JerriVette

Curious how much time it should take to change spark plugs?

mcandrew67

Took me about an hour, but I checked all the gaps, put the antiseize on the threads, dialectic grease inside the boots etc
Was pretty easy to do

C6ToGo

Same for me. And replacing wires is easy too.

Recall the days when you had to know the firing order on the small block for distributor wires?

Use to have it memorized... 1-8-6-5...??

06orangeZ51

haha-I still know the "old" sbc firing order after all these years 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2. They just HAD to change things on the LS engines....

OP: I'd say you should be able to do it relatively quick, especially if you're comfortable around tools. Everything is very accessible in the engine compartment. Let the engine cool completely before you get started-holy sheet it gets hot in there.

LMB-Z

Depends highly on how many beer(s) you drink. Just a guess though

JerriVette

Thanks guys...

Not So Fast

There's eight ??
NSF

RagTop69

I had an LS1 powered Z28 Camaro and the average plug change took around eight hours. The coil pack rails had to be removed and the rear plugs were nearly inaccessible. I actually paid a mechanic to install the NGKs I bought for it as a 100K mile present. Glad to hear the LS3 in the Vette is a piece of cake. I've never had the fuel rail covers off of mine.

RagTop69

Only if you can find 'em.

Not So Fast

ah yes, anti-seize
I changed out my 2000 Tundra's originals and I guess they didn't use it, the last one on the drivers side rear was in a hard to get to place where I couldn't get any leverage, I thought I might have to call one of my sons because I'm old and not much strength. Plus I thought I was gonna break it off but finally got it out, lesson learned on dis-similar metals
NSF

Mike's LS3

Yup, and still have my dwell meter, timing light and vacuum gage for tuning.

Then we upgraded to the new technology, "Electronic Ignition", yay no more setting points. Today, What's a distributor?

BTW: To the OP wires and plugs about an hour with beer.

WW7

When GM says the plugs will last 100,000 miles , they're not kidding.. I just replaced mine at 85,000 miles and the old plugs still looked great.....WW

lovinmyls1

Dwell meter, wow. I still have one of those also but hardly remember what it was for? Well I won't dwell on it.....

Don-Vette

Even though my 10' GS has only 29,000 miles, it is 6 years old. I will change the factory plugs in the Spring after storage. Simply because I don't want them to "seize in the heads" and put never seize on the threads of the new ones, I also use dielectric grease on both ends of my MSD wires.

WW7

Don,
My original plugs had antiseize on them from the factory and they came out very easy after being in the car for 11 years. You could just pull 1 or 2 of your plugs to check them to make sure they come out easy..At 29,000 miles your plugs should look almost new... I have found the plugs aren't usually a problem, the problem is you will most likely break some of the wires pulling them off because they get very brittle from the heat..If however, you do decide to replace the plugs in the spring, go buy your plugs now because there is a $2.00 per plug rebate until the end of the year on all AC Delco iridium plugs..........WW
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JerriVette

I've found it better to change the plugs at 50k miles ....same for the wires...

Last time it took less than an hour and two of the plugs tips were gone...

This time the plugs looked fine but I had them changed out anyway...

I just rolled over 101k miles so I had the plugs and the rear diff fluid swapped out.

This corvettes been running really well ...I enjoy it as my daily driver.

Mad*Max

I am still on my 07's original plugs at 75k miles, still runs great and efficiently

Orange Skullz

I don't think I'd be to concerned about those plugs. I SOLD my '87 350TPI Camaro IROC with 20,200 original miles a few years back. Plugs were still original. My 2010 Vette has 12,000 original miles and my '98 Supercharged 4 Runner Limited has 50,000. I'd find other things to concern myself with.....

Mark H

When I ask for any tips about changing plugs in the Tech/Performance forum I was told to stay away from anti-seize for these reasons.

1. Anti-seize compound can cause a misfire if the compound gets on the tip.

2. Anti-seize compound acts as a lubricant causing over tightening of the plug and stripping the threads on aluminum heads.

3. Some plugs have a shiny coating on the threads which act as an anti-seize compound.

Information obtained from NGK, AC and Champion.

Here is the complete thread.
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ark-plugs.html

Dano523

About 15 mins, as long as the motor and head are bone cold to begin with, including the time it takes me to clean the plugs and check the gaps if they are not getting replaced (I clean the plugs and check the gaps about ever 30K, and since they are going to be cleaned and pulled again before they may need to be replace a few times later, use anti-seaze on the spark plug threads). If you are using new plugs, and going to be changing then with new plugs on a re-pull, then you don't need to use anti-seaze on the threads isntead.

The passenger side rail cover is easy enough to remove, and on the drivers side rail cover, I pull the fuel line off the fitting at the fire wall, so I don't have to wrestle with trying to slip the line through the slight, or end up cracking the cover if the cover is too cold isntead.

As for if this is the first time you are pulling the OEM production line installed wires, make sure you have a spark plug tool, and not just blindly pulling on the boots and wires to destroy them instead. The assembly line uses a lube to first install the boot wires to the plugs, and it dries pretty quickly to almost glue the wire boots to the plugs about about a year instead.


And again, do not touch the spark plugs until the heads are room temperature cold. You try to remove or install spark plugs from a hot head, and your going to strip the spark plug channels out of the heads!!!!! When installing the spark plugs back in, ONLY 11 FOOT LBS OF TORQUE ONLY!!!!