OptiPrime

Just to double check. There is no better way to change plug wires besides removing water pump and possibly tensioner.

Is there a safe way to pull the water pump w/o harming the optispark?
This is a long way to go for a simple tune-up

Binski

On my 93 LT1, I just did the the passenger side wires and left the original driver side wires in. It runs great. The 4 on the passenger side are not too bad. Some members report success with very small hands on the driver's side but I could not manage it.

toptechx6

It isn't necessary to remove the water pump, but removing the serpentine belt and tensioner can help and isn't that bad. I do some of the wires from the bottom. Not a fun job, just tedious, not impossible. Hang in there, you will get it done.

skybolt31

You might want to remove the power steering pulley, not hard to do if you have the puller($28 autozone), opens things up in that area.

Road Agent

pianoguy

Take the center section of the fender liner out - that will let you see what you're doing (I've had mine off and on enough times that I wish it was held on by Velcro - LOL!). Also loosen up the bolts on the power steering pump, which will let you slide it forward a bit - you should then be able to fish the wires through there one at a time. I did it without removing the PS pulley, but I can see where that would make things easier. The wire looms are the worst part of the job, IMO - must've been designed by a masochist.

Klondike

If you're replacing the wires with a stock set, you might want to take the looms off with the wires attached. That way you can lay them out and put in the new wires just like the old ones were. You can put everything back in there as an assembly and all the wires will fit without having to wrestle with the lengths and routing. Take pictures with a digital camera and compare your "before and after." Nobody can remember every detail, but pictures help A LOT!

BobRR3

Why fight it...Remove the belt, the tensioner and the power sterring pulley. you will also have to loosen the power steering pump and slide it forward. This way, you can see what you're doing. In the end, you will save time and get it correct.

Randy93

Well not everyone has a lift in their garage.

The passenger side is easy, drivers side is the one were GM decided to make the car so hard to work on that you give up and take it to the dealer.
I just took the belt off, cut the old wires(makes them much easier to take off) and then the fun begins threading the new wires through.

PS - Make sure no young ones are around, cursing is a common side effect of this job.

PLRX

Be ready to bleed too, knuckes love LT1s

I assume you are changing the plugs as well. It is easier if you remove the center pice of the inner fender to do that. This way you can stick a 20" extension and get them out & in from the distance. Just, be ready for #7

JD'S WHITE 93

You do not have to pull the tensioner or the power steering pump. I have BIG hands, 14 ring finger and I changed them. This is when having a great set of hand tools comes in handy. A good indexable head ratchet and an assortment of extensions, wobbles etc. and this is not a bad job plugs and wires that is.

BobRR3

no one said "you have to pull the tensioner and the power steering pulley" The fact is that doing this only takes about 10 minutes and lets yous ee clearly what you're doing.

OptiPrime

Good replies, thanks all.

I have a new tensioner and belt on my shelf. Its time to replace them anyway. My procrastination paid off. Only have to remove it once.
I'll Start tomorrow.

Put in two O2 sensors. The right one is a Beotch. The slotted socket I had was too tall and would hit the manifold, and no room for leverage.

Talk about serendipity
Strange but true there was a slotted socket still on the left side O2 sensor. The last person to change the sensor must have left it on there. It didn't fall off because the wire was threaded through it. Also explains the rattle I would head at times. The socket is half the size of the one I had. The breaker bar fits into an outlet on the side. This was the perfect tool to remove the right O2 sensor. And there it was, free and ready.

This is one painful deal but a good way to learn more about the car.

PLRX

...Nothing like a cheap mechanic, I bet he charge that tool price on top of the labor. ...."she's ready"

Redeasysport

I just had my whole accessory bracket off and can tell you the best way to get the drivers side done after that.

Remove the wheel center skirt,tensioner,AC compressor and PS pulley( Advance has a puller to use for free) under the compressor are 2 10mm bolts that hold a loom. with all that stuff out of the way( just move compressor forward you will be able to see everything.The dissasembly should take about 1/2 hour. The wires from the opti have a chaffe guard on them.Make sure you put it back on the right wires.You should be able to pull the wires from the opti and see they run behind the tensioner over the idler bracket into the compressor loom and into both looms above the plugs. You should be able to remove everything all at once now(except the 2 looms above the plugs no biggie carefully take the caps off(they can get brittle) and pop the wires out of them. You will have your wires with the chaffe guard and the compressor bracket and loom in your hands. Do one wire at a time and make it just like what you are taking out. I like using some masking tape to keep the opti boots in the right line up. put the whole bunch back in connect the opti plugs then the spark plugs. If you did it right the compressor loom should line right up and bolt it. Re assemble and fire it up.

Now you really do not have to remove the PS pulley but it is easy enough and it adds some room to move and get at the opti boots easier. Plus it makes it easier to get the tensioner on (I hate the tensioner). There is absolutely no reason to remove the water pump. The coil wire can be gotten on without doing that.

onedef92

Be sure and order a replacement set of O.E.M. wire looms and plug holders, too. The old ones will be dry and brittle from engine heat and will snap as you go to remove the wires.

You can buy them online at Mid America Motorworks (MAM), Eckler's, etc...

Redeasysport

Depends my 80K car ones were fine. My 140K car broke if you looked at them. At any rate they will hold without the cap if the main part of the loom does not break. Especially on the drivers side it is pretty tight there. Tywraps are a wonderful tool.

OptiPrime

Got them in!

Its like building a ship in a bottle.

The loom seemed fine and the wires came off an went on with out much problem. I think.

I got it all back together and started her up and she is definitely not firing on a least one plug. Ruff idle, no power and strong gas smell from exhaust.

I only replaced one wire at a time so I am ruling out wires for now.
Is probably a bad plug. Struggling to get them in a few of them were dropped. One sparked when I used a magnet retriever to reach it.
I probably screwed one or two up.

Is there any way to tell if a plug is bad? I plan to replace a few that are suspect and see.

OptiPrime

Also a bad plug should be wet. Is it ok to remove plugs after a short run on the engine or will the cooling with the open plug hole cause problems?