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The Jasper Engine


Cadillac Jim

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A couple of weeks ago, I dropped a post on the main forum about XcelPlus for my new Jasper engine and got a lot of replies about the Jasper remanufactured engine and only one about XcelPlus. All of them were good questions and information, so I thought that I would summarize here the points that were made, where they will stay put and can be easily found.

Thumbnail of why I originally got a Jasper engine instead of a new engine at a dealer or a timesert job:

  1. Jasper's timesert and head gasket issue fixes done with experience from new and rebuilt engines.
  2. Ther piston ring quality and special attention to cross-hatching
  3. Appropriate focus on permanent seal at the infamous Northstar o-ring.
  4. Unconditional 3-year transferrable warranty that includes labor.
I didn't get just a timesert job because my o-ring was seeping pretty much and at 116,651 miles I figured that it was a bad long-term risk also, oil burning was marginal at 1,200 miles per quart, and had started abruptly between 70,000 and 75,000 miles. I have seen Jasper remanufactured engines recommended here, and I have heard good things about them elsewhere. Another factor in getting a Japser remanufactured engine was seeing a post here about an engine swap at a dealer that had a total bill of about $9K and the new engine still overheated. My installer saw that I had a new radiator or he would have recommended one, and he overhauled the rest of my cooling system.

TIMESERTS

Jasper timeserts every head bolt thread of every block and uses oversize threads and bolts. I saw the Jasper engine side-by-side with my old engine and the head bolts are noticeably larger on the Jasper engine. Jasper also uses graphite head gaskets that are specifically designed to seal around the water jacket passages as well as the cylinder bores, and resurfaces the heads to achieve a roughness specification to make sure that the gaskets perform to specification. The Northstar head bolts, like those of all good aluminum engines, are of the torque-and-twist type -- torque to tightness and then turn a specified angle. This type of bolt is long with threads only at the end, and once installed these bolts act as tension springs. This means that the aluminum can expand and contract as the engine heats and cools, and the head gasket clamping remains within requirements. Jasper measures the head gasket clamping during installation, which is more accurate than torque-and-turn. The result is more accurate head gasket clamping that can be achieved with a torque wrench -- a feature you will see only in a new factory engine or a large remanufacturing operation like Jasper. You can't get it on a rebuilt engine or a timesert job. This is major, and, with automated timesert installation, is why GM and remanufacturers like Jasper can guarantee their engines -- but most machine shops, rebuilders and dealers won't guarantee a timesert job.

PISTON RINGS

Northstars use steel bores, so the cross-hatching from cylinder honing never goes away. This means two things: the roughness can allow some minor oil burning that we aren't used to seeing on iron bore engines, and the rings can rotate in the pistons over time. The Northstar uses only two compression rings and one oil control ring. If the ring gaps ever line up, you can lose compression and/or burn oil. Jasper has their honing machine for Northstars set to minimize roughness and provide symmetrical residual cross-hatching for best performance and no surprises when the engine gets some miles on it -- the rings don't rotate. As for the rings themselves, they use Perfect Circle, which is the leader in high-performance piston rings lately. I don't have the part number but I will ask for it if anybody wants it.

MAIN BEARING CAGE OIL SEAL (THE O-RING)

The Northstar uses cross-bolted mains with the lower main bearings supported by a mini-block, with a special seal called "the o-ring" between it and the block. The oil pan bolts to this mini-block. This superstrong arrangement is the main bearing cage, and it is one reason why this engine can be used in Indy cars and such. Jasper uses extra sealing compound around this area to ensure that keeping it leak-free doesn't depend just on the o-ring over time. You could see this on my Jasper. They align-bore the Northstars with the main bearing cage on and torqued for ultra-true main bearing alignment, and the crank is straightened to match. This results in lower stress and vibration on the main bearing cage, as well as a quieter engine and better oil pressure.

WARRANTY

Jasper's automotive engines come with an unconditional, transferable three-year warranty that is not pro-rated. Labor for removal and replacement is included in their warranty.

LATER

I'll add posts here as I accumulate experience with the Jasper. I'll post anything I notice during break-in. For example, my original engine had 18 miles on it when I got it (the gas tank was dry, on the dealer lot -- they are shipped with 1.0 gallon). It stabilized within 50 miles of driving and did not change noticeably in character for over 8 years and 100,000 miles.

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-- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes
-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data
-- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC
Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars.

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I've put over 500 miles on it and have changed out the break-in oil (Mobil 1 5W-30; replaced with same type of oil) and filter. There are no codes, the engine temperature is stable, and throttle response is noticeably better than the old engine. It's smoother and quieter than the original, probably because of the align boring, crank straightening, and tight balance specs of the remanufacturer. The 117,000 miles I had on the old engine may be a factor, but it seemed to be just fine so far as drivability and performance are concerned up to the second I drove the car in for the engine change.

Things that are new:

  • Water pump and belt.
  • Air cleaner element.
  • Radiator.
  • Thermostat.
  • Coolant.
  • The metal coolant hoses on the rear of the engine.
  • All rubber coolant hoses everywhere.
  • Thermostat.
  • Spark plug wires.
  • Spark plugs.
  • Hard-to-reach HO2S on the rear exhaust manifold.
Most of the new items come with a Jasper installation kit that includes gaskets and the usual throw-away items like thermostat and plug wires. The small hoses, radiator and oxygen sensor were things my installer and I agreed on as good ideas. The metal hoses on the rear of the engine were worn, and one of them had a seepage leak.

Things that are old (117,000 miles):

  • Fuel injection and manifold.
  • Coils and ignition modules.
  • FPR.
  • MAP sensor and most other sensors (I'm not sure about crankshaft position sensors).
  • Catalytic converter and mufflers.
  • Cam covers.
  • Transmission (flushed every 30,000 miles).
  • Lead foot.

Things that have been changed:

  • ECM programmed for performance by dealer (15,000 miles).
  • Fuel pump (30,000 miles).
  • Engine mounts, except the two bottom rear, which are original.
  • Fuel rail; metal rail replaced plastic rail as per recall of a couple of years ago.
  • Serpentine belt (about 110,000 miles).

After a few miles on the 500 mile oil change, I took it out and warmed it up thoroughly and went on a turnpike where the average vehicle speed is 75 mph. Temperature was 92 F and altitude is about 200 feet. The STS/ETC 800-lb gorilla does live above 4,000 RPM. I tried three second-gear runs from 60 mph to 80 mph at full throttle in Drive for a quick seat-of-the-pants evaluation. On the first run, the engine wound effortlessly through to redline and shifted to third with aplomb but it didn't seem to have the thrust over 5,000 rpm that the old engine did. However, the 800 lb gorilla seemed to be waking up and it got stronger the second time, and it felt normal the third time. I think that either it needed a little spark calibration, it needed to be blown out, or that the engine is still a little tight and I need to be patient for a few thousand miles for best performance.

My overall evaluation is that this looks like a very solid engine for the long haul, and it is definitely a VIN 9 engine. It's only a couple of hundred dollars less than a new engine from GM but I get oversize head bolts with timeserts and a graphite head gasket specifically selected to solve Northstar head gasket problems, cylinder honing specifically designed to work with the first-quality rings in steel bores where the cross-hatching never goes away, and extra sealing on the O-ring, with a 3-year unconditional, transferable warranty that includes labor. And, my installer did a first-class, trouble-free installation for the typical price for a Northstar R&R, saving me about $2,000 on dealer bills that I have seen posted here.

I'm going to miss that faint smell of coolant when I started it hot. I'm not going to miss the overheating and oil burning. :)

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-- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes
-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data
-- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC
Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars.

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  • 1 month later...

Another month has gone by and I now have about 1,200 miles on the Jasper. I'm running 5W-30 Mobil 1, which I changed at about 500 miles on the recommendation by Jasper. The oil is still right at the Full mark and it appears to have used no coolant. I did have to change the FPR to solve a slow starting problem when it was hot, but the FPR was original, with 117,000 miles on it. So, the engine is rock-solid and uses no oil or coolant.

I'm not using the car that much right now but have just started a fairly long commute with it. So, I should start rolling the miles up after Labor Day. Comments on this post are what I've found in the first 1,200 miles.

Performance on the bottom end (below 4,000 rpm) seems noticeably better than the original. That may or may not be due to the fact that the old engine had 116,651 miles on it when it was pulled out, but I don't think so. Top end performance (above 4,000 rpm) seems about the same or perhaps just a hair better.

When taking off into fast traffic, I have the habit of getting the car to 10 or 15 mph in low, shifting by backing off the throttle, then using bottom-end torque with part throttle in second gear to get up to whatever the traffic flow is, up to about 45 mph. This lets my A/C stay engaged and keeps the engine below 4,000 rpm; I pay particular attention to this when it's cold. This is noticeably easier with the new engine because of the increased low rpm throttle response.

If this engine is bored 0.25 mm (assuming a first rebuild, and that's the most likely oversize), it is 93.25 mm by 84 mm, or 4589 cc (280.0 cubic inches), or about 1.5 cubic inches larger than stock, an imperceptible difference. Compression ratio would go from 10.3 to 10.355, and they did resurface the heads to condition them for the graphite head gasket, so figure 10.4. I once read that horsepower was proportional to the cube root of the compression ratio so that would, with the displacement increase of about 1.5 cubic inches, 302.5 horsepower-- the total is imperceptible. So, the seat-of-the-pants difference in performance is apparently due to clean combustion chambers and perhaps this engine just has a little better heads than my original.

Gas mileage seems identical to what I was getting with the original engine. Overall average is 18 mpg in suburban South Jersey, with 23 mpg on the freeway.

There is one difference that changes the feel of the car. With the original engine, there was a very slight crankshaft speed engine shudder at redline, which is normal for high-quality engines with a high redline. With the Jasper engine, there is no perceptible engine shake at any rpm. This will likely have the effect of avoiding o-ring seepage because crankshaft imbalance is the principal stress on the main bearing cage, which the o-ring seals. If that never moves, the o-ring should last forever. And, it's nice to have that electric-car smoothness all the way to redline.

I'll have another post at 5,000 miles or three months, or to answer a question, whichever comes first.

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-- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes
-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data
-- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC
Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars.

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  • 10 months later...

It's been awhile, and now I have 128,500 miles on the car, or about 12,000 miles on the Jasper engine. Since it's been in, there have been some events and adjustments:

  • Slow starting when hot was fixed with a new FPR that I bought from the dealer and put in myself.
  • I was rear-ended and ended up with Borla ProXS performance super-turbo mufflers, part number 40358 (rumble, rumble).
  • I could hear a hiss at high RPM and had my cat looked at, and it was partly clogged. I put in a high-flow 49-state OBD II compliant unit, a MagnaFlow 94109. All better now.
I've been getting PM requests for information on where I got the engine and how much it cost. The Jasper web site is

http://www.jasperengines.com/

The Jasper web site has locators for installers, but I would call them and ask on the phone if I needed a referral to an installer. If you are convenient to South Jersey, PM me and I will send you information on my installer.

The Jasper invoice from July 2006 reads:

$4985 Engine (Northstar, VIN 9 - 300 HP, 1995-1997; your motor may vary)

$600 Engine core charge (refunded)

$50 Skid (palette, refunded)

$344 Installation kit (very strongly recommended; all are necessary parts and a big bargain)

$355.74 NJ tax (was 6% then, is 7% now)

$6334.74 TOTAL

($650) refunds for core and skid

($39) refunded tax on core charges

$5645.74 cost after core and skid refunds

The price includes shipping, delivery, and core/skid pickup. My core and skid charges were refunded through my credit card before the car was ready, which was a day and a half. The installation kit is all the gaskets, the OEM water pump and thermostat, OEM Delco platinum plugs, new Delco ignition wires, etc. -- all the right stuff you would have to buy to install the engine and make sure that is was OK when you first started it up, and I think the price is really right for all that stuff; it probably paid for itself in waiting time and mechanic and owner aggravation alone.

My installer charged about $1200 to install the engine. I had him do some other stuff, plus the pressure test that led to the final diagnosis and some other parts and work was thrown in (oxygen sensor, new cooling system bypass, all new belts and hoses not in the Jasper installation kit, etc.), so the bill was about $1500, parts and labor. It had a new radiator so I didn't replace that, but my installer recommends that anyone replacing an engine that has had overheating problems replace the radiator. I would have it pressure tested and flow-checked to make sure that there is no leakage or blockage if I wanted to keep it.

Running with overheating problems from January to July probably was the cause of the partial clogging of the cat. It wasn't clearing up with WOT and highway driving of the car. If you replace your engine, ask your installer to peek in the cat with a flashlight and look for obvious partial clogging. A muffler shop told me that cats don't go bad because of miles, they go bad because of engine problems.

My service people put in 7.5 quarts and give me back the car with the oil at the full mark. After 1,500 miles on an oil change, it's still right at the full mark. I'm still running 5W-30 Mobil 1 out of the plastic cans.

I would like to post the exhaust sound, but the note is verrry deep, and an ordinary microphone can't do it justice. I have an electret that probably will do it, and I'll try to use my laptop to record the exhaust note and make a CD. If it sounds right on my Bose 901 speakers, I'll post it here.

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-- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes
-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data
-- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC
Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars.

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  • 5 years later...

With over 160,000 miles now, I thoroughly recommend Jasper remanufactured engines. At over 40,000 miles, the oil pan and case half are quite dry. There seems to be a seep at the front seal that I have decided to ignore.

One thing that has come up is the plug wires. I had a miss last year that I attributed to bad gas, but eventually I put a PC-based analyzer on it and found was all on one cylinder. A gung-ho local mechanic replaced the coils, wires, and plugs. The plug wires showed where the problem was; they were definitely breaking down. The wires that the installer used went 30,000 miles.

I'm having the same problem again. I haven't put the analyzer on it yet but I ordered coils and wires from GMPartsDirect after verifying the part numbers against my VIN with them. GMPartsDirect tells me that GM has discontinued the platinum spark plug part number 41950 so I ordered a set from Rock Auto. Rock Auto offers a selection of platinum, dual platinum, and iridium plugs from other makes such as Champion, NGK, Autolite, NGK, Denso, and Bosch, so there is no problem for the future.

The part numbers, from GMPartsDirect, are (clipboard copy from their email):

10472401 Ignition coil.
http://www.gmpartsdirect.com/results.cfm?singlepart=1&partnumber=10472401&tid=1906

19157987 Conventional spark plug. (Platinum plugs are no longer available from GM)
http://www.gmpartsdirect.com/results.cfm?singlepart=1&partnumber=19157987&tid=1906

19172242 Spark plug wire kit.
http://www.gmpartsdirect.com/results.cfm?singlepart=1&partnumber=19172242&tid=1906

Note that I did NOT get the standard spark plugs. I'm not going to replace the plugs on the rear bank every year.

Total cost for parts is around $400. Bottom line: there is nothing like a DIY job. Nearly always, if a mechanic needs parts and calls a parts house, they will sell him cheap get-it-running-and-out-the-door parts every time. If you have something done, be sure and monitor the parts used. If possible, get the parts yourself. Otherwise you will find yourself repeating the job in a year or less.

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-- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes
-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data
-- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC
Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars.

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Thats great service Jims_97, Jasper did a good job and proved that timeserting and oversized bolts is up to the task

Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1  >>

1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm

How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/

Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year  http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm

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Jim... Just for reference...

AMAZON has the 41950 Platinum plugs...

http://www.amazon.co...&keywords=41950

That's where I got mine. When the AC/Delco coils (to replace the ones put in by the mechanic, but that I found offered an "economy" version) and genuine AC/Delco plug wire assembly comes in, I'll complete the job. Due to the difficulty in getting the rear plugs in, I'm going to have it done, so I will interview mechanics on their practices and beliefs on laying out plug wires under the beauty cover on Northstars, particularly when the existing layout can't be relied upon. Fortunately we have the routing on page 6-161 of the 1997 FSM to rely upon. The cylinder numbers are embossed right on the original coils, but we have the data on page 6-799 to get the cylinders hooked to the proper coil terminals. I believe that the mechanic did everything right back in July 2011 but haven't popped the beauty cover to check. What I do know is that no one I have talked to appreciates the very high energy used by the Northstar spark system, and I do know that the mechanic used aftermarket wires that he believed were OEM quality.

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-- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes
-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data
-- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC
Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars.

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That's where I got mine. When the AC/Delco coils (to replace the ones put in by the mechanic, but that I found offered an "economy" version) and genuine AC/Delco plug wire assembly comes in, I'll complete the job. Due to the difficulty in getting the rear plugs in, I'm going to have it done, so I will interview mechanics on their practices and beliefs on laying out plug wires under the beauty cover on Northstars, particularly when the existing layout can't be relied upon. Fortunately we have the routing on page 6-161 of the 1997 FSM to rely upon. The cylinder numbers are embossed right on the original coils, but we have the data on page 6-799 to get the cylinders hooked to the proper coil terminals. I believe that the mechanic did everything right back in July 2011 but haven't popped the beauty cover to check. What I do know is that no one I have talked to appreciates the very high energy used by the Northstar spark system, and I do know that the mechanic used aftermarket wires that he believed were OEM quality.

Jim,

The back plugs are not a bad job on your car. A 6" extension with the spark plug socket and they are all easily accessable. When I replaced the plugs on the '96 Seville I used to own, I started with the rear bank (figuring if it was a PITA, once I was done with the rear bank, the fronts would be easy) and I was done with the job in a half hour. I wasn't replacing wires though.

Kevin
'93 Fleetwood Brougham
'05 Deville
'04 Deville
2013 Silverado Z71

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KHE - Well, you may have just saved me a lot of grief, money, and aggravation. Although the weather around here has been running around 30 F in the mornings, it will hit 50 F Monday, and my garage temperature tends to be midway between the outside temperature and the indoor temperature.

I'm pulling my coils and replacing them, so that should make the job easier. If necessary, I'll pull the module and change the coils indoors (don't tell my wife about the under-the-hood 15-year grease!).

The invoice is dated July 21, 2011 and he charged me $9.41 each for "Delco" spark plugs, so I suppose that they are platinum plugs, but I already have a set of 41-950 (19244471) plugs in hand.

I have a plug ratchet (swivel head ratchet) and several plug wrench sockets with the rubber insert to go gently on the porcelain, and will get one to fit these plugs if one of my old sockets doesn't fit. I feel better about putting the plugs in myself because I can check the gap myself and discard any that have been dropped and don't measure 50 thousandths, rather than re-bending them and using them.

If a six inch extension and my existing tools will do the job, I'm good. This *must* be done from the top because I don't have any way to go from underneath in my garage (no room to jack from the front and keep the door closed).

I found Bruce's old page here on performance testing when he changed the plugs on his 1996 STS:

Bruce also used a three-inch extension. But nowhere do I see a torque spec, not there nor anywhere in the FSM (the FSM gives 106 lb-in for module-to-cam-cover and and 30 lb-in for the coil bolts, and 27 lb-in for the beauty cover nuts). I recall similar plugs on my Quad 4 HO used 12-15 lb-ft, and similar torque specs in older cars.

I opened the box of plugs and looked at one, and there is no trace of anti-seize on the threads, so I will get anti-seize and silicone boot insulator/lube from my local NAPA auto parts place.

AC/Delco advertises double-platinum plugs for "most models" but GM Parts Direct said that GM is no longer supplying the 41-950 platinum plugs for the 1993-1999 Northstar. I put in my car on the AC/Delco site and got three plugs, the 41-050, the regular plug (R42LTS), and their new iridium plug, part number 12. There are hundreds of models out there that use plugs that cross over from the R42LTS so I find it unlikely that the 41-950 is being discontinued unless it is in favor of an improved plug. GM Parts Direct is a GM dealer so I don't understand at all their saying that the only listing for my VIN is a "standard" spark plug.

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-- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes
-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data
-- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC
Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars.

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Jim,

Don't use the anti-sieze on the threads of the plugs. It is not recommended. Also, do not use the lube on the wires - the Delco wires come with a compound applied and using additional compound may cause a misfire.

Spark lug torque is 11 ft-lbs (132 inch pounds).

Kevin
'93 Fleetwood Brougham
'05 Deville
'04 Deville
2013 Silverado Z71

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I think the anti seize is micro-encapsulated on the threads.

The threads are plated with a very good quality plating that will resist any type of corrosion that may lock them in place. That renders the addition of anti sieze compounds unnecessary.

Kevin
'93 Fleetwood Brougham
'05 Deville
'04 Deville
2013 Silverado Z71

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A



I think the anti seize is micro-encapsulated on the threads.


The threads are plated with a very good quality plating that will resist any type of corrosion that may lock them in place. That renders the addition of anti sieze compounds unnecessary.
Are you sure? Here's a close look at the threads:41-950 Threads photo IMG_5662_SparkPlug_41-950_Threads.jpgHere's a close look at the tip, because I just couldn't help myself:Tip of 41-950 photo IMG_5663_SparkPlug_41-950_Tip.jpg

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-- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes
-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data
-- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC
Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars.

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...

Spark lug torque is 11 ft-lbs (132 inch pounds).

Thanks. I was going to use 15 ft-lbs (180 in-lbs).

I think the anti seize is micro-encapsulated on the threads.

The threads are plated with a very good quality plating that will resist any type of corrosion that may lock them in place. That renders the addition of anti sieze compounds unnecessary.

Looks like a typical barrel plating finish to me.

If the plating is designed as anti-seize in aluminum, or if there is a micro-encapsulated anti-seize component in the plating, we won't be able to just see it by looking. Bruce's old page about his 1996 STS stated that he did use anti-seize. I have some NAPA "Copper" Anti-seize Lubricant, which is a Permatex product of the same name and says so right on the tube. I'm tempted to use a wipe-on-wipe-off coating just to make the torque more accurate.

My practice for many years was to torque plugs by hand, and I learned to recognize when the plug's metal gasket compressed about 50% of the way and stop there. The problem is that I haven't changed a plug that I can recall since I traded in my Quad 4 HO, and I used a torque wrench on it - and, these plugs are gasketless tapered-seat plugs.

There is no hint of instructions with the spark plugs, which came in a box of eight. I checked http://acdelco.com and found no mention of anti-seize or dielectric grease. I'll look when the wires come and see if there are any instructions, and check inside the boots for any hint of pre-greasing, but I've seen many references here to pre-greased plug wire sets and expect that I won't need dielectric grease. So, at this point my intent is to use a wipe-on-wipe-off coating of anti-seize and no dielectric grease.

Interestingly enough, the Quad 4 HO used the same plugs as the Northstar, although that was before platinum became OEM. I also found that in the seven years that I owned the car, only one dealer tech torqued the plugs and got the plug boots all seated on the spark plugs when re-installing the cover/module/coils. I used torque wrenches, anti-seize, dielectric grease, and blue thread-lock on the cover bolts. That car was a runner from the day I bought it new to the day I gave it up as a trade for my Cadillac.

I have every reason to believe that the fellow who replaced the coils, wires and plugs in July of 2011 did everything right except get premium plug wires (and he clearly believed that the wires he used were OEM quality) so I'm probably overreaching by changing the plugs at all, and quite possibly the coils. But there is nothing like a good DIY job to know that all the parts are right, all the screws are there and torqued properly in the right holes, etc. And, nothing ticks me off more than a MIL caused by aftermarket parts.

I got a shipping notice on the plug wires yesterday. The job probably won't be done until the end of the week.

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-- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes
-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data
-- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC
Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars.

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I put the engine analyzer on it today and all the misses are on number 8. That means that it's not coil 2, which also has number 3 on it, which pretty much nails it as the plug wires, although it could just possibly be a bad plug or arcing in the plug well for number 8. Since the miss is mostly at idle when cold and pretty much goes away when the engine is warmed up (the MIL will go off if I keep driving it for awhile), I do think it's definitely the plug wires.

I just checked and the wires and coils should be in Wednesday afternoon. I just may tackle it then or Thursday morning, whenever I catch the car cold and no pressing errands.

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-- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes
-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data
-- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC
Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars.

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I am keeping my fingers crossed for you Jim, a cold misfire especially in an end cylinder is an ominous symptom. I hope you are right about the ignition parts being the problem.

Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1  >>

1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm

How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/

Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year  http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm

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A

I think the anti seize is micro-encapsulated on the threads.

The threads are plated with a very good quality plating that will resist any type of corrosion that may lock them in place. That renders the addition of anti sieze compounds unnecessary.

Are you sure? Here's a close look at the threads:

IMG_5662_SparkPlug_41-950_Threads.jpg

Here's a close look at the tip, because I just couldn't help myself:

IMG_5663_SparkPlug_41-950_Tip.jpg

Great photos Jim, what did you get that close with? Very sharp. Is this the new plug or the plug from #8. What was the gap its probably the photo but that gap looks big.....

Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1  >>

1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm

How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/

Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year  http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm

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I haven't measured the gap but will check all of them when I unpack them all to install. It looks like 50 thousandths to me, though. If I see any bent electrodes, I'll leave one of the plugs in the front bank in a cylinder where the analyzer says it hasn't been missing until I can get a replacement, but the box shows no signs of having been dropped and I've looked at the two end plugs and they are OK.

Both photos were taken with a Canon EF 100 mm f/2.8L IS at 1:1, manual focus but with image stabilization on, hand held, with macro twin-lite 24EX set for 4:1 ratio of right-to-left illumination. Camera is an EOS 5D Mark II set to shoot at f/11 for maximum sharpness with reasonable depth-of-field. Exposure is set with TTL flash. I shot RAW so that I could adjust exposure after the fact as well as have no JPEG artifacts (ripples around sharp edges). Both shots are cropped to show only the interesting parts of the frame. I didn't down-sample the pictures at all, and I saved the pictures for Photobucket as TIFF. Hence the great detail and sharpness with no JPEG artifacts.

The first photo shows just metal plating. KDE and Texas Jim point out that anti-seize is either or both in the plating or embedded in the plating (which may be the same thing said different ways), so it won't show, unless you know what to look for. There is enough detail in the photo of the threads to show what may be embedded something-or-other; look at the mottling on the surface.

So, if I use the Permatex Copper Anti-Seize Lubricant, it will be redundant, but I may use it just for the grease to make sure that the very light 11 lb-ft of torque is accurate. If the plugs screw in freely, I will forego the anti-sieze.

The plug wires, coils, and module seals came while I was typing this. Off to Valentine's Day dinner now, and on with the tune-up in the morning.

CTS-V_LateralGs_6-2018_tiny.jpg
-- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes
-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data
-- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC
Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars.

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The plating does not act as an anti-sieze - it just resists the corrosion which could lock the plug in place. I would not use the anti-sieze - the torque spec. I provided was a dry torque spec. The anti-sieze will cause the plug to be tightened more than the spec. The anti-sieze is conductive and if you get it where it is not supposed to be, you can ruin the plug.

Kevin
'93 Fleetwood Brougham
'05 Deville
'04 Deville
2013 Silverado Z71

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The torque wrench came in today and I'm about to go and do it. In reply to comments:

BodybyFisher - you hint at the dreaded head gasket or pulled head bolts. This is a Jasper from 2006 that doesn't use water, doesn't overheat, is driven nearly every day but has only about 45,000 miles on it, and has exhibited plug wire failure before and has aftermarket coils and plug wires. I'm not at all worried, but thank you for your concern.

KHE, Texas Jim - OK, no anti-seize, no dielectric grease. I'm about to measure all the plug gaps and pull the beauty cover. I'll take pictures and, if I see anything interesting, I'll post a photo. I don't expect to find anything interesting, though.

CTS-V_LateralGs_6-2018_tiny.jpg
-- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes
-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data
-- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC
Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars.

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I hope I did not sound like a gloom and doomer Jim, your symptom of the miss stopping when it was warmed up was very close to home my 96 did that. Looking forward to your results. By the way, I would have sent you my inch pound torque wrench. But its always nice to have a new tool.

Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1  >>

1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm

How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/

Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year  http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm

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Ouch. Pride hurt; couldn't get the boots off the rear plugs. I buttoned it back up and made an appointment with someone I trust to get it back right.

 

The photo below shows 7 mm Prestolite Class E wires, and they do make a set for the 1997-1999 Northstar. Those wires are probably OK and they look good, notwithstanding the wayward route to number 6, and the fact that they all seemed to be an inch or so too long. But, the plastic tubes and the wiring loom for the wires to the rear bank are missing. Three plug wires are leaning against the HVAC motor housing (!!!!).

 

Throwing parts away is very much out-of-character for the guy who installed these plug wires in 2006. What seems to me to have happened is that the original installer of the Jasper threw them away, as he did the clamp for the EBTCM connector, which he trashed when he dropped the cradle in the beginning of the engine swap. His plug wires were probably AC/Delco from the Jasper installation kit.

 

But, I also caught the original Jasper installer throwing away other parts, like the covers over the battery cable connectors, and another mechanic that replaced the stabilizer links revealed that this guy had charged me for parts and labor to change them but had not.

 

Without the loom for the back plugs and the plastic conduits, all the plug wires behind the coils are laying against each other and things like the EVAP solenoid, the cam cover, the HVAC blower motor (!!!), and the firewall, and moving against the firewall and HVAC motor housing. So getting new plastic conduits before I have the work done is key. I can't do much about the missing loom for the wires to the rear bank, but I can have a plastic conduit for each pair of wires from each coil ready when I drop off the car. Without them, I am likely to be doing this job yet again.

 

Here's a photo with the beauty cover off (click for enlarged version):

Plug Wires 02/2013 photo IMG_5679_LowQuality.jpg

 

Here's the wire routing from the FSM, page 6-161, where instructions on installing plug wires warn you to use all the original looms and conduits:

 photo FSM_6-161_Plug_Wires_01.jpg

 

Here's the ignition schematic from the FSM page 6-799 that shows the wiring from each coil to the proper plug:

Ignition schematic from FSM p. 6-799 photo FSM_6-799_Ignition_Schematic_.jpg

CTS-V_LateralGs_6-2018_tiny.jpg
-- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes
-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data
-- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC
Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars.

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