A rubber hose is your friend when changing plugs on a 4th gen f-body. Stick it on the end of the plugs and the hose will act like a universal joint and helps get the plugs to thread in.
I've been able to change all 8 plugs on my stock '83 z28 in about 45 minutes. That's using 2 different extensions and a universal joint socket and contorting my arms under/around brake lines, smog tubes and the steering shaft.
Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:
Sometimes its just easier to pull the motor or get a different car.
nothing is as awesome as a 4th gen f-body....so your words are blasphemy
The F-body plug change is famous. Even though I've never owned one, if you asked me one vehicle I would never want to change the plugs on, that would be it. That task seems to be the gold standard against which all other automotive pain in the butt tasks are judged by...
Congrats on getting it done!
Will
Reader
10/24/09 9:03 a.m.
Are the LS1 cars as bad for plug changes as the LT1 cars?
I always paid a guy to do that job on my '95 Z. Just wasn't interested in that pain.
I had some car guys turn their noses up when I said that. Then I related the 5 hr projected job time.
Soma007
New Reader
10/25/09 10:13 a.m.
In reply to Xceler8x:
It'll only take 5hrs if you suck at working on cars. Sorry. Maybe 3 if you do the plug wires as well.
Before I sold it I had it down to an hour or so. Unbolting stuff that gets in the way is a big help.
dlmater
New Reader
10/25/09 10:50 a.m.
In reply to Will:
Never changed them on a LT1 but I can say for certain the plug change on the LS1 is a big pain in the rear (actually the arms and hands). A swivel head ratchet and a bottle of the orange stingy stuff your mom used to put on your boo-boo's helps tremendously. I have found some are easier from beneath. Removing the coil packs on the passenger side makes the job easier.
cwh
Dork
10/25/09 2:34 p.m.
Never got to do that on a Camaro, but have bad memories of a turbo 300zx. How do they compare?
Soma007 wrote:
In reply to Xceler8x:
It'll only take 5hrs if you suck at working on cars. Sorry. Maybe 3 if you do the plug wires as well.
Before I sold it I had it down to an hour or so. Unbolting stuff that gets in the way is a big help.
My exhaust bolts were always much rustier and made from worse monkey metal than in the repair manual.
And yes, I suck at working on cars.
andrave
HalfDork
10/27/09 10:37 a.m.
cwh wrote:
Never got to do that on a Camaro, but have bad memories of a turbo 300zx. How do they compare?
I helped a friend do a water pump on a non turbo Z32 and it was just awful. we had to tear every single friggin thing off that motor just to get to it.
The turbos are even worse.
cwh
SuperDork
10/27/09 12:39 p.m.
When I did the plugs on that 300zx, we put in platinum ones so they never had to be replaced again.
5.4 E150 takes five hours. Coil on plug and all mounted under the fuel rails. Even having the dog house didn't help a lot. Next set will be done at a shop if it makes another 100K.
Eskimo
None
10/29/09 1:26 p.m.