[Tigers] Changing Spark Plugs

[Dave Munroe]

Jay:

Call me crazy, but:

I blew an exhaust manifold gasket last year when one of the bolts at cyl #8 
went awol.
My car is fitted with headers, which also requires some reduced head bolts 
to clear the tightly fitting pipes. With some great help from the guys on 
this list, I was directed to some dynamite bolts and a pair of blow-out 
proof gaskets which, as good as they are, required I get right in there and 
manipulate "things".

After turning my wrists into pretzels, I decided there was no way out: I had 
to pull the steering column. Was I pleasantly surprised to find how easy it 
was! The only wires involved are in a small turn signal/horn harness, and 
there was enough slack (some great service procedure foresight here!) that 
they didn't even have to be disconnected.

So, the plugs on the passenger side are all a piece of cake to 
remove/replace, and on the driver's side with the column pulled back, also 
now pretty easy peasy. The hardest one is likely cyl #8 if you are 
flexibility challenged, but if you have kept up your garage yoga training, 
you should have no trouble accessing that spark plug through the firewall 
hole where you are greeted by the tip of plug #8 on removal of the rubber 
bung.

YMMV and good luck!

Dave
ps Don't forget to mark the splines when you disconnect the column from the 
U-Joint (!)




From: "Jay Laifman" <jay.laifman at gmail.com>
To: <tigers at autox.team.net>
Sent: Friday, May 09, 2014 1:50 PM
Subject: [Tigers] Changing Spark Plugs


Which are the hardest spark plugs to change?  I'd like to tackle those 
first.
 I don't want to do the easy ones (if there are any) and then get to the 
hard
 ones and find I can't do them and end up disabling the car until I can get
 them done.  I'm actually looking forward to the challenge.  I've had to 
devise
 some pretty tricky tool set ups to get at difficult bolts before.  As dad
 would frequently say, you really need at least two elbows on each arm, and
 eyes on your fingertips to do certain things on English cars.
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