i'm stupid and need help with plug wires

[expo5.0]

alright, how do you change the number 3 and 4 wires (the two on the passenger side closest to the rear of the truck) on a 5.0. for the life of me i can't even get close to reaching them. i did the rest of them and then i tried above, from below, sideways, with the intake removed etc to get those last two. i don't particularly want to go to a shop and have them just do the two wires that i can't do (it would be a little embarassing) so for those of you who have done it. what works???

 

[Dan Whitaker]

HERE IS WHAT YPU DO

I just put plugs abd wires on my 97 Mountaineer 5.0 Monday.
1. Take the tire off
2. There is a rubber cover that is held on with some plastic pins. Take a screw driver and pop them out enough that you can get you fingers behind them and pull them out. They will be hard and make a poping sound but don't worry.
3. Just below the heater/A/C box is a little plastic holder. (it holds the #3 &4 wire. It is a pain to open as it is held on by one of the valve cover bolts. I ended up cutting it with a pair of dikes.
4. There is another one of those pesky clips on the top valve cover bolt right against the fire wall. (It only holds the #4 wire.)I could not get to it with anything so I ended up cutting the old plug wire in two at the spark plug boot and pulling it out of the clip.
I hope this helps.

 

[expo5.0]

roflmao- its just sick the way ford designs things. i swear if i'd swapped the 5.0 into a aspire there would be more room. i can't believe there is that much work involved to change the damn plug wires. the other six weren't that bad, but the plastic loom holder clips weren't easy either. our trucks are so hard to work on lol. i don't have the tools or the space to remove any tires so i guess i'll just be running six new and 2 old for a few weeks until i get home to minnesota and real tools. thanks for the help anyways.

 

[Dan Whitaker]

i know what you mean. i don't see how the poor engine exhaust itself. The diamater of the exhaust manifolds is horrible to say the least.

 

[expo5.0]

yeah, i noticed that too as they were cutting my hands to pieces. its almost to the point where i should've paid the 60 bucks they wanted to install them. its such a joke, but at least they stuffed the engine in there for us.

 

[Dan Whitaker]

Yeah I test drove a 4.0 V6 a couple of days before I di the v8. The V6 is just not enough engine for an Explorer. What i don't understand is why there is not more after market parts for our 5.0 I realy want a Flowmaster system but they only make them for a 4.0. It does not make since. I'm thinking about ging with a Gibson stainless steel cat back system.