DIY Plugs and Wires with lots of Pics
03-02-2014, 09:06 PM
#1
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
DIY Plugs and Wires with lots of Pics
The below is Do It Yourself (DIY) instructions and Pics for replacing spark plug wires and spark plugs.
Disclaimer: This thread is intended to show other Corvette owners how to change their spark plugs and wires themselves, and is not intended to be a debate on which brands to use or how often they should be changed.
Although doing spark plugs and wires are easy, there are plenty of opportunities for you to break other things or damage your new plugs during the install….see helpful hints at the end of this post.
Specs used:
• Sparkplug: AC Delco 41-110 Iridium Spark Plugs
• Spark Plug Wires: MSD 8.5MM Wires (Part 32819)
• Gap: .040
• Spark Plug Torque Spec: 11Ft lbs
Note: Check Plug and Wire part numbers for your specific application (Mine is a 2005 LS2)
First Step is to gather your tools. You will need the following:
½ Drive Ratchet
½ Drive Breaker bar (recommend)
5/8 inch sparkplug socket
Socket extension
Socket swivel joint
Long nose pliers (recommended)
Small flat tip screwdriver
Spark Plug feeler gage
Second Step is to protect your fenders while working. I use a fender guard, but you can use towels, old blanket and the like. If you don’t there is a fair chance you will scratch your paint while working under the hood.
Third Step is to remove your Fuel Rail Covers (FRC). The passenger side FRC simply pops off by grasping with both hands and lifting off. You can see in the pic below the underside of the cover just clips on to the fuel rail. There are also two holes that align on to posts on the engine that also help support the FRC which just pop off.
The Driver’s side is the same except you must pass the fuel line through the slit in the FRC.
Once you remove the FRC this is what you will see…4 coil packs per side, each with a sparkplug wire running to a spark plug.
Forth Step is to remove old wires (Note: I recommend doing one side at a time). Where the wire connects to the ignition coil pack grab it and give it a twist, while at the same time pulling it off the coil back. You may have to use both hands.
Once you remove one end of the wire from the coil pack you need to remove the other end from the plug. There are a couple of ways to do this. First is to use your hands, and just like above, twist and pull. I found this worked effectively on about ½ the wires, while the others I needed to use my needle nose pliers, which helped in some of the tight spaces.
The plug end of the wire is actually fitted inside an aluminum heat shield. You can pull on the heat shield to help remove the plug wire, but if you use pliers you will scar it. In my case, I did not find it necessary to pull on the heat shield to remove the plug end of the wire from the head of the spark plug.
Fifth Step is to remove the spark plugs. Recommend you only do one side at time (Pass side 2-4-6-8 or Drivers side 1-3-5-7). For this task you will need:
• ½ Drive Ratchet
• ½ Drive Breaker bar (recommend)
• 5/8 inch sparkplug socket
• Socket extension
• Socket swivel joint
I found using a breaker bar vs the ratchet handle made the task of loosening the spark plugs easy.
Make sure you hand fit your socket on the plug to ensure it is seated straight on the plug or you could break a ceramic insulator.
Sixth Step is to Gap your plug and put them in. For this step you will need a feeler gauge, and will gap the plugs at .040. In my case I used AC Delco 41-110 Iridium Spark Plugs, and they were already gapped out of the box at .040…as a best practice you should check the gap before installing.
.025+.015=.040
Now it’s time to put the new plugs in. Always hand start them. If you were to cross thread them you would have a mess. Make sure you catch a few threads and hand start the plug.
Once you hand start you can finish up with your ratchet. Once you feel the plug stop turning, then use your torque wrench to check for proper torque (11ft lbs). No torque wrench, no biggie…just snug them in about a 1/16 turn or less.
These plugs are coated and are going into aluminum, and do not require anti-sieze like you would need on black plugs going into a cast iron head. In the end, it’s not necessary to use anti-seize, but it’s really a matter of choice.
Step Seven is to put on your new wires, which is just the opposite process as described above in Step 4, but with a few minor changes. You will not need the needle nose pliers to reinstall any of the wires (and in fact would recommend against it).
Place the new wire in the aluminum heat shield, and then place the wire and shield on to the plug. Listen for, or note the feel for a click with the wire seats on the head of the plug. In some cases it may be subtle. Gently pull on the boot to make sure it is seated correctly on the plug.
Using the twist/push method, place the coil pack boot on the coil pack until it is seated. Take a small flat head screw driver and gently left the coil pack boot to “Burp it” or let out excess air. This will help the boot stay on once the air in the boot warms and expands.
Once you have one side done this is what it will look like:
Start the car, make sure you are not throwing any codes. If you are, double check your wires for proper fit on the coil packs or plugs. When completed, then do the other side, and repeat the above steps.
Here is a picture of the completed job, with new plugs and wires.
Helpful hints:
I hope this helps!
Disclaimer: This thread is intended to show other Corvette owners how to change their spark plugs and wires themselves, and is not intended to be a debate on which brands to use or how often they should be changed.
Although doing spark plugs and wires are easy, there are plenty of opportunities for you to break other things or damage your new plugs during the install….see helpful hints at the end of this post.
Specs used:
• Sparkplug: AC Delco 41-110 Iridium Spark Plugs
• Spark Plug Wires: MSD 8.5MM Wires (Part 32819)
• Gap: .040
• Spark Plug Torque Spec: 11Ft lbs
Note: Check Plug and Wire part numbers for your specific application (Mine is a 2005 LS2)
First Step is to gather your tools. You will need the following:
½ Drive Ratchet
½ Drive Breaker bar (recommend)
5/8 inch sparkplug socket
Socket extension
Socket swivel joint
Long nose pliers (recommended)
Small flat tip screwdriver
Spark Plug feeler gage
Second Step is to protect your fenders while working. I use a fender guard, but you can use towels, old blanket and the like. If you don’t there is a fair chance you will scratch your paint while working under the hood.
Third Step is to remove your Fuel Rail Covers (FRC). The passenger side FRC simply pops off by grasping with both hands and lifting off. You can see in the pic below the underside of the cover just clips on to the fuel rail. There are also two holes that align on to posts on the engine that also help support the FRC which just pop off.
The Driver’s side is the same except you must pass the fuel line through the slit in the FRC.
Once you remove the FRC this is what you will see…4 coil packs per side, each with a sparkplug wire running to a spark plug.
Forth Step is to remove old wires (Note: I recommend doing one side at a time). Where the wire connects to the ignition coil pack grab it and give it a twist, while at the same time pulling it off the coil back. You may have to use both hands.
Once you remove one end of the wire from the coil pack you need to remove the other end from the plug. There are a couple of ways to do this. First is to use your hands, and just like above, twist and pull. I found this worked effectively on about ½ the wires, while the others I needed to use my needle nose pliers, which helped in some of the tight spaces.
The plug end of the wire is actually fitted inside an aluminum heat shield. You can pull on the heat shield to help remove the plug wire, but if you use pliers you will scar it. In my case, I did not find it necessary to pull on the heat shield to remove the plug end of the wire from the head of the spark plug.
Fifth Step is to remove the spark plugs. Recommend you only do one side at time (Pass side 2-4-6-8 or Drivers side 1-3-5-7). For this task you will need:
• ½ Drive Ratchet
• ½ Drive Breaker bar (recommend)
• 5/8 inch sparkplug socket
• Socket extension
• Socket swivel joint
I found using a breaker bar vs the ratchet handle made the task of loosening the spark plugs easy.
Make sure you hand fit your socket on the plug to ensure it is seated straight on the plug or you could break a ceramic insulator.
Sixth Step is to Gap your plug and put them in. For this step you will need a feeler gauge, and will gap the plugs at .040. In my case I used AC Delco 41-110 Iridium Spark Plugs, and they were already gapped out of the box at .040…as a best practice you should check the gap before installing.
.025+.015=.040
Now it’s time to put the new plugs in. Always hand start them. If you were to cross thread them you would have a mess. Make sure you catch a few threads and hand start the plug.
Once you hand start you can finish up with your ratchet. Once you feel the plug stop turning, then use your torque wrench to check for proper torque (11ft lbs). No torque wrench, no biggie…just snug them in about a 1/16 turn or less.
These plugs are coated and are going into aluminum, and do not require anti-sieze like you would need on black plugs going into a cast iron head. In the end, it’s not necessary to use anti-seize, but it’s really a matter of choice.
Step Seven is to put on your new wires, which is just the opposite process as described above in Step 4, but with a few minor changes. You will not need the needle nose pliers to reinstall any of the wires (and in fact would recommend against it).
Place the new wire in the aluminum heat shield, and then place the wire and shield on to the plug. Listen for, or note the feel for a click with the wire seats on the head of the plug. In some cases it may be subtle. Gently pull on the boot to make sure it is seated correctly on the plug.
Using the twist/push method, place the coil pack boot on the coil pack until it is seated. Take a small flat head screw driver and gently left the coil pack boot to “Burp it” or let out excess air. This will help the boot stay on once the air in the boot warms and expands.
Once you have one side done this is what it will look like:
Start the car, make sure you are not throwing any codes. If you are, double check your wires for proper fit on the coil packs or plugs. When completed, then do the other side, and repeat the above steps.
Here is a picture of the completed job, with new plugs and wires.
Helpful hints:
- Do one side at a time. Once you have finished one side, start the car and make sure you not getting any Check Engine lights or codes. This approach will help you isolate the problem to one side if you run into an issue.
- If you plan on doing only wires use caution removing the wires from the plugs. They are on very snug and can require some care to remove without damaging them.
- Never over tighten your plugs. Aluminum heads do not like herculean efforts and you could strip out the hole, or potentially crack your head (if you really got carried away). When the plug is in all the way you will know it, because the plug will do a hard stop, and you will be unable to turn it.
- Make sure you only use a spark plug socket or you could end up cracking one of the ceramic insulators, which would cause the spark plug to not perform as designed, or fail. I would imagine, if you cracked an insulator on a plug and it was arching, you would see a code.
- On the number 8 cylinder (Passenger side rear), be mindful of the battery and any tools near and around the battery posts
- Use dielectric grease on the tip of the plug to make it easy to put the plug wires on, or to reduce the risk of damage to the wires if you need to remove them later.
I hope this helps!
Last edited by JKbride; 05-19-2014 at 11:05 PM.
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03-02-2014, 09:33 PM
#3
Race Car Tech
Great Instructions. Thanks for sharing.
I made your thread into a PDF for future reference so the pics are not lost.
I made your thread into a PDF for future reference so the pics are not lost.
03-02-2014, 10:46 PM
#7
Burning Brakes
03-02-2014, 10:57 PM
#9
Thanks for taking the time to post this educational thread. Well done. 
03-03-2014, 01:51 AM
#10
Great write up, but need to point out a few things.
Only change the plugs when the engine/heads are room temp cold!!!! Changing plugs on hot head is a sure fire way to strip the threads in the heads.
Taking about cold parts, if its winter time, disconnect the fuel line from the fire wall to remove the driver side fuel rail cover from the fuel line that way. With the plastic cover bone chilled cold, it going to want to crack before you can wedge the plastic cover far enough apart to slip the fuel line out as shown.
Use dielectric grease on the inside of the boot for the plugs. This will allow the plug wire boots to be pulled at a later date from the plugs without destroying them (reason that most wires have to be replaced prematurely, since they are destroyed by trying to remove them in the first place).
The factory plugs are good for 100K miles, but its a good idea to pull and clean then long before that so they do not become seized in the heads (yes, even with the special coating on the plugs). And when you go to reinstall the plugs, use anti-seize on the plug threads so they will not seize to the heads (yes again, even with the special coating on the plug threads).
Only change the plugs when the engine/heads are room temp cold!!!! Changing plugs on hot head is a sure fire way to strip the threads in the heads.
Taking about cold parts, if its winter time, disconnect the fuel line from the fire wall to remove the driver side fuel rail cover from the fuel line that way. With the plastic cover bone chilled cold, it going to want to crack before you can wedge the plastic cover far enough apart to slip the fuel line out as shown.
Use dielectric grease on the inside of the boot for the plugs. This will allow the plug wire boots to be pulled at a later date from the plugs without destroying them (reason that most wires have to be replaced prematurely, since they are destroyed by trying to remove them in the first place).
The factory plugs are good for 100K miles, but its a good idea to pull and clean then long before that so they do not become seized in the heads (yes, even with the special coating on the plugs). And when you go to reinstall the plugs, use anti-seize on the plug threads so they will not seize to the heads (yes again, even with the special coating on the plug threads).
03-03-2014, 02:02 AM
#11
Safety Car
On the box ,It says do not gap plugs ,but I would check them anyway.
You will need some never seize on the thread or coper coat so the plugs don't weld themselves to the head.
The pliers better be strong ones the wire is a bitch to remove from the spark plug.Dielectric grease by the tons so you have no miss fires and next time you can remove the wire easier.
Otherwise good thread
You will need some never seize on the thread or coper coat so the plugs don't weld themselves to the head.
The pliers better be strong ones the wire is a bitch to remove from the spark plug.Dielectric grease by the tons so you have no miss fires and next time you can remove the wire easier.
Otherwise good thread
Last edited by REDC4CORVETTE; 03-03-2014 at 02:05 AM.
03-03-2014, 07:26 AM
#15
Team Owner
Member Since: Aug 2006
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I also recommend anti -seize for the plug threads and dielectric grease for the plug wire boots.
Nice job on the write up JK.
03-03-2014, 07:36 AM
#16
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
03-03-2014, 07:37 AM
#17
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
03-03-2014, 07:38 AM
#18
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Great write up, but need to point out a few things.
Only change the plugs when the engine/heads are room temp cold!!!! Changing plugs on hot head is a sure fire way to strip the threads in the heads.
Taking about cold parts, if its winter time, disconnect the fuel line from the fire wall to remove the driver side fuel rail cover from the fuel line that way. With the plastic cover bone chilled cold, it going to want to crack before you can wedge the plastic cover far enough apart to slip the fuel line out as shown.
Use dielectric grease on the inside of the boot for the plugs. This will allow the plug wire boots to be pulled at a later date from the plugs without destroying them (reason that most wires have to be replaced prematurely, since they are destroyed by trying to remove them in the first place).
The factory plugs are good for 100K miles, but its a good idea to pull and clean then long before that so they do not become seized in the heads (yes, even with the special coating on the plugs). And when you go to reinstall the plugs, use anti-seize on the plug threads so they will not seize to the heads (yes again, even with the special coating on the plug threads).
Only change the plugs when the engine/heads are room temp cold!!!! Changing plugs on hot head is a sure fire way to strip the threads in the heads.
Taking about cold parts, if its winter time, disconnect the fuel line from the fire wall to remove the driver side fuel rail cover from the fuel line that way. With the plastic cover bone chilled cold, it going to want to crack before you can wedge the plastic cover far enough apart to slip the fuel line out as shown.
Use dielectric grease on the inside of the boot for the plugs. This will allow the plug wire boots to be pulled at a later date from the plugs without destroying them (reason that most wires have to be replaced prematurely, since they are destroyed by trying to remove them in the first place).
The factory plugs are good for 100K miles, but its a good idea to pull and clean then long before that so they do not become seized in the heads (yes, even with the special coating on the plugs). And when you go to reinstall the plugs, use anti-seize on the plug threads so they will not seize to the heads (yes again, even with the special coating on the plug threads).
Thanks
03-03-2014, 10:30 AM
#19
Safety Car
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OP
How well did those plug wires fit? I got the same part number but have yet to install. Some reviews of them said they fit LS1 but not LS2.
I noticed the OE boots at the plug are 90 degree and the MSDs are straight boots. Looks like they will fit but will be curved up to the coil...hopefully not overstretched.
How well did those plug wires fit? I got the same part number but have yet to install. Some reviews of them said they fit LS1 but not LS2.
I noticed the OE boots at the plug are 90 degree and the MSDs are straight boots. Looks like they will fit but will be curved up to the coil...hopefully not overstretched.
03-03-2014, 10:35 AM
#20
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OP
How well did those plug wires fit? I got the same part number but have yet to install. Some reviews of them said they fit LS1 but not LS2.
I noticed the OE boots at the plug are 90 degree and the MSDs are straight boots. Looks like they will fit but will be curved up to the coil...hopefully not overstretched.
How well did those plug wires fit? I got the same part number but have yet to install. Some reviews of them said they fit LS1 but not LS2.
I noticed the OE boots at the plug are 90 degree and the MSDs are straight boots. Looks like they will fit but will be curved up to the coil...hopefully not overstretched.
