Changed the spark plugs today and got done a while ago. Took me about 3 hours 15min and this was my first time. Boy are some of those places kinda hard to get to. I'm no mechanic at all and there is nothing hard about doing it, there is just some tight fits you have to work around . But thanks to Chuck's lightning page and others for there input on how to do this. Patience is the key for sure.

 

do you have a link to chucks site?

 

http://home.midsouth.rr.com/lightningpage/sparkplugs.html

 

I'm down to the 1 hr 15 minute level my-self.

Rich

 

http://home.midsouth.rr.com/lightnin...parkplugs.html
maybe this one will work.

 

wow Rich, that's good. I know I can do better than my 3+ hours but I don't think I will ever be able to do it that quick. I'm glad I did it myself though instead of taking it somewhere and paying $ to do it like I was originally thinking about.

 

Well your doing pretty good! My first time was 4+ hours.

A guy just have to come to the fact that your gonna stuff your torso DEEP in the engine bay. Once you get over that, it's a breeze.

BTW: Dropping a socket under the lower intake is always fun.

Rich

 

The only problem I really had was the last plug on the drivers side. The spark plug socket stayed in the hole becoming detached from the extensions two diferent times. Finally I duct taped the spark plug socket to the extension like some had mentioned and it worked.

 

Duct tape is the handy mans secret weapon you know... LOL.. When I watch the red/green show it reminds me of being back home in the south.

Rich

 

The best on was last year when Tallimecca called me up. He was changing his plugs and the spark plug socket got stuck in the rear drivers side hole. So he took his magnetic pickup tool to try to get it out. When he did that the magnet on the pickup tool came loose and also got stuck in the hole.

He was all nervous so I went over there and said WTF did you do??

Well to make a long story short I took a socket with a locking extension, pushed it onto the spark plug socket and removed it plug and all. We got lucky and the magnet was attached to the socket.

I have found if you take a spark plug socket then attach a 1 inch extension, then a swivel, then a foot long eatension and tape them all together it works real good.

 

Great advice Don. I will remember that next time!

 

I did it for my second time last weekend. Much easier and quicker the second time.

 

Yeah now that I have done it and know what works and what don't it should go quicker next time.
By the way, how often on average are you guys changing plugs out?

 

Those platinum plugs are advertised for 100,00 miles.

What kind of shape were your plugs and how many miles on them?

I spent about 3 hours checking mine for tighteness so I know what you mean.

How tight did you make the new ones?

Since the number and angles of all the fittings makes using a torque wrench questionable. I have read that hand tighten until solid contact Plus 1/16...

 

I've had NGK 5's in for about 10,000 miles. I've already got a 4# lower and with the recent addition of the ported eaton and more boost I decided to go with a NGK 6. I hand tigthened them and like you said tightened another 1/16 with wrench. I'm just guessing but I probably won't run then no more than 30k before getting new ones again. Just my preference.