did my plugs.....
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Registered User
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 282
From: Toronto, Canada
did my plugs.....
well, not all of them but I got the pass. side ones (hardest ones first) in this morning. Yeah it was a bitch but only one gave me the most problems. This was the first time I had to do plugs since I did my headers 3 years ago, this time was a whole new ball game with the headers and exhaust system in place. Here's how it went:
#2 was actually not too bad. I pulled the alt. and removed the pass. air pump valve from the pass. side header and that gave me enough room to get my hand in there with the plug socket to do the plug. My plug socket has a 11/16" hex on the 3/8" square drive side so I can put a wrench on it to tighten or loosen the plug. It was awkward at times getting my hand in there the proper way but it was no big deal. A bit of effort and the plug came out.
#4: that one was easy, no big deal here.
#6: with 4 out I could actually get my hand in there towards the rear and get the boot and install the socket for it. I then had to go under the car where I was able to get my 11/16" wrench on the plug socket and loosen it. I then went back up to pull the plug out. During the time up top I had to squeeze my arm down between #2 and #4 primaries. Yes it was uncomfortable at times and I had to take a couple breaks but I beared the slight discomfort that my arm was under being in the position to get at the plug.
Once the first 3 were out I installed the new plugs in reverse order #6, #4, #2, no big deal here. Again I had to get under the car to tighten #6 with the wrench.
#8 was a major MF. No way I could get at it from up top. Tried from below and again no way. I ended up pulling the starter (was going to do this anyways but I wanted to make sure I had to before actually doing it). Once the starter was unbolted there is a nice place where it can sit while you're doing #8, basically you can push it towards the frt. of the engine right beside the oil pan and it sits there quite nicely. This gives you room now to get at the plug, however once I placed my socket on the plug I couldn't get at the hex portion to loosen it. That part ended up being right above the primary O2 sensor. I ended up having to use a 5/8" box end wrench directly on the plug itself from below. I had to be careful as I didn't want to break the plug so I took some time to make sure my wrench was properly on the hex portion of the plug before applying the torque to loosen it. Once the plug loosen up it was no big deal getting the new plug in and tighten down (again using the 5/8" directly on the plug).
Bolted the starter back up and half of it is done. I started getting cold in the garage and my feet was feeling numb + my arms felt like mush lying on my back and having them up above getting at #8 so I decided that was it for today. The car's stored now and is on stands. I started doing the plugs around 9:30am and finished around 1pm so it wasn't too bad for a first time attempt with d/c headers and not pulling the dual cat pipes. Next week I'll do the driver's side, that'll be a walk in the park compared to the pass. side I just did.
I'm trying out a set of NGK iridium plugs this time so we'll see how they are when the car's back on the road in the spring.
#2 was actually not too bad. I pulled the alt. and removed the pass. air pump valve from the pass. side header and that gave me enough room to get my hand in there with the plug socket to do the plug. My plug socket has a 11/16" hex on the 3/8" square drive side so I can put a wrench on it to tighten or loosen the plug. It was awkward at times getting my hand in there the proper way but it was no big deal. A bit of effort and the plug came out.
#4: that one was easy, no big deal here.
#6: with 4 out I could actually get my hand in there towards the rear and get the boot and install the socket for it. I then had to go under the car where I was able to get my 11/16" wrench on the plug socket and loosen it. I then went back up to pull the plug out. During the time up top I had to squeeze my arm down between #2 and #4 primaries. Yes it was uncomfortable at times and I had to take a couple breaks but I beared the slight discomfort that my arm was under being in the position to get at the plug.
Once the first 3 were out I installed the new plugs in reverse order #6, #4, #2, no big deal here. Again I had to get under the car to tighten #6 with the wrench.
#8 was a major MF. No way I could get at it from up top. Tried from below and again no way. I ended up pulling the starter (was going to do this anyways but I wanted to make sure I had to before actually doing it). Once the starter was unbolted there is a nice place where it can sit while you're doing #8, basically you can push it towards the frt. of the engine right beside the oil pan and it sits there quite nicely. This gives you room now to get at the plug, however once I placed my socket on the plug I couldn't get at the hex portion to loosen it. That part ended up being right above the primary O2 sensor. I ended up having to use a 5/8" box end wrench directly on the plug itself from below. I had to be careful as I didn't want to break the plug so I took some time to make sure my wrench was properly on the hex portion of the plug before applying the torque to loosen it. Once the plug loosen up it was no big deal getting the new plug in and tighten down (again using the 5/8" directly on the plug).
Bolted the starter back up and half of it is done. I started getting cold in the garage and my feet was feeling numb + my arms felt like mush lying on my back and having them up above getting at #8 so I decided that was it for today. The car's stored now and is on stands. I started doing the plugs around 9:30am and finished around 1pm so it wasn't too bad for a first time attempt with d/c headers and not pulling the dual cat pipes. Next week I'll do the driver's side, that'll be a walk in the park compared to the pass. side I just did.
I'm trying out a set of NGK iridium plugs this time so we'll see how they are when the car's back on the road in the spring.
I hate doing plug changes!!! atleast you got the hard side done, it is all down hill from here on out.
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 282
From: Toronto, Canada
aren't plugs easier to do with LT's? I've seen a couple of cars with them and it looks better than with shorties (especially mine) although a couple still looks kinda awkward to get at.
I'm sure without the cold and now knowing how to get at them the next time I need to do plugs again it'll be a little easier (as long as I don't forget how to get at them)
I'm sure without the cold and now knowing how to get at them the next time I need to do plugs again it'll be a little easier (as long as I don't forget how to get at them)
Registered User
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 21
From: Minnesota
With my mac midlengths I can get to all but two plugs on the passenger side with a rachet from the top. On # 4 & 6 I use a wrench on the plug socket from the top.
Much easier to change now than with manifolds.
Much easier to change now than with manifolds.
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