toolkit tool that was made available for the Hexheads, but it is different.

 

AntonLargiader

Active member

• Aug 3, 2016

• #13

And, as an anecdote, a customer brought me a TwinSpark 1150 into which someone had installed 11/16" plugs in the bottom. I turned an 11/16 spark plug socket down to 21.85mm (there was 0.75mm wall thickness left at the corners) and it would just go in far enough to get the plug out but it would not slide in.

If you want to turn down your own socket, or buy one, I'd make sure it was no more than about 21.2mm based on the numbers I posted a few minutes ago.