Need some Advice (Plugs/Wires Install)

[triad]

Today I went out and purchased some AC Delco Platinums and some Spark Plug wires intending to replace the ones I have on my car now. I bought it with 42000 mi. on it and it doesn't look as if the plugs and wires have ever been changed, and I thought it would be a good idea - and a good experiance. I have done a search and read some previous posts about the procedure being pretty rough, but I do have a Haynes Manual and some mechanical knowhow, I'm not a wizz but I know a little more about car engines than most.
Things like oil changes, air/oil filter changes, simple tune up/checks and things of that nature are simple tasks to me. I've never rebuilt an engine, or anything like that though.

My dad got mad at me today when I told him I wanted to change the plugs and wires telling me things like: "they last 100,000 mi. you don't need to replace them" or "Even (A friend of ours that owns a mechanical shop) hates doing it on your kind of car, hell I wouldn't even do it! (and my dad's a pretty decent mechanic)"
He's got me thinking its a bad idea now and sort of spooked, but I know that its good to replace these things after a while and I thought it would be a good idea! I just hate getting yelled at for trying to do something - my Dad is notorious for doing this to me.

From those of you that have done it already - if you where me and just from the info I've given in this post, would you still try it if you where me? I really don't want to take it down to the GM dealership hand spend 200 bucks to have them do it when I just spent 60 bucks on plugs and wires.
I have a 1996 3.8 V6.

Any feedback is appreciated, thanks for reading.
- Dave

[Coriya71]

Its not that bad. The ones in the front get from the top, the pass. middle (which is a PITA)also, the rest from the bottom(yup you'll have to jack it up)The back pass use a spark plug socket with a boxed end wrench from the bottom. Wires just replace them one by one. You probably should get some 8MM Accels or Taylors though because down the road youll probably want to change them anyways. If you bought 7mm replacements get your recipt and tak em back. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Guardsman]

Triad, I wouldn't believe anything about the stock wires or plugs lasting 100,000 miles. I bought a 1998 Cavalier with 19,000 miles on it, and it needed new plug wires after another 10,000 or so miles, and changing the plugs can only help. I also changed the plug wires on my Camaro right after I got it, partly because of the problem with the Cavalier, and partly because it sounds like all GM plug wires lately are pieces of ****. I went with Bosch plug wires, they're 7mm, but there was a noticable difference after I changed them. It's up to you if you want to run 8mm wires, depends on what you want to do with the car. They aren't very expensive, sometimes cheaper than the stock wires, so it's a matter of what you want.

[John_D.]

I have 75,000 miles on my stock plugs and wires in a '98. So far so good. I alternate between in-town driving and highway driving.

I figure by the time they are due for a change (100,000?), I'll be putting on a blower or nitrous, and from what I hear, the platinums are no good for that. So from that point on, I will have to change them more often, since I won't have the platinums anymore.

I might try to find a set of the newer tubular exhaust manifolds and matching y-pipe, or maybe headers, to make the plug changes easier, if I do end up having to change them more often. For now I am just holding off on it, until I hit the 100,000 mark.

[triad]

I'm not going to install nitrous or anything like that - I am going to try and keep it NA for the most part.

Thanks for your input - keep it comming!

[RacerJ]

Spark plug changes ARE one of the reasons I'm happy to have headers - I can change all 6 in under 30 min. :D :D

The problem is the stock exhaust manifolds (and their heat shields) really get in the way. But I figure you'll be alright. I had changed my plugs when I put on my headers, but I had all the wires off and plugs out before I had the stock manifolds off. I was able to get to all of them from above, piece of cake. Just follow the wires down, feel for the plug, and break out your trusty spark plug socket and ratchet.

3 tips:
1) Make sure you check the gap on the new plugs before you put them in.
2) Use dielectric grease in the boots of the new wires.
3) Make sure those boots are on tight!

[StockV6Cam]

God I love having the 3.4. I didn't know how to change the plugs either and without any help I changed all 6 of the plugs/wires from the top pretty quickly. Didn't need to go under for anything [img]tongue.gif[/img] :D

[DominusEtDeusNatus]

Only 1 plug is hard to replace. My AC delco plugs lasted 10-15K miles on 3 seperate occasion. Never will I buy AC delco. I had NGKs platinums and now NGK copper. I change plugs often. Probably once a year. I do use coppers now, so they last 20,000. Its cheap and easy.

That 100,000 mile thing is not true. Maybe under test conditions where they had the car on rollers for 100,000 miles.

Get NGKs copper or iridium and get Taylor wires.

[John_D.]

I will leave mine on there for 100,000 and let you know. They are three-fourths of the way there now...

It hits 100mph+ probably every couple of weeks at least. No miss, and still breaks the 3.42 lsd loose easily enough.

Planning on taking it to Beech Bend in KY next Saturday for the KY F-bodies get-together. If I remember this thread a week from now, I'll post some times when I get back. It'll be my first race. (other than street play...)

[John_D.]

Ok, the results of taking the car to the strip.

On the original platinums and wires, 75000 miles, and stock tires without letting the tire pressure down any: 15.7 and 87 mph in the quarter.