[Igor Barbaros]

I was thinking of replacing the spark plugs in the smart. Hopefully someone can throw some insight into it. I was thinking about the brisk. Specifically the MOR12LGS.
I would like to hear your opinions on them. I remember in one topic somewhere here there was a guy swearing by them. The problem is he sounded like a salesman. Just stuffing those plugs down everybody's throats. Repeating the same line over and over again.
So please let me know if someone has some experience with them. Thank you

 

[jimvw57]

I have used Denso Irradium plugs and had good results with them. Be aware there are 2 different 'irradium' plugs, a long life one and a shorter life one. long life lasts about 100K miles, the shorter life ones last about 35K. I try to use the long life ones so I don't have to change them as often.

 

[magilly00]

Spark plug replacement

A word of caution be careful when unscrewing the bolt that holds down the coil pack. I have had two different smart cars a 2008, and a 2012, when I replaced the spark plugs the bolt head snapped right off. I think it may be corrosion, dissimilar metals steel bolt into aluminum. Once it snapped off I had to drill out the bolt and re-tap hole. Not sure if anyone else here has had this issue, but both times it was the first bolt on the drivers side.

 

[Igor Barbaros]

Thank you. I will keep that in mind. Did you have to drop the engine to re-tap the holes?

A word of caution be careful when unscrewing the bolt that holds down the coil pack. I have had two different smart cars a 2008, and a 2012, when I replaced the spark plugs the bolt head snapped right off. I think it may be corrosion, dissimilar metals steel bolt into aluminum. Once it snapped off I had to drill out the bolt and re-tap hole. Not sure if anyone else here has had this issue, but both times it was the first bolt on the drivers side.

 

[magilly00]

Drilled and tapped without dropping the engine.

I made this repaired on my second smart car yesterday. I lined up directly in-line with the broken bolt, and drilled a 1/2" hole through the floor. After drilling (with a couple 12" long bits,1/8" first, and and tapping with a extension) I installed a black rubber grommet plug. It looks like it is a factory installed inspection grommet under the rear carpet.

 

[Ron Ream]

In my Mustang I had 2 sets of Brisk plugs go bad. One set after 6 thousand miles and another set after 25 thousand miles. I switched to NGK Iridium IX and I am still running the first set 30 thousand miles later. It's a modified supercharged motor.


After hearing about the coil pack bolts snapping off, I'm reconsidering changing the plugs in the smart. It has 31,000 miles and it's running fine.
.

 

[Gearhead]

Hi, I've used Brisk plugs in a turbo'd 451 and am currently running Brisk plugs in two stock 451's and a supercharged Polaris Slingshot (Vortech V3 SC, 11# boost depending on exhaust setup)... #1 , for any modded app, you typically need to use a colder heat range just as with a conventional side gapped race plug. If you can't find the right heat range with the Brisk brand, you can typically find them with Autolite, but without fancy silver electrodes... #2 , you can't just install these and forget 'em. Like a typical old-school plug, I pull these and check/adjust gaps every 15K to 20K miles or so. I've never had a Brisk plug go bad -- but I took care to use non-projected nose plugs in colder heat ranges and inspected them. As for the 451 coil pack bolts snapping -- I typically use anti-seize on anything going into aluminum and haven't had any issues with these yet (but, now you've got me thinking about replacing these bolts with ARP SS bolts -- isn't OCD great?). I also use anti-seize on wheel nuts/bolts (not dissimilar metals into aluminum, but these often get rusty and stubborn).



I've found non-projected nose Brisk plugs to work well with Pee-Pee Kalifornia gas. Eliminated most all of the ping rattles in the 451 -- those which are audible anyway (unfortunately not all detonation is audible). These worked well in the turbo'd Smart -- and work well in the SC Polaris Slingshot (two heat ranges colder -- tossed the Iridiotium plugs supplied by the SC kit manufacturer). Kalifornia gas is nasty. There was a time you could go to Home Depot and get cheap toluene by the gallon and use that as an octane booster -- but I've only seen that in useless pint sized cans lately, if you can find it at all... Out of all of the premium gas brands I've tried, 76 currently seems to be the best -- but, your mileage may vary (sic.).



No, I'm not any salesman. Used to be an engineer, now I'm a statistician/number cruncher programmer analyst (I think headhunters call this Data Engineering nowadays). Love the Smart cars. Easy to park and two of them take up only 1 garage space (parked nose to tail). But, the Polaris Slingshot is considered a motorcycle that can use commuter/HOV lanes at any time (passenger or not) -- so that is currently getting the most use even on cold days...

 

[SubRosa]

Anti-seize works on most metals, but a coating of milk of magnesia lets stainless hardware come apart easily long down the road.


SR

 

[Igor Barbaros]

I made this repaired on my second smart car yesterday. I lined up directly in-line with the broken bolt, and drilled a 1/2" hole through the floor. After drilling (with a couple 8" long bits, and tapping with a extension) I installed a black rubber grommet plug. It looks like it is a factory installed inspection grommet under the rear carpet.

do you remember the tread size by chance. just in case i happen to need to need a tap and to just find some new bolts to replace them

Hi, I've used Brisk plugs in a turbo'd 451 and am currently running Brisk plugs in two stock 451's and a supercharged Polaris Slingshot (Vortech V3 SC, 11# boost depending on exhaust setup)... #1 , for any modded app, you typically need to use a colder heat range just as with a conventional side gapped race plug. If you can't find the right heat range with the Brisk brand, you can typically find them with Autolite, but without fancy silver electrodes... #2 , you can't just install these and forget 'em. Like a typical old-school plug, I pull these and check/adjust gaps every 15K to 20K miles or so. I've never had a Brisk plug go bad -- but I took care to use non-projected nose plugs in colder heat ranges and inspected them. As for the 451 coil pack bolts snapping -- I typically use anti-seize on anything going into aluminum and haven't had any issues with these yet (but, now you've got me thinking about replacing these bolts with ARP SS bolts -- isn't OCD great?). I also use anti-seize on wheel nuts/bolts (not dissimilar metals into aluminum, but these often get rusty and stubborn).



I've found non-projected nose Brisk plugs to work well with Pee-Pee Kalifornia gas. Eliminated most all of the ping rattles in the 451 -- those which are audible anyway (unfortunately not all detonation is audible). These worked well in the turbo'd Smart -- and work well in the SC Polaris Slingshot (two heat ranges colder -- tossed the Iridiotium plugs supplied by the SC kit manufacturer). Kalifornia gas is nasty. There was a time you could go to Home Depot and get cheap toluene by the gallon and use that as an octane booster -- but I've only seen that in useless pint sized cans lately, if you can find it at all... Out of all of the premium gas brands I've tried, 76 currently seems to be the best -- but, your mileage may vary (sic.).



No, I'm not any salesman. Used to be an engineer, now I'm a statistician/number cruncher programmer analyst (I think headhunters call this Data Engineering nowadays). Love the Smart cars. Easy to park and two of them take up only 1 garage space (parked nose to tail). But, the Polaris Slingshot is considered a motorcycle that can use commuter/HOV lanes at any time (passenger or not) -- so that is currently getting the most use even on cold days...

how in the world do people even leave in california. crappy gas, crappy emission laws, crappy gun laws. but i will keep in mind your suggestions regarding the plugs. thanks

 

[jimvw57]

I have replaced a lot of plugs, and other than the heads of the bolts getting rusty, Never had a problem with breaking a bolt. I have replaced them with SS ones just to avoid the rust (gotta love Minnesota winters)

 

[magilly00]

The bolt is a 6mm-1.0x20 mm

 

[magilly00]

I have replaced a lot of plugs, and other than the heads of the bolts getting rusty, Never had a problem with breaking a bolt. I have replaced them with SS ones just to avoid the rust (gotta love Minnesota winters)

I am 2 for 2 with the bolt heads snapping off during spark plug changes, and I am a bit hesitant to change the plugs in my other two smart cars. If your not too busy I can let you remove the bolts on the next 2, maybe you will have better luck than me.

 

[toaster]

I have replaced a lot of plugs, and other than the heads of the bolts getting rusty, Never had a problem with breaking a bolt. I have replaced them with SS ones just to avoid the rust (gotta love Minnesota winters)

Actually SS bolts in aluminum is not a good idea. Take a look at any galvanic series chart of metals to see why.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galvanic_series
https://www.corrosionpedia.com/an-introduction-to-the-galvanic-series-galvanic-compatibility-and-corrosion/2/1403

Aluminum being the less noble metal than SS it will corrode, especially so, given the large potential difference between the two metals. I'd recommend using a zinc-plated fastener as the zinc is closer to aluminum on the galvanic series so the combination is less prone to corrosion. Additionally in this case the zinc becomes the sacrificial anode, not the aluminum.

There is a reason that manufacturers' use zinc-plated fasteners with aluminum. If you must use SS, apply an anti-seize compound, preferably one containing zinc.

~toaster

 

[mattwithcats]

I put copper anti seize on the bolts, and spark plug threads.

http://www.itwconsumer.com/versachem-products/product.cfm?id=Anti%2DSeize%20Thread%20Lubricant%2C%20pocket%20pack-81


I also soaked the bolt in Pb Blaster (used a q-tip to apply) daily for two weeks, before trying to remove...