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Car Forum / Ford / Ford Explorer / June 2004Need Help Changing Spark Plugs, '98, 4.0 SOHC
For a 6 cylinder engine, I managed to change the 3 plugs on the driver side w/o any problems. But the 3 plugs that are on the passenger side are a nightmare to remove. The 2 closest to the firewall appear impossible to access. Is there a trick to these? From underneath the car perhaps? Or do I need to remove the cylindrical object between the engine and the fender? Any and all suggestions are appreciated. Tom Some people find the one closest to the firewall on the passenger side is more easily accessed by removing the rim and going through the wheel well. Be sure to chock and jack securely. WD40 or similar penetrating oils can make removing stubborn plugs a little less painful. Be aware of the flammable nature of these things and don't use them on a hot engine. Other things I have found useful in reducing skinned knuckles and the large amounts of profanity screamed at high volume often needed during the routine task of spark plug changes include: dedicated spark plug sockets, spark plug wire pliers, gloves with the fingertips exposed, T handle wrenches, and wobble sockets. I have a T-handle-wobble-spark-plug wrench I bought at Autozone that made my last explorer spark plug change seem almost surreal. The new plugs should have the threads coated with an anti-seize compound and the boots greased to make the next adventure less harrowing. > For a 6 cylinder engine, I managed to change the 3 plugs on the driver side > w/o any problems. But the 3 plugs that are on the passenger side are a [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > Any and all suggestions are appreciated. > Tom You forgot to mention that removing the "cylindrical object" is gonna get real exciting, real fast.... especially on a hot day. Honest, folks... if it was all that easy, I'd be out of a job. However, it ain't rocket science..... if someone isn't sure of what an object/connection/line/whatever is - find out before you touch it. There are a million and one "gotchas" lurking under the hoods of our cars. Going under the hood sans a little knowledge is setting ourselves up for a Darwin award.... Take care...... oh, and lose the WD40 for engine stuff... it contains silicon - sure death for O2 sensors. I might be anal, but I have yet to poison an O2. > You forgot to mention that removing the "cylindrical object" is gonna get > real exciting, real fast.... especially on a hot day. [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > silicon - sure death for O2 sensors. I might be anal, but I have yet to > poison an O2. Silicone???? It would be hard to spray sand out of that spray can. > Take care...... oh, and lose the WD40 for engine stuff... it contains > silicon - sure death for O2 sensors. Really? That is the first I have heard that. Are you sure? The can only says "contains petroleum distillates. Their web site does not list any silicone on the MSDS sheet: http://www.wd40.com/Brands/pdfs/msds-wd40_aerosol.us.pdf Not that I'm a big fan of it as a penetrating oil. I prefer PBblaster. But WD-40 is OK to spray on wet ignition wires, etc. If it has silicone in it I certainly would not want to do that... -Fred W Last time I tried to change plugs, I changed the driver's side and then decided that it is worth paying for someone else to do this. Took the remaining plugs to my friendly independent mechanic and he did the dirty work. Worth every penny! My experience has been that it is often harder to pull the wires than to change the plugs. >> Take care...... oh, and lose the WD40 for engine stuff... it contains >> silicon - sure death for O2 sensors. [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > >-Fred W My experience with the Fords is that you cannot fix a damned thing without sacrificing at least one skinned knuckle to the Ford god of trucks. Once blood is drawn, everything is smooth as silk. Henry ford was a very cruel man. > Last time I tried to change plugs, I changed the driver's side and > then decided that it is worth paying for someone else to do this. [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > > >-Fred W > You forgot to mention that removing the "cylindrical object" is gonna get > real exciting, real fast.... especially on a hot day. No need to remove it. By using a small blow torch to gently warm the "cylindrical object", I can soften it enough to bend it ever so slightly to allow my impact wrench to reach the 3rd spark plug! :p > Some people find the one closest to the firewall on the passenger side is > more easily accessed by removing the rim and going through the wheel well. [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > The new plugs should have the threads coated with an anti-seize compound and > the boots greased to make the next adventure less harrowing. I would just caution any readers that anti-seize should not be applied to the first couple of threads or beyond the tapered seat of the sparkplug. I do use it with aluminum heads only and VERY sparingly. A little dab in the wrong spot will cause a misfire since it conducts electricity. Also, it should be noted that silicone compound is to be used when "greasing" the boots. It is non-conductive, moisture-proof and won't melt and run out when the sparkplug gets hot. H > > For a 6 cylinder engine, I managed to change the 3 plugs on the driver > side [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Is there a trick to these? From underneath the car perhaps? > > Or do I need to remove the cylindrical object between the engine and the > > fender? > > Any and all suggestions are appreciated. > > Tom |
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