Question...

I had a fit of a time getting out the #8 plug on my 305 TPI... Found after I had about gotten the plug out, that it's FAR FAR easier to go under the car.

However; I do have one plug out now - I was going to get some ramps to make this much easier - will it hurt running the car without that plug in there to get it up on the ramps?

I'm guessing not - but thought I'd float this question out here and see if anyone had any experience doing that. At worst, I can jack it up and put that plug in to get it up on the ramps, but it would be far easier to push it back some, position the ramps and just drive it up on them..

 

you will have gas and air mixture pumping out of there every stroke, if you have and bad spark plug wires, or if the exhaust manifold gets hot enough, you may experience a large external boom, and possible fire hazard. Not to mention your car is gonna run like crap.

It will detect a rich mixture and compensate accordingly by leaning it out. I wouldnt recommendi it.

 

Yea, I was thinking that too. Maybe I'll see if I can push that thing up on the ramps, since the driveway dips a bit that way...

Yeah, guess it's a tad more work, but maybe I should jack it up, get that plug in and then I can put it up on the ramps to get the others.

Not sure how long those plugs were in there, but I don't think I've ever had one come out as rough as that one, in a bad spot + it wasn't at all 'happy' on the first 2/3 rotations, after that it came out fairly smooth.

I know one thing - the very last thing I want to deal with is fire, even if it's just a 'poof' - the electrical system is pretty much unmolested on the car and I'm trying to keep it that way!! lol

 

Apply anti seize compound to the threads and tapered seat of the new plugs, and removal should be less frustrating next time.

 

Yes - definitely. I already got some of that! Thanks

 

What if you just kinda screw it in by hand and put the plug wire on? How can it be so out of reach? Never heard this prob before. Atleast with hand tight, you'll be able to drive the car onto the ramps, just will have some exhaust leaks, but no unburned fuel.

 

Well, I kinda tried that - but without it jacked up at all, I can't really get it positioned right from under the car - I mean, sure I could get in in there, but I could save a lot of hassle by just jacking it up. Plus - even though I know it's not a huge deal, I'd like to avoid getting junk on the electrode or threads if I can.

From the top - the manifold heat shield is in the way - I can't see a thing, and with the steering column right there, I can't get my hand down in there really to get it positioned up right. I'm fine feeling my way around, it's just an issue of getting my hand down far enough to twist the wrist and get it started.

If I lay down next to it, and really reach, I can feel the plug hole in the head, but then getting the plug lined up just right to get it started turned out to be rather difficult.

Of course... by the time I got the old plug out (I made the mistake of trying it from the top at first *and* putting the plug socket on without the ratchet on it or an extension in there - I started using an older, cheap plug socket I had and it wouldn't hold the extension in there just right, so it kept wanting to slip out, I'll use the good one now - why I didn't at first, was beyond me - I couldn't get the socket off the plug either at first, as I couldn't get a good grip on it), I was a bit on the tired side and a little flustered too, hehe.

So I wasn't in the mood to try and get it threaded back in. Not only being tired, but with day-light going and patience a bit on the short end, I just stopped there. Past previous experience has definitely taught me that sometimes, you gotta step back for a second and take a breath of air, the last thing I wanted was to get it threaded wrong and be pulling the head off the car to see what damage was done to the threads.

So maybe an attempt or two when I get home later might prove successful, we'll see.

Thing is, I'm just going to buy a couple ramps and my old jack has about had it, it just won't lift like it used to - I can't even get it high enough to put it on the jack stands. Plus, I need to get a transmission mount fixed, so I may as well get the ramps. Budget's too tight this week to get ramps + a new floor jack and I don't want a junky floor jack, so I'll just drive over to my dad's house and borrow his (which is what I was trying to avoid, lol).

I'm not too new at all with working on cars, it's just the position this one is in. But I know if I get under the car, all four on the rear of the engine will probably be cake to replace.

 

Unplugging the injector an easy way to avoid the fumage/fires.

 

Just a safety note, make sure to disconnect the battery prior to removing spark plugs. last thing you want to do is drop your tool trying to get spark plug #8 and the tool lands on the starter. I thought having SLP headers with vortec heads would make sparg plug removal easier but it's much harder.

 

Thanks Rayvan... dang, I didn't even think of that

Although... It took me all of 5 whole minutes to put the new one back from under the car, lol.

I got a couple ramps to finish up the job, I didn't have time to get the other 7 last night, but that one was going in last night

And good call on the battery, yea - I've been working with it connected, it's one of my long-lived bad habits with working on a car, and yep - I've grounded a wire or two in my time too. Once, on a Le Baron, I grounded out the ignition coil by accident... couldn't figure out why the car wouldn't start after that - after looking at a schematic, I thought I had fried the computer in it - put a new $100 computer in... still wouldn't start, looking down in thought under the hood I seen a burnt wire.... yep, I had only burnt out a fusible link.

I put on the new coil wire too last night and one of the friggin' plug wires is so loose, that barely even touching it, it fell off the distributor. I'm surprised with the condition of these plugs and wires it was even running. Well, it certainly wasn't running smooth... I have some hope after this it will run a lot smoother.

It had split fires in it - I'd guess everybit of 10 years old, lol.. Just putting Delco wires and plugs back in. Price vs. Performance, they seemed to come out the best deal. Although, from now on, I'm going with custom cut wires, the pre-sized are ok, but it will be hard to get them all nice and neat.

And actually, it was #7 I was having problems with, I think I posted that before my 2nd cup of coffee... lol

 

Sorry to resurect an older thread but I'm about to change the spark plugs on my 305 and is the #7 cylinder on the back passenger or driver's side?



Never mind I figured it out..

 

driverside