- Joined
- January 26, 2004
- Messages
- 6,113
- Reaction score
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- City, State
- Mechanicsville, Virginia
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 2004 Acura TL
I decided to do a tune-up on my 2000 Explorer (this write up is only good for 1995-2001 models with SOHC engines - may work with OHV) which has an 3" body lift (the suspension lift won't play a factor cause it doesn't put everything at a different place; i.e. spark plugs are lowered 3" due to the body going up 3"). I decided to go with Motorcraft everything - couldn't get any better right? I just got the Motorcraft Platnium Plugs (Part #: AGSF22FMF8) and a Motorcraft 8mm wire-set (Part #: WR5944). Total cost was about $65 bucks. You will need the following for the tune-up:
-6 Spark Plugs
-Wire Set** (if you want new wires)
-Spark Plug Wire Remover (a long set of Needle Nose Pliers will suffice)
-Rachet w/ Various Extensions and Spark Plug Socket
-Dielectric Silicone^^ (NAPA Part #: ECHML2)
-Anti-Seeze``
** This is not neccessary, but I highly recommend it for you risk a chance of destroying the other wires when trying to get them off.
^^ This is not neccessary, but I recommend it for it will help on keeping good current through the wire to the plug.
``This is not neccessary, but I highly recommend it for it will keep the plugs from being rusted into the cylinder-head.
Step One:
Be sure the vehicle is on a flat surface, in park, and with the ignition off.
Wire Removal:
The easiest way to get to the wires/plugs is through the fender-well (this is for both sides). After opening up the fender wells through removing the gap guard/shield, use your Spark Plug Wire Remover (or N.N.P.s) to remove the wires off of the spark plug. Be careful to get as low as you can on the wire if you plan on reusing your wires to prevent tearing apart the wire. Also, Be sure to look at how they are routed back up to the ignition coils so you can be sure they go back the same way. After you have the 6 wires off of the plugs, go up top and remove the wires off the ignition coils.
Step Two:
Spark Plug Removal:
Take Your Time! You will need to use a different amount of extensions for retrieving the plugs. I would start on the passenger (right) side. This is the easier side of the two. There shouldn't be a problem on this side or anything in your way except possibly the shock mount. Be careful not to mess the threads up.
The driver (left) side is the tighter area than the right side. I doubt you will be able to get to the plugs through the top. Best bet is through the fender well. #4 cylinder is the hardest to get to due to the EGR Tube tracking right between cylinder # 4 and #5. I used a small rachet (~2-1/2" long) to get this one out. #5 and #6 should be easier to get out through the fender well. Again, the shock mount might get in your way.
Step Three (Part One of Two):
Routing of Spark Plug/Ignition Wires:
Gettin' There! This is the only "mental" part of this. One thing good about Electronic Distributorless Ignition System (EDIS), they make it easier to do a tune-up. This is though when things can go bad. Putting a #5 plug wire on #4 cylinder can make your vehicle back-fire and run crappy and hurt things. Also, putting certain wires next to eachother can cause the current to jump to the other cable and fire the wrong cylinder and burn a whole through the top of the piston (very common on Fords V-8 302s). Just be careful and make sure you have a rough idea of how the origional wires were.
Here is a picture of the ignition coil and the numbers they accomidate:
With the old wires (they should be labeled 1-6 - atleast mine were), so take your new wires and see which one matches the other one in length. You should have 2 real long ones, 1 a little shorter than that, and 3 that are about an inch or two short than the wires that are left in the bundle. This should help you on figuring out which ones need to go where to make sure you have enough wire to get to the plug and to make sure you don't have too much.
The numbers are on the coil packs, but sometimes they can be hard to read. Now, this is the way the engine is set up. Order is from right to left (passenger to driver): 1,2,3 is on passenger side (from front to rear). 4,5,6 is on driver side (from front to rear).
Here is a picture to help:
Hopefully you get the idea. Now you will have to route the wires so they will be safe and be sure to keep the wires away danger. As long as you route them similar to the way they came off, you should be in good shape. Be sure to put the wires back into the little "harnesses" or wire seperaters that keep the wires organized and away from dangerous things. These are the black plastic things that hold the wires so they aren't flapping around and don't lay on anything they shouldn't (i.e. manifold gaskets, heat shields, etc.).
After you think you have the wires correctly routed, you are ready for new plugs!
Step Four:
Spark Plug Installation:
Installing the plugs are pretty easy. Put some Anti-Seeze around the threads of the plugs (a thin coat will do). This will help on keeping the plugs from rusting into your cylinder head. Use your spark plug socket and extensions to thread the plugs as far as you can into the cylinder head. This will make the tightening of the plugs easier. I also put the plug into the socket before I put the Anti-Seeze on because that stuff can get messy and it spreads very quickly.
After the plugs are finger threaded down; take your rachets and snug the plugs up. They only need to be tightened from 13-15 ft.lbs, but a torque wrench is not neccessary. Just be careful not to over tighten. The #4 plug will be the hardest to tighten, again, because of that EGR tube.
Step Five (Part Two Of Two):
Installation Of Spark Plug/Ignition Wires:
You are getting very close! All you have to do now is click the spark plug wires into the plugs. Be sure that they click completely onto the coil packs. Everything should click!!!! The wires onto the spark plugs should click and shouldn't be able to be pulled off easily, and the same with the wires onto the coil packs. You will know when it is secure!
Step Six:
Check List:
I can't stress how much you need to check over your work. It will save a lot of headache later on. Now, what you need to do is get back up top and follow each wire from the ignition coil packs to its own spark plug. You should be able to follow #1 wire from your coil packs to the passenger side and on the front of the engine. You should be able to follow #6 from your coil packs to the driver side rear - and so on with numbers 2-5!
Step Seven:
Moment Of Truth:
Well, now you feel like you've done a great job, huh? Well, before you start that engine - make sure no tools, old wires, plugs, rags, and so on are in the way of anything. And if you want to, make sure everything is secure and you feel 100% confident that everything is right. After you feel confident enough - Start Her Up!!
If you have a running problem, check over again and if you still can't figure it out - that is why people have friends! Hopefully smart ones. Good luck!
Good Job!
Hopefully this write-up will help some people with doing a tune-up job themselves on their body lifted 2nd Gen Explorers. If there is anything wrong with this write-up or you would like to put in some advice, please don't be hesitant to point out my wrong doing or to throw in your $.02! And again, Be careful!
-Drew
-6 Spark Plugs
-Wire Set** (if you want new wires)
-Spark Plug Wire Remover (a long set of Needle Nose Pliers will suffice)
-Rachet w/ Various Extensions and Spark Plug Socket
-Dielectric Silicone^^ (NAPA Part #: ECHML2)
-Anti-Seeze``
** This is not neccessary, but I highly recommend it for you risk a chance of destroying the other wires when trying to get them off.
^^ This is not neccessary, but I recommend it for it will help on keeping good current through the wire to the plug.
``This is not neccessary, but I highly recommend it for it will keep the plugs from being rusted into the cylinder-head.
Step One:
Be sure the vehicle is on a flat surface, in park, and with the ignition off.
Wire Removal:
The easiest way to get to the wires/plugs is through the fender-well (this is for both sides). After opening up the fender wells through removing the gap guard/shield, use your Spark Plug Wire Remover (or N.N.P.s) to remove the wires off of the spark plug. Be careful to get as low as you can on the wire if you plan on reusing your wires to prevent tearing apart the wire. Also, Be sure to look at how they are routed back up to the ignition coils so you can be sure they go back the same way. After you have the 6 wires off of the plugs, go up top and remove the wires off the ignition coils.
Step Two:
Spark Plug Removal:
Take Your Time! You will need to use a different amount of extensions for retrieving the plugs. I would start on the passenger (right) side. This is the easier side of the two. There shouldn't be a problem on this side or anything in your way except possibly the shock mount. Be careful not to mess the threads up.
The driver (left) side is the tighter area than the right side. I doubt you will be able to get to the plugs through the top. Best bet is through the fender well. #4 cylinder is the hardest to get to due to the EGR Tube tracking right between cylinder # 4 and #5. I used a small rachet (~2-1/2" long) to get this one out. #5 and #6 should be easier to get out through the fender well. Again, the shock mount might get in your way.
Step Three (Part One of Two):
Routing of Spark Plug/Ignition Wires:
Gettin' There! This is the only "mental" part of this. One thing good about Electronic Distributorless Ignition System (EDIS), they make it easier to do a tune-up. This is though when things can go bad. Putting a #5 plug wire on #4 cylinder can make your vehicle back-fire and run crappy and hurt things. Also, putting certain wires next to eachother can cause the current to jump to the other cable and fire the wrong cylinder and burn a whole through the top of the piston (very common on Fords V-8 302s). Just be careful and make sure you have a rough idea of how the origional wires were.
Here is a picture of the ignition coil and the numbers they accomidate:
With the old wires (they should be labeled 1-6 - atleast mine were), so take your new wires and see which one matches the other one in length. You should have 2 real long ones, 1 a little shorter than that, and 3 that are about an inch or two short than the wires that are left in the bundle. This should help you on figuring out which ones need to go where to make sure you have enough wire to get to the plug and to make sure you don't have too much.
The numbers are on the coil packs, but sometimes they can be hard to read. Now, this is the way the engine is set up. Order is from right to left (passenger to driver): 1,2,3 is on passenger side (from front to rear). 4,5,6 is on driver side (from front to rear).
Here is a picture to help:
Hopefully you get the idea. Now you will have to route the wires so they will be safe and be sure to keep the wires away danger. As long as you route them similar to the way they came off, you should be in good shape. Be sure to put the wires back into the little "harnesses" or wire seperaters that keep the wires organized and away from dangerous things. These are the black plastic things that hold the wires so they aren't flapping around and don't lay on anything they shouldn't (i.e. manifold gaskets, heat shields, etc.).
After you think you have the wires correctly routed, you are ready for new plugs!
Step Four:
Spark Plug Installation:
Installing the plugs are pretty easy. Put some Anti-Seeze around the threads of the plugs (a thin coat will do). This will help on keeping the plugs from rusting into your cylinder head. Use your spark plug socket and extensions to thread the plugs as far as you can into the cylinder head. This will make the tightening of the plugs easier. I also put the plug into the socket before I put the Anti-Seeze on because that stuff can get messy and it spreads very quickly.
After the plugs are finger threaded down; take your rachets and snug the plugs up. They only need to be tightened from 13-15 ft.lbs, but a torque wrench is not neccessary. Just be careful not to over tighten. The #4 plug will be the hardest to tighten, again, because of that EGR tube.
Step Five (Part Two Of Two):
Installation Of Spark Plug/Ignition Wires:
You are getting very close! All you have to do now is click the spark plug wires into the plugs. Be sure that they click completely onto the coil packs. Everything should click!!!! The wires onto the spark plugs should click and shouldn't be able to be pulled off easily, and the same with the wires onto the coil packs. You will know when it is secure!
Step Six:
Check List:
I can't stress how much you need to check over your work. It will save a lot of headache later on. Now, what you need to do is get back up top and follow each wire from the ignition coil packs to its own spark plug. You should be able to follow #1 wire from your coil packs to the passenger side and on the front of the engine. You should be able to follow #6 from your coil packs to the driver side rear - and so on with numbers 2-5!
Step Seven:
Moment Of Truth:
Well, now you feel like you've done a great job, huh? Well, before you start that engine - make sure no tools, old wires, plugs, rags, and so on are in the way of anything. And if you want to, make sure everything is secure and you feel 100% confident that everything is right. After you feel confident enough - Start Her Up!!
If you have a running problem, check over again and if you still can't figure it out - that is why people have friends! Hopefully smart ones. Good luck!
Good Job!
Hopefully this write-up will help some people with doing a tune-up job themselves on their body lifted 2nd Gen Explorers. If there is anything wrong with this write-up or you would like to put in some advice, please don't be hesitant to point out my wrong doing or to throw in your $.02! And again, Be careful!
-Drew
