Along that line, you could take the headlight motors out, then seperate the case halves, and re-glue them, just to be prepared when the gears wear out...or pull the seat tracks, to see how they come out, so you're ready to replace the rubber bumpers, when the seats start to rock.....

 

Geezz, rough crowd here today.......
Just grab hard and twist to break the seal and then pull they will come off honest!

 

Well, at least a couple of you people actually tried to help me, and I thank you. The rest of you are jerks.

 

I used pliers designed to pull the boots. Grab the boot low, squeeze hard, twist, pull. Heat shields, wire/boots, were all removed undamaged. This was when they had 50k+ miles on them and been on since built, which made them 10 years old at that time.

You can do it!

 

I replaced my wires and plugs on my 2002 Z06 a few months ago at 32K miles.

The wires were indeed a PITA- even with a special plug wire puller. Lot's of twisting and pulling and choice english language helped. Several of the wires pulled apart - one boot almost got shredded.

Once the wires were off removing the 8 year old spark plugs was a piece of cake. New GM red wires installed with the dielectric grease stuff to hopefully help the new wires not stich as hard.

 

I tugged-wiggled-tugged and pulled so hard that the plug came out with the boot-

 

Too bad you feel that way but this is an optional forum and if you opted out that would be OK with many of us. I have received many tips that really helped me from guys on this site and I have tried to help out with the things that I actually had done myself and had some level of experience with.

The plug wires on the C5 and C6 Vettes are a PITA for sure and the number 7 plug and wire are even tougher than that.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do but I'm betting that you'll damage at least one of your wires pulling them off. You do not need to reuse the heat shields if you replace the OEM wires with good 8.5mm MSD wires or something else equivalent to them.

Roy in Phoenix

 

Anyone that told you not to reuse 8 year old plug wires was trying to help you regardless of how that message was delivered.

 

I havent read this thread in detail so excuse me if someone else has already posted this but to keep the wires from sticking on the plugs, try using a light coat of dielectric grease on the plug tip and ceramic. Since I started doing this, I have never had a problem with sticking wires.

 

You should read the first posting at least-this advice does not help him at all.

 

Let us know if you actually get them all off without destroying at least 1.

Have fun.

 

No - But it will prevent it from happening again.

 

Unlikely-even with compound on them after 8-10 years they still are hard to get off.

 

....I've heard some guys say that about their spouse......

 

The most helpful post so far!!!!

 

Now Lucky, I knew you were smart, and sarcastic! But now you are funny too! Good one....

 

I used small, angled needle nose pliers to grab the edge of the metal shields. You could try taping the pliers if you're concerned about marking the shields. Just be patient and work at it.... the only wires I destroyed met their demise when I was really good and aggravated.

 

Funny thread... Good stuff.

I'm doing my plugs/wires as we speak (or type/read). I have the driver's side wires ripped (and I mean ripped)out and all the plugs (AC-Delco 41-110 iridiums) changed out.

#7 is a PITA, for sure, but #1 is fun to get leverage on with a ratchet. That alternator seems to freeze you up from moving the ratchet very far.

I'm using the anti-seize compound on the threads and dielectric crap on the inside of the boot and on the white porcel-- spell that! of the plug.

Moral lesson today, always PLAN on buying new wires when changing plugs on a C5 for the 1st time. My 02 has 67k on it and the wire boots are/were so frozen to the plugs, I had to pop the contact off the plug and grab the boot with channel locks and tug.

WEAR GLOVES and put something over the fender to protect it from your legs, beer belly and tools. (the cowl makes a nice tool holder btw).

Well, having the MSD 32819's overnighted. Local Advance Auto had them in stock yesterday... grrr.

Time to watch football and forget about doing the passenger side. My wrists and top of my hands are all swollen from rubbing up against the tight spots in that engine bay.

To the OP - Good luck with that project. At 8k, I'd leave em alone, unless I was upgrading.

 

Just finished my plugs and wires, took about 3 hrs and that's taking my time with a few distractions. I was able to reuse the heat shields,had no problem getting the wires off. But it was hard as hell breaking the plugs loose. You do need a flexable 3/8 rachet to make the job alot easyer.

 

Wonder how this turned out for the OP? Wonder if he got them out intact??