F430 adventures in changing spark plugs

Changed out spark plugs in my F430 (as title suggests) and found the dreaded black goo on cylinder #2 plug. I thought "just my luck" and naturally I assumed gasket, and started shopping around for a full set.

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I was sitting down drinking a beer and inspecting all the plugs and circled back to this one and noticed discoloration along the insulator, something I haven't seen before besides in a plug failure.
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When I wiped some of the goo away, I noticed that the gasket was deformed and thought, crap, a ferrari mechanic installed a defective plug without bothering to check it. But it turned out to be worse than that.


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The reason for the bent gasket was a side electrode from another plug was jammed between the gasket and the plug shell. The plug had been torqued down and crushed the metal shard into the gasket.

I went from thinking "just my luck" to "holy crap am I lucky!". If that shard would have fallen into the combustion chamber as I was removing the plug, I would never have known it, and might have ended up with some potentially expensive damage.

The thing that should frighten owners is that the previous spark plug change was done at a Ferrari dealer in California, with receipts to prove it.
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No cel or misfires. The plugs were last changed 15k miles ago, and about 5 years. so I think there was a very slight blowby due to the gasket not being fully seated and it's just a buildup of residue. None of the other plugs had anything on them, they looked very clean.

I don't ever use anti seize with NGKs since they recommend not to use it, but these had a noticeable amount on them. My theory is that the Ferrari shop that installed these didn't keep a clean shop and the metal must have dropped into the anti seize tub or bottle at some point and then transferred to the plug before install. most shops don't keep tubes of the stuff, since they go through so much of it. They typically use open top bottles/tubs so it's easy for contamination to happen if not careful.

Honestly, it's a mistake that could have cost the previous owner a crap load of money, and no way to prove how it happened. And it could have easily caused issues for me. I always laugh when I read posts or talk to friends with high end cars that brag about all service being done at the dealer. I don't see any difference in quality between a fezza dealer, and an indi. At least you can get to know the indi and build trust.
I started doing all my maintenance and repairs myself after a toyota service shop cross-threaded an oil filter on my car and I drove 15 before my oil light came on. I ended up stuck in a parking lot waiting for a tow truck.

what would you be looking for with a compression test? possible damage from other metal that could have gotten in?

 

not a bad idea if you have a camera. I hear they're pretty cheap now, and I might get one for other reasons.

If you don't have one, maybe using some compressed air to blow out any lose debris might take care of it.

 

I would def use it then. I'd love to see inside of the cylinder and piston if I had the chance, just out of interest.

 

I normally use anti-seize for applications where different types of metal touch, especially when current has the potential to pass through. I have always used it for low end spark plugs, but when I looked at the NGK site, they specifically stated not to use it, and that they provide a coating that breaks loose during removal. See bellow:

From NGK website:

1. Anti-seize

NGK spark plugs feature what is known as trivalent plating. This silver- or chrome-colored finish on the threads is designed to provide corrosion resistance against moisture and chemicals. The coating also acts as a release agent during spark plug removal. NGK spark plugs are installed at the factory dry, without the use of anti-seize. NGK tech support has received a number of tech calls from installers who have over-tightened spark plugs because of the use of anti-seize. Anti-seize compound can act as a lubricant altering torque values up to 20 percent, increasing the risk of spark plug thread breakage.

 

great questions. I was going to see how they come out after 15k miles, and decide then. If I have to remove one then put it right back before then, I’m putting a bit on there.
I’d love to hear what professionals are doing as well.