APRILIA RSV MILLE - 2002 Manual page 92

For the check and cleaning:
This vehicle is fitted with spark plugs
featuring platinum-type electrodes.
To clean the spark plugs, do not use
wire brushes and/or abrasive products,
but only a pressurized air jet.
Key:
– centre electrode (3);
– insulating (4);
– side electrode (5).
◆
Make sure that there are neither carbon
deposits, nor corrosion marks on the
electrodes and on the insulating mate-
rial; if necessary, clean them with a pres-
surized air jet.
If the spark plug has crackings on the insu-
lating material, corroded electrodes,
excessive deposits or the tip (6) of the cen-
tral electrode (3) is rounded, it must be
changed.
92
use and maintenance RSV mille
When changing the spark plug, check
the thread pitch and length.
If the threaded part is too short, the car-
bon deposits will accumulate on the
thread seat, and therefore the engine
may be damaged during the installation
of the right spark plug.
Use the recommended type of spark
plugs only, see p. 110 (TECHNICAL DA-
TA), in order not to compromise the life
and performance of the engine.
To check the spark plug gap, use a wire
thickness gauge (7) to avoid damaging
the platinum covering.
◆
Check the spark plug gap with a wire thi-
ckness gauge (7).
! !
- RSV mille R
Do not try to recover the spark plug gap
in any way.
The gap must be 0.6 – 0.7 mm, othe-
rwise it is necessary to change the spark
plug.
◆
Make sure that the washer (8) is in good
conditions.
For the installation:
◆
With the washer on, screw the spark
plug by hand in order not to damage the
thread.
◆
Tighten the spark plug by means of the
spanner you will find in the tool kit, giving
it half a turn to compress the washer.
Spark plug driving torque: 20 Nm (2
kgm).
The spark plug must be well tightened,
otherwise the engine may overheat and
be seriously damaged.
◆
Position the spark plug cap (1) properly,
so that it does not come off due to the vi-
brations of the engine.
NOTE
Repeat the operations described
on the second spark plug of the same cy-
linder and successively on both spark
plugs of the other cylinder.
◆
Put back the fuel tank, see p. 77 (LIF-
TING THE FUEL TANK).