Maintenance The spark plug wires are a special resistance type. The core is carbon-impregnated linen. This type wire is superior to copper core wire in its resistance to crossfire; however, it is more easily damaged than copper core. For this reason, pull on the spark plug boots to remove the spark plug wires, rather than pulling on the wire insulation. If the wire is stretched, the core may be broken with no evidence of damage on the outer insulation. If the core is broken, it will cause misfiring. In the case of wire damage, it is necessary to replace the complete wire assembly since a satisfactory repair cannot be made. 8.
When spark plugs have been thoroughly cleaned, carefully inspect them for cracks or other defects that may not have been visible before cleaning. 9. Use a round wire feeler gauge to check the gap between the spark plug electrodes. (Flat feeler gauges will not give a correct measurement if the electrodes are worn.) Adjust gap by bending the side electrode only. Bending the center electrode will crack the insulator. Setting the spark plug gap to any other specification in an attempt to improve idle or affect engine performance is not recommended. 10. See the diagrams for correct installation of spark plugs and wires. 4. Clean ignition wires with a cloth moistened in ker- osene, and wipe dry.
Bend wires to check for brit- tle, cracked or loose insulation. Defective insulation may result in misfiring, cross-firing, or spark to ground; therefore, defective wires must be replaced. For proper engine performance it is very important that the correct spark plugs be used. When installing spark plugs, make sure that the threads in the cylinder head and all surfaces on plugs and in cylinder heads are clean. Tighten spark plugs the specified amount. All engines use tapered seat plugs without gaskets. 7743722 - Downloaded from www.volvopenta.com 13/05/2008 20:17:06 5. If the wires are in good condition, clean any termi- nals that are corroded. Replace any that are bro- ken or distorted.
Replace any wires with broken or deteriorated cable nipples or spark plug boots. DANGER! Do not operate engine if spark plug boots or high-tension leads are torn or cracked. This condition can allow external sparks, which could ignite any fuel vapors in the engine compartment. 6. Clean spark plugs. Spark plugs that have carbon or oxide deposits should be cleaned in a blast type spark plug cleaner. Scraping with a pointed tool will not properly remove the deposits and may damage the insulator. If spark plugs have a wet or oily deposit, dip them in a decreasing solvent and dry thoroughly with compressed air. Oily plugs will cause the cleaning compound to pack in the shell.
Carefully follow the instructions of the man- ufacturer of the cleaner being used. Clean each plug until the interior of shell and entire insulator is cleaned. Avoid excessive blasting. 22843 Spark plug wires must be arranged between the dis- tributor cap and spark plugs in the order of firing se- quence. If spark plug wires are not correctly installed, misfiring or cross-firing will result. 7. Examine interior of plug in good light. Remove any cleaning compound with compressed air. If traces of carbon or oxide remain in plug, finish the cleaning with a light blasting operation. Clean firing surfaces of center and side electrodes with several strokes of a fine cut file.
The 8.1Gi-B/GXi-A engines use a distributorless igni- tion system with one coil per cylinder. Refer to the sec- tion entitled Technical Data on page 113 for correct firing order information. 80 VPA 7743722 English 10-2004