Changing Rear Spark Plugs

[JJ Newel]

Hi, I have a 2002 Chevrolet Impala with the 3.4 liter V6 and wanted to change out the spark plugs since I am at over 100K miles now. The front plugs look easy but the back three plugs looked hard so I decided to buy the Lisle Engine Tilter part #48260 to help me tilt the engine forward to reach the rear plugs. I'm clear on how to tilt the engine forward but I just wanted to know how do I tilt the engine back to original position, does it return by itself to original position or do I have to force it and if so, how do I force it back to original position???

[bigrod118]

well, I havent done it yet, but basically, when you take off the front upper motor mounts, the engine is going to fall back a bit, so the tilter pulls it forward, so when you take off the tilter, it should just fall back to the original position, if not even farther back than the original position.

where did you buy the tilter?

[57chevyragtop]

Originally Posted by JJ Newel

Hi, I have a 2002 Chevrolet Impala with the 3.4 liter V6 and wanted to change out the spark plugs since I am at over 100K miles now. The front plugs look easy but the back three plugs looked hard so I decided to buy the Lisle Engine Tilter part #48260 to help me tilt the engine forward to reach the rear plugs. I'm clear on how to tilt the engine forward but I just wanted to know how do I tilt the engine back to original position, does it return by itself to original position or do I have to force it and if so, how do I force it back to original position???

Well G Wiz, I have a 2002 3.4 as well. I tried to pull the engine forward as I thought it was like my 3.1 Lumina...It's NOT! It is not designed to pull forward on these. It is a bit of a struggle to get to the back plugs but not that bad. The hrad part for me was No 1 plug wire, the plug clip broke from the wire and I had to replace the set. 60 bucks! Plug wire puller may prevent that since it can grab the boot around the clip area. Would be tight getting to them either way. Offset style would work best but I haven't seen any of them lately just the straight style. Good luck.

[JJ Newel]

Really, because the repair manual says the engine tilts forward by the way i purchased the engine tilter on ebay.com but you can get it from many other online places.

[JJ Newel]

Is it true that the 3.4 liter engine cannot be tilted forward on the 2002 chevrolet impala, if not how can I change the rear plugs. by the way I don't want to go underneath the car to change the spark plugs. Has anyone tilted the 3.4 liter engine on the newer chevrolet impalas? Please HELP!!!!

[57chevyragtop]

J.J. That is interesting that you have a manual that tells you to pull the engine forward. What manual is that? If you do a search in this forum you will find others that have discussed this and concluded it does not pull forward and there is really no need to do so. But if you really want to, give it a go a find out as others, myself included, did. You'll just be wasting time. I have an Alldata subscrption for this model and it mentions nothing of engine tilt for any purpose. If you are using Chiltons, be carful as they are full of errors in specs and in diagrams. Haynes is OK for most things but limited in scope. GM factory is best but costly. Kinda depends on how long you plan to keep your Impala. Alldata 24.99 per year is OK and is correct but can be difficult to locate the info you seek at times. Local libraries generally have a good selection of auto manuals such as Motors, Haynes, and Chiltons. You can sometimes get info from you local Chevy dealer but I find them to be not too inclined to be so. For instance, I needed 1 plug wire but the parts dept. would not sell me 1 plug wire, just the set. However if I let them service it @ 85 per hr, they would replace 1 plug wire. Don't you just love the way they do things? Best of luck to you..you can do it!

[ogre73]

I have replaced the plugs on my 2003 3.4L and when I did it I set the parking brake, put the tranny in nuetral, and pulled a the engine forward with a reasonable amount of force. Don't use too much or you could break something (DUH!). I was able to get it forward about 1 inch, which was enough for me to get my arms in there and have relatively good access to the plugs. It's not going to tilt forward to the point that it's actually EASY, but you should at least be able to get another inch, and that seems to be enough for someone who's not anorexic to get in there.
Ogre

[JJ Newel]

When you're done does the engine tilt back to original position by itself and line up with the torque struts?

[ogre73]

When I was done, the engine went back to within 1/2 to 1/4 inch of where it started, and I was able to reattach the "dogbones" easily.

[tractorboy]

I have a 2003 Impala and I was wondering about the engine tilting. Not only are there the 2 front "dog bone" type mounts. I think there is a lower engine mount on the serpentine belt side ? ( also a trans on the driver side)
I use to have an 89 celebrity with a v-6 2.4 L. There was a tilt kit for that.
I never bought the tilt kit, just removed the serp belt and alternator and maybe some component , blew out the area really good with air. Used a spark pug remover with extension / section of fuel line / small retractable mirror ,,, to remove install the plugs. I was considering getting the engine tilter or just doing it the way i did on thee celeb... ?

[Tomb1957]

I have a 2002 impala v6 and did not have any problem changing the 3 rear spark plugs. What i did was remove the stabilizer cross bar which then gave me easy acces to the rear plugs. I then used a mirror with handle as a guide to see where to put the new spark plugs into the motor. This whole process was easy.

[Gems]

What about the 3.8L engine?... Looks pretty difficult to get to the rear plugs on this motor also...

[BNaylor]

Originally Posted by Gems

What about the 3.8L engine?... Looks pretty difficult to get to the rear plugs on this motor also...

Compared to the front bank yes but not really. Just takes patience and the right tools. You have the option of removing the dogbone engine mounts and tilting the engine or just going straight at the plugs. I never remove the mounts and tilt engine on a 3800.

The hardest part will be getting the plug boots and heat shields off. Normally they are stuck on.

I use a spark plug 3/8" ratchet with an articulating head and the right extensions for tools.

To make it easier to get at cylinder #2 and #6 plugs you can remove the bracket that holds the 02 sensor wiring harness and engine cover. There are two 13mm nuts that hold the bracket onto the exhaust manifold. Also, the 02 sensor will be in the way of #6. I have an 02 sensor socket and just remove the 02 sensor so it doesn't get damaged. While 02 sensor is out I clean the old carbon off it.

Due to the tugging and pulling on the rear wires I'd recommend putting in new spark plug wires. The AC Delco Premium Silicone 7mm wires seem to work best.

Just be sure to coat the spark plug ceramic portion with dielectric silicone grease during installation so the boots will be easier to remove next time around.

[ogre73]

Originally Posted by bnaylor3400

The AC Delco Premium Silicone 7mm wires seem to work best.

Just be sure to coat the spark plug ceramic portion with dielectric silicone grease during installation so the boots will be easier to remove next time around.

I would just like to reiterate what bnaylor3400 has said about the AC Delco wires. I have been through some pretty bad trials with my '03 3.4L when I tried aftermarket plugs and wires, and I went back to the AC Delco for both. Yes, it was more expensive, but I finally got the car to run well. The tolerances seem to be so tight in the ignition system for my car that the only thing that would work was the OEM stuff.
Ogre

[Tazman9344]

Hello everyone,
as for the rear spark plug removal....I found on my 3400, the easiest way to replace them was just this....spend a little time and as mentioned remove the strut tower bar, and then simply remove the alternator, and you will have so much more room to do the change....hope that helps....

Chazz......