New plugs, holy sh--

I gave up on the drums for now and threw the brake cover, spacer and tires back on so I could drop the back and lift the front. I figured the last 4 spark plugs will be easier than waiting for help with the brakes. I jacked it up, secured the car, and slid under. WTF the plugs are so hard to get even from under the car.

Anyone have an idea to make this easier? I know I need some kind of extension to reach the plugs. the exhaust manifold seems to be in the way though.., and then on the other side there a bunch of electrical wires around the plug, how do I get a socket wrench around that?? It just looks worse than it is

You should look into getting one of those flexible extensions.. after that everything would be easier..

You should look into getting one of those flexible extensions.. after that everything would be easier..

That and knowing the car will not fall on me, that'll be a hell of a lot easier. I'm poor, I don't own a hydraulic lift :shakehead

That and knowing the car will not fall on me, that'll be a hell of a lot easier. I'm poor, I don't own a hydraulic lift :shakehead
haha welcome to the club :lol: .

^Seriously..

Its funny, I use anything to hold up the car I think it will be able to hold it up.. from jack stands to bricks..

^Seriously..

Its funny, I use anything to hold up the car I think it will be able to hold it up.. from jack stands to bricks..

bricks..or was it cement blocks.. they crumble under pressure, I use old wheels

when's th last time you changed your RS's plugs and wires? how did you do the bottom? was it easy?

(if i'm wrong about the bricks, sorry)

You need a combination of things. A jointed extension (they are semi cheap, like 2 - 5 bucks). One 3 inch extension, one 6 inch entension, a spark plug socket, a short 3/4's socket ,a deep 3/4's socket and a 3/4's open end wrench. If you can't change them with that, then you have the most difficult car I have ever seen and I have done L98 Vettes, LT1 F-bodys, LS1 fbodys and astro vans which need the wheel removed.

bricks..or was it cement blocks.. they crumble under pressure, I use old wheels

when's th last time you changed your RS's plugs and wires? how did you do the bottom? was it easy?

(if i'm wrong about the bricks, sorry)

It was cement blocks.. ive used the bricks before.. anyway, for my RS.. it was easy.. just went in from the top.. the driver side was simple, but the passenger side, it seemed everything was just thrown ontop of each other so I have to get a really freakishly long extension and then work it from there.

You need a combination of things. A jointed extension (they are semi cheap, like 2 - 5 bucks). One 3 inch extension, one 6 inch entension, a spark plug socket, a short 3/4's socket ,a deep 3/4's socket and a 3/4's open end wrench. If you can't change them with that, then you have the most difficult car I have ever seen and I have done L98 Vettes, LT1 F-bodys, LS1 fbodys and astro vans which need the wheel removed.

oohh, someon's been reading my posts too much :cya:

took the word righr out of my mouth.

I have heard people say its harder to do the plugs with the edelbrock headers but I did it very easily. I have one of those regular old sparkplug sockets with a hex head on the end to so that you can use a rachet or a wrench to turn it. I used the wrench on most of them and they came out fine. On the passenger side is the only thing that give me a problem. Even then if you reach your arm (you have to be kinda skinny) under the header from the front you can feel around and get to that last plug.

Exactly :thumbsup:

I thought I was going to have to have my neighbor go down the street to the fire dept and get the jaws of life when I made a wrong move and got stuck.

But I changed my plugs this last time on that side when I had the header out because I stripped to bolt in the flange. I hate rust.

Did you get your elbow bone stuck? Thats what I did the first time...

Yep took a wrong turn at albaqurque and got stuck under the air system and back of the alternator.

Oh your alternator is on the other side. But yeah you just have to go slow.

Yeah, they flip flopped the alt and a.c compressors over the years, my alt. is on the right hand side.

Just got one out underneath the passenger side, the little wires in the way no big deal. Should I be checking the gap of the new plugs before I put them in? (I'm using antiseize also)

Just got one out underneath the passenger side, the little wires in the way no big deal. Should I be checking the gap of the new plugs before I put them in? (I'm using antiseize also)
absolutely check the gap. You can cause a shit load of poor running conditions from miss gapped plugs

Should I be checking the gap of the new plugs before I put them in? (I'm using antiseize also)

Unless you love changing them, which I highly doubt.

I figure they should be pre gapped for the engine, I just did 2 but oh man...I got antizeize on the insulator one of the plugs, tried to get it off w/o messing with the gap. Should I replace this plug or will it still work??

yeah, you only need a dab of the stuff & that's it, not a wad of it.

I would always check your gap. Its not hard and it could save you some hassle. Some plugs come pregapped but some dont.

I would always check your gap. Its not hard and it could save you some hassle. Some plugs come pregapped but some dont.

They're Bosch platinums, no plus or anything

even on platinums that "do not require gaping" you never know when some dip dropped em before they got in your hands.

yeah, you only need a dab of the stuff & that's it, not a wad of it.

is that a replace it answer or a no it'll be fine answer? I'm leaving for college, won't be back till 10 est. Leave all the helpful info you can, I just finished plugging the wire into the non-antiseized plug :icon16:

They're Bosch platinums, no plus or anything
damn I was jsut saying that generally, I WOULD NOT USE those.

is that a replace it answer or a no it'll be fine answer? I'm leaving for college, won't be back till 10 est. Leave all the helpful info you can, I just finished plugging the wire into the non-antiseized plug :icon16:

in conjunction with the fact they are Bosch platinums I sould clean em up and bring em back for some good ol AC/Delcos is what I'm saying.

except for hte +4 ones that you just cant gap.

yeah. All I hear about those bosch plugs is that the platinum coating usually burns off and then they dont work very well at all. That and because it four nodes it spreads out the spark which can decrease power and cause misses under heavy load unless you compensate with a more powerfull coil which adds to the platinum coating burn off effect. A/c delco or NGK's are the way to go.

there were platinum 4's in my motor before I swapped them out with NGK's.

Sorry but bosch plugs suck. I tried a set on my LT1 once and the thing ran like complete crap. I thought my opti was messed up or something. I swapped in a set of non platinum A/C Delco's to see if it was the plugs and it ran like a champ again. I would not buy bosch plugs even again after that, I hear there O2's suck too. Also platinum plugs aren't all they are cracked up to be. They take a longer run time before they fire as hot as a regular plug will.

their O2 sensors do suck. I put some in my dads taurus and they are throwing codes still. Only reason that they are still in there is that he doesnt think that they are the problem....but not my car....

So everyone agrees I should spend the extra bucks and go the extra mile to get different plugs? Autozone didn't sell ac delco, I asked, and I doubt they sell NGK

dunno about autozone but discount has ngk. I would think that autozone would have them though.

Go to another auto parts store and get A/C delco. Thats what I recommend. I had NGK on my Formula and a few of my Vettes when I bought them and they seemed fine but from my experience I like A/C Delco best.

to each his own. Both are excellent plugs.

NGK, have a good rep. I just remember reading a dyno article a while back where they tested a few different brands on a SBC and the A/C delco's they said seemed to have the best ride quality , MPG and power despite all the other guys claims. I believe it was either popular mechanics but can't remember for sure it was like 10 years ago,

I already have 6 plugs in. The normal platinums(no pluses) are REALLY THIS BAD??!?

yes. I would never use them in a performance application of any measure. I personally would just never use them. But especially in a performance application on an american motor they just plain dont work well a lot of the time. Maybe with the ignition systems in german cars they work well I dont know.

i here bosch plugs foul out eassy also on v8's

AC Delco Rapidfire is the way to go. I've removed my plugs with the edelbrock headers in place and it wasn't very difficult, I just used a box end wrench for the ones i couldn't fit a socket on.

I learned it's alright changing them from underneath, but it's not edelbrock header i'm contending with, it's the stock manifold and I haven't tried the driver's side yet.

I've also heard they only last up to a year and then crap out..how the hell do they sell.

people think that 4 must be better than one. They see the commercials and think wow that would give me 5 horsepower at least. And the "knowledgeable" staff at your local parts store claim that they are the best that they sell. I dont know about you guys but most of the guys who work at the parts stores around here dont know jack. Wouldnt trust them to change out a light bulb. Thats not all of them because there are those who are helpfull but your autozone and discount guys. Central autoparts is where I try to go for my parts most of the time because they know what they are doing. But that is just me and my own personal little rant about past experience. I suppose I shouldnt judge them all the same...

Most autozone guys don't know jack around here but there was a guy who had a 383 LT1 95 Trans Am that I use to go to at pepboys. He really knew his LT1 stuff but after the whole alignment bullshit I refuse to spend another dime in that peace of crap store.

oh yeah pepboys is the other one with people who dont know anything. One guy didnt even know what drums brakes were. I can understand if you have never worked on them maybe and dont know too much about them but he had never heard of them and i had to sit there and explain to him how they worked. Then he gave me the wrong bearing size for the wheels and I was just pissed for the rest of the day....

I already have 6 plugs in. The normal platinums(no pluses) are REALLY THIS BAD??!?

YES, i used to swear by them years ago. Then all of the sudden my Caprice had kocking misfire and fuel inbalance that had me chasing the whole EGR system around since coincidently the cylinders 6 & 8 that was the problem had the EGR sitting right there on the plenum.

Then a few of my regulars were complaining of misfires and SES lights being on. After looking at each and every car, they all had the same problem, the damn plugs.

Thus i will never go back to them ever. As for multiple tip plugs, to me it's just a gimmick like "high performance" plug wires. :bs:

And since when does autozone not cary Ac/Delco? that's where i always get mine :dunno:

Does Aid or small auto stores like that carry plugs?

Dunho who those are but Ac/Delco is GM's preier brand like motorcrap, i mean motorcraft is to Ford.

Alright well I bought the ac plugs and a gap tool, are you happy lol. They're not rapidfires but they're ac delcos anyway. This should be a lot better than the platinums right?

The number on all of them is R43TS and they need to be gapped to .045

is it .045 for the 305 tpi? I though it was the same for both tpi motors...interesting....or did it change depending on year?

Quicksilver, double check that gap spec, yes some are .045, but heres the kicker, there was a misprint in the manuals, and it said .045, when it was really .035"

I found this out when I did the mine the first time on my TPI and found it odd they used the same gap as carbed that WAS .045. It ran like horseshit.

mine is either .035 or .030. There should be a sticker under the front part of the hood.

I've got 3 acs gapped,plugged and wired up. 5 to go, but there's one that's giving me trouble on the bottom, 7 was easy but 5 looks tough because the manifold is in the way, maybe just maybe I can reach it from the top

Oh yeah and I cut myself while loosening 7, this really oily black upside thing... I'll check the sticker anyway

*checks* FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF-------------------

.035 gap on my upside down hood

...

...

8 to go still *sigh*

I get ac's from advance auto, i hate auto zone. For the plugs it makes it so much easer to use the sockets that look like u-joints, i dunno what they are called. I had to use 3 and 2 extentions on my 307 passenger side b/c of all the a/c crap. You just have to find the right combo for the plug

And He Sold Me The Gap Tool Without .035 Wtf

and I'm done working on the car because I have college..this really sucks, my thread is living it to it's name

Damn, you are having zero line of luck credit here.

Damn, you are having zero line of luck credit here.

Failure = The path to intelligence. I'm done working on the car tonight

Just letting everyone know I didn't buy a new gap tool but instead i'm using a point tool we had lying around. .90mm is the same as .035 inches right?

It's time for another booyah moment......
















BOOYAH!!!!!!! All Plugged In, gonna start the engine after I have a late lunch

I gapped them all to between 0.035 and 0.036 of an inch. On the passenger side I did 2 from the top and 2 from the bottom, while on the driver's side I did 3 from the top (including cylinder 7) and just one from the bottom. I only needed one extension and a mini break bar for 7 (was a bit tight before). Damn all of that tubing, this stuff isn't on the LT1 is it??