Any advice other than patience on how to change the middle spark plug #4 on the passenger side of 3.8 engine there seems to be no space for swivel socket let alone a wrench.

 

You might have to jack up the car, set it on jack stands and lay under the car and reach up from underneath. You might also get lucky and be able to put the spark plug socket on the plug and use a long open end wrench, go down between the head and the manifold and turn the socket with the wrench. You may have to bend the exhaust manifold gasket a little if it has the lip that keeps oil from dripping down on the manifold.

 

Thanks for the info I was able to get spark plugs #1 & #2 from the top #5 & #6 from the bottom #3 also was from the bottom with limited room. The passenger side seemed to have lass room than the driver side but plug #4 ran out of ideas called it quits for the day to continue another day. I tried to pass the extension strait to side between the engine and wheel well looks possible but you have to have the perfect length extension otherwise the swivel plug socket barely fits underneath without the socket wrench. I will try your advise of using a wrench to the plug socket (I might have to grind two flat sides to grip it with the wrench) before i start bending things.

thanks

 

I wound up using a 4" extension and socket to get the plug into the hole from above, but then tightened it from below. And there's a 3/8" socket cap plug I got from Craftsman that lets me turn the socket with a regular box wrench.

 

I cannot get to that one or the one closer to the front. I think they are 3 and 5. Any tips?

 

Are you going from under the car? The only one that should pose any problem is #4... The rest are a piece of cake. They should all be easily reachable with a plug socket and a swivel extension.

 

I was able get plug #4 by using the previous post advise of 3inch extension along with the 1inch length swivel socket (4inches) through the manifold and worked perfect. If it helps I got the two closest to the bumper from the top all the rest I got from the bottom except the middle passenger wich i think is #4 I placed the swivel socket with the 3inch extension from underneath making sure it properly set on the plug then pushed the extension through in between the manifold tubes where I was able attach the socket wrench to get it out and I replaced the new one the same way.

 

Take the heat shields off the manifold then you should be able to get to it pretty easy.

Massey

 

Yupp heat shields removal is a must. I removed all but #6 from the top easily. Same for install. Also it is different for 95-98 3.8s because of the different exhasut manifold.

 

99 still has the same pain in the a$$ manifolds the 95-98. I have them, and I dont like them!

Massey