How hard is it to change plugs in the lt1? Cause ive heard it sucks

 

Search in the LT1 section... There are a few threads on this...... Everyone has their opinions on technic... It takes me about 30~45 minutes to change mine now, with stock manifolds... First time 2 hours...

 

Wires and plugs is so difficult its ridiculous.

Driver side(easy), get 1,3,5 from top, and number 7 from bottom, I had to wrap my arms around the k member for the 7, one hand holding the socket on the plug and the other turning the ratchet. Passenger side(I did them all from the top mostly), remover alternator, bend air pipe out of way to get number 2 from top. 4 and 6 aren't to bad, just keep trying, and number 8, if you have a friend, unbolt the starter, and shove it out of the way and reach up and have one person on top turning the wrench and the other holding the socket on the plug. A tip, get up on the engine, one knee on the intake, the other on the radiator, its alot easier to make your hands fit, and who gives a **** how ridiculous you look, it makes it 10x easier.

Wires, drivers side is stupid easy. Just take them off the clips, and put the new ones in, its so simple I was alittle nervous that I was doing something wrong.

Passenger side, I took off the tensioner, and made my own routing. The only one using stock routing was #2 which was easy(didn't unbolt power steering pump), the rest, just make some looms with zip ties and make sure the wires don't touch or hit anything hot, or get caught up by a pulley. Its tough, but it can be done.

All wires I did from bottom.

Took me about 9 hours, from the time I jacked up the car, with all breaks I took, and the 45 minute drive due to old people and an accident to the speed shop to get a new plug cause I broke one of them, and the time to wash the car and get all the tools away. Clean your engine a day before, cover it in degreaser and hose it off(don't spray near the front of the engine, only past the first valve cover bolt, nowhere near in the front, you might hit the opti). I wish I had done this, might of made the job alittle easier, so much **** won't get in your eyes. If I did it again, I'd imagine about 4 hours plugs/wires.

Thats about everything I can say that I did that I am going to remember for next time that is helpful(hopefully I'll have gotten rid of the stock manifolds and emissions stuff though, that stuff is a bitch!).

 

Changing the plugs is gravy compared to changing the wires.

 

i did it with no jacks in my front yard... took 3 hour, one under the alt is the only real hard one. switch from top and bottom of the car and you'll make it. of course i'm skinny

 

my experience very similar to this poster,,, patience is a virtue

plugs 1 & 3 from the top
plugs 5, 7 from the bottom for sure plug 7 from bottom
plugs 2 - 8 from the top. back two plugs by feel and I use 3/8 drive ratchet, plug socket along with a short socket instead of an extension allowing for fair bit of movement yet still be able to turn.

 

We did the plugs and wires on my friends LT1, took a couple hours since it was the first time, and figureing how to reach everything. We pulled the alternator to make the number 2 easy to get to. Have a swivel handy, and a open end wrench, different extensions and knuckle pads! Most importantly take your time, start early, and don't rush it!

 

I used a normal spark plug socket and a 3/4 racheting box end wrench for most of them, experimenting with different tool combos for some things. Theres a bunch of parts that have to come off before you can do the passesnger side wires.

It takes awhile to get 6 and 8 if you have normal size arms, from the bottom is easier I think.