shanusaran

Well ive just purchased my first (and hopefully only) 1987 trans am gta with the 5.7 350 and right now im looking for some video tuts on simply changing the plugs and wires and maybe some on adding headers...im looking at doing all of this myself but im coming off of a 10 year ford mustang affair and this is quite a different car!!
Really, any information at all would be helpful, im looking to restore the car and add a bit of power to it but i dont think im going to go too crazy. Here are some pictures of what i have ahead of me.

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

Welcome,
Changing plugs and wires is the same deal on any car, do one at a time until you learn the car. Most headers are a pain on any car to soo pick your poison. (dyno Dons are good)

Think the 1st thing I would do is upgrade the V belts to 88-92 serp belt setup, add the A/C back to the car and then use the 88-89 MAF air intake bellows.

Enjoy

shanusaran

Well i was more hoping for assistance in actually getting to the plugs and wires. Do i go through the wheel wells? Do i take apart half the flipping motor? That's the problem I'm having is I'm not sure how to get to them, and i figure there's a method that's widely used that i can learn instead of trying to reinvent the wheel so to speak lol

Well those upgrades sound good but I'm hoping to stick as close to an original restoration as i can while still adding some power, going to be doing some amateur bracket drags next season but i don't want to take away from the originality of the car too much being what it is, are those the best way to go still with this information?

Thanks for the help!!

spurgeon76

Be prepared to jack up the car for cylinders 4, 6, and 8. You might be able to get to them from the top with cast iron manifolds but with headers I know its quicker to get them from the bottom.

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

Just need some normal standard and some metric tools. Follow the plugwire to the plug and remove it. Use any tool that will make it happen.
I remember my 1st plug change, took almost 4 hrs but i got it down to 30 mins or so.
Like said above, the pass side is a bear, Id unhook the neg terminal of the batt if your going in from the bottom to remove the last 2-3 plugs on the pass side.

shanusaran

Thanks guys, just wanted to be sure i was handling things properly and i wasnt missing anything making it harder on myself lol

Night rider327

iTrader: (13)

Not really many short cuts to a third gen due to the strut towers and small engine bay.

Also it's gonna be hard to find 1 answer as everybody's are so diff. There is 15 diff headers or more for our cars, plus stock exhaust manifolds, diff heads that puts plugs at diff places/angles.

I hate to say it, but it's a 'do what seems to work best for you' type work.

My plug changes are faster now but I still use an array of tools. Like 5/8" box/open wrench, 5/8" std. plug socket, 5/8" plug socket I cut a U out of (kinda like an O2 socket), and a 13/16" wrench to fit on the hex end of a 5/8" plug socket.

-srs-

So much easier from under the car.

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

Stock manifolds are worse than headers for me. With headers i can get them all from the top.

Night rider327

iTrader: (13)

Same here, all from top but need combo wrench on a couple, and need cut socket on most.
Using the older hedman long tubes, brodix IK heads (moves plugs slightly), autolite plugs.

mantaguy

iTrader: (5)