See I have a Haynes Manual and the original 89 Firebird manual and both books ask for different plugs. One says R42CTS the other RR43TSK. Dumb as I am I don t really know what these numbers mean and which one to buy. PS. The sticker under the doesn t tell the type to. Thanks for a reply.

 

go to parts store. ask for plugs for your car. Make/Model/engine ect, ect... Or look up in parts book yourself. Same info is needed.

 

How much BS do you want to go through? Decide what plugs you want, and go to the manufacturers website and look it up yourself. Last time I trusted the brain donor at the parts store I got L98 vette plugs...

Hell I'd even bypass the parts stores, if you're just using delco plugs or another basic brand get em at kmart or walmart.

 

BTW put the Haynes manual on a shelf and get a chiltons total car care manual... or if you want the best manual get a GM shop manual aka helms manual for your car.

The Haynes manual has enough flaws that I've got both the thirdgen and fourthgen manuals for the camaro and Firebird and I've never paid for them... they were given to me cause they suck so bad.

 

Well I have the Helm Manual and that tells me I should use R42CTS the ACdelco Website however says the same like the Haynes manual.

 

Okay Drew, I've -got- to ask: What exactly is so bad about the Haynes manuals?? I find it hard to believe that I've had the entire car apart, and usually use the Haynes manual for general stuff, and the Helms manual for diagnostic/wiring/technical stuff that's way above the Haynes.

Haynes is good for:
General Tuneup Info
Pic-by-pic "how to change your disc/drum brakes"

Removing/installing:
gas tank
transmission
engine
rear axle & suspension (shocks/springs/control arms/panhard rod/etc)
water pump
timing chain & gears
front suspension components (struts/springs/control arms/etc)
fuel injection systems

Removing/rebuilding/installing:
distributor
brake systems (m/c, front caliper, rear caliper, bleeding)

If I haven't had any problems with these sections, what problems are you having? The little $10 Chilton's I've seen (which isn't the Total Care book) barely has any diagrams in it, and it's hard to read. If torque specs are listed, they're always buried- the Haynes book has them at the beginning of every chapter! So for real; where are the flaws in the Haynes book?? Seems like we both agree that the little paperback Chiltons suck; but what's wrong with the Haynes book? And yes, I know as well as you do that the Haynes book or any Chiltons book does not measure up to the GM/Helm book, which I also have.

Bernd5179, you would use an R43TSK:
R=resistor
4 = 14mm thread
3 = heat range (hotter plug than range #2)
T = tapered seat
S = extended tip
K = "special design" <-- don't know what this means

What's interesting about the 2.8 plugs is that 82-87, R42TS was the plug used. So in '88, with NO changes to the motor, the 2.8 received a hotter plug, with a "special design". Why? Hm. Hey, could R42CTS be an old #? Does "C" mean "Copper" as opposed to "Platinum"? Nah, they didn't have platinum plugs back then, did they?

 

Tom, I'll post a new thread with why the Haynes is the worst manual available...