A Testament to the 1st Gen Tundra

New to me 2004 Tundra. Changed spark plugs. Ended up snapping one of them in half and getting the bottom half of it stuck in the plug hole. Dumped a few Tbsp of Ballistol down the plug cylinder and wrenched it out. Extracted bottom half with magnet rod. People on this forum recommended acetone and ATF fluid mixture, but I just dumped Ballistol down there because I'm lazy and don't listen. It worked. White exhaust smoke for about 4 minutes from the Ballistol in the engine cylinder (pretty sure it cleans out the piston as well) and no problems.

But the point is, look at these spark plug gaps. I cannot believe this truck was running totally fine with this shit. The first one was already a surprise, imagine my surprise to find out they were all at this point gapped at like ~0.08. It's basically just preventative maintenance. I wouldn't expect spark from these but the Tundra didn't even hiccup. It's a testament to how great these Gen 1 Tundras are.

 

Wow those are way open

 

Glad it worked out for you even if you didn't use acetone and ATF. I'm sure you've noticed a significant difference in truck already. Those plug gaps look just like mine did when I bought it about 2 months ago with 187,000 on it. I kid you not I believe they were the original plugs. When I pulled them the gap was so wide I was shocked it even started and ran as well as it did.

 

I'm thinking the same. How many miles does it take to erode a plug like this? I'm guessing 180k. And I bought this truck at 178k.

 

Same boat here, truck ran basically fine when I got it, did the plugs for good measure and they looked about like that, seems smoother since replacing, but maybe it’s in my head...
Looks like time for a valve cover gasket set, are the ones with all the crud from the same side? Looks like leaky gaskets around the spark plug tubes.

 

I’ve never heard of this ballistol that you keep mentioning, is it just another penetrant oil?
Also, do you have a husky? Your spark plugs looked harry as well.

 

I put iridium in at 20k miles and left them alone until 250,000 then changed. Didn't make any difference... engine still runs smooth as silk.

 

How much does it cost to change valve cover gaskets? And can I do it myself or is that a shop job?
Yes these plugs had a bunch of crud...a bit concerning.

 

Ballistol is a general cleaning and lubricating oil and is very much a penetrant as well. Anti rust, and is completely non-toxic. Mostly used in the firearm world which is where I discovered it, great for cleaning, but I've found it's applicable to a bunch of different things. It oils my boots, greases joints and hinges around the house, even cleans engine internals. Only catch is that is smells very strong, some people can't stand it.

I have a border collie aussie mix. Dog hair is just an unavoidable part of my life now.

 

Hey, I haven’t done it yet on this truck, but have done a number of valve cover gaskets before. If you’ve got the tools and parts it’s not usually all that hard with instructions.
Here’s a video I found linked in a different thread, I haven’t watched it yet, but another member recommended it,
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=D04eVLXnl1k