Thread: 3.8 rear spark plug issue

Alright..I'm gonna call it. Let's cut the excess stuff and help the OP only.

Yeah, everyone forgot to warn him about the razor sharp heat shields...lol

Originally Posted by craig1980

Thanks for all the advice...but I think im a little confused now

How so Craig?

I removed mine when I did my headers and left them off. I have considerably more room to work with now. It also only takes me 10 minutes to change out all 6 plugs.

As said though, the first time is going to be a pain because the original plug wire boots will be stuck to the plugs. Twisting them really hard will help to break the hold they have, and you may need to use a set of pliers for pulling them off as extra leverage.

or simply undo the dog bones and push the car forward while its in park standing at the driver side door and then hit the e brake, why bust a lug nut?

Or you can unhook the dog bones and take a ratchet strap to the bracket on the alternator and then to the passenger side cross brace. You don't have to tighten it up a lot, just a little, the engine will move forward quit a bit just like this.

The crackhead way...aka hard as hell and overtorques a lug nut. Not recommended.

Originally Posted by L36pro

the easiest way to pry the engine forward is to get a tire iron on the passenger wheel, put the car in park, crank the lug tight until the whole car rolls forward, and have a friend put the parking brake on for you.
and as far as brackets go, its probably easier to get the plugs out of the rear bank, than to try and get the bolts off the bracket.

The next hardest way.

Originally Posted by scottydoggs

or simply undo the dog bones and push the car forward while its in park standing at the driver side door and then hit the e brake, why bust a lug nut?

Easiest of the hard ways.

Originally Posted by starscream5000

Or you can unhook the dog bones and take a ratchet strap to the bracket on the alternator and then to the passenger side cross brace. You don't have to tighten it up a lot, just a little, the engine will move forward quit a bit just like this.

To further explain the second bolt thing to make sense. See where your passengerside dog bone bracket meets the coil pack bracket (just left of the oil fill cap). There is a second hole further back on that bracket from the two holes that the bolt is through. If you remove the bolts from that position on both dogbone brackets, then pull the motor slightly forward (you can use your hand on the SC snout) then put the passenger side bolt back in...but in the single hole of the bracket that is further back. If this doesn't make sense, I can get some pics/vid tonight for you.

If you want to easily rock the motor forward for backward, undo those bolts at the dogbones and on the driverside dogbone mount on the engine. Follow the mount to the LIM. If you lay a long screwdriver or prybar on that and hook the edge of the lim.. it's cake.

This thread confuses me a bit....Why is there a need to rock the engine forward just to change the back three spark plugs? I changed all mine last summer in about an hour in my garage and none of this was necessary at all. I think that this job is being made 1000 times more complicated by the step of rocking the motor forward....

Becuase if you still have the factory brackets and big man arms...you can't get back there too well.

Originally Posted by bluegtp91

Becuase if you still have the factory brackets and big man arms...you can't get back there too well.

I must just be flexible because I've got both of those things. I just had to concentrate on what I was doing (all I could get back there was my wrist and fingers basically to feel) and got it done. The hardest part was getting the boots off without destroying them.

just try changing them with hands so big you need 3x gloves, im part gorilla and cant get 1/2 a hand behind my engine.

Originally Posted by scottydoggs

just try changing them with hands so big you need 3x gloves, im part gorilla and cant get 1/2 a hand behind my engine.

Well, for you sir, I am now understanding your particular predicament. I would have to say you would be the exception to the rule then

Just buy a diesel.