I'm wondering if anyone has used one of these to change plugs.

The other day I saw a Home Depot commercial featuring a new 3/8"ratchet that has a rotating handle...it works like a normal ratchet where you swing the handle to tighten or loosen stuff, but the handle itself also rotates and it's geared thru the ratchet head to also tighten or loosen. Made by Huskee or Bulldog or something like that. It was $29.95

Now I'm thinking that if you're changing plugs on a Lightning, one of the many hassles is that you've got little to no room to swing the ratchet handle in a normal fashion, but if you could just get the plug socket (plus 4 universals and 6 extensions) on the plug and break it loose, then you could just rotate the handle to extract/reinstall the plugs.

Anyone else seen this or use one?

 

Over the Winter I'm going to consider using differant
"AND MOVING" my Coils (like JLP did). To me 99.9% of the time consuming PROB with changing L plugs ARE THE COILS PERIOD.
I have NO PROB getting to ANY plug, but the coil bolts are a Mudder. (the back two on the Drivers side are outright insane,
especially now that all my N20 stuff is there)

Why the idiots just didn't make the boots longer and snap or
mount the coils on the Rails, is beyond me ???
I will have to ask Johnny more about his set up, it makes
changing plugs a breeze


Like to see a pic of this Rachet your talking about Jay ?

 

Wasn't it just posted a few weeks ago, that some people are just popping those coils right on top of the plug and forgoing the bolts?

 

Damn! That's not a sig, that's an autobiography.

 

Here it is.

Might just work???

Dan

 

Because that would be to easy.

 

you could always mount the coils like the ls1's (or maybe even use the ls1 coils) and the older fords used regular plug wires. You would merely have to lenghten the wires to fire the coil and find a way to mount the spark plug wire to the coil pack end.

Problem soved.

Although I don't think it is that hard to change plugs but I don't have nitrous.

 

The link doesn't show it...

 

Here is the information if you search Home Depot for it:

HUSKY
Husky 3/8 Inch Drive Rotator Ratchet
Model 24903

 

I want to hear more about this!
Regular plug wires stay on plugs, and these coils are the same thing except for the weight of the coil on top of the plug.
Would this work?

 

Sorry about the link. It seems HD doesn't want us to be able to copy individual pages so I copied the Image.

Btw, they are b/o'd at HD but I called our local HD and they show 10 in inventory. I think I'll pick one up. Thanks for the post young man!

Dan

 

very interested in this thread, as i am going to change my plugs for the first time.

so i take it air tools are out when removing the coil bolts ? sorry for naive question, but i am trying to understand the 'no swing back and forth' ratchet mentioned (great idea !) and an air ratchet. will air (besides blowing out dirt before removing plug) assist in ANYTHING when changing plugs ?

thanks
Dave
2001 L

 

While it might be a good tool for some things, I don't really think it will help make plug changes any easier.

The hard part is the coil packs, and getting the right socket, swivel and extensions, not so much the the 3/8 drive

 

I think the issue with using an air ratchet on that little 7mm bolt would be that you just don't have enough "feel" with an air tool. Those little bolts are very easy to strip when installing, and very easy to lose when removing.

As far as the ratchet goes, glad someone posted a pic. A "palm" ratchet would do the same thing, but the Husky unit works as both a std ratchet and as the "drive rotator ratchet."

And besides...a man can't have too many socket drive tools! Or too many remote controls or too many vehicles!

As for the long sig...yeah, I know...just haven't had time to prune it and re-do it.

 

Dave: Nooooooooooooo! The coil pack bolts are fairly small in diameter and their 'head' size is only 7mm. A 1/4"-drive 'hand' ratchet is used for them. Get a 7mm, swivel-socket for some of them that are 'hidden' behind/underneath the fuel rails especially the #7 cylinder. There is plenty of room for the ratchet when dealing with the coil bolts; it's the plugs that have limited room(# 7and #8) for ratchet swing.

As you said, any pressurized air will only be needed to blow out the dirt/trash around the plug hole before you pull the old plug.

Dan