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Well sh$t longest spark plug job in my freakin life lol --- driver side not bad all done and installed w/new wires --- passenger side horrendous - was able to get front 3 out by the 3rd hr, but I sh#t you not and I ain't ashamed Haha but it took Me the remaining 3 hrs to get just that dam passenger rear wire off !!! All tools pictured used -- final thing that broke it loose was a pickle fork from UNDERNEATH the car lol ... I just had to snap a pic...
The first plug swap was a pain in the *** for everyone here, those wire boots are a pain. I see you cut the wire off. Or did you rip it out of the boot?
Try swapping an LS into an S10. I'm pretty sure I'll have to undo the passenger side motor mount, unbolt the header then jack the engine up to even think about changing the rear most spark plug on the passenger side.
Always heard these things were a nightmare. I haven't changed mine yet and wont be doing so until I put my long tubes on. At which point I'll also do motor mounts and then never change the plugs again. That's the plan.
last year I had to replace an exhaust gasket, so I had to remove my passenger side cat converter, as soon as I got that off, I was like "WOW" #8 is right there.
Of all those tools pictured, one of the most important ones is missing: a short, ratcheting box end 10mm wrench. That will make removing the rear coil rail bolts much easier. And once the coil rail is off, access from the top is pretty good. I would never again do a plug change on any 4th gen LS1 car without that tool (especially if the rear coil rail bolt is still in place - lots of folks don't ever put this one back after they get it out the first time, but it's actually not a big deal with the aforementioned tool.)
Originally Posted by 98CayenneT/A
It helps a ton to just pull the #6 coil off
This could be helpful for the '98 folks, but it looks like the OP has an '02 and '99 car, so removing individual coils wouldn't be particularly helpful in his case.
Originally Posted by AnotherWs6
Always heard these things were a nightmare. I haven't changed mine yet and wont be doing so until I put my long tubes on. At which point I'll also do motor mounts and then never change the plugs again. That's the plan.
For as little as you drive your car, you may not have to with a stock engine and proper tuning for the headers. I went the full factory recommended 100k miles on the stock plugs in my '02 car. They came out looking barely used, and a new set of plugs didn't do anything significant to improve idle, power or MPG. So yeah, with a stock engine it's not something you need to do often unless you do a lot of short trips and/or idling perhaps.
last year I had to replace an exhaust gasket, so I had to remove my passenger side cat converter, as soon as I got that off, I was like "WOW" #8 is right there.
Haha yea the dream lol !!! '...screw gm for this design and how the wires/those dam metal connectors get stuck to the dam car! And yes this was with coil packs/coil rail off - there's simply no room to work with the last 2 on passenger side - after that 1st 5 to 10 min of twisting and pulling you start to resort to other methods - those who haven't tackled it yet MECHANIC GLOVES AND LONG SLEEVE SHIRT highly recommended!
Of all those tools pictured, one of the most important ones is missing: a short, ratcheting box end 10mm wrench. That will make removing the rear coil rail bolts much easier. And once the coil rail is off, access from the top is pretty good. I would never again do a plug change on any 4th gen LS1 car without that tool (especially if the rear coil rail bolt is still in place - lots of folks don't ever put this one back after they get it out the first time, but it's actually not a big deal with the aforementioned tool.)
This could be helpful for the '98 folks, but it looks like the OP has an '02 and '99 car, so removing individual coils wouldn't be particularly helpful in his case.
For as little as you drive your car, you may not have to with a stock engine and proper tuning for the headers. I went the full factory recommended 100k miles on the stock plugs in my '02 car. They came out looking barely used, and a new set of plugs didn't do anything significant to improve idle, power or MPG. So yeah, with a stock engine it's not something you need to do often unless you do a lot of short trips and/or idling perhaps.
My concern level for the plugs now is 0. But I do want to actually install ny exhaust one day so if I have the car in the air and the factory manifolds off, why not? Same reason I'll be doing the motor mounts then.
Just looking in to the engine bay of these cars makes we want to do absolutely nothing with them. And if I ever do anything significant -HCI or blower - I very well may pay a well reputed shop to do the work for the first time in my life. It looks like an complete horror show in there. Makes me not want to dive in at all.
Of all those tools pictured, one of the most important ones is missing: a short, ratcheting box end 10mm wrench. That will make removing the rear coil rail bolts much easier. And once the coil rail is off, access from the top is pretty good. I would never again do a plug change on any 4th gen LS1 car without that tool (especially if the rear coil rail bolt is still in place - lots of folks don't ever put this one back after they get it out the first time, but it's actually not a big deal with the aforementioned tool.)
... that small wrench is a 10mm & was used to take the coil rail off -- i actually had not a 10mm deep socket or any 10mm wrench so i had to go to wally world (12:30 am), and i did contemplate a ratcheting wrench (heck i always like to use them when i can) but they only had a set of like 10 or 12 ratcheting ones more $$$ than i wanted to spend at the moment, so i went with the regular 10mm ($4.79 for a set of 5 cheapo ones) and it wasn't as bad as i thought actually, albeit getting that furthest back bolt on the rail on the bottom rear corner was a pita though!
... once the coil rail is off, access from the top is pretty good. I would never again do a plug change on any 4th gen LS1 car without that tool (especially if the rear coil rail bolt is still in place - lots of folks don't ever put this one back after they get it out the first time, but it's actually not a big deal with the aforementioned tool.)
And yes this was with coil packs/coil rail off - there's simply no room to work with the last 2 on passenger side
It's really not that bad with the rail off, unless you have a seized wire to fight with like in your case. Otherwise, once the rail is off it's not that hard to reach the back plugs.
Originally Posted by AnotherWs6
My concern level for the plugs now is 0. But I do want to actually install ny exhaust one day so if I have the car in the air and the factory manifolds off, why not? Same reason I'll be doing the motor mounts then.
I don't disagree. I just meant that after you change them with the header job, as long as the tune is good you may never have to do it again, considering how little you drive the car (and depending on your age...lol).
Originally Posted by SkWiDsTyLe321
... that small wrench is a 10mm & was used to take the coil rail off -- i actually had not a 10mm deep socket or any 10mm wrench so i had to go to wally world (12:30 am), and i did contemplate a ratcheting wrench (heck i always like to use them when i can) but they only had a set of like 10 or 12 ratcheting ones more $$$ than i wanted to spend at the moment, so i went with the regular 10mm ($4.79 for a set of 5 cheapo ones) and it wasn't as bad as i thought actually, albeit getting that furthest back bolt on the rail on the bottom rear corner was a pita though!
That furthest bolt on the coil rail is pretty easy with the ratcheting box end small wrench. Surprisingly so.
Try swapping an LS into an S10. I'm pretty sure I'll have to undo the passenger side motor mount, unbolt the header then jack the engine up to even think about changing the rear most spark plug on the passenger side.
Yeah. Its not even that good. You get a point you're like "screw it, I'll swap the motor and change plugs while it's out"
yea RPMWS6 those last 2 were definitely seized and that's where more room to work with would've helped out major - you're actually correct the room provided with packs off is good enough for easy-come-off-ers haha
... i guess a note/suggestion i can leave for everyone from my experience would be if your rear 1 or 2 passengers ARE seized or just not pulling out easily, save yourself major time & just get underneath, pickle fork hammered up around/grasping the metal covers, wiggle pickle fork out & there ya go - they WILL come dropping down with the pickle fork!
Well sh$t longest spark plug job in my freakin life lol --- driver side not bad all done and installed w/new wires --- passenger side horrendous - was able to get front 3 out by the 3rd hr, but I sh#t you not and I ain't ashamed Haha but it took Me the remaining 3 hrs to get just that dam passenger rear wire off !!! All tools pictured used -- final thing that broke it loose was a pickle fork from UNDERNEATH the car lol ... I just had to snap a pic...
The problem with these cars and a plug change is when the guy before you that cranked down the spark plugs...WAY TOO TIGHT. I get my pax side plugs OUT and 4 new plugs IN.....25 minutes. And its a breeze......
When I did mine on my 00' SS , I started in November of 2012 and finished in April of 2013. I would work a little, get frustrated and not touch it for a few days. This happened all in a non heated garage in the winter. Tough part was getting the boots off the plugs since it was the first time they had been off since they were installed at the factory. I feel everyones pain.
02-02-2018, 07:29 AM
Spark plug nightmare over after 6 hrs!!! 
Just the front three for me. 
