Hey all, I'm sorry if I may be double posting but I felt this needed covered.
I changed my spark plugs myself! Yess! What a great feeling it is after looking under the hood and eyeing the intake manifold for a month and talking to several different mechanics all telling me "oh yeah it's going to be atleast 3 hours labor and cost around $200 cuz see we're going to have to remove the manifold" Yeah, that's a lot of BULL CRAP!
I searched and searched trying to find a procedure or instructions as to how to get this done by myself without removing the manifold but couldn't find any help. Then I got to looking around in here and finally came away with enough info and clues (and confidence) that I could do it. Yes, it did take me a while especially because it was dark and I was holding a flashlight in my mouth but that only drives my point home for me. This isn't as scary as it seems at first.
If you're a Pathy newbie like me but have atleast socket / wrench / ratchet level mechanical experience and have changed your own plugs before on other vehicles like a four cylinder front wheel drive honda or nissan where the plugs are on display for your right in front, don't worry you can do this one too. Here is what I did (remember it was dark)
You need a standard ratchet (I use 6" handle with 3/8" drive) 10" extension, universal joint and maybe a 3" extension and plug wire puller pliers. Also having small step stool helped big time. Obviously the 3 on the left bank (closest to the battery) are not an issue. Use the plug wire pullers to pry up the two long boots going through the manifold one at a time of course. Then using the 10" extension and plug socket just feed it all the way down through and voila! You're on the plug zip zip wham bam that's it. Both of these go really easily.
The notorious number 6 way in the back is the little bugger that makes this a pain. For me the absolute worst part was dealing with a plug wire that was just about heat welded onto the plug. I ended up breaking the wire loose from the metal clip which I did repair later on. Once you can get the plug wire off that plug by either reaching down and back with your left hand and tugging on it or using the plug wire pullers. (There really is no easy way to get at this, you just have to work on it and mess with it but it can be done.)
This time I used the 3" extension with the plug socket and the universal joint snapped into the top of the 3" extension with the 10" extension coming off of that to the ratchet. In this manner, you can easily remove the number 6 plug.
Voila! Magnifique That's it, you're done. Gap all the new plugs correctly and I personally put dieelectric grease on top of the plug and inside the plug wire boot. I said earlier I broke a wire (almost pretty much had to just to get it out of the way), if this happens to you, don't worry it's not the end of the world. This morning I was able to take my work truck and drive up to the auto parts store and get another new metal clip (I dropped the other one inside the front of the grille and couldn't retrieve it)
I also got a replacement wire that I could have used had I needed to. I didn't know you could buy just one plug wire but yes, you can. Anyway get the new metal clip, insert the end of the plug wire inside it and using a strong pair of pliers (for me it was vice grips) crimp the clip down very firmly and tight onto the wire and draw back inside the boot, put your grease and snap back on the plug and that's it. Thereby saving yourself atleast (at the very minimum) $100 - $150 if not $200+ because you changed your plugs yourself.
Oh yes, I almost forgot, I was able to get myself a little bit more room to work by lifting the hood up as high as it would go and pry the hood "kickstand" against the hood in that sort of padded / cloth area, it will hold firm. I was under my hood like that for hours last night. I think this is almost a requirement because you need to get all the way over and back to get your hand on the number 6 plug wire boot. Having the hood out of the way helps.
