How Hard is it to Change plugs?

with very basic tools and about 10 min you should be good. Plus time for gapping. So not hard and becomes second nature after a few times.

Not sure I'd call it easy, but you can do it yourself. Patience and the correct tools. Be very carefull not to crack the insulator on the plug, it's a guaranteed misfire.

i would call it easy. For the front ones take off both dogbones to get the necessary space. For the back,re-attach the dogbones to get the back ones. Having the engine hoist mounts out makes it easier also, plus saves some weight.

Its easy but it does take some time. 10 min? not for me, I take longer. Either way, its an easy job to do, but its even easier if you have headers instead of the stock manifolds. Spark plug socket, wrench, anti seize, dielectric grease, gloves. You can do it.

Bigest thing to watch out for is cracking the plugs, damaging your wires or cutting yourself on the heat shield and O2 sensor by the #6 plug. Just make sure to follow your plugs from the coil packs to teh correct plug so you dont have any misfires when you are done.

Well, no one mentioned this, so I will.

To make changing plugs 4 & 6 MUCH easier, take off the engine cover bracket, and leave it off (if you haven't already done so). It is held on by 2 bolts IIRC. Same goes for the 2 engine lift brackets.

A trick to get to plug 6 (O2 sensor is in the way): Use only the spark plug socket and ratchet (no extension). Stand on the passenger side of the engine bay, and lean the handle of the ratchet toward the drivers side. Make sense?

I use a swivel with about a 6" extension for that plug, it gets the ratchet close to the firewall where you can turn it.

If you pull the engine forward, like many of us do, to get to the rears more easily...Use a ratchet tie down strap to pull it forward...After the dogbone unbolting of course...

Its funny, because I pulled the engine forward to get the rear plugs and didn't fine it any harder to do it without the dogbones installed. If you have rotate your engine-park on an incline and place the trans in neut (per repair manual).

I have had several bouts with spark plugs lately and I find removing the engine harness/lift points make it so much eaiser to do. Its took me longer to pull the boots off the plugs, than to actually change them.

bottom line its a cake walk-just make sure you are gapping the plugs properly.

Just curious. What is the proper gap setting on a '97 GTP? I am planning to change mine as soon as it warms up enough to be out without a heavy jacket.

0.060" for stock plugs. FYI, most cars have the stock plug gap on a sticker either under the hood or under the trunklid.

Thanks

Thank You very much. Now I can gap and change them finally.

put the car in park, get out and push on door frame without ebrake applied, as far as it will go on a level surface, hold it there and reapply e brake, this uses the tranny to rotate the engine foreward and the ebrake holds it there. or i did it on a slight hill, worked awesome, could get both hands in there.

made the rear plugs 100 times easier for me.

Can you pull the engine forward after removing the dogbone just by hand? Someone told me you have to get another car to tap the back end to get the engine to move forward to do the back plugs.......sounded crazy to me. How do you keep it up once you get it forward? GS1

Dont rock the engine.No need to do more work than you have to. Just get a swivel on you socket, you might not even need it. After changing my plugs once the 2nd time took me 10 min while on my cell phone

GS1 said:

Can you pull the engine forward after removing the dogbone just by hand? Someone told me you have to get another car to tap the back end to get the engine to move forward to do the back plugs.......sounded crazy to me. How do you keep it up once you get it forward? GS1

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It's easiest to do it as suggested by Lookbutdon'ttouch. Disconnect the dogbones, open the drivers door and release the park brake. Leave the car in park and push forward on the car frame. When you get it forward a bit, apply the park brake.

I agree that rocking the engine did make it easier, but it's not any harder with it in place, either. I have no choice now, SLP headers won't let me rock it forward anymore. (Damn big-ass downpipe/collector)

ThePizzaGTP said:

I agree that rocking the engine did make it easier, but it's not any harder with it in place, either. I have no choice now, SLP headers won't let me rock it forward anymore. (Damn big-ass downpipe/collector)

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You realize you contradicted yourself, right?

Did it last night in about an hour. It is pretty easy. the only one that was any trouble was the center rear plug, the O2 sensor makes it kinda a pain. The only reason it took an hour was because we were killing time. I just lay a towel down and kneel on the two front engine mounts. It is the easiest 6 cyl that I have ever done.

1Hot97 said:

You realize you contradicted yourself, right?

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ugh.. lol "Made it easy, but it's not any harder."

I did think somethin like that when I wrote it, but I assumed I got my point across.