replacing the #2 spark plug SUCKS.



lol




went and got the slow smurf running yesterday...

new fuel pump (done the correct way of dropping the tank).. took only a half hour to get the tank out... 45 mins to put it back in.... but a friggin hour to get the wiring fixed... the in-tank wiring was trashed by the previous owners ignorance... and he cut the harness outside the tank..
why? because the pump didnt work... and he was going to put a external pump on "because he had it". heh, after removing his hackjob pump wiring (thank *** thats all he touched on the car..) i just replaced the blown ECM/Fuel pump fuse ( id bet money that was his ONLY problem in the first place) and she started up... ran rough and misfired.

i replaced the wires, cap, rotor, belt and plugs, and she now runs like a champ.


that #2 plug SUCKS though.. to get to it, i had to remove the alternator brace.. and that damn thing took FOREVER to get the forward lower nut off.. had to use a wrench 1/12th of a turn at a time... total PITA.
i didnt put that brace back on.. is it truely needed, or is it just extra bracing to meet GMs extremly demanding testing, like some of the bracing on the V8 system? (i'll take pics later... cant now)

 

really? i can get at mine without any trouble.....

i use an extension and a swivel bit. i have small hands but i still can get at them with no prob...

 

thats the #1 spark plug thats hidden behind the alternator brace.

 

YES STRONGLY SUGGEST YA RETURN THAT BRACE TO USAGE!
I had an alternator brace break on me once on road & it took like 4-6 hours of driving a few "feet" then shutting down car to let engine cool off! cause that alt belt on my car was attached to water pump, also.
Yes do so install that brace.

 

Yep, those swivel knuckles are definitely the way to go. I remember chaning plugs on our car several years ago (car doesn't get but a couple thousand miles a year on it lately - so don't jump on me! ) and I didn't have the swivel. What a pain. Now I have one. Pain is gone.

 

i havent had the brace on mine since i put my headers on (no where to mount it w/ the headers on) and havent had any problems at all. ive even taken it to the drag strip and lots of highway driving. no problems.

 

no, the #2..

passenger side... forward plug..

i have a 92 if that makes any diff ( i dont know the surp belt diffs between all the years..)



what year is your car? is the alternator on the drivers or passenger side?

 

Thats number one that is behind the alt on the passenger side

 

umm, dude, all GM engines are numbered the same way.(see pic below)

all drivers side cylinders are odd numbers, all passenger side ones are even numbers.

 

ur backwards mr dude

 

your pic is right but that is only on the v-8 models. not the v-6

 

hmm.

cyl numbers are diffrent then every other GM

the valve covers dont come off unless the intake does.

this whole damn motor sucks!

 

is the firing order really 1-2-3-4-5-6 or is that just some sick joke? lol

 

simple order for a simple motor i guess

 

Thats what an engine does

 

The incident I mentioned is when my 1974 Corvette alternator bracket broke due to it wasn't properly secured.
To me if ya got a bracket "GM" installed, it tends to be useful.

 

i would have put it back on but there isnt a way to reinstall it without making a bunch of spacers and all that. and if i had a problem i would have reinstalled it, but so far it all seems to be A-otay.

 

bah, worse case, the bracket snapps in the rain at night.... lol





i have another (untitled so i cant drive it) V6 3rdgen sitting at a friends shop.. i got it on trade for some other parts..... i can always get the bracket and brace from there...


but damn, all the plugs are EASY except that one.. lol.. that one made up for the rest.

 

Yup firing order really is 1-2-3-4-5-6 and it really is numbered starting on the passenger side.

As far as i know, this is the only RWD gm motor like this.

Easy way to find out where number 1 is, take a look at the heads, whichever one is sticking out closer to the front of the engine is bank #1 and the front plug there is the number 1 plug. It's an ASE standard that all manufacturer adhere to. I see a lot of cars everyday and check a lot of timing, every single one is like that.

That number 1 plug IS a pain to get to, I tried leaving my brace off, but as soon as I put the belt on (I have the serp setup) it started to pull the alternator forward and got it all out of alignment. Had to put it back on simply for that reason. Then went out and bought a swivel.

 

my car never did have that bracket. Now I got headers, and alt clocked in different position. Maybe I need to create a bracket.

 

Ditch all the emissions equipment, and you'll find the motor is a total breeze to work on

 

resale value is worth more with it on.....