replacing spark plugs.

[steelerfan]

First off want to wish everyone a happy thanksgiving. Eat, drink and be marry!

Now on to the task at hand. From the looks of it replacing the spark plugs is not an easy task. Can any one give me some insight on the ease, or lack there of, of putting new motorcraft plugs in.

Cheers,

beer

 

[fricker66]

The front three are relatively easy to access. It's the back bank that requires a little creativity. When I had my plugs replaced at 60,000 miles, I watched the mechanic use an extension and a universal joint to replace the back three. Obviously, it becomes much easier to do if the intake is removed. However, that's not a requirement and in my opinion, not worth the extra time. Just do yourself a favor and use a torque wrench!

Enjoy the Holiday!

 

[unicaller]

The hardest part is getting the plug boot back on all the way. Just feel for the click. The intake really is not hard to remove you can remove it all as one or even leave it connected to the TB and turn it out of your way. I only take it off when I need to see in the plug wells, or you could use a mirror.

 

[twr]

Fronts are easy, the back ones are a pain. I finally bought a swivel spark plug socket and a locking extension (locks the socket to the extension) - makes for a very easy change out of the plugs.

 

[Ptatohed]

Does anyone have any pics? The Chilton's sucks, SHOtimes doesn't show pics and I haven't been able to find anything but 'words' by searching the forum. Thanks.

 

[Off Road SHO]

It helps to loosen the bottom bolt of the drivers side front and rear intake support brackets, then remove completely the top bolts to the brackets and the brackets.

Do the front bank first to get the feel for what you have to do. Check for oil in plug well before you remove a plug! If you have oil, remove the oil with a rag stuffed in the plug well overnite to absorb it or blow it out with compressed air (very messy, use lots of rags around the blow gun nozzle).

Check the gap (.042-.046) on all the new plugs so you can have them ready to go in. Put a small amount of anti-seize compound on the threads of each spark plug.

Clean out the plug boot with alcohol on a q-Tip swab and then swab in a thin coat of di-electric grease on the inside of the rubber part of the boot. DO NOT put in on the metal contact clip way inside the boot.

Poke six holes in a cardboard anything so that you can slip the used sparkplugs in the holes for future reference and analization. Mark the holes so you can remember which plug came out of which cylinder.

On the back bank of ATX cars, remove the bolt that holds on the little vacuum canister onto the rear plenum. Remove the little vacuum hose from the plenum also.

Also on ATX cars, loosen one and remove the other teeny tiny hex bolts (5/32 I believe) that hold the DFPE sensor to the rear plenum. Removing these two item will give you some room to pull up on each spark plug wire grip, NOT THE WIRE ITSELF.

Pull one plug at a time, after you check for oil.

Make sure the new crush washer is on the new plug, and make sure you tighten the new spark plugs enough to firmly crush the new washers.

HTH

Tom

 

[SHO--ripper]

I sent you an email about plug changing. Hope it helps thumb

 

[Ptatohed]

SHO--ripper:
I sent you an email about plug changing. Hope it helps thumb

I got it, thank you very much.

I still would like some good pics.... frown

 

[93EmeraldMTX]

Ptatohed:

SHO--ripper:
I sent you an email about plug changing. Hope it helps thumb

I got it, thank you very much.

I still would like some good pics....

honestly, as cramped as it is back there i'd think taking a pic would br pretty hard.
dont worry, its not that hard of a deal. there are cars that have it much worse.

 

[Sleeper]

Could you send me that info too? Thanks! [email protected]

 

[rangerj]

Steelerfan,

Put a light coating of anti-sieze compound on the plug threads (after you set the plug gap).

Run the plugs as far in as you can by hand with the plug socket and an extension. That way you can feel the threads, and know that you are not cross-threading the plugs.

Finish tightening the plugs with a torque wrench, to specification.

Coat the inside of the plug boots with a light coating of dielectric grease.

When you push the boot down onto the plug, listen for the "click". rangerj

 

[Ptatohed]

Thanks guys. I am still confused. Some say you must remove the valve cover, some say you don't.

 

[Off Road SHO]

Was that in another thread? No one mentioned that in this thread.

Tom

 

[Spin]

i just replaced my plugs not to long ago. it was pretty damn easy. just remember what order they go in, maybe take one plug out and replace it then do the next one and i took off the intake to do the backs cause i didn't have a socket wrench that i could get back there with. make sure u have a torque wrench! but other than that it is pretty simple. pull off the wires, take the plug out, new plug in, wire back on. don't forget to disconnect the ground battery cable too. i think that's about it. should take you about an hour if you have never done it before.

 

[Rockledge]

I replaced my plugs a few months ago when I first picked up my SHO.

IMHO, if this is your first time changing plugs in the SHO, and you follow the excellent advice offered by those who posted before me, then it's going to take you several hours to do the job. For instance, I took off the upper intake in order to get at the plugs (can't figure out how some guys don't have to do that), and I'm glad I did pull it off, because it was filthy. So right there I spent 45 minutes soaking and cleaning out the upper intake as best I could before proceeding with the plug job. No way I was putting it back on dirty like that.

And it being my first time removing the UI, I had to fish around a little bit for all the bolts, and it also took a little time for me to figure out how to disconnect the various coolant hoses and electrical connectors so that I did not break any clips or clamps, etc.

Then I followed everyone's advice around here to clean out the plug wells before pulling out the old plugs so that no debris, oil and/or water sitting in the wells will fall into the cylinders. I used a small shop vac with special attachments that fit very well down into the holes. More time right there.

To remove the plugs, I found a universal swivel 5/8" spark plug socket (3/8" drive) to be absolutely essential. It was a tip I got off of this web page:

Changing Spark Plugs - SHO Times

Gapping the plugs and putting anti-sieze on the threads, as well as CAREFULLY installing them and then torquing them to specs (like rangerj and others described) takes some time, as well. Remember, these are aluminum heads, so you don't want to force anything, and you should make sure they are cool when you work on them.

When I did my plugs, I also changed the wires. I recommend that you consider doing this if your wires have a lot of miles on them, since you will have to remove the intake to do the wires, in any case. If the existing wires are crappy, then new plugs alone won't do much to help your Yamaha run better.

I've changed plugs in quite a few vehicles over the years, and the SHO plug job rates up there as one of the more time consuming, relatively speaking.

Good luck, hope this helps. thumb

<small>[ October 31, 2003, 09:06 PM: Message edited by: Rockledge ]</small>