installing plugs

[grumpyvette]

there are several tricks & tools that make installing plugs easier,
one trick to installing/starting the threads is to slip a plug neck firmly into a 18" section of rubber fuel line,
this allows the plug to be easily directed into place,spun and aligned in a tight place .
gap them correctly, a .043 is about correct for most applications and don,t forget the ANTI-SEEZE on the threads

http://www.power-21.com/AutolitePower21 ... preads.pdf

viewtopic.php?f=70&t=840&p=2309#p2309

cutting a standard socket to shorter length helps at times, using a much longer spark plug socket
and an open end wrench vs a ratchet can work at times..

http://www.headersockets.com/
then theres snap-ons limited access socket

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp ... e&tool=all

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=94011

http://www.rshongkong.com/cgi-bin/b...efdffhdhif.0&cacheID=hk01netscape&Nr=avl:hk01

these spinner ratchets are basically a P.I.T.A. and nearly useless and clumsy 98% of the time but on rare occasions they are a job saver

adding thermal spark plug shields for the ignition wires near the headers helps protect the ignition efficiency and reduce problems
http://cableorganizer.com/insultherm-spark/

http://www.mytoolstore.com/kd/kdgear02.html#9520


http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=91705

wobble extensions can be a help at times

http://www.amazon.com/Piece-Wobble-...70-0918205?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1191099843&sr=1-3

and you won,t be the first guy to cut a hole in an inner fender skirt to get access at a decent angle to a spark plug and if you need to remove some accessory to get access, DO IT rather than beat yourself silly trying to work around the darn thing!!
think in THREE dimensions, sometimes accessing a plug from under the cars far easier than from above.
the two rear pass side plugs on some corvettes is usually easier this way IF YOU have the correct tools

In most cases a offset box end wrench can be used,

in many cases youll want to cut the wrench in half or shorter for easier access, or use one in combo with a sparkplug socket thats been cut much shorter than originally produced on a lathe, Ive even seen guys cut the socket shorter and weld a short wrench at an odd angle just for one particularly P.I.T.A. plug location on thier car

but in some cases

cutting a socket down like this and use of a open end wrench , rather than a ratchet to turn the socket from the side on the rear hex is the better route, (yeah! you may need to cut it even shorter than the picture suggests) in fact with the use of a wrench on the outside hex, theres no reason the socket can,t be cut enough for the plug tip to extend well out of the drive hole where the ratchet usually fits into the socket and don,t forget that they make 1/2" drive sockets also that allow the plug to extend further out, or that you can weld a wrench at odd angles to the socket (even to the side of the socket) one great reason to pick up cheap Chinese wrenches , is the cut/weld use for applications where you'll be reluctant to do so with a decent wrench brand


RELATED INFO

http://www.digitalcorvettes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=80783

 

[grumpyvette]

FYI....here was my solution to the spark plug issue. I removed the rubber insert in the spark plug socket so the plug itself would really sink inside the socket, that allowed me to really cut down the socket to clear my header tubes. Worked great. Then I was able to access #1 & #3 from under the car with a 3/4 open ended wrench to tighten the spark plug socket. I'm gonna make sure I don't loose that midget socket. Here's a few pics to get an idea of how much I had to cut/grind away.
Thanks all for your help:cheers:

 

[fast84vette]

i just saw the pic of the firing order and look up more about it, so is that how it always has to be on a sbc. because i just look at the way my wires were set and it was completly different from that, i think just my number one plug was in the right position

 

[grumpyvette]

you can vary the location of the #1 plug wire to any location you want to on the distributor cap, but naturally the firing order in the rotation can,t change from the traditional 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 on a standard gen I Chevy v8,unless the cam timing changes, on the lobe index, ,for example if you got a 4-7 swap cam, then it will become 1-8-7-3-6-5-4-2, , the location of the #1 plug on the cap can be indexed to any location IF THE NECESSARY other changes are made, but to keep things consistent and keep mechanics from banking their heads on walls there is a STANDARDIZED location.
and yes other years of chevy engines and manuals show other locations for the #1 plug wire route on the cap.
example

 

[fast84vette]

ok ok thanks. well what if all my firing order is different. none of them are in the right place.
and its alway beed like this since i owned it. can my vette still work if my order was not right all this time?

 

[grumpyvette]

there ARE or at least were at one time,non-standard distributor caps that are made to allow all the left bank plug wires to exit on the left and all the right side plug wires to exit on the right side for a much neater wire lay out,but they are rare.

a standard cap
#1 should be marked, and just count clockwise from there.

Cap-->Plug
1--------->1
2--------->8
3--------->4
4--------->3
5--------->6
6---------->5
7----------->7
8----------->2

 

[fast84vette]

i get it now. thanks for the help. i been working with it and still has not fix my car from stalling when putting it on gear. so i going to replace the timing chain. is there anything i should know on what to do and not to do when i start?

 

[grumpyvette]

use a damper puller to remove the damper,and it will help to have a damper installation tool to re -install the damper
have a timing cover gasket set, and buy a CLOYES true roller timing set not a cheap imported crap set that sells for $20

read these

viewtopic.php?f=53&t=83&p=276&hilit=+beat#p276

viewtopic.php?f=52&t=1793

viewtopic.php?f=52&t=90

viewtopic.php?f=52&t=966

http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?part=CLO-9-3100&autoview=sku

now if you don,t want to degree in the cam you can use the dot-to-dot method with a CLOYES roller timing set because its going to be reasonable close to correct unlike the cheap crap import sets,but use a good strait edge ruler to line the dots up, and replace the timing cover crank seal, and be darn sure you use the correct index marks after reading the instructions carefully, you may need to loosen the oil pan or replace the oil pan gasket in rare cases

 

[fast84vette]

ok great thats for the info. so if i use the dot-to-dot method then the timing should be good or is there more to it then that? and what do you mean by using the correct index marks? wher would i see those marks?

 

[grumpyvette]

OK
IM assuming your refering to CAM TIMING not IGNITION TIMING?

if you use a name brand cam timing chain and gear set like CLOYES supplies to index the cam in the block,the index marks will be very close to correct and you can use them to install the cam without degreeing it in , PROVIDED you read and follow the directions carefully AND your fully aware the cam might be a degree or so off its ideal location, simply due to manufacturing tolerances
be aware that theres three different index marks that are matched and getting two that are not meant to run as a matched pair indexed together sometimes results in engine damage

viewtopic.php?f=52&t=90