help fast!! Removing rear plugs/wires

[hersysqirt]

Hey, im in the middle of this pain in the butt job here! i cannot get back to the rear plugs. i was thinking of taking off the intake manifold, but then thought that would ruin the gasket underneath it. could someone please tell me how to get to those pesky things!! i can feel them with my hands, but cannot pull off the boot, and then after that, i may not be able to find the spark plug hole!

---this is a 2000 taurus OHV.

please help fast!!
bryan

[way2old]

There is no easy way to do it. Just go by feel and take your time.

[vicv]

I took off the manifold to replace the back 3 plugs on my 97 duratech. Had to remove a bunch of stuff but it is straight forward. Once the manifold is off it's a pc of cake. My gaskets are a type of plastic ring around each port. Don't let any crap (or sockets)fall in.

[hersysqirt]

wow, heres the deal, i think i just F**& up big time!!!!

the car seems like it is missing big time at idle and when i rev it to ~4000 rpm it misses and the rms CANNOT reach more then that...when in park.

driving it seems almost to its normal....just the bad idle...no problems reaching high rpm.

i cannot figure this out...i thought of boot not on all the way, wrong order of spark plug wire, vacumme leak??? i think maybe the EGR-- i had a problem getting the screws in....but the guy at the auto store sprayed some fluid on it and said that its not vacumme leak there....

please any help...im broke and i cant be w/o a car!!!!!!!!!

my biggest fear...but i dont think (hope) its not it. ---something fell into the intake ports!.....it isnt consistantly rough, this would just cause a lot of damage!!

[vicv]

Did you remove the manifold? Maybe it's not seated right or the bolts are loose? When I put mine back on I set the manifold in place, gave it a little wiggle to seat it, put the bolts in finger tight, wiggled it again to check seat, and tightened them a little at a time in an X pattern. If you dropped something hard in there you could screw up a valve, but you'd probably have heard it on your way up to 4k rpms. Recheck all your vac connections, wires, harnesses, and the manifold bolts. I once forgot to hook up the harness just before the throttle body, ran ok for a day then light came on and I knew what it was before I opened the hood.

[hughw]

Could be bad wires that have breaks after being disturbed....
If you didn't do the wires...spend another $20 and get them

[shorod]

Originally Posted by hersysqirt

wow, heres the deal, i think i just F**& up big time!!!!

the car seems like it is missing big time at idle and when i rev it to ~4000 rpm it misses and the rms CANNOT reach more then that...when in park.

driving it seems almost to its normal....just the bad idle...no problems reaching high rpm.

i cannot figure this out...i thought of boot not on all the way, wrong order of spark plug wire, vacumme leak??? i think maybe the EGR-- i had a problem getting the screws in....but the guy at the auto store sprayed some fluid on it and said that its not vacumme leak there....

please any help...im broke and i cant be w/o a car!!!!!!!!!

my biggest fear...but i dont think (hope) its not it. ---something fell into the intake ports!.....it isnt consistantly rough, this would just cause a lot of damage!!

Well, the fact that the car will not rev beyond 4k or so in park is normal, and at 4k it will seem like a bad miss since the PCM shuts off fuel to the cylinders there. The car will rev beyond 4k rpms when you drive it, right?

However, the miss at idle is probable due to a bad plug wire as others have suggested. Try chocking the wheels in an open space. Start the engine and hold your foot firmly on the brake pedal. Shift in to drive and slowly increase the engine speed (loading the engine). Does the engine miss off idle?

Since the rear three plugs are hard to get to and see, there is also a chance that you cracked a plug when tightening them down. I would suggest you replace the wires and while you're back there, pull the plugs and check them for cracked ceramic. Also make sure you got all of the vacuum lines and any ground cables correctly connected when putting everything back together. Be sure to use dielectric grease in the plug boots when installing the new wires to help resist corrosion, moisture, and hopefully prevent the boots from seizing to the plugs.

-Rod

[hersysqirt]

alright, my pricey uncle has the car, he seems to think its no big deal.

the plugs/wires may be a problem, the main problem that we think is the EGR is not bolted right. i guess when the engine is even WARM removing the bolts from the manifold will pull out the aluminum threads on the steel bolts. that is causing a leak in the EGR.

and someone mentioned $20 for new stuff...well, plugs are not too bad to get new ones...$70, but they wanted (everyone in town) $150 for wires...c mon. so i tried to save some cash.

oh well, ill keep posted on the problem.

[hughw]

Originally Posted by hersysqirt

alright, my pricey uncle has the car, he seems to think its no big deal.

the plugs/wires may be a problem, the main problem that we think is the EGR is not bolted right. i guess when the engine is even WARM removing the bolts from the manifold will pull out the aluminum threads on the steel bolts. that is causing a leak in the EGR.

and someone mentioned $20 for new stuff...well, plugs are not too bad to get new ones...$70, but they wanted (everyone in town) $150 for wires...c mon. so i tried to save some cash.

oh well, ill keep posted on the problem.

$70 for plugs....$150 for wires.....you got ripped....surely you paid that
for parts and labor huh?

[vicv]

I just paid 24 bucks for autolite PP plugs and 35 for autolite wires at Advance Auto. I thought that was too much....

[hersysqirt]

well, i had my dads uncle to the plugs, hes a mechanic...usually for heavy equp. but does cars in his garage...best mechanic ive ever talked to. i did the wires....hell no i will not pay $150 for plug wires....they quoted plugs to take 1hr and wires 1/2 hr...charging approiate labor fees with the (overpriced) parts.


so i didnt get ripped off, the whole problem occured when trying to avoid the scam!

it turned out to be missing from bad plugs paired w/ good wires in the front 3 cly. and the ford 2000 computers may need a reflash from ford, but that should be under warrenty. it was preexisting and the car was rough and surged some. other than that, good hoses, no vacumme leaks, everything ok. he will replace the bolt and hole for the EGR and be done. i was scared, this could have been a larger problem.

bryan