Hello all,
I am new to the Forum and wanted to pic someone's brain about possible help about what procedures and precautions I need to take to replace the spark plug wires, aside from the obvious.
I just replaced the alternator today and was thinking that some wires and cleaning the contacts are in order as long as I'm going to be working on it.
Thank you in advance for any help you can provide. And please, be gentle.
Thanks,
Pat
Spark plug wire plyiers help a lot along with some extensions and a spark plug socket for the rear. Also probably need a zip tie for the front as sometimes the wire come too long and will hit the cooling fan. Other then that it's pretty easy.
On the inside my car looks like a fighter jet.
Thanks Rob, I was having a hard time tracking down where they go. . . I really need a Hanes manual!
Pat, the broke single Dad with a 91 Sunbird.
this might be a little obvious but always do one wire / plug at at a time so you dont mix them up. i always use dielectric grease on my plugs and wires also. it keeps moisture out and makes it much easier to remove them the next time. .the plug wire pliers rob mentioned is also agood idea. often you will tug on the old stuck on wires and pull the wires apart.
You have 6 wires. # behind the engine that are near the firewall that are a pain to do since there is no room, one back there isn't too bad but the other two are a pain. Then there are 3 wires in the front of the engine they all connect to the coil packs behind the radiator fan. If you look at my crude picture, the red lines are the spark plug wires and the green box is the coil pack. My engine is different since I swapped mine out.
On the inside my car looks like a fighter jet.
Thanks guys!
Rob, thank you for the picture, it helps! Im used to older V8's and having everything right out in the open, this car has been rather interesting to work on! And great looking car by the way!
And John, thanks for reminding me! I meant to get some of that dielectric grease when I was at the Auto shop!
I used to have a 90's Chevy Lumina and it had the same engine but the only thing I did to that car was the water pump, the tensioner pulley is harder to get at on my Pontiac. . . cant fit a socket wrench in such a little gap! had to pull on the belts to move the pulley and be able to slip the belt off. I've already changed the plugs out on the Pontiac, before I bought it apparently they hadn't been done in a while (or ever) they were crumbly and nasty, instantly got another hundred more miles out of a tank after that!
Pat, the broke single Dad with a 91 Sunbird.
You should probably do a new air filter and fuel filter. They probably haven't been done in a while and buy a can of seafoam and run that through the engine. You will probably pick up another 100 miles once everything is all clean. All that stuff can be done in 30 mins and probably less then $50.
On the inside my car looks like a fighter jet.
Thanks again Rob,
My usual routine when I buy a car is whether it needs it or not I change the air filter and spark plugs as well as the oil. I really should extend that to the fuel filter as well, I will take your advice and run some seafoam through it! should I wait to do the fuel filter after I put the seafoam in?
also, I sort of derped. I have the 3.1L not the 3.0. . . duuurrrrhuurrrr
Pat, the broke single Dad with a 91 Sunbird.
Do the filter then seafoam.Plus if you have not considered it change your transmission fluid.Auto's should have the filter inside(idk right off) but I am a manual guy and just a fluid change.Plus checking your brake fluid if dark I would flush it out and bleed the brakes.Just some thoughts and I am tired after a 12hr day.I could ramble on with upgrades but short it is for now.
I have never seen a need to change brake fluid. I never change auto fluid when I buy a used car. Either keep changing it at a recommended interval or leave it alone until it has to be done. I have experienced problems where if you change it on a high mileage car that has never been changed can cause the trans to slip or have issues that didn't happen before it was changed. This is due to the lack of debris in the fluid causing the fluid to be thinner making the parts sloppy. Not saying it will happen for you but I can happen. Therefore I never change it unless I see the service schedule from a previous owner or there are problems that cause me to drain the fluid.
As for the sea foam it really doesn't matter if you do it before or after. It is a cleaner. I use two cans when I do it. It only suggest one. The reason is because of how it gets divided up. 1/3 of a can in the gas tank, 1/3 in the oil and 1/3 in the vacuum lines. I usually do it all twice. Then after a tank of gas I run some STP Concentrated fuel injector cleaner in the black bottle. The white inst concentrated and they are only $1 different.
On the inside my car looks like a fighter jet.
