Was going to change my spark plugs today. Just got the car, so it my first time doing it on it. It is an 84 z28 with a 350 .30 over. Put the socket on one of the plugs, and then tried to put the ratchet on. There was no room to get the ratchet in on them. My car has edelbrock headers, so there is not very much room at all. My question is, how do I chang them. Do they make a special tool to fit, or should I just try using a wrench. These things are like imposible to get to. Has anyone had this problem, and what did you do. Please help!!!

:hail::hail: :hail: :hail: :hail: :hail: :hail: :hail: :hail: :hail:

 

My plug socket has provisions on the end to turn it with a standard wrench as well as the ratchet. I use that for the ones I can't get the ratchet on.

For the number 1 cylinder I can't get the socket on at all, so I just use the wrench. That one's a bitch since there isn't much room. It's the only plug that isn't easy to get. The rest I can change in like 5 minutes... Have the Edel TES headers too.

 

Agreed - you gotta have the plug socket that has the hex end to allow for a wrench to grab it - mine's 3/4" I think. Funny how different cars/motors/years etc. make for different conditions...

On my 87 GTA with the 350 and Edelbrock TES headers the numbers 6 and 8 plugs (8 is the worst) are impossible to get from the top - gotta go downstairs and get 'em with the socket/wrench combo. All the plugs on the drivers side (1,3,5,7) are easily reachable from the top, and if I remember correctly I didn't need the wrench deal at all.

Have fun!

 

I just use a wrench. On the #6 and #8 cylinders, I have to get under the car.

 

I can get all of mine from up top! But then again, I have tiny hands and thin arms; I'm the queen of being able to get my hands into tight places that nobody else can get. Lol, if you don't believe me, check out my lil adventure changing my motor mounts. https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...threadid=31330 Yeah, thats me. Not quite so funny when I get my arm stuck in the engine bay somewhere... it happens more than you'd think.
But anyway, I have problems getting numbers 1 and 5 out! I can't get the socket around the plug, because the primary is in the way! I'm the only one who has this problem that I know of though. I guess I either need a plug with a shorter insulator, or a shorter spark plug socket.
Oh yeah, I've got edelbrock TES too. And vette heads, which have angled plugs. Interestingly enough, I had the same problem with #1 & 5 with the straight plug heads as well.

 

Oh, you mean the guy that sold you the car didn't include the special wrench?
Yeah, what the other guys are saying is true. You need a spark plug socket with a hex end, so you can use a box or open end wrench on it.
That still may not get all eight though.
I needed a bent,cut-short 5/8" box wrench to get one of mine.
-Rich-

 

With this lil' sugar...

 

Rocky383 where did you get this, or did you have to bend it yourself?:hail: :hail: :hail:

 

Sears sells a Craftsman 5/8 spark plug socket that has an universal on the end of it. I have the same headers, and it makes things a lot easier. You will still need a wrench for a few of them, and maybe have to get under the car if you can't get to 6 and 8.

 

I got it at Walmart. Popular Mechanics tools have a lifetime warranty and don't cost as much as Sears, Snapon and the like.

:hail:IROC-Z

 

Thanks alot, I will go first thing tomorrow and grab one. Hope it works, because I can only get a socket on 1 of mine on the drivers side, Haven't tried the passenger side yet but it looks even tighter.:hail: :hail: :hail: :hail: :hail: :hail: :hail:

 

It came in a set of five for like $10, give or take. Enjoy.

 

IMADE UP A MODIFIED SOCKET. I DRILLED A 7/16 HOLE THRU THE HEX PART FIRST. I THEN CUT A I INCH SECTION OUT OF THE MIDDLE OF THE WRENCH(USED A LATHE). WELDED THE 2 PCS BACK TOGETHER AND REMOVED EXCESS WELD (LATHE). NOW THE PLUG GOES RIGHT THRU THE SOCKET AND THE SOCKET CAN BE LOWERED DOWN FARTHER AND JUST USE A WRENCH ON THE SOCKET TO REMOVE PLUG. I HAVE HOOKER COATED HEADERS AND CAN NOW GET TO ALL MY PLUGS EASILY AS THE SOCKET HAS CLEARANCE NOW.
88 FOMULA 350
13.94 @ 99.32 MPH- MORE MODS DONE DURING WINTER. HOPE TO REDUCE TIME THIS SPRING.

 

Thera are a couple(#1 and another on the drivers side, I cant remember now) that I cant get the socket on, so I always break the porcelin off before I change them. Then I have no trouble getting the socket on them. When I put them back in I thread the plug in as tight as I can get it by hand, then the rest of the way with a wrench.

#6 and #8 I get by going underneith the header.
Of course I dont have A/C or emissions so that makes It pretty easy. Like 15 minutes to change the plugs.

The real nightmare is trying to change the plugs on a stock 3rd gen.

 

I just made my own wrench- I took a 5/8 box wrench and a 12pt 5/8 socket cut the 3/8 drive off the socket and welded it to the box wrench works great. queston: whats this?- :lala:

 

it looks like a dancing fart

:hail:IROC-Z

 

I heard that!!!!

LOL..........Rollin' in the floor

 

Went to Advanced auto tonight and bought a box wrench with the bent ends(4 bucks). Went straight to the shop and cut the thing in half. This thing works great!!!! It is worth its weight in gold. Already had the drivers side installed last night, but the passenger side was easy after I bought the wrench. If you have a 3rd gen with headers you have got to get yourself one of these. :hail: :hail:

 

HAHA, just yestarday I learned the joys of working around headers to change plugs. Everyone has given you the right suggestions, you will definatly have to get some from underneith if you have air conditioning. I was wondering if anyone has seen those header plugs made my Accel. They had some in advanced, they are basiclly short plugs so that you can get the socket on them. Anyone try them?

Have to add some of these: :lala: :lala: :lala:

 

Ooops, don't answer the above, I just found a post about those accel plugs.

 

I use the 5/8 spark plug socket, and a 3/4 wrench on all of them. All the heater-A/C crap is gone, so I have more room to start with.

 

I have edelbrock headers on mine which have to be different than johnsjj2's, because there was no way to get the socket on all of them. I broke off the porcelin off and took them out with a 5/8 shortwell socket. Replaced them with the ACCEl High performance Header Plugs (shorties) That allowed me to fit the socket on about 5 out of 8 of them. I bought an angled 5/8 wrench, cut it in half and used it on the rest of them. The accel shorties scream!!!! Like them alot. Either my last plugs had just had it or these ones are really good. I had ac delco in it. All hell shorties:hail::hail: :hail: :hail: :hail: :hail: :hail:

 

If you have a camaro with headers you need to buy a bent 5/8 wrench and cut it in half. Works very well

 

Anyone else got pictures of the special tools they made to change thier plugs with?

 

I just use the standard size socket with the open end of the wrench to turn it, and use the box-end of the wrench where the socket won't fit. I go in from the top, and I still have the heater and a/c stuff, with heddman hedders.

 

Not even just the socket, let alone the ratchet would fit on mine. I think it fit 2 out of the 8. Replaced the plugs with accel high performance header plugs and it fit 5 of 8. Went to autozone and bout a 5/8 wrench with the curved end. Went to the shop cut it down to about 5" long and it worked perfect for the ones I couldnt get. I have edelbrock headers.
:lala: :lala:

 

I've got a spark plug socket with a hex shaped end like somebody mentioned (Ray87Z?), but it still wasn't enough to get on some of my plugs. I cut some of the length off of it and bored the center out enough on a lathe so the ceramic insulator on a spark plug can pass through, and then it would fit any of them. So, modified spark plug socket and a wrench does it for me. Oh yeah, somebody sells a socket that's already modified. Maybe SLP, I dunno. Saw it on a website the other day. That would have been easier than cutting that socket. It's some hard stuff.

 

I worked for hours on trying to remove 2 spark plugs behind the headers. I tried everything, open end, socket with 3/4 wrench end, nothing worked. Went to Lowes and bought a Kolbolt (life time warranty) Pass Through ratchet set for $20.00. It had the 5/8's socket and with the open end the plug went right through and ratchet it right off in less than 2 minutes. I had no room between the plug and header to get it off. Wasted a day working on it. Hope this will help the rest of you and save you time.