Maybe I'm out of practice, maybe it's because I don't have all the tools that I had when I lived with my dad, maybe it's because last time I did spark plugs I didn't have the two additional support brackets installed. Whatever the reason, I think whoever designed the LT1 accessory bracket setup ought to be stabbed in the face! Honestly, how the crap are you supposed to get to the #1 spark plug?

A couple of weeks ago I went to move my car and it wouldn't start. It would crank over all day long but it wouldn't fire. I finally got it to start but it didn't want to idle right. I've driven it a few times since and it has run OK but not particularly great when cold. I drove it yesterday and it started, but it turned over about 3x longer than usual and it ran really rich and a little rough until it got good and warm.

I thought my no start might have been caused by a sticking IAC and I knew the plugs are near worn out. Best I can remember it's been about 40k miles since I put plugs in it. I don't use platinum plugs and I have an MSD Digital 6 so they're WELL worn. I knew I didn't have all the tools I would need so I borrowed a few from my dad yesterday after church. Yesterday the car was still warm but I pulled the throttle body off just to see if the gasket was going to rip or if I could re-use it. It came off fine but I couldn't remove the IAC because I don't have a wrench big enough! Oh well, didn't want to work on it anyway.

This morning I got up, too my 2 cans of throttle body cleaner and my throttle body back over to my dad's place. I removed the IAC and carefully cleaned it up, and cleaned up the rest of the TB. It was NASTY. I guess crankcase ventilation is a good thing, but it sure makes otherwise nice shiny parts look lousy! While I was there I picked up my spark plug gap checker, which I had forgotten yesterday. I came home and got started. My car has long tube headers so this shouldn't be a problem right? I've done it before, no problem, 30 minute job.....

2,4,6,8 went just fine. A little tight quarters but some careful work with a spark plug socket and an obstruction wrench and the new TR55's went right in. I went to the other side and this is where the fun started. I figured I might as well start with #1, it has to be the hardest. I finally got the plug out but I just don't bend how is needed to start it back. The second or third time I dropped the socket and plug I couldn't even see it. I looked, and looked, and looked, and looked. I knew where it HAD to be, but I couldn't see it and couldn't catch it with a magnet. I finally decided that my life would be much easier if I just unbolted the A/C compressor so I could get it and the support brackets out of the way.

No problem, but that requires that I take the belt off. No problem, but that requires I remove the camber brace. Although this used to be annoying, it became infuriating without all my dad's tools. I have a nice basic tool set, but it's nice that it didn't even include an extension for the 1/2" drive ratchet! I finally got my camber brace out of the way (the only saving grace there being that it's the multi-piece unit designed to go around my electric water pump. My 5/8" wrench for the belt tensioner is short and painful, nearly impossibly to use. To make that better, my largest wrench isn't big enough to loop over the end of the 5/8" to use as a cheater. All the while I'm remembering my serpentine belt tool that I have, at dad's house!

I finally got the belt off and the compressor out of the way. I instantly saw my socket and reclaimed it. I was then able to get the plugs in without much further trouble, but then I had to put it all back together! It's much easier to get the belt off than it is to put it back on, BTW. The camber brace is no fun at all with two people and the proper tools, but I finally got it back together. My 30 minute job only took 4 hours!

I came inside, washed my hands for what seemed like an eternity, took a shower, and collapsed. I don't have the back this $hit anymore! I didn't even try it out to see if I had helped, maybe tomorrow.

Oh well, could have been worse I suppose, could have been a Camaro.

BTW, here's a pic of one of the old plugs, just in case anybody was curious why I was changing them.

 

I do my #1, #3, #6, and #8 from under the car. This is with EM headers. All eight take around 30-45 minutes.

 

These spark plugs aren't easy, but you hit the nail on the head about the Camaro, ever worked on a 3.4 V6 Camaro ? It makes every aspect of our cars seem easy !

 

I've got Hooker 2151's and I've never been able to get to any of them any easier from underneath the car. #1 is the only one that really gives me any problems at all. I would have liked to have been underneath the car to retrieve my socket, but I don't even have a floor jack and jack stands Ultimately I had to remove the compressor and such to get to the plug so it didn't really matter. Oh well, the roads are dried up from the snow two nights ago. I think I'm gonna go drive it and see how it behaves.

I've actually never had the pleasure. I've worked on many a 5.7L Camaro, but usually doing everything but spark plugs. I know many people claim it's actually easier to drop the engine cradle than it is to do them from the top. I imagine the 3.4 would be quite similar because it's shoved so far up under the dash.

 

EM LT's are awesome. I can do most from the top though. We feel your pain Nathan.

 

My saga continues on day 2. I went right on out to the car this morning and was going to take it for a spin to see how everything was working. The car ALWAYS fires right up when it's running right. Ah, but I had disconnected and removed the IAC, how I had forgotten the joys of that.

I tried and tried but could not get the car to start. It would crank over all day long and wouldn't fire. I knew the IAC had to be the problem, even if one or two spark plugs were disconnected it would start. I tried until I sucked the bottom out of the battery. I tossed the charger on it, came inside and started looking for the IAC relearn procedure. All I could really find was for TPI cars so I improvised. I disconnected the IAC, waited 30 seconds, and tried it. The car fired right up instantly, but wanted to idle really high. I let it run this way for a few seconds and reconnected my IAC, it immediately walked itself down to it's proper steady idle. Great, fixed.... or so I thought.

I backed the car out of the garage and drove it down the street. I finally got to a straight road so I could get on it a little bit and see how the plugs were working. I waited till it was completely clear then I carefully eased out onto the road, got it good and straight and hammered on it. The car took off to about 4000 RPM then started to stumble then the tach fell to 0 and it completely died. Hmm, obviously that's not right. I drifted to a free spot on the side of the road. I tried the key and it started right up and idled fine. I got back on the road and tried to give it some throttle, a little more gently this time. It would drive fine at low RPM but as soon as I would try to really get on it or load it pretty heavy, it would start acting up. When I got to the first traffic light I came to a stop and the idle settled out at 2000 RPM. Now as nice as this might be for helping to charge up the battery, it's obviously not right.

I drove the car through town. As soon as I was moving I could get it to go below 2000 RPM, but press the clutch and right back up it went. I figured that the IAC was either damaged or malfunctioning so I limped it over to where my friend works where he has a tech 2. I got over there and shut it off. I told him what was going on and asked him if his tech 2 had a relearn procedure. He said it might and was willing to try it. He walked out, hooked up his tech 2, turned the key and it started instantly, and settled right down to it's normal 650-750 idle.

Since he already had it hooked up he went through the menus on the tech 2 and found the IAC relearn command. He hit that and it cycled the IAC and it reved up and fell back down just exactly as it was supposed to. Not knowing what else to do but drive it again I thanked him and went about my way. I drove the car through town and it was fine. I finally cleared all the traffic lights and got to a place where I could lay on it again, everything worked perfectly. I'm looking for a particular grocery item so I stopped at no fewer than 4 grocery stores on the way home and it behaved fine all the way home. She'll break the tires loose anywhere I want to in second gear and never misses a lick.

I brought it back home and put it back in the garage. I know alternators aren't meant to charge a dead battery, they can never really completely charge a battery. Even though I didn't have any more trouble with it, I put the charger back on it for a trickle charge that I'll probably leave on all night.

Maybe, finally, everything is working correctly again. Why isn't anything ever easy?

 

The #1 spark plus is kinda easy. You gotta take off part of the panel and use long extension.

The hardest part about number #1 is not breaking it while tightening it.

 

Therein lies the problem with not having all the tools I wish I had. I don't have enough extensions to get it that way.

 

Sounds like your 1992 is different than our 1994 LT1, as I only had to unbolt the ASR control unit's support-brackets from the frame and wheel-well and move it out of the way -- to get to all the driver side plugs pretty easily.

However, nonetheless, that is why I used the NGK TR55ix's (iridium), so I didn't have to worry about platinum pucks falling-off nor having to replace the plugs at 12-15k intervals and fighting with them again.

BTW, you weren't kidding about needing to replace the plugs -- wow -- almost looks like they might be the wrong plugs (temp range).

 

Glad you got it done

I've managed to keep all my tools in a small toolbox that I take with me everywhere.

 

Why would you say that? Are you looking at the insulator color or what exactly. Other than being completely worn out they looked fine to me. They're not dripping wet, they're not caked up, they're not white, they're just worn and slightly brown. If I'm missing somethings please let me know. Also remember that they've been in the car for 40k miles, it's possible that whatever you're seeing has come about "recently" as the plug has worn.