I got a '89 TA 350 (w/TPI I think) and a/t with 117,000 miles.
I'm totally novice and never replaced my spark plugs myself.

I think I've ONLY had one Tune-up in its life (I'm sole only owner).
It was done by GM dealer.

Sooo how hard is it for me to pull 8 plugs out ?
I hear it's kinda tough since some plugs are underside of engine?

Let me start with the VERY easiest one to get out - so where
is it and let me see if I can get that ONE spark out and examine it.

So where is it and how do ya do all 8?

(I have changed plugs on my old '78 4 cylinder Mustang - but that was kinda easy with all right there in your face)

I don't even see any of the 8 plugs anywhere...
sooo help me get going ?
Where do I start ?

OR should I just take it in to dealer or my "ace" garage mechanic?

THANKS!

 

some from the top, some from the bottom.

 

you need a spark plug socket and a 2"extension and,of course a ratchet wrench that fits the socket!
the only plug you should need to reach from underneath will be the #8 plug
(driver's side plug near the firewall)
maybe # 7 but if i remember it's easier from the top.
just roll up your sleeves and do it!
remember to check the plug gaps and dont tighten the new plugs too tight!
follow the mfg's directions.usually 1/8 turn after snug.
you can do it!
Eric B

 

its a 5/8 socket you'll need, and remember to start them by hand so you don't cross thread one

i could get all the ones on the driver side from the top with out to much trouble, the passenger side was real easy but i don't have the ac or heater box in the way

 

I'd do them one at a time.

I also use Dielectric Grease on the plug wire/plug connection.

 

Which one and where is the EASIEST plug to get out ?
>Let me start with the VERY easiest one to get out - so where
is it and let me see if I can get that ONE spark out and examine it.

I mean I don't think I've ever seen/ or have clue where the plugs are hiding...... It's not like my old '78 Mustang.

Are they under some other kind of rubber cover or something.

Is there something I have to remove first to get to the actuall plug?

Any pictures of anybody done this before?
(there must be hundreds of people who do their own plugs everyday here)
THANKS

 

Trace the spark plug wire to the plug is about the easiest way to find the spark plug itself.

 

I traced the plug wires back from distributor...
There is NO WAY someone can change these plugs
(any of them).... They are all so hidden and buried way down on lower side of engine on both sides...

How can you get to them either from under or above car?

Why did GM do this ? Just to stop backyard DYI from changing plugs!?

This is NOT a simple job (as far as I can tell or for me) ...

What stuff on top above do you have to take off FIRST to get at the plugs ??

C'mon - you guys here are over simplifying things a LOT - this ain't like my old '68 or '78 Ford - they did not have all this
EFI and smog control hoses and pipes all over the place.

Thanks... any more help be appreciated.
Anybody got some pictures or step-by-step from a manual?

 

Those plugs are not bad at all. #2 is the hardest on the motor. Get most from under the car I find the easiest. # 1 and 3 from the top, the rest from the bottom.

84 and 85 Carb is the easiest.
87 TPI is next.
LS1 is next in line. Gotta take off the two rear coil packs to get at 5 and 7. Still not that bad.
LT1 #2 is the nastiest I have ever encountered on a fbody. Offset closed end wrench is the only thing that barely works.

 

The spark plugs on your motor are in EXACTLY the same place that they've been in on every small block Chevy V8 since 1955; on all 262, 265, 267, 283, 302, 305, 307, 327, 350, & 400 motors that have ever been made. Must be tens of millions of those motors in the world, that all get their plugs changed every however often (well, most of them do, anyway....). I'm not sure what you might be expecting instead of what's there.

They are extremely easy to replace. You remove the wire from one, rotate it counter-clockwise several turns, and it falls out. Then you insert the new one, rotate it about the same number of turns clockwise, and put the wire back on. Then repeat until all 8 are done. Doesn't get much simpler or easier or more straightforward than that.

Some of them you can reach from above, some from underneath. Like most any mechanical work, all it takes is a little patience, and the right tools. Don't hallucinate that you're going to go out there with some Made in China ratchet and spark plug socket and get to them all effortlessly. It helps to have a few short extensions of various lengths up to 3" or so, a 5/8" box wrench with a big offset, and a few other tools to get at them more conveniently.

 

Yeah, they're buried but they're not impossible, the manifolds and all the emissions stuff hides them pretty well, and what RB said, they've always been right there. I'd go from underneath for some, and get some imaginative in which extensions and adapters to use on certain ones. I've still yet to do mine... Just got to work up the patience to go do it.

 

Words of advice... since I was just like you when I did my first spark plug change....


Do it in the morning after the car has sat all night, this way nothing is hot and you only get dirty, not burnt and dirty


Start with the one on the driver side, closes to the nose of the car. All of the rest of them are the same way, you shouldnt have to move anything out of the way to get to them, just have to get them at different angles.


Get a spark plug gapping tool at autozone or likewise, mine cost $0.99 . Then gap your spark plugs to .035. If you dont know how to gap them, run a or ask the guys at autozone, they should even be able to show you on a couple plugs how to do it.


Dont overcomplicate things, or make things harder on yourself by not having the proper tools.

ALWAYS thread the new spark plug in by hand as far as you can, then torque it down the rest of the way, but not too hard.


Do the spark plugs one at a time. Dont take all of the spark plug wires off and take them out... this will make it a PAIN IN THE BUTT to re-route the spark plug wires back to their proper spark plugs.

You will want to get new spark plug wires when you do spark plugs as well, espescially since it's only had one tune-up.

Get a new distributor cap and rotor while you do this. These are really easy to replace as well. The rotor is inside of the distributor cap.

If you have more concerns then post them We're here to help.


All of us had to start out somewhere... and a lot of these people dont remember what it was like doing their first spark plug change. I dont even know how many of them were totally alone w/o help on this either.

But dont worry too much about it, the manifolds that are in the way dont make it that much harder than if they werent there. They WERE made to be serviced w/o taking the manifolds off.

 

get some u-joints, it helps. Get extensions too. It's harder with manifolds on and the heat shields because you can't always see what you're doing, that is until you learn where they are.

Some from the top, some from the bottom. Most from the bottom. Sometimes you need to reach in through the front of the engine and get back there with extensions or what not. It all depends on what you have on your car or not. You pretty much have to go through and contort yourself at times.

What's easy? The ones you can see.

Disconnect the negative battery wire first. If you still can't reach stuff, drop the starter (I never needed to). The whole world will open up then (on the passenger's side).

 

but me i had to cut the socket to join all the plug because of my headers....do you have headers on your car?

 

Yes you can. Take your time, and walk away when your getting frustrated. I thought the same thing the first time I did mine. It gets easier everytime you do it. Do it yourself and save some money while getting the experience.

 

Well... after my recent Intake Man gasket blew out and lots of coolant all over and a tow and a $900 repair fix later ...

I'm gonna just go buy 8 ACDelco plugs and my main man TA mechanic said he'd put them in for $70 (charge $70/hr)
...
cause I wanthim also to recheck the timing since it's litltle hard starting since big repair job...

I don't got the tools and no Timing lite or worse any experience to know what timing and how to do it...

Soooo I'm paying.... ouch ouch again...




$70 I think is cheap since Dealers want like $200-300 to do a tuneup on any 8 cylinder.... what a rip!

 

just be happy ur not changing plugs on a 4th gen


the hardest thing i found to get around on a third gen is the air tubes

 

Maybe you should get a Chilton's manual at Auto Zone, Pep Boys, etc. and start with that.

 

blue,

Given a ratchet with some extensions, a wrench, and the right size socket, you should be ok. I think it just may be a bit uncomfortable for you since you can't see what you are doing as well as you would like.

Take your time and it shouldn't be a problem. Only gets easier each time too...

 

I have no ac/heater box which makes mine easy on the passenger side..but even when i help out my buddies on their f bodies....we almost always get em from the top..and i have big ole bear paws for hands....so if i can contort into the spots..u can do it...th ebest advice ive seen posted thus far is to walk away when u get frustrated...great advice...ull be amazed how much easier it gets if ya just walk away for a few minutes....

 

heh, thanks to my headers, I have to get #3 plug out with a wrench from under the header...*sigh*.

When I bought the car, it had a V6 and I had to replace several things that I broke off while changing the plugs. Took all day. Not like my old 87 Nova where all 4 plugs were right in front

Power at the cost of simplicity.

 

I'd like to get my hands on one on those - I drove one for work once and that thing was nice & simple & moved (goood enuf fer me)... the good 'ole days

 

I'm chaning out the plugs on my 87 Firebird this weekend. It's my first time too and I've decided that this is one of those jobs my dad refers to as a vocabulary builder.

All this info has been helpful though, so thanks guys!

 

You guys haven't "lived" until you've replaced all 8 plugs in less then 15 mins on a eng thats well over 200 degs. Did that for abt a year at a tune-up shop I worked in. (Tune up in 30 mins guaranteed) Man I'm glad I don't work there anymore!!


Here's and ol' timer trick to help ya start the new plugs into their holes:
Take a roughly 12" piece of vacuum hose and slip it over the tip of the spark plug you are trying to install (it needs to fit pretty snug). It will give ya something to hold on to, helps line up the plug, and gives you a way to turn the plug without risk of damaging the threads if it's cross-threaded.

Also, if you drop the plug while installing it, look it over real good. The porcelin (sp??) can crack pretty easily. The gap can change too. Re-check that if dropped.

 

my dad has. he has some of the greatest stories... once he cut a hole in his floor and made his own shifter somehow. lol.

 

If you ever plan on fixing your own car i would try it yourself, the first time i changed mine it took a while but now its much easier. Now days ive been tearing the apart tpi,steering column,changing starters, tranny mounts, ect they were intimidating at first but now i can pull the tpi and swap injectors in a couple hours and am not very intimidated to tear the car half apart with a little advice beforehand. If you give up here you may as well give up on ever working on this car, and o yes it will start breaking eventually and will never stop unless you don't drive it.

 

Ouch, no way in hell I'd do that...but then again, if you need to leakdown or compression test.

You're right. I'd rather be undead. Then I can hang with Kate Beckinsale.

 

Ironically, it was totaled by a thirdgen camaro lol! T-Boned, I spun about 400 yards, did a 180 and my CD player didnt skip once.

I loved to take that thing off roading.