On my first glance of this car, I thought this make and model was going to be a 15 min job tops... I was WRONG!

I started on the #8 Spark Plug first since it seems to be the one everyone has trouble with. I can't even get enough clearance between my hand and the cat to get the BOOT PROTECTOR off! How did you accomplish removing the boot protector? Also what tools did you use to get the #8 and #6 plug out and from what angle did you approach it? The top or underneath the car?

 

The easiest way for me was to remove the bolts holding the coils to the valve cover on the passenger side except the rear one and swing the coils up a little bit and also I removed the air pipe which blocks the #6 plug. This gives you a little more room to work with. The metal boot protectors come off with the wire at the same time. On the #8 plug , I raised the car up on jack stands and changed it out from the bottom, which was a lot easier than trying to do it from the top!! Welcome to the wonderful world of working on the LS1 in a f-body!

 

I finished the driverside and test drove it, I feel a difference and it definately needed a tuneup.. now onto the passengerside... Um... I can't get my hands past the A/C lines...

 

go to installuniversity.com good write up on how to change spark plugs on an ls1 motor

 

I did #8 from underneath, all with my left arm/hand (not "normal", 'cause I'm right handed, but it worked! ) and just used a normal ratchet and socket on it . I was (surprisingly) not as difficult as I was expecting. #6 on the other hand, was a SOB IMO . I didn't bother pulling the coil packs though ... just worked around them. But I did disconnect that air injection fitting off the passenger's side exhaust manifold.

Oh, and a little "patience" (something I have very little of ).

 

Well it is not so much the plugs I can't get out, I don't have enough hand clearance to disconnect the WIRES on the 8th and 6th plug... I can't get enough force on them because the angle and fitting is tight...

 

Use a flat screwdriver and "pry" off the plug boot?? If you damage the plug, oh well!! (they're coming out anyway). Putting it back ON, should be easier 'cause it's a push instead of a pull.

 

Even though I was excoriated by some for my slowness some ideas on getting at #8:

http://web.camaross.com/forums/showt...highlight=uber

As far as getting the wires off, I've used long pliers to get up below the boot and used an exhaust manifold as a leverage point to pop boots off. On LS1s you can't get below the boot cause plugs are in a pocket, so you'll have to grip the boot directly. More of a possiblility of damaging them. Use dielectric grease when you reinstall to prevent boots sticking.

 

TAKE THE COILPACK OFF! In my 2001 SS I changed them without taking the coilpack off. In my 99 I had to remove it. I removed the coilpacks in bothcars and only put 2 out of the 5 bolts back on. GoodLuck

 

I've done 5 of 8 plugs so far leaving #4, #6, and #8 left... I cannot remove the pipe that connects to the headers as whoever first bolted it to the headers, rounded off the bolts and now the 10 MM is just going in circles over it...

#4 I can't get the wire off...

#6 Looks like a nightmare...

#8 I can't get the wire off...

 

Sears has rounded bolt remover sockets that work really well.
Get a new set of plug wires and just get brutal with the old ones. If you break them, you break them. Most times you can catch the edge with a big screw driver or get on them with a large pair of channel lock slip joint pliers.

As far as taking the coil pack off it's a must unless you have pencil arms. The only bolt that is hard is the very back one and you can either leave it out upon reinstalling the pack or do as many of us have and take a cutoff wheel, hacksaw, ect. and make the back hole into a slot so that you can have the bolt in there and just slip the slot under the bolt and tighten it a few turns.

 

Thats sucks about the EGR being stuck on there, but when you do get it off only put 2 or 3 bolts back on to hold the coilpacks to the valvecovers. I have on 2 of the 5 bolts on there. Hope you get it done!