For a 6 cylinder engine, I managed to change the 3 plugs on the driver side w/o any problems. But the 3 plugs that are on the passenger side are a nightmare to remove. The 2 closest to the firewall appear impossible to access. Is there a trick to these? From underneath the car perhaps? Or do I need to remove the cylindrical object between the engine and the fender? Any and all suggestions are appreciated. Tom
Need Help Changing Spark Plugs, '98, 4.0 SOHC
Jun 26, 2004
8 Replies
You forgot to mention that removing the "cylindrical object" is gonna get real exciting, real fast.... especially on a hot day.
Honest, folks... if it was all that easy, I'd be out of a job. However, it ain't rocket science..... if someone isn't sure of what an object/connection/line/whatever is - find out before you touch it. There are a million and one "gotchas" lurking under the hoods of our cars. Going under the hood sans a little knowledge is setting ourselves up for a Darwin award....
Take care...... oh, and lose the WD40 for engine stuff... it contains silicon - sure death for O2 sensors. I might be anal, but I have yet to poison an O2.
Silicone???? It would be hard to spray sand out of that spray can.
Really? That is the first I have heard that. Are you sure? The can only says "contains petroleum distillates.
Their web site does not list any silicone on the MSDS sheet:
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Not that I'm a big fan of it as a penetrating oil. I prefer PBblaster. But WD-40 is OK to spray on wet ignition wires, etc. If it has silicone in it I certainly would not want to do that...
-Fred W
I would just caution any readers that anti-seize should not be applied to the first couple of threads or beyond the tapered seat of the sparkplug. I do use it with aluminum heads only and VERY sparingly. A little dab in the wrong spot will cause a misfire since it conducts electricity. Also, it should be noted that silicone compound is to be used when "greasing" the boots. It is non-conductive, moisture-proof and won't melt and run out when the sparkplug gets hot. H
My experience with the Fords is that you cannot fix a damned thing without sacrificing at least one skinned knuckle to the Ford god of trucks. Once blood is drawn, everything is smooth as silk. Henry ford was a very cruel man.
"Jim Warman" sputtered in message news:OzsDc.14199$_5.11124@clgrps13...
No need to remove it. By using a small blow torch to gently warm the "cylindrical object", I can soften it enough to bend it ever so slightly to allow my impact wrench to reach the 3rd spark plug! :p
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