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My '02 likely has the factory plugs and wires and I figure at 80K & 20 years it's time to change them out. Is there some trick or tool to help get the boots off the plugs ? The set that's on there has the metal shields. I've been in there working on two different wires and I've twisted the boot as much as I can and I'm not feeling it break free from the plug. As you know there just isn't much room and with factory manifolds, they are pretty buried. If it's up in the air can you get a screwdriver or pry bar to the base of the plug wire to pry it off the plug ?
Yes, there are a number of boot pull tools out in the market. Mine are from15 years back, so do some on line research.
Better access is provided by temporarily disassembling some of the alternate air system on each side.
Are you sure the plugs are original? The wires are not. The plugs may have already been changed
No rush to do anything. I changed the plugs on my 2001 C5 15 years back at 75,000 miles, they looked like new. Unleaded gasoline does not foul plugs like leaded gas did decades ago. My first '55 Mercury needed plug cleaning or change every 15,000 miles, but I will keel over before my second '55 Mercury needs plugs.
Note that original C5 plugs were gapped quite wide at 0.060 but now the recommendation is 0.040. If you decide to change them be sure to use iridium plugs -- they will last till you are gone.
The plyers above are what you need. Note they can be purchased in different angles and lengths. Choose what you need.
You get in under the metal shield and it will pull the boot off. Beware it is not uncommon to have the wires break. They get brittle. and can and will pull apart even using care.
Well , . . . . Passenger side done. Pretty sure they are original wires (Packard) and plugs (AC Delco 41-974). Little concerned the the ones I pulled have a different number from the ones I purchased but that may be the gap change or just a revision. Oreilly & NAPA both showed 41-162 as the plug so I should be good.
Finally came across my 12-14" needle nose and used that to get a grip on the boot and slid a pry bar in there to break them free. That A.I.R. tube really sucks. Can't wait to delete that and install headers. Never in all the years have I struggled like this to change plugs. Greased up the boot at the plug and the coil thoroughly so it won't be such a struggle should I feel the need to get in there again.
Never needed anything special before but I think the recommendation from the "Captain" to pickup a Speedwox Long Reach would be nice insurance.
I've just never had a plug that wouldn't turn and break free of the insulator. These honestly feel like they were glued on.
My '02 likely has the factory plugs and wires and I figure at 80K & 20 years it's time to change them out. Is there some trick or tool to help get the boots off the plugs ? The set that's on there has the metal shields. I've been in there working on two different wires and I've twisted the boot as much as I can and I'm not feeling it break free from the plug. As you know there just isn't much room and with factory manifolds, they are pretty buried. If it's up in the air can you get a screwdriver or pry bar to the base of the plug wire to pry it off the plug ?
(Not my engine)
Bring your car by and I'll yank them out for you !!
Well , . . . . Passenger side done. Pretty sure they are original wires (Packard) and plugs (AC Delco 41-974). Little concerned the the ones I pulled have a different number from the ones I purchased but that may be the gap change or just a revision. Oreilly & NAPA both showed 41-162 as the plug so I should be good.
Finally came across my 12-14" needle nose and used that to get a grip on the boot and slid a pry bar in there to break them free. That A.I.R. tube really sucks. Can't wait to delete that and install headers. Never in all the years have I struggled like this to change plugs. Greased up the boot at the plug and the coil thoroughly so it won't be such a struggle should I feel the need to get in there again.
Never needed anything special before but I think the recommendation from the "Captain" to pickup a Speedwox Long Reach would be nice insurance.
I've just never had a plug that wouldn't turn and break free of the insulator. These honestly feel like they were glued on.
Thanks for the input. Now on to the other side.
The heat really bakes them on and they can become very fragile even at 30K miles. Die electric grease should help but you may want to reapply in 10K miles.
Folks, the photo in my original post I photoshopped. I said it wasn't my engine. Once I got a wire off I can read on it "Packard" which I'm pretty sure is OEM. Thus 20+ years and 85K+ miles.
Fragile, I wish. Would have been happy to take them out in pieces. Haven't started on the driver's side yet but the only wire failure was the #2 wire which still had to be pried off the plug but the connector at the tip of the plug stayed separating from the wire inside the boot.
MY ENGINE> Old wire on top, new Standard, Blue Streak 8.5 mm on the bottom. As the engine is stock didn't see a need for anything fancy.
Yes I'm transferring the metal jacket over to the new plug boot and making sure I get two clicks when I seat the wire in the coil. For sure I'm using a healthy dose of silicone at each end !!
Removing Spark Plug Wires
