DIY spark plug indexing video
Junior Member
Joined: May 2021
Posts: 73
Likes: 18
From: Schaumburg, Illinois, USA
2015-E63S | 2012-C300
Tackled this a few weeks ago, finally got around to posting the video.
Hope this helps you guys, do me a favor and hit the thumbs up thanks
https://youtu.be/0JI9agbodWA
Hope this helps you guys, do me a favor and hit the thumbs up thanks
https://youtu.be/0JI9agbodWA
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 2,138
Likes: 870
04 E55 AMG (totaled), 07 S550 4Matic, 14 E63S
Ha, I watched this before I even saw the post. I have new plugs and coils sitting in a box. My plugs were done right at 60k according to records and I am at 100k. So I guess I feel like I can drag my feet. After the explosion, did you notice any difference in performance or smoothness? I have been meaning to take mine for a ride with Xentry connected and monitor for misfires (I don't think it has any but want to see what the ECM thinks).
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 1,227
Likes: 185
From: Chicago
E63 SL55 996TT C5Z06
Tackled this a few weeks ago, finally got around to posting the video.
Hope this helps you guys, do me a favor and hit the thumbs up thanks
https://youtu.be/0JI9agbodWA
Hope this helps you guys, do me a favor and hit the thumbs up thanks
https://youtu.be/0JI9agbodWA
Hey how did you get the washers off & on the MB OEM plug with out damaging the threads? I am a novice admittedly but i couldn’t get mine off easily so I gave up and just installed the NGK 1555 plugs which indexed nearly perfect with just 23NM of torque and nothing else. I’m keeping the MB OEM plugs at $25 each for the next change and will try the washer sanding
Senior Member
Joined: May 2023
Posts: 459
Likes: 164
From: Endless Mtns. PA
2014 E63 AMG wagon 1965 Austin-Healey 3000 1970 AMC AMX
I got lucky as I just started My plug swap the day Your vid came out. Thanks a ton. You convinced Me to go ahead and index the plugs as I go. I have a question for anybody or all. Are the sound deadening foam pieces that needed? They seem like a heat trap to Me plus 2 of the 4 clips broke during extraction.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 6,403
Likes: 139
From: Clearwater Beach, Florida
2016 Cls63s AMG
@kennyd thanks super helpful video (once again!)!! so many M157 owners pulled their hair out trying to understand why the MB OEM plugs don’t index exactly correct without sanding the washers as you showed which gives them enough additional “turn” to get them from 9’oclock to finally pointing toward 12’oclock at the injector.
Hey how did you get the washers off & on the MB OEM plug with out damaging the threads? I am a novice admittedly but i couldn’t get mine off easily so I gave up and just installed the NGK 1555 plugs which indexed nearly perfect with just 23NM of torque and nothing else. I’m keeping the MB OEM plugs at $25 each for the next change and will try the washer sanding
Hey how did you get the washers off & on the MB OEM plug with out damaging the threads? I am a novice admittedly but i couldn’t get mine off easily so I gave up and just installed the NGK 1555 plugs which indexed nearly perfect with just 23NM of torque and nothing else. I’m keeping the MB OEM plugs at $25 each for the next change and will try the washer sanding
Edit*** you have to gently use some pliars to unscrew the washers. They come off very easy
Last edited by berti_00; Jul 9, 2023 at 04:43 PM.
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Senior Member
Joined: May 2023
Posts: 459
Likes: 164
From: Endless Mtns. PA
2014 E63 AMG wagon 1965 Austin-Healey 3000 1970 AMC AMX
2 plugs into this operation. I started in the back on pass. side #4 I believe. The original MB stamped plug was 90 deg. off from the injector. Cylinder walls look clean. I got the replacement to around 10 deg. Off the injector.#3 MB plug was 180 deg. off injector, yes pointing straight down. Ugh. The scope showed 2 black streaks on walls. Must be scoring, I expected it to not be so dark colored. There is still crosshatch visible in both cylinders. I am still working on indexing #3 new plug, had to stop for other stuff.
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 253
Likes: 51
From: Bay Area, CA
05 C55-gone 06 E55-gone 15 P85D 14 E63 S 11 Sonata 😅
2 plugs into this operation. I started in the back on pass. side #4 I believe. The original MB stamped plug was 90 deg. off from the injector. Cylinder walls look clean. I got the replacement to around 10 deg. Off the injector.#3 MB plug was 180 deg. off injector, yes pointing straight down. Ugh. The scope showed 2 black streaks on walls. Must be scoring, I expected it to not be so dark colored. There is still crosshatch visible in both cylinders. I am still working on indexing #3 new plug, had to stop for other stuff.
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Joined: Apr 2021
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From: San Jose, CA
11 E550, 16 AMG GTS, 13 S550
i have customer cars that were probably never indexed correctly since they went to colder plugs. Their cars still run, hilariously although no tuned car making actual power will have the startup of a stock car anymore. I have serviced SO many out of warranty AMG's at this point that I can tell you they're not even indexed this way from the factory, from the dealer, and I'm aware of it enough to torque it properly and get it close but anything further than that I might as well not drive Mercedes anymore. When I refer to indexing I literally mean just torque it to factory specs, every other plug before DI I was just doing it til I felt the washer bottom out.
The washers themselves aren't even to within that level of accuracy and everybodys threads are different. That and there is a TON of slop in your conventional shelf grade socket. I use SK sockets so I get a better fit and they last a little longer but nobodys tools are even that accurate. A torque wrench with any extension isn't even accurate anymore.
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Senior Member
Joined: May 2023
Posts: 459
Likes: 164
From: Endless Mtns. PA
2014 E63 AMG wagon 1965 Austin-Healey 3000 1970 AMC AMX
I'm certain these are the original plugs at 50k. A little disappointed at the 180 deg off plug. But it still runs. Hopefully get the rest tomorrow
Senior Member
Joined: May 2023
Posts: 459
Likes: 164
From: Endless Mtns. PA
2014 E63 AMG wagon 1965 Austin-Healey 3000 1970 AMC AMX
OK finished this project up today. Only 2 of the factory installed plugs were within 45 deg. of vertical. 2 were 180 deg off. Now they are all within 20ish degrees of the injectors. All of the new copper washers were .061-.060 thick. In the end I needed ,045-,050 so I pretty much sanded and filed for a long time. The plugs were at 50k The startup afterwards was noticeably quicker and the idle was noticeably smoother. I replaced all the coil leads as well , all of the originals shredded during removal. I had to get quite medieval on them with angled extra long needle nose. I am missing several small chunks of skin on various parts of both hands but it's done.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2020
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04 E55 AMG (totaled), 07 S550 4Matic, 14 E63S
The spec is +/- 45 degrees. No socket is so bad that you couldn't achieve this spec. If you weren't sure, all you have to do is after torquing the plug, wiggle it to expose the play. Observe the line you drew and see if that line is roughly in the middle of the play. If it is, good enough. And even if it wasn't, it still would be within spec...
Senior Member
Joined: May 2023
Posts: 459
Likes: 164
From: Endless Mtns. PA
2014 E63 AMG wagon 1965 Austin-Healey 3000 1970 AMC AMX
With the thin walled 12 pt 14 mm spark plug socket there is no play. The spark plug fits in so tight you can get Your index line inside 45 deg.
Thread Starter
Super Member
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 878
Likes: 638
poop
I will note, you notice that my numbers were very consistent from side to side, but they were both different from side to side. I assume this is just differences in machining and making the heads. I don't know if it's going to be consistent for every car and every year. In fact I would imagine that there might be some variances from head to head.
I would hate for someone to sand all these down to find out that theirs were backwards for mine etc
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 1,227
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From: Chicago
E63 SL55 996TT C5Z06
i have a AMS 100 octane tune with the NGK 1555's colder plugs and they worked great... no misfires until i got long overdue 12k miles running them on the tune and finally changed them and the mis-fires went away.
when I installed my NGK 1555's with 23NM of torque they indexed within spec at either 11 o'clock or 1 o'clock without any messing around with the washers
bought them from Rockauto for $13 per plug also
when I installed my NGK 1555's with 23NM of torque they indexed within spec at either 11 o'clock or 1 o'clock without any messing around with the washers
bought them from Rockauto for $13 per plug also
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2022
Posts: 376
Likes: 122
E63 AMG
i have a AMS 100 octane tune with the NGK 1555's colder plugs and they worked great... no misfires until i got long overdue 12k miles running them on the tune and finally changed them and the mis-fires went away.
when I installed my NGK 1555's with 23NM of torque they indexed within spec at either 11 o'clock or 1 o'clock without any messing around with the washers
bought them from Rockauto for $13 per plug also
when I installed my NGK 1555's with 23NM of torque they indexed within spec at either 11 o'clock or 1 o'clock without any messing around with the washers
bought them from Rockauto for $13 per plug also
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Jun 2004
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2014 E63S; AMS 100 octane ECU dyno tune; EDOK TCU tune; BB intakes; sprintbooster
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2022
Posts: 376
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E63 AMG
I have the exact same tune as @jvakos dyno'd on the same dyno tuned with same tuner and same intakes (bb) on OEM plugs and gap and no issues for 6k+ miles ... go figure
