Hey all, bit the bullet and decided to change my plugs today (way overdue)

Got the first five open no problem, but could not for the life of me get the last one!

Are there better hex keys to use to get at it? I couldn't even securely undo the power steering clamp with my socket wrench.

I was pretty disheartened when I had to put everything back together without the new plugs (no point putting 5 good 1 bad)

any tips at getting at that last plug? I'm gonna give it another go tomorrow

 

Weird, I found the rear passenger to be just as accessible as the rest. I even fit a fat torque wrench in there to torque it down.

I used a regular hex key. That wasn't bad at all. Maybe try from a different angle?

 

remove the cross bar between strut towers for more clearance
no special tool needed for coil removal beside allen

I like the 3 and 6 inch extensions with a real plug socket that holds the plug,
you can lower in the socket and one extension, then the other and the ratchet
There is a bump in the firewall for the back of your hand to fit too

ok to do 5 you can reach, then asap on the remaining one

 

^I was thinking of doing that, is that bar held on at more than the two bolts on either strut? It seemed like it was hooked to something else as well and I didn't want to screw up and pull something that I wouldn't be able to put back in place.

speaking of the crossbar, I noticed the paint was chipping off of it and what not, is there a special coating on it or can I sand it down and repaint it with high temp paint through a compressor?

 

iirc there are two bolts in the center where bar attaches to firewall extension
Cant go wrong putting it back together

sand and paint bar as desired..it does get warm but not ~engine hot~

I like to use a piece of vac tubing over the top end of new spark plug- lower it in place and start threads with fingertip feel-
avoids crossthreading that can occur when using full tool to start the threads

A tiny bit of plug anti-sieze on the middle threads will make install eaiser
and prevent the prob of stuck plugs that you may have encountered this time

 

^Thanks! Yeah I have the anti-sieze I didn't even open the plugs because when I saw I couldn't get to the sixth I was a bit disheartened.

I have a half day today so I'll get at it, gotta do an oil change and whatnot anyways so i'll be busy!

another question about hex wrenches, I have a multi tool hex wrench (looks like a swiss army knife with wrenches) it's proving to be a bit too bulky with the back plugs, are the L shaped ones a better choice for getting at the back??

 

verify you are using the correct 8 dollar each NGK spark plugs?

you seem intelligent... so question is really for noobs reading this,,as a gentle reminder!~

for the bending effort required to replace the plugs, (Im old and not so flexible anymore)I prefer to do it right the first time

 

I have 3 styles of allen wrenches,,dont recall which got used where
but I had a thought today-- L shaped or T handle for getting at hard to reach spot will help you
can always amplify the force with wrench~
Harbor freight tools has a nice selection for cheap
Home Depot has seafoam even cheaper!!
coil bolt torque spec is pretty light, 8 pounds iirc. dont quote me! but they are very small diamater shank so it cant be much

reminder for noobs- on this car you would do the plugs first- engine dead cold
You DONT install plug on warm or hot engines--big probs with torque will happen!
Warm the oil by running engine after plug install before changing it

Seafaom in oil and a drive will do wonders for the oil passages and clean out vtec slider sludge before change.
Seafoam in gas tank will clean fuel and combustion chamber internals, and cause no issues with new plugs

I would seafoam gas and vac port shortly before plugs: to give them a clean workspace
but you can do it after without hurting the new plugs at all

dont forget the TB air plate needs carb cleaner or deep creep on both sides and edges--will be ugly if never done before

Also ck the pcv valve on rear valve cover near TB- is clean inside and shakes freely--otherwise replace it
Has proven to cause rear main seal leaks when clogged,,, and internal engine pressure has to go somewhere,,it looks for the weakest link....

 

This. Didn't even replace the plugs, but took the coil packs out and everything while the engine was still warm = most uncomfortable ride into work today of my life!

will this correct itself? I'm hoping

 

You should just take the IM off and do the port cleaning at the same time as you do your plugs..very easy.

 

I plan on it today! but more importantly with my last question (sorry, I'm a bit nervous at the moment)

I had taken my coil packs out while the engine was still a bit hot (let it sit about an hour after highway driving) fully intending on replacing plugs but when I couldn't get that back plug I decided to stop and put the coil packs back in and try again another time.

started the car after everything was back in place and it had a bit of rough idle but after giving it some gas it was fine.

Today on the ride into work (~20 miles) I had the most jittery ride ever, rough idle, acceleration was interesting (like when a belt is loose and every rotation is makes a noise) surprisingly, when I floored it WOT, the car responded MUCH better than it usually does but then when I was back to cruising it was giving me vibrations.

will this correct itself when I actually replace the plugs or am I in for some bigger problems?

And I have the seafoam so I'll throw that in too today, is it just sludge and stuff? could particles have gotten into the coil pack chambers while they were out? would that matter?

 

you didn't get one or more of the coil packs pack on correctly and it will not correct it's self until you do.

 

ok! well that's a relief. It's probably that damn rear coil that I unplugged but couldn't get at. I bet I didn't plug it in all the way.

thanks man! i appreciate it!

 

Yea, I changed my spark plugs when the engine was hot =[

It runs fine, but I'll probably go back and re torque it.

 

Well I got it today!

HOLY SHIT! I feel like I got a brand new car for 42 bucks! the car flew off the line, there was noticeable gains in the sound and overall a very simple/sound project that netted huge gains. i feel like the car is back running like when it was new.

Oh...and the Seafoam through the Manifold and Gas Tank helped =)

what do you guys recommend to help unscrew my oil pan? Try as i might I couldn't get that thing loose, so oil change was a fail today =(

 

what--you let an oil change place do it last time and now the bolt is at 50 lbs instead of 29?

I normally put a closed end wrench on the bolt head, then use a hammer to whack the wrench handle- generating a surge of energy and the plug comes loose
Dont get mental on it--reasonable force!!
spray seafoam or wd on bolt edges/sides so it gets into threads

if you have a socket and breaker bar that should do it too
need the car on ramps to get any leverage on the tools

 

its only the actual spark plug being tightened into an aluminum head -
thats NOT DONE HOT!
too easy to mess things up, torque will be wrong,,

remove what you need to when warm, thats ok

Agree if its time for plugs its time for egr port and passage way cleaning with service the IACV in the TB

if over 100kmiles its ready for valve adjust- makes a differance and with gas prices,,,

the seafoam in gas will work over the next week as it gets the injectors and rail system clean
the vac port blasted the intake valves and piston tops, but cant get the other places that gas does

New to seafoam repeat in a month then good for a year
cleaning dose= 2oz per gal fuel = just under half tank to 1, 16oz can

 

reminder to clean the TB air plate and lube throttle return springs while you have the cover off

 

Dude, I've been rocking the wrong (Autolite) plugs for like 8 years. I switched over to the NGK Iridiums ($8 each), and I didn't really feel any difference. Then again, I didn't really feel any difference when I got a 3x3.

I doubt re torquing it will make a difference, but I'll do that soon. I torqued them down when the engine was HOT, and I don't want to risk any problems.

 

i changed my plugs at night in the driveway with just a spot light, on a slop. took me less that 45 mins to do all of them and wrap up.

 

Have on hand some ball end allen drivers and a long reach plug socket. Will make this job easier next time.

 

^yeah, I undid the power steering bolt it made the last plug in the back easier to get too.

other than that, if your car is lowered I'd suggest you not jack it up. it's actually easier to reach in the back when it's on the ground =) duhh lol.

and I have a six inch and three inch extension. I actually dropped my 6 inch in my engine bay I hope it's still there I'll grab it when the engine is cold (I had to go out for a bit thought so who knows)

I ended up borrowing a three inch from my neighbor, it's actually easier IMO to just use the 6 inch extension to get at the plugs.

 

yea i used a 6 inch when i replaced mine the other month and it worked perfect. its funny because theres like a space back there near the passenger side plug in the firewall that is made for your hand to fit. at least it did when i replaced mine because i was able to manage with just enough space to fit my hand and turn the wrench to get it loose although it was still a pain in the ass. thats why i did that plug first then the rest were a piece of cake.

 

Luckily I have a friend with an incredible tool kit so this took like 30 mins max for me but it was still a bitch to get at the passenger plug so what we decided was a magnetic wrench was the best idea. Worked like a charm.

 

Man you guys make it seem so hard. I just removed the coil pack like regular, and slipped a vac hose down there.

Install was same as other plugs, though I had to position the torque wrench a little weird.

 

It's just being boneheaded lol

I spent so many years just blindly giving my cars to service shops. When I finally realize how simple most maintenance is (If you can install coils, you do most of the other things) it just didn't make sense anymore.

but these little quibbles are just part of learning right?

I can paint like a champ...haha

 

is that finger painting?

we all started with no car repair knowledge-thats part of life
it does not appear to be genetically passed down~--the abilty with hand and brain skills maybe, but not the actual car repair knowledge

there are tricks some like to use to make work easier,,
while others prefer to work harder,, not smarter
its all ones own choice!

 

^Hey! my fingers create masterpieces

and yeah I'm definitely learning and I like to think I've learned a lot already!

so long as guys like you and kris stick around I'm sure I'll learn how to completely take a TL apart before too long