The only vehicles I still change plugs on are my 67 Camaros. Thank goodness plugs are now a 100k mile part on newer vehicles. I just pay my mechanic to do it.

 

BTW, I've NEVER seen a set of plugs last 100k miles....never.

Remember the platinum discs falling off the LT1(?) plugs? Oh sure, you can leave them in there that long, but mileage and performance suffers.

 

Umm, as bad as the plugs/wires are to do on a 4th-gen (and keep in mind, they DID get EASIER with the LS1, compared to the LT1! ) ..... are they not a lot easier to do than just about ANY average FWD V6 out on the market??? And maybe not so much FWD CARS, but think of all the V6 MINI-VANS!!! I know on some vans like that, pretty much the "easiest" way to change the back 3 plugs is to cut the exhaust pipe (as well as pull the motor mounts, etc.) to roll the motor forward. But yeah, think of the work going into THAT plug change!!

I agree whole-heartedly that changing the plugs on our 4th-gens is a b!tch. BUT, having done it a couple times now, I've actually found that a little "experience" has made the job easier and easier to do each successive time. I think that leads to the argument of taking the car to your "authorized GM service center", where they are used to working on their own product, and can complete these gruesome tasks with a degree of "ease", compared to the average back-yard mechanic Joe Car-nut .

Just speaking from the realistic side of things, although I too wish the car wasn't so hard to work on sometimes (like the bleeder screw for the clutch!!! Damn you!!!!! ).

 

I haven't read all of the posts in this thread but the LS2 and later engines
are quite different from the LS1. The LS1 in my '04 GTO had hoses everywhere the LS2 has so much room around it that I can put my foot alongside the engine and touch the framerails.
As long as GM doens't rake th windshield back too far and have the cowl
come over the engine everything should be fine.

I wish I could post pics so you guys can see that the plugs are readily accessible.

 

well I broke the studs my header to my 3800s Y pipe trying to drop the Y pipe to get to plugs and wires to change the plugs from underneath the car That count?

short answer no. Infact for my 3.0 2002 Accord front drive V6 its an allen wrench and then the plugs to both sides are easily accessable. I plan on knocking it out first chance I get in a parking lot. Dont expect more than a couple minutes once the motor cools...

 

You have small feet???

 

Haven't owned a 4th gen, but I didn't change the factory plugs and wires in my Silverado until 102K. Truck ran no different than it did when it was new and the plugs were very clean. They were about 7 years old at the time I changed them.

 

Did you check the gap? Larger gaps retard timing.

 

I've changed the plugs on my 99 SS. It sucked bad but it can be done. I had a crossthreading issue on #5 that was thankfully one of the easiest to reach. It all worked out in the end.

Would I do it again NO!

 

0.06 from the factory.

 

My point is... way over your head.

Fix what's causing the O2's to foul out and you won't have to change them so often as they really shouldn't need to be changed but maybe once or twice in the 240k mile lifetime.

 

youre math didnt add up so you insult me? So be it. I got it the first time I simply wasnt trying to limit this to my particular case but so be it. I had a muffler shop replace the stock cat with a cheap catco cat because they told me thats what I needed for the American thunger exhaust I wanted. The light was on with both cats at different times so I didnt put the two together. When was dropping the Y pipe to change the freaking plugs right before I sold it I snapped a bolt on the header it released the back pressure and the light went out. not to mention headers pumping exhaust into the car. I m assuming the catco cat was bad. Remind me never to buy a car from you if your answer to hard to repairs due to bad engineering is to sell the car before having to make the repairs. Kills resale unless you just keep your mouth shut and hope the sucker that buys doesnt notice too quickly.

What I was really trying to convey is that I DONT want to remove starters or Y pipes or drop the motor as has been suggested to do the simplest work on the car. I dont want to pay someone hundreds of dollars more to do work because some engineer or exec didnt think that good engineering was a freaking good idea. Also if I bought a car and the first thing it needed were plugs that cost my $200 in labor alone as soon as I got it, you can bet Id utter the phrase "never again" or "Ill never buy another one" as I sign the bill standing across from a tech who isnt happy with me because I brought him this POS to work on. Something that has happened.

Theres nothing to be gained here. The 5th will be easier to work on. You can see it from the engine bay shots where the windshield falls short. Id bet you could probably get to it from the top even. Over hang isnt nearly as long reducing the amount of car you have to crawl under to simply change the oil. Also helpful when using ramps. GM seems to have realized their mistakes, and corrected them it seems. Thats all that matters. I see this as what killed the car, and why Mustang out sold it by so much. If it wasnt for the drive train it would have been a turkey shoot. You disagree. Thats fine.

 

With any luck, the 5th gen engine bay will be as easy to work with as the GTO.

 

the thought of changing spark plugs makes me jealous of Hemi owners...

 

The guys insinuating that I wouldn't have as hard of a time with it if I had a little more experience with changing them are really cracking me up Ummm, I've owned/worked on 4th gens for 13 years now, and BELIEVE me the LT1 with stock manifolds was worse than the LS1. I put headers on originally for the plug access ALONE, and have since built three more engines for the 95. My 02 SS is bone stock and shall remain so (other than I'm relocating the coil packs now after this last round of bloody knuckles).

Some of you guys are missing my point with this whole diatribe though. I want GM to be at the top of the market. I want to be proud of every aspect of the car, not just a great engine and the bang for the buck. All I'm asking for is GM to step up to the plate in the tiniest amount to make this next car a standout. If it has great/decent/good access to the stuff that the manufacturer requires me to maintain, then great! I'm just voicing my desires here with hope that SOMEONE at GM might hear it and some sort of dialog might happen in a design meeting. Probably wishful thinking on my part, but it's there nontheless.

OBTW, the day I pay someone 200 bucks to change the plugs on any of my cars is the day I turn in my man card and go have a nice quiche.