jkichline

iTrader: (1)

There should be a label under your hood where the serpentine map is. I'm pretty sure its .050"

Cop Car

iTrader: (14)

its extremly easy, just start working on it, drivers side is a piece of cake, passanger side removal of the coil packs and removing the AIR tube that goes into the exhaust helps out tons. do it yourself, i did it myself in my driveway in about an hour.

markp03

iTrader: (4)

do it yourself....and number 8 i found it easyest to get from under the car..

davered00ss

iTrader: (4)

I don't see what all the fuss is about with the #8 plug.

Easy to get to once you move some ****.


I guess my answer is do it yourself. Also do it for those less mechanically inclined

CRL 01 SS

iTrader: (4)

Change the plugs yourself. The first time is always a bitch and takes a long time, but you get faster each time you do it. I've changed my plugs 4 times and can get it done in about 45 minutes to an hour now. It makes it easier if you have longtubes, EGR and AIR deleted/removed. I've never removed the coil packs to change the plugs and always go under the car for #8.

Muffracing

I just did the drivers side and number two on my '02 T/A. What a bitch! It got dark on me. The worst part so far has been getting the boots off the plugs. I retract any statements I made about not needing to change platinum plugs until 100k miles. My car has 22k miles on it and has developed one hell of a miss in the last few weeks. All the plugs I pulled out had a dark red tint on the porcelain. I test drove it around the block with the five new NGKs and it runs so much better and has more power.

flash12t

iTrader: (1)

im jsut wondering how offten do u change plugs. .??

rdeterman

iTrader: (2)

just take your time and there not hard at all.. just time consuming the first couple times you do it

csxfbird

iTrader: (5)

I just changed my stock plugs out for the first time, and it really wasn't as difficult as I thought it'd be. It took be about 2 or 2.5 hours, and keep in mind, this was my first time doing this on an F-body. I attacked the passenger side first and went right for the #8 plug. I figured if I can get the hardest one first, it would be smooth sailing from then on out. Also, I didn't go underneath the car for #8; I got it from the top. I pulled off the coil packs and the AIR check valve on that side; the only thing really in the way is the dipstick tube.I also moved the TCS cables out of the way, as well as the large wire loom that runs underneath the cowl. The driver side was fairly easy; just removed the AIR check valve Spent about an hour and a half on the passenger side, and between 45 minutes to an hour on the driver side. Oh, and to save yourself some pain, remove the little black plastic rivets that hold the rubber gasket along the front of the cowl; they're sharp little *****.

I'd recommend just saving your money and doing it yourself. I followed Install University's write up, and pretty much the only placed that I differed from their method was that I completely pulled out the coil pack rail instead of just loosening the fifth bolt and moving it up; i couldn't get the clearance I needed with their method.

Oh, and depending on whether you can handle the loss of dexterity or not, i'd recommend wearing gloves, or else your hands will look something like this when you're done. (My other hand is worse)



-Chris

bmccrary

My car is missing too, but up on top end. Debating on changing the plugs myself. It would be cheaper, but the space around the LT is very small. But the way I see it could be worse, it could be a Northstar V8 in a Caddy, you cant even see the back side..
Engineers of these cars... they should have to work on them sometimes.
Why the manifolds had to go up....?

ramairbrc

iTrader: (1)

The first time I changed plugs on a 1998 TA it took me about 4 hours. I kept going back to the Internet to find pointers on how to get to #8. I finally just used the spark plug socket, a universal, and the small extension - with no rachet - and twisted the setup until the univeral boung up, and then leaned on the smal extension to break it loose.

The car had 29,000 miles, but I had a slight "miss" at higher rpms, and I had purchased preformance wires anyway, so I decided to change the plugs while I was at it. I'm glad I did for a couple reasons:

1) GM used those crappy Platium Tipped plugs: they look good on paper, but soon the tip burns off and the gap widens, which decreases spark.

2) someone had already changed the plugs to a newer set of Platium Tipped plugs... well, almost. There were 7 relatively new looking plugs, and one rusty, dirty plug with NO TIP left at all.

So, before the plug change the car would pull to 6,000 rpm, but it didn't fell right. After the plug change I took it around the block and it revved right to the 6,300 rpm rev limiter... twice... like it wanted to keep going. I figure the computer must have been compensating for the weakest link.

BTW: now that I know how I can change the #8 plug it takes me 15 mintues to change 6 plugs and about 30 to change the last two... or the first two, if you like to do the hard part first!

Moral: change it yourself and you are sure it was done, pay someone else and all you are sure of is that you spent more money than you had to! Eight NGK 55's only cost about $12.

ramairbrc

iTrader: (1)

Now imagine how good it will run when you have 8 new plugs!

Don't tell me you believed the GM party line about the platinum plugs lasting 100K miles. Sure they will, and the gap will be about 100 by then as well. Good luck trying to get preformance or gas mileage out of those!!

To help get the boots off, first try twisting them clockwise and counter-clockwise a couple time before you attempt to pull them off. Remember that they have been on there for a couple years... at a very high temperature!

I hope you are replacing the crappy GM wires with some decent ones while you are going through all this hassle!

ramairbrc

iTrader: (1)

Now that's getting into the work!!!

TransAmJoe

iTrader: (1)

i replace my plugs last night for the first time, it only took 2.5 hrs. it wasnt as bad as a predicted

fastlt1

iTrader: (4)

Your car runs about like mine. Do you have a noticable miss?

paper doll

iTrader: (7)

we changed them and set them to ,.035 , noticed better firing , and only took 1.5, not the first time we've ever changed spark plugs, but first time on a newer car, which turned out to be much easier than doing it on our older ones

shortdo99

The recomended interval to change the plugs is 100k. But we all know that isn't fesible. I just changed mine out and put new wires in while I was at it. Tight fit, but can be done with the right tools and patience. If you don;t feel comfprtable take it to the shop. Oh and you might want to wait a little for the engine to cool off.

RedWS601

iTrader: (1)

I did the plug change myself, MSD wires from MTI and Bosch 4 tip platinum ones. Then my tuner, Slowhawk in Massachusetts, said they were misfiring and replaced with NGKs. I would say definately do it yourself. It is your car and you learn something. Keep in mmind the first time it might take up to 9 hours, but after I did it twice it took me 3 hours. So do it yourself because I have heard that some shops don't do the last plug on the passenger side, the one closer to the dash.

corvettelover

iTrader: (10)

I'm very much an amature mechanic!!! To be honest, the spark plug replacement wasn't bad at all, and a lot easier than I thought. The only reason I changed them out is because I'm going the nitrous route in a few weeks, and I needed the TR6's installed, or I probably would not have done it any time soon. I did the project last Sunday morning and it only took about 3hrs tops with me taking my time. I couldn't beleive it, granted I cursed a little, but it was worth the fact that I know it was done right.
I've heard stories about the mechanic not replacing that one plug on the passanger side, and I didn't want that in the back of my mind when I spray the **** out of it.
I read the article at www.installuniversity.com which made the istall much easier and faster. I would say give it a shot and try it yourself. Worst case, you cauld always get it towed if it doesn't work out for you

BIZZARO

iTrader: (14)

I can't believe the labor on a plug change, I'll definatley be doing this myself. I'm spoiled coming from an SRT-4, plug change was 4 minutes lol. Kind of scurred to tackle the LS1 now.