Fake Amazon NGK and P0301; bad coil?

[KrisZ]

I did that a year ago. The good news about this problem is the plugs were all worn evenly with zero oil fouling and zero oil usage over 5K to 6K OCIs. The problem was the fake plugs. They lasted 27K, which is actually good for fake NGKs. Real NGK Lasers go 120K no sweat.

That actually not bad at all for fakes. They must’ve been manufactured to a decent quality standard, just lacked the iridium coating on the tip, because that’s the expensive part of the manufacturing process.

 

[mk378]

That actually not bad at all for fakes. They must’ve been manufactured to a decent quality standard

Then sold for about 3x what a name-brand base metal plug costs. If you're OK with 30k mile life just use those.

 

[edyvw]

There is a guy on one other forum that hs signature: “buy socks on Amazon, not car parts.”

With transverse V6, I would walk in the dealership and get plugs.

 

[JeffKeryk]

There is a guy on one other forum that hs signature: “buy socks on Amazon, not car parts.”

With transverse V6, I would walk in the dealership and get plugs.

The little 3/8 Snappy saved my bacon on bank 1...

And the magnetic plug socket I bought a while back, just because...

 

[edyvw]

The little 3/8 Snappy saved my bacon on bank 1...

And the magnetic plug socket I bought a while back, just because...

I have not done it on the Pilot we use sometimes, but I know on Toyota, it is a mess.
So, not bad of a job?

 

[JeffKeryk]

I have not done it on the Pilot we use sometimes, but I know on Toyota, it is a mess.
So, not bad of a job?

The Oddy has AC hard lines and other obstructions. Bank 1 is in back and has cylinders 1, 2, 3. Bank 2 is forward. I used a skinny 1/4" ratchet setup for the coil acorn nuts and it was still difficult to get squared up on the fastener; mainly coils 2 and 3.
I inherited my older brother's hand tools; he owned and operated Comprehensive Mechanics in Santa Cruz, by the University. I have an unreal set of Snap On ratchets, sockets and extensions. So getting the plugs out and back in is not that bad.
The worst part is wrestling out the coils, as clearance is minimal. You will pull, twist and bend more than seems OK.
Buy Band-Aids...

Bad desigh? Worse than many but better than some I imagine. As you pointed out, buy the best plugs you can.
Here's my ratchets; I also have short, mid and deep sockets. These tools should really be in the hands of a real mechanic who makes his/her living with them. But what a pleasure to use!