Best Spark Plug change
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From: The Plywood State
Best Spark Plug change Anyone have any special tricks or the best type of tool to use for an install like this. This is my first spark plug change I'm doing on an F-body, so pics and a good writeup would be GREATLY appreciated!
Also, do you have to remove the headers for a spark plug change? Can you go from the top or bottom?
Also, do you have to remove the headers for a spark plug change? Can you go from the top or bottom?
I don't know if it helps to have LT's or not...but I get all of mine from the top by hand. The driver's side is pretty much cake. For the passenger side, 95% of the battle is just knowing where the hole is (usually 45 degrees down and towards the back of the car from the exhaust port for that cylinder). I usually rest my left elbow on the front passenger strut tower, grab the plug at the top, twist my arm so that my pinky is at the 12:00 position and my thumb is at the 6:00 position, reach back there and lightly thread it in. This is with the coil packs & dipstick removed from a car without AIR & EGR...and I'm sure me being 6'2" tall doesn't hurt either. 
Once you can't turn it by hand any more, reach back the same way with the spark plug socket and get to wrenching. The right ratchet and extensions will make the job easier. You just have to see what works best for you. After my valvespring swap last year, I had the plugs, wires and coilpacks back on the motor in under an hour working at a reasonable pace - not rushing. Don't forget the di-electric grease and anti-seze.
Once you can't turn it by hand any more, reach back the same way with the spark plug socket and get to wrenching. The right ratchet and extensions will make the job easier. You just have to see what works best for you. After my valvespring swap last year, I had the plugs, wires and coilpacks back on the motor in under an hour working at a reasonable pace - not rushing. Don't forget the di-electric grease and anti-seze. 
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From: south jersey. again
hey wait a minute, they say in that write up. the stock wires arent very good. that has to be wrong the scholars here say the stk wires are good . and for the original post just take your time. wear long sleeves, get a carton of smokes. and a buddy you can curse or punch. i have seen a socket that makes it easier. it has part of the case missing so the ceramic part of the plug goes thru it. i forget who makes it. but i saw it in a mag not long ago. i already have one but its buried.
when putting the plugs back in, pu thte plug in the socket and put an extension on that, but not hte wrench. once you get the plug in, turn it by hand until it tight and then squeeze you wrench in there to tighen it, i just did a 90 minute spark plug change and i was double checking header bolts too
Originally Posted by jam01
hey wait a minute, they say in that write up. the stock wires arent very good. that has to be wrong the scholars here say the stk wires are good . and for the original post just take your time. wear long sleeves, get a carton of smokes. and a buddy you can curse or punch. i have seen a socket that makes it easier. it has part of the case missing so the ceramic part of the plug goes thru it. i forget who makes it. but i saw it in a mag not long ago. i already have one but its buried.
Their good cause they last a while and Im sure they are ok on the resistance side of things, but there are better wires out there. If your gonna take the time to do it, dont you want to put the best you can get? There is a thread on here somewhere, where somebody did an independent test on the resistance of a handful of plugwires. Try a search, and find the best one for you.
Driver side is cake. The passenger side you need to remove some coils. I took them all off because it was easier to get to everything. My arms are big so thats probably why. You just need a spark plug socket and a 10mm if you take the coils off. I did mine in about 30 mins. Make sure your wires are all the way on.
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From: south jersey. again
sorry i was just being a smart a_ _ . i do believe there are better wires than stock. and that there is nothing wrong with stock. i am using accell's sleeved 8.5 wires on my 83 z 89 convert stk, 77 vette stk, 02ss msd.
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Driver's side is cake. the two closest to the front on the passenger side are easy as well. the last two on the left are the harder ones. the third one in you can get to from the top, but the last one on the passenger side is easier if you just get underneath. Just be sure to pull the plug wire from the metal, those stock wires rip really easy. go with NGK plugs, and don't tighten em too much! Good Luck. Hope this helped. Once you do it once, you will have it down. certain angles make the plugs easier to remove. HAve Fun
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On my '02 I didn't need to remove the coil rails. In fact, it's damn near impossible to do so on the passanger side. Remove the pass. side AIR tube is very helpful. For #8, go from underneath. The amount of time (and skin) you waste trying to get at it from top (and being unsuccusful) is 5x the time it takes to jack up the car and go underneath.