2004 BURGMAN 400 SPARK PLUG CHANGE

No, there won't be a video. Changing the spark plug was a relatively simple operation except for the fact that it was the first time that I took off any of my plastics. If you want a video tutorial, they're all over YouTube. I watched one before I got started AND I took my laptop into the garage and punched up the service manual. You can't be too prepared.

And being prepared meant knowing that the fasteners holding the plastics together are likely to break when you mess with them. That's why I went to a dealer and picked up six before I started. Worked out well. Four broke. While I was buying parts, I made certain that I had all that I needed for my next oil change. And of course, I bought the plug, an NGK CR7E. The manual says to replace the plug every 7,500 miles. It's been a bit over 6,500. Close enough. My intention is to change the plug at every other oil change.

The object of the exercise is to remove the left side leg shield to get at the spark plug. So, first I pulled off the left side floor mats. Underneath are four Phillips screws and about six of the fasteners. There are a couple more fasteners that attach the leg shield to the under cover at the back and the lower front leg shield at the front. Once all the screws and fasteners are off, work off the shield. It's fairly sturdy plastic, bit it IS plastic. So be firm but be careful.

The workspace is tight but ample. The plug is seated in a deep well, so all that you see is the cap and the lead. After you pull the cap, making certain to scrape your knuckles in the process, you can just see the top of the plug. A 5/8 deep-well socket works, and if the plug is tighter than you expect, there's another chance to crack a knuckle.

The plug looked clean but lean, no visible wear but white with no color. On the edge of being problematic. I'm going to throw some injector cleaner into my next tank of gas to see if that opens things up a bit. And I'll keep the plug for an emergency spare after I give it a few swipes with a wire brush.

You'll never have a better chance to give the shield, the mats, and the deck under the mats a good cleaning.

Need I say it? Reverse the process. You can start the plug by hand, tighten it hand tight, then tighten it up with the socket wrench. Don't torque it down all the way - finger tight plus a quarter turn is the norm. Fit the leg shield on making certain that all of the tabs are positioned correctly in their slots. I turned in the Phillips screws first, then popped in the clips from back to front, then laid in the mats.

Voila. About one-half hour and two scraped knuckles and done.