Seaway Posted August 24, 2015 Report Share Posted August 24, 2015 I tried to remove my spark plugs this weekend and was unable to free two of them. The others may also be stuck, but I didn't try to loosen them. I put a 1/2" breaker bar on them, but didn't go crazy trying to get them out as I was afraid to break them off. What is the best way to try to free them? PB Blaster? Try when the engine is hot? Try when the engine is cold? If anyone has any tips, that would be great. Unfortunately this is yet another little thing in the long list of little things the previous owner (a Volvo tech) seems to have done improperly. I am still chasing a heat related engine performance problem and a mechanic I know said it sounds to him like an electrical problem and he would guess plug wires and/or ignition coil. They haven't been changed since I have owned the car, and the PO was not overly honest about the maintenance he claims to have done, so I might as well. I seem to have developed a stuttering between 3500-4000 rpm's at WOT and there is a bit of an intermittent hiccup now at idle - feels like a misfire but does not throw a code. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loseR99 Posted August 24, 2015 Report Share Posted August 24, 2015 Had this happen on my V70R when i took ownership. Shot a little bit of carb cleaner down the plug cavity and alternated loose/tight/loose/tight until the carb cleaner penetrated the threads a bit. I'd avoid the PB blaster. Do it when cold, when hot the aluminium in the head will have expanded and actually be tighter and you can really trash the threads trying this when hot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NEU Posted August 24, 2015 Report Share Posted August 24, 2015 I've never had done stuck too bad, but I've heard if you spray carb cleaner and let it soak overnight. Also don't use 1/2" drive it puts too much force on the plug to snap it, use 3/8".And it sounds like your problem might be spark blowout, especially if the plugs haven't been regapped recently.Have you talked to the guy about the issues you've had? So what shop does this guy work in? I'd like to avoid him if he's not doing good work. I know some folks in Rockville that are the same way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seaway Posted August 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2015 I've never had done stuck too bad, but I've heard if you spray carb cleaner and let it soak overnight. Also don't use 1/2" drive it puts too much force on the plug to snap it, use 3/8".And it sounds like your problem might be spark blowout, especially if the plugs haven't been regapped recently.Have you talked to the guy about the issues you've had? So what shop does this guy work in? I'd like to avoid him if he's not doing good work. I know some folks in Rockville that are the same way.I will try the carb cleaner and do it when it's cold and see how it goes. The mechanic I spoke with has not worked on my car or anything, I just happened to see him over the weekend and I described my issues to him as far as the "stuttering" is concerned. We were on a boat at the time, so not even in sight of a car... He was basically blindly running through a list of possible problems for me to look into based on what I told him I was experiencing.With an ARD Green Tune should at 17 psi should I leave the gap at .028 or will it be better at .025ish? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NEU Posted August 24, 2015 Report Share Posted August 24, 2015 .028 is stock, .025 is safer for a tune with no ignition supporting mods. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seaway Posted August 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2015 .028 is stock, .025 is safer for a tune with no ignition supporting mods.Great, thanks for the input. I don't want to step into the spark plug debate chasm, but I can get NGK's BKR7E's local or I can order Volvo plugs. Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fran9690 Posted August 24, 2015 Report Share Posted August 24, 2015 Great, thanks for the input. I don't want to step into the spark plug debate chasm, but I can get NGK's BKR7E's local or I can order Volvo plugs. Thoughts?I have always seen problems when anything but OEM is used when it goes to spark plugs. When I first took ownership of my R, I had a bad misfire/spark blowout when boosting above 4k RPM. I removed the plugs and found they were aftermarket. Replaced with Volvo plugs gapped at .025 and have never had a problem since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tightmopedman9 Posted August 24, 2015 Report Share Posted August 24, 2015 I recommend BKR7E to all my customers. NGK is a quality spark plug manufacturer, it is one step colder than stock, and inexpensive enough so that you can change them out every 20,000 miles without any recourse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seaway Posted August 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2015 I recommend BKR7E to all my customers. NGK is a quality spark plug manufacturer, it is one step colder than stock, and inexpensive enough so that you can change them out every 20,000 miles without any recourse. Great thanks. I will pick some up today and see if I can finally get this thing sorted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RussB Posted August 24, 2015 Report Share Posted August 24, 2015 I remove plugs with a warm engine. I would spray Kroil in each hole and let it soak a while. Use a proper 5/8" 6-point spark plug socket and be gentle. I've been running Bosch FR7DC in my 850 and now S70 for several years without problems. I change them yearly in the fall. Volvo factory plugs are great too, and last 30k, but last time I got a set, one was faulty. It apparently had a hairline fracture and started misfiring about a month after installation.Gonna try them NGK's next time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seaway Posted August 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2015 Got the plugs out and put the BKR7E set in gapped at .025 and it seems to have solved the problem. I will know more on the morning commute when I can wind it out in the highway.The plugs that were in the car were NGK iridium IX BKR6EIX and the gap was .030. Probably where most if the problem was... Yet another example of the previous owner not being real honest with me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gdog Posted August 25, 2015 Report Share Posted August 25, 2015 Got the plugs out and put the BKR7E set in gapped at .025 and it seems to have solved the problem. I will know more on the morning commute when I can wind it out in the highway.The plugs that were in the car were NGK iridium IX BKR6EIX and the gap was .030. Probably where most if the problem was... Yet another example of the previous owner not being real honest with me. seaway, what mods you running (don't see a sig)? I am running stock gap on stock plugs, stock ignition setup and about 18-19 psi peak boost; no issues (well other than that orange light coming on under higher loads, but that's knock retard and tune related..). IMO you should have done a compression ck while you had the plugs out too.. good to know where you are as a baseline.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seaway Posted August 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2015 If I had a compression tester I would have. I still can, it only takes a few minutes to get the plugs out.The engine is a 2.4L out of a 2000 V70 R, with an ARD green tune, snabb intake, white injectors and 16t. Ignition is stock and I was told the plugs, rotor, cap and wires were replaced at about 175k. The car has 192k on it now. I can't be sure if that is true because I have discovered a bunch of half assed repairs since I have had the car. I redid the pcv system (PO assured me he had just done it but had only replaced the main large hose with a Uro hose) and put in new, correct O2 Sensors (it had the bosch generic sensors). It ran well when I got it and I have since changed all vacuum hoses to silicone and all the intercooler hoses are silicone as well. I had to rebuild the turbo after I got it as there was a ton of in and out play. I put in a CHRA off of Ebay and I think it was a mistake. Everything worked well for a bit, but it now seems down on power. The turbo spools up to the 17 psi the ecu calls for, but it just doesn't seem to have the oomph it should, especially when it is hot. There is no smoke, it doesn't burn oil and there is no shaft play on the turbo, it feels tight. I also put in a new TCV and a new, stock CBV went in the turbo. I replaced the ECT sensor last week and put in a new thermostat. The stuttering started this morning. The car runs very well with the stock tune, but simply does not seem to like being hot with the ARD tune. The upside to all of this is that the PO did not lie about the AC, you could hang beef in the car on the hottest of days. I will likely have the original CHRA rebuilt and balanced and put it back in when I can. The other option is to get a 19t, injectors and a tune and go that direction. I am not sure that is what I want to do, however, as the 16t and green tune was plenty of power when things were working well. Oh, I have no codes and have had no codes during this latest bit of troubleshooting. I like working on the car, but I would really like it if the efforts yielded some positive results. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gdog Posted August 25, 2015 Report Share Posted August 25, 2015 Was the ard green tuned for your setup or did you buy it 2nd hand? If the latter, it probably needs tweaking. I would bet those whites are leaning out on you on the top end. Is your exhaust stock?But stage0 first; ck the compression.. etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seaway Posted August 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2015 Exhaust is not stock, I have angle flange turbo with an IPD system.As far as the ARD tune is concerned, it is 2nd hand I have spoken with Lucky about the problems that I am having. He checked the records of the previous owner and told me that our mods were nearly identical, the exception being that the previous owner had swapped in a manual where as mine is a factory manual transmission. He has offered to check the tune to make sure that there aren't any issues on that end. The tune was made for white injectors, so I am not sure why it would lean out at the top end, but I am sure it is possible.I just drove in to work and the stuttering feeling is entirely gone after putting the new plugs in. I am going to drive it for a few days and see how it goes. I suppose the next step would be to get new plug wires, cap and rotor since I really don't know the actual mileage on them. Everything else is basically new including calipers, rotors, pads, parking brake, axles, etc. I flushed the coolant the other day when I changed the thermostat and ECT sensor, I all radiator hoses are new, all the intercooler hoses are new and silicone, the MAF sensor has about 6,000 miles on it (I have a stock air filter, so no K&N oil problems), the MAP sensor is even new. I also replaced the negative B cable from the relay box to the battery. I have done a lot of work to this car and it seems like I can get it running really well for short periods of time and then it is back to the drawing board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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