Tips on Changing Spark Plugs & Wires

[ihatemybike]

3 hours on three plugs?!?! Lying on your back?!?! Are you going through the wheel wells or underneath?

[blacknome]

3 hours on three plugs?!?! Lying on your back?!?! Are you going through the wheel wells or underneath?

ahh... a little calmer now. LOL

I spent the 3 hours taking out the drivers seat, doghouse, swapping out the cap and rotor, 3 plugs and wires on the drivers side. But before I could get under the van I had to shovel what I could out from under the van then go find then drag my floor jack out of the toolshed in the backyard, and drag it thru appx 18" of snow.

The van is at the very top of the driveway appx 24" from my 1984 Monte. So if you can picture this; the van's backed into / overtop a snowpile and the pass side of the van is up against the neighbors bushes so it makes it a little awkward to get in and out and a little scary to jack up.

either way, the front plug came thru the wheelwell and the back 2 fron underneath. The back plug boot would not come off for all the cursing and dirty songs I was doing so I ripped it off from up top.

I thought for sure that once I got at least 3 new plugs and wires and replaced the corroded cap and rotor that it would fire up but still no joy.

Perhaps tonight I can change the other 3 plugs. They are forcasting near freezing temps with a snow/rain mix so I think I will have an early supper with a couple of stiff drinks before I go out and freeze my butt off again. I just have to bring the tow strap from work and drag the van forward about 20' with the wifes car so I can get away from the bushes to get access to the passenger wheelwell.

One good thing about all this is that I slept like a baby last night

[ihatemybike]

taking out the drivers seat

You do know that the engine cover comes out without removing the seat, don't you?

With the cover unbolted, make sure the drivers seat is all the all back, shift the cover clockwise so the middle is facing the right front corner of the drivers seat, tilt the engine cover so the top firewall edge goes down towards the engine and the bottom comes up to the seat cushion. You should be able to slide the bottom edge past the cushion without too much effort. Once you've cleared the cushion the cover can then be set aside.

[blacknome]

Ok the van and I have patched things up and are getting along again. Spent another 3 hours tonight changing the last 3 plugs and wire and trying to get it to fire. It cranked over and seemed to try and catch but would not fire. So I cleaned up some tools and put some stuff away for about 30 mins and came back to it. A little quickstart down past the Mass Airflow and into the TB and she caught ( barely ) but it was running for the first time in 2 days albeit on what seemed like 3 cylinders.

Lotsa smoke coming out the tailpipe so it was flooded pretty good. I rechecked the wiring and all was good. Pulled the wires off the cap to see which cylinders wern't firing and it was #1 and #6 acting up. So I let the van down off the jack and left it idling while I had a quick beer and a bite watching the van thru the window.

By the time I finished supper I came out all the smoke had cleared and it idled fine. I shut it down and put back the doghouse and drivers seat. Now I gotta get in to work to get the plywood out and the seats in so I can play host to my neice and nephew this weekend.


thx for the vent

[Lumpy]

I'm a little late to the party -

I changed plugs on my 89 Astro yesterday
and ran into a problem that I haven't seen
anyone mention. I couldn't get the spark plug
socket onto #4 because the oil dipstick
sheath was in the way. I had to remove the
nuts that secure that thing to the exhaust
manifold, then rotate the sheath out of the
way. It was still really tight to get the socket
past the darn thing.

On another note, those rubber inserts in spark plug sockets.
Is there a way to glue them into the socket so they stay
put in there and not come off on the plug after you
torque them in?




Craig 'Lumpy' Lemke

http://www.n0eq.com

[Smiliesafari]

Nice camo job.........welcome to the site. I use 3M yellow weatherstrip adhesive to secure the insert in the spark plug socket.

[kings-x59]

very nice camo job indeed. wow, 1 hour per plug. I remember the first time I did plugs in my '89, it was a pita, but not that bad. I do most of them from underneath. I can do them by feel now - hold the plug and find the hole with a finger, all except for the #1 cylinder. That one I have to dead reckon in with a deep socket and extension.
No, worries blacknome it will get easier.

[Smiliesafari]

Whenever I work inside the dog house I remove the driver seat also. Four bolts. With an air ratchet it takes about two minutes. It makes it so much easier. On occasion I've removed both seats. Like when replacing the intake gaskets.

[Detectorist]

Ok, I really do need to change the plugs/wires. The info on here is great but I'm totally confused. Not having a floor jack or stands makes it impossible, I guess to change the plugs.

Question...has anyone let the dealer do it and how much did it cost.

Any alternatives you all can think about would be fine...

Thanks!

[ihatemybike]

You can use the van's stock jack to lift the van and buying a set of jack stands should be cheaper than dropping it of at a mechanic.

[Detectorist]

Yea. But it sounds way too complicated. It's something that I'll get done half way then get stuck. If I jack it up with the OEM jack which is supposed to go under the 'V', where would I place the jacks? I have too many questions.

Heck, i can't even find on here how to remove the heat covers. Either that or i don't understand.

[ihatemybike]

Trust me, changing out the plugs is not complicated. Really the worst thing to happen when I've done it was a couple of Grumpy's spark plug boots ripped when I pulled them off. They were the OEM boots being 12 years old and having over 300k miles though. I was going to be cheap and not replace them, but Grumpy said otherwise. A razor blade help to get the rest of the ripped boots off.

Using the stock jack, lift the van up from the normal location and place a jack stand under the subframe near the jack. I usually go in front of the jacking location when I do it this way, then set the van down on the jack stand, but leave the jack in place too. I also only work on one side at a time.

Heat covers? Not sure what you are meaning here. I never removed any heat covers or heat shields when I replaced plugs/wires.

If you need more encouragement, I'm willing to provide phone support. Just PM me for my number.

[Detectorist]

I was referring to the rubber covers in the wheel well.

One side at a time sounds doable...good idea. I can use the extra jack stand for insurance. What do you think of these?

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/tls/1234053876.html

[Detectorist]

Holy CAMOLI!!! I just got a quote from my local chevy dealer for plugs, wires, dist cap, rotor with labor.


$650.00

I'll do it my self. Insane. I almost asked her if she was on crack.

[ihatemybike]

I was referring to the rubber covers in the wheel well.

They are held in with press fittings, not hard to remove at all.

One side at a time sounds doable...good idea. I can use the extra jack stand for insurance. What do you think of these?

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/tls/1234053876.html

Beefier than what I use.

Holy CAMOLI!!! I just got a quote from my local chevy dealer for plugs, wires, dist cap, rotor with labor.
$650.00
I'll do it my self. Insane. I almost asked her if she was on crack.

Hence why unless the vehicle has beaten me, I do all my own wrenching.