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HOW TO: change spark plugs 06 636

60K views 25 replies 13 participants last post by  rick monster 636 
#1 ·
k, time for me to do a service so thought i might do a write up with pics for you guys.

1. take side panels and seat off (no pics for this. if you don't know how to do this...i'd recomment NOT doing this job yourself and getting a mechanic to change your plugs....)

2. remove tank. There are four bolts you need to unscrew to get the tank off,
1 at the headstem of the frame, 1 under the seat and two on the sides in the middle of the frame. No pics for this....pretty self explanatory.


3. to completely remove the tank you need to disconnect 3 hoses/clamps.


unclip this clamp at the bottom of your tank. before you do so, you might want to throw a rag under it to catch the bit of fuel that might leak out. yes they are old undies. shut the fuck up. :)






unclip this electramickle clip under your seat.

there is also a small hose under the tank on the left hand side (as you sit on the bike) that you need to unplug.

4. now you have access to the air filter housing. (which you need to remove) to do this there are 5 bolts you need to unscrew.

first is at the top near the headstem.


the rest are under the airbox and are the housing clamps (there are 4 of them)


5. next you have to disconnect the injector clips at the top of the airbox. There are five clips in total. (4 black for each injector and 1 green at the end)


6. next there are four hoses you have to disconnect.

first is on the left hand side (as you sit on the bike)

next is the big hose at the bottom of the airbox in the center

next is the fuel clip under the big house you just disconnected

and lastly is the hose on the right hand side under the airbox


7.
the airbox can be completely removed now. Take the chance now to give it a wipe down because it'll probably be dusty and full of bugs.

8. you should now be able to see the 4 coils. unplug each of the electrical clips to them


9.
now prepare yourself for some serious cursing and hard work. you have to pull each of the coils straight up and out. giving them a bit of a wiggle or an unscrewing action may help abit...but you need constant force pulling upwards.

good luck getting the last one on the left off....the frame gets in the way and causes many profanities to be thrown around.

10. now you can relax because thats the hardest part. All thats left is to get your spark plug socket tool and unscrew the old plug out and screw the new plug in.


once again, the very left one will give you troubles because there is very little clearance to get your spark plug socket and handle in there.

I made a visit to the local auto store and found this beaty. A flexi 1/2" drive extension. Made the last plug a breeze to get in and out.



And that's it. You're done. Assemble everything back, and double check you've reconnected every hose, screwed back every screw and clipped every clip back.

i accept no responsibility for anything you do to your bike. This is just a guide. If you are not sure on how to do anything after reading this and consulting your service manual and read through the wealth of information on this forum, i'd suggest not attempting it yourself.

Having said that, go forth and changeth thy plugs!
 
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#4 ·
You don't have to remove the airbox, you can just unhook the hose at the front and fold it over towards the back of the bike giving you plenty of room to access the spark plugs and less stuff to put back together :].

I wish I had one of those flexible extensions :[
 
#5 · (Edited)
Also, I would put a paper towel or cloth to cover your throttle bodies to prevent any unwanted material from getting in there. You could also clean them while you're there if they are dirty. Use throttle body cleaner.
Good write up and excellent pics! I need to do this soon too.
 
#12 ·
i just changed my plugs recently and used NGK iridium this time and felt the bike was much smoother. i used the standard/oem type plugs before. hope this helps.
 
#14 ·
let us know your thoughts on the iridium plugs and have fun with the install.
 
#16 ·
Okay I finished replacing my spark plugs this morning.

I have to say it was pretty easy if you have the right tools.

First off I didn't remove the filter housing as mentioned above, once the front bolt was removed and the housing clamps loosened I just pivoted the filter housing back on itself as shown in the picture below:
 

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#18 ·
One last tip for the last plug on the left of the bike, the one closest to the frame:

Use a spark plug socket, a universal joint and 3" extension (in that order). Insert this combination into the hole and engage the spark plug. The 3" extension should extend enough to add a second universal joint and a 6" extension to this second universal joint, then add your ratchet. This "tough" spark plug came out easily, piece of cake.

It took me 3 hours to change the air filter, replace the spark plugs and add a speedo-healer to my bike.

I have to say replacing the spark plugs was easier than I thought.

Thanks for the write-up vbroom!
 
#23 ·
Update on this thread. I just finally got around to changing my spark plugs today and:

1. Definitely do NOT need to take the airbox off, just take off the front screw, loosen the throttle body clamps, remove the lower breather hose and flip it towards the back of the bike.

2. Just use the spark plug wrench in the tool kit. No special tools needed, just the wrench and a 14mm socket wrench. Kawi thought this through for us.

3. It's a piece of cake, just time consuming removing the tank, etc.
 
#26 ·
awsome write up....i did the plug change and went to the track and noticed the bike wants to cut off sometimes at very high RPMs. maybe aroung 13k.I didnt have that issue before the plug change..Redoing the plugs again and using Iridium instead of the stock CR9E's also double checking my coils to make sure I didnt crack one during removal. My bike had 28k on the stock plugs before i did the plug change."I know I know"..... The 636 is bullet proof
 
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