Could you help me. Im changing my wires on a lumina 3.1 and I cant get number 5 put on could you tell me kinda what Im feeling for or what area Im putting it in without moving motor mounts?
About to do my grandmother's 3.1 Monte Carlo LS with 27k original miles. Pre ordered by her mother car sat for 11 years after she got dementia, she past away a few years back. My grandmother got the house & the car with all of the original documents. Car had the original tires & battery still. Tires had brand new tread still but had to be changed because they were dry rotted same scenario with the battery it had a dead cell. Car still has original brakes, pads & all in like new condition a little sun fading on interior & passenger air bag cover is curled up. Clear coat on the hood & roof is even fine. I changed the fuel pump & it fired right up. The in tank fuel feed line that comes from the top of the pump was just cracked. Just had oil changed & now doing iridium spark plugs.
Hello Joe. First of all,I want to thank you for posting this very informative video. We have a 2005 Venture and it was time for a new set of AC wires and iridium plugs. I ended up using a come-along to tilt the engine forward and removed the left and center coil packs.Found it easier to use a 4 inch piece of rubber hose to thread the new plugs in. Now our van is purring like new. Many thanks!!!
joe, thanks for the information, I have been a mechanic or 43 years and have had many ideas on how to change those pesky rear plugs, used to take the "dog bones loose then use floor jack to jack the engine foward, last time I used the ratchet strap, didnt think anyone else would have thought of that, when I did it I thought I was brilliant. you stole my thunder but anyway I have changed my coil packs and the new ones are not marked after removing all the plug wires I forget which is #1, I do know that #'2 and 5 are on the same coil pack...but not sure which of the 3 it is.
The ratchet strap to pull the engine forward was essential in changing the back 3 plugs. It sure made it a lot easier. Thank you for this video and the fine advice..
Thank you. Im changing the plugs on my friends century 3100 at my guard post tonight. With limited ratchet accessibility, i was very iffy until you made it so easy with just an extension. Thank you!
very informative, thank you. I was like how in the Fudge am i going to be able to reach those plugs with my big meat hooks. guess what I am doing in the morning. Doing the back 3 plugs.
BTW, without even touching the motor mounts. remove the four bolts on the coil mount plate. Unplug the wire on the passenger side and swing the coil pack out of the way. Now you and get to those rear plugs so much easier. I always use "never sieze" on the plug threads, especially with any aluminum heads. ( you'll never break a plug off)
Just changed the plugs and wires on a 92 Cutlass Supreme, and who ever previously installed the front plugs must have said the heck with the rear ones because the front had ACDelco and the rear had Autolites. Using the ratchet strap is a whole lot easier and cheaper than buying the tilting tool or using pry bar. Thanks for the tip, and I did use a ratchet strap. Something I want to point out per GM service manual. After the dog bone bolts are removed from the motor side, and before the dog bones are pulled up and rotated toward the radiator, the other dog bone bolts need to be loosened enough but not removed, so that the rubber inside the dog bone mount does not shear and cause damage. Thanks for the video, and either way this job is done the rear plugs are still a pain in the wazoo!
Great video; I wondered how on earth you get to the back spark plugs and wires! Why did you not replace the black 3 cable sleeve from the old front wires? Thank you!
+Liberty Patriot i actually did this spark plug change about 4000 miles before hand and thought id make a video as i was replacing them after a major engine service. i tend to replace the plugs again n a short distance because this engine was rebuilt and ran in the dead of winter . so anything left out of the video was unintentional as i pieced together footage from 2 actual services
honestly ive nevr used anti sieze on plugs, if you change them at proper intervals ive never had a problem, not that i dont agree its a good idea, thanks for watching
Actually the manufacturer recommends that you do not put anti-seize on your spark plugs. as apparently, it conducts electricity and if it were to come out of the spark plug hole somehow it could cause severe arcing of that plug and wire.. if you change your plugs at regular intervals there shouldn't be a need for anti-seize anyway 😏
Thanks Joe I know this video is 10 years old but I got a 2000 Buick century 3.1 liter engine this was so much help I gotta do a tune up soon I did the coil because it came up coil but it’s still running rough so ima just change them all out
@@JoeTheAutoGuy hey man quick question so I did all the plugs and wires and coils and it’s giving me a p0300 code could it be fuel injectors ? It’s still misfiring after doing that and I changed the egr valve aswell
Great video. I'm just curious, when you take off the motor mounts and pull the engine forward, is it pulling the transaxle along with it, sort of as one unit? I'm wondering if it creates any risk of damaging the rear main seal?
Thanks I'm about ready to change my plugs on my 97 buick century and I think I'm gonna need to do this cause I couldn't even get my hand back there much less a ratchet!! Thank you!! awesome idea!!
When you unbolt the black motor-holder things, is that all you need to disconnect in order to pull the motor forward? will pulling the motor forward and resetting it afterwards be difficult? you seem to have edited out the whole part of shifting the motor.
I have a 98 Olds with a 3.1 engine. But it doesn't have the dog bone mounts. It has a top mount on passenger side! Should I loosen that and then try to tilt the engine??
strap make job very easy, what vacuum line did you disconnect? I must have a leak the car accelerates by itself when I accelerate a certain amount. Was not doing it before. the car idles great, can you think of anything?Thanks
Ron Close there is a pcv line that comes from the rear valve cover and it could be causing extr air to be coming in. what is your idle rpm at currently?
Video was very helpful. I need to replace the wires I spend over $400.00 for the tune up. My bad, but I was able to replace the transmission fluid. I bought a 98 chevy lumina real easy to work on for being a home mechanic. Thanks.
It appears a strap with a very short fixed end is best for this task. Also it doesn't appear from the strap width it is rated for a real high weight load. Is that correct? if so I have been having trouble find a strap with short fixed end on it. Any suggestions?
did you have to remove any other parts away from motor before you did the strap thing to pull it forward cause in a another vid from another guy he had to remove parts around the motor... and by the way can you do my spark plugs & wire and 2 of the coil paks that havent' been done.. cause i got a missfire i can't go over 45 without the chk engine light flashing seviral times then staying on but eventually goes out..
Your video give me more insight on how, ive been looking for my purg valve. i have anther one to replace the old one but tilting the engine seams to be the only anser . Thank you for the tip
Hi, the thing is I have the Pontiac transport 1996 with 3.4l but I only have one motor support on the passenger side, and in your video you have 2 support that holdind the motor. Is that possible that I only have one or there one is hiding under the motor??? thanks
hey quick question on the chevy venture spark plugs can u tell me which numbers go in which spark plug front and back because i let the shop do my car and i just wanted to make sure they put them back in the right order thanks alot and keeep up the great work besafe always and have a great day
thanks for all the advice Joe. Having intermittant vehicle lurching at times engine at running temp on 02 Venture van .3.4 167k especially under load heavy or sometimes light and have to back off throttle to let engine calm down. Bat light (may ) flash if lurching is severe as its happening . No Codes even while high line pro scanner is used by mechanic who drove it , he never had lurching . Both o2 sensors changed crank sensor replaced . Pump pressure shows over 50 lbs . Sound like coil s ??? Batt light is puzzeling
Great video bro i was dreading the day i had to change the spark plugs on my impala but your idea with pulling the motor forward made it sooo much easier
@@JoeTheAutoGuyDid I miss the part where you pull the motor back in to attach the brackets.? Saw you reattach the brackets but not pulling the motor back in probably the same way you pulled and out. And will this work for a 2000 Malibu.? Thanks for the video.
Greetings..Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us .. how could you drive the engine to get the job done? That can also be done with a Chevrolet venture?
do you still have this car?! I have the same motor and everything. Took my car to a mechanic months ago and just realized he left a line loose (he didnt strap it back on). The line im talking about is the one to the right hand side of the motor oil cap and the dipstick (you can pause the video at 2min:18 seconds to see it) where does that line go? its connexted in the front but its loose in the rear
So i cannot take off the little screws inbetween the spark plugs on my 01' .. what size socket do i need? Or what size do i need of anything to take the screws out?
+TiandMandy Akens the spark plug is a 5/8ths socket, if you are talking about the coil packs its a 5.5mm socket to remove the individual packs from the ignition control module
hi im going to be doing this in the morning and i was wondering is there anything i need to worry about or that i should know when untightening the strap after im finished? engine falling to fast?
quick question i have a grand prix and i have oil getting into just one spark plug ive already replaced the spark plugs once but dont want the new ones destroyed the same way any ideas, is it just a seal needing to be replaced?
usualy with the valve seals need to be replaced if this is happening but that onvolvs the cylinder heads coming off. is the oil just surrounding the external spark plug or is it getting to the cylindr itself
Good video, lots on here the person just talks, camera on them and point to whatever part they are talking about without ever doing anything. Or they did it and just show what they did. At least you went through the whole process of everything. Great job!
thanks joe thats what I did. unfortunately my bracket that holds the alternator broke and it's been one mess after another. since I had to take the alternator bracket off I went ahead and remove the Pax like you said and changed the plugs in the back
I'm gonna do the same on mine tomorrow but on my 03 chevy malibu it doesn't have those "dog bones" mounts I tried remove the spark plug wire but it seems to be stuck in there good but the one in the front are easy to remove, any tips?
on vehicles without the dog bone mounts tend to be a little more difficult. but some of them there is barley enough room and models like your malibu you can remove the coil pack main mount with a few connections attached to it and gain all the access you will need.
I have a chevy impala 04 , do I have to set the car in neutral and why ?before I pull the motor forward? cause I read that in a different website,thanx!
JoeTheAutoGuy but what I want to know is ,if its really necessary! I mean I prefer to just have it in park ,I would feel safer that it wont move.and if I break one of the spark plug wires ,do I have to replace the whole set or just that one,? thanx
glad i could help, that's why i do the videos i always want to save somebody money, and yeah i feel with proper maintenance these engines can last a long time.
How I can fix/exchange the aluminum tube that is in front of the engine and it got another tube connected, I thi6is called EGR ,tube ,please let me know, thanks
Thank you for the video. i have a 1999 Chevy Lumina that needs a tune up. I watched the video all the way through twice, but didn't see the vacuum lines that you disconnected. You mentioned for us to reconnect them and the motor mount after the install. Which ones did you take loose?
How do you put the engine back? Do you just release tension? You're video is a lot of help, by the way. Really made me less scared about changing plugs.
Caleb Long Productions when you release tension the engine will sit in its place and the mounts will almost line up maybe be a half inch to quarter inch off you can line it up by hand at this point , thanks for watching
the nuts are locking type so no you just need to get them tight and they will hold , i just buzzed them on with a impact usually , just blip the trigger.
Hey Joe, thanks so much for the informative and helpful video. You made it very clear and easy to understand, even for a novice like myself. In my case, I am working with a minivan (2002 Chevy Venture), is it much different or will everything go about the same? Should I only replace the misfiring spark plug, or should I swap them all out while I'm at it?
Hi, Well I changed the plug and wires! It ran for a day! I found it was not getting fuel , I changed the fuel filter because my son said he had the pump change but not the filter! So it ran for a day ! The weather went cold ! I am getting fuel now but it will not start! Do you think it could be a coil? If so do you have a something on how to check and change if needed! Thanks Again for you help!
Annette Carlisle the 3 coils have a circuit board underneath them. You can ck the resistance on them to see if they all 3 have the same values. As for the ignition control unit not sure. It holds all 3 coils on it and controls the spark sequence to the engine. One other thing you can ck is the camshaft sensor located by the powersteering pump/reservoir. Are there any codes that popped up? That is a good starting point, hopes this helps.
Thank you les goolcharan yes and sorry for late reply but let me know on any check engine codes , if the crankshaft position sensor sees no rpm it won't engage fuel pressure just a few things to look into again sorry about the late reply these google plus comments are tricky to keep up with
This is an excellent video, going to make compression testing my Oldsmobile a lot easier. Do you have to jack up the engine/trans before performing this job?
little bit on threads is not a real big concern just check that your engine is not leaking into the spark plug valleys if it is you need to address that concern
Hi joe. I have a 1992 grand prix. It only has one dog bone though. Its the twin dual cam 3.4 liter. Not the 3400. Is it ok to still do the ratchet strap thing? Will it still tilt forward?
Hey joe ,i have a 95 mote carlo, and when i accelerate the engine has a big hesitation in it , and when i accelerate hard as to pass someone it hesitates more. could that be my spark plugs?
+smoke one wow, am in the middle of this nightmare job myself smoke one. NIGHTMARE. RichPin has a somehwat good video on this, but it may not work. There's another half hour video -- with audio in RUSSIAN (sic) that's almost helpful. Manuals mindlesslessly tell you to remove the exhaust crossover pipe -- then don't tell you how to do THAT. (!!! as bad as the engineering team from *&$# who put the thermostat where you can't easily get to it) RichPIN and others will counsel that you can use a curved or short wrench to reach under the exhaust crossover from the back.... extremely difficult to pull off, and if you're lucky to do that, you then have to get the lower bolt on the thermostat back on. (RichPin uses a left hand blind method -- wild even if you have small hands, long fingers) The russian video counsels taking off the throttle body assembly (yes, a real pain), as well as just about everything else to the right side of the engine. even then, with the throttle body removed, you STILL might not have enough room to put the thermostat housing back in! (ggggrrrrrr.....) Even if you do that, starting that lower bolt is a nightmare.... Two tips/workarounds: 1. yes, try loosening the exhaust crossover bar -- just by removing the two (no doubt very rusty) cover nuts on front side of engine. (yes, another pain to get to).... that will permit the cross exhause cover to come up maybe a half inch.... and THAT is just enough to slip most right hands underneath towards the lower bolt location for the thermostat housing -- and with fingers from the left hand from the top, le voila! 2. forget finding a vw bended wrench. So yesterday. Get yourself one of the ratcheting 13mm wrenches. (cheaper often in a set) Stubby length even better. A HUGE help. (in a literal pinch)
You don't need to take the exhaust crossover off. Take the air intake off and the throttle body (easy) and the coolant bypass rod which is a thin black rod going across the front of the motor which should be one bolt and it will lift up and out of your way pretty easily. You'll need to take the two hoses off of that guy too. After that both thermostat bolts are accessible. Start with the back one (pain in the ass) a 6" 13mm or 1/2 wrench should do it. I'm a big guy so I went in under the exhaust crossover to get to the bottom one. After you break it loose you can use your fingers. Then you can do the front bolt same size wrench. Then the thermostat housings should come right off but be careful of damaging the crossover. Just rotate the housing and it should come off and pull the thermostat out. And follow those instructions backwards and you have changed your thermostat!! Good luck!
I just did that job, what makes this job difficult is the bottom bolt to the thermostat is a difficult spot that makes it hard to remove. This took me about 3 days of fooling with it. Might want to just take a a shop and let them fool with it. Not easy job
They make a special tool for it and sell it at napa or on Amazon as " ATD Tools 3310 gm thermostat wrench . I recommend getting it. It makes it a very quick job
Hey Joey...I have an 05 impala 3.4 liter...do you replace the coil pack too when you change the plugs? What is the relation of the coil pack to performance of the vehicle? Thanks for any help you can provide.
randolph2k7 you do not need to replace the coil packs unless a problem persists with them. As far as performance if they are not working properly you wont get full spark capacity
im sorry im not really understanding your question?....... if two wires were put back in the wrong place just make sure they are in the correct position now
I noticed you didn't have to fight with those back plugs to get them out. Is there a special way to get them out without stripping the threads? Kinda like quarter turn out quarter turn back and forth, a little farther out each time or something?? 🤔
Pulling the engine forward like this wont have any negative consequences? How far is it safe to pull? Is there any risk of stressing/damaging something attached below the engine?
+Andrew Davis The designers took this into account when designing the engine. The lower engine mount, and all connections to the transmission are designed for it to come forward.
Andrew Davis I pulled the engine forward and it screwed up my radiator by the duel fans rubbing and puncturing it. I recommend you take off the wiper motor arms and then the coil packs. alot easier and less costly, but you have to feel for the plugs cause you can't physically see them, especially if it's on a Van with a 3400 engine
Thanks Joe for great video, I did change my sp.plags and wiring, but since than I feel like loosing power. when entering to a highway it takes too long to speed up. I'm thinking maybe I wrongly connect the wires any idea? Thanks a lot
Nur Jum wrong wires will most likley post a dtc code of p0300 random misfire , does the engine feel like it has a slight miss? many times with those back plugs people tighten them at an angle and slightly crack the porcelain and can cause a lack of power pretty good?
Hello Joe, I'm looking to change my spark plugs/ wires on a 2005 Buick Rendezvous and wanted to know what tools I need to get from the auto part store. Or any store for cheap.
+Tamicca Bridges you will need a 5/8ths spark plug socket and a appropriate ratchet and socket set will get you most of the way metric sockets by the way , exept for the 5/8ths spark plug socket
Thanks. One of my employes said he would have to take the upper manifold cover off or jack up the Lumina and replace the back plugs from under the car?!
anthony torres check lengths of wires and number them yourself with a sharpie prior to installation of your having trouble the coil pack is numbered starting from driver side of car is 1,4,6,3,2,5 the engine starting from the belt side is (1)(3)(5) towards rear of car (2)(4)(6) more front
Great video...even for me lol...I have a question have you heard of turning on your ac and you lose your gas..every time I run my ac I watch all my gas go within an hour..ok leaking or no smell of gas...it seems like the ac kills my gas. I have a 2000 Chevrolet monte carlo ss. I was thinking a tune up may help what are your thoughts or anybody else can help if they know what the cause of this is. Thank you.
true it does put more load on the engine but not that much you would see that significant drop in mileage, do you have any check engine lights?, a tune up could b a good first place to start but definetly should be getting better mileage
+G. Phillips It's real simple, on the rear starting on the passenger side, left to right, #1 #3 #5 and on the front in the same direction #2 #4 #6 Now, looking at the coils from left to right #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 hook them up and you've got it
Fixing to do my 3.1 Lumina with 305,000 miles on it. Love this car. Thank you for the help.
Heck yeah! Way better than a car payment!💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻
Could you help me. Im changing my wires on a lumina 3.1 and I cant get number 5 put on could you tell me kinda what Im feeling for or what area Im putting it in without moving motor mounts?
About to do my grandmother's 3.1 Monte Carlo LS with 27k original miles. Pre ordered by her mother car sat for 11 years after she got dementia, she past away a few years back. My grandmother got the house & the car with all of the original documents. Car had the original tires & battery still. Tires had brand new tread still but had to be changed because they were dry rotted same scenario with the battery it had a dead cell. Car still has original brakes, pads & all in like new condition a little sun fading on interior & passenger air bag cover is curled up. Clear coat on the hood & roof is even fine. I changed the fuel pump & it fired right up. The in tank fuel feed line that comes from the top of the pump was just cracked. Just had oil changed & now doing iridium spark plugs.
The lumina is a boring car but it definitely gets the job done.
I'm fixing to do my 98 Buick century with 280k on it. It's been sitting a while.
Hello Joe. First of all,I want to thank you for posting this very informative video. We have a 2005 Venture and it was time for a new set of AC wires and iridium plugs. I ended up using a come-along to tilt the engine forward and removed the left and center coil packs.Found it easier to use a 4 inch piece of rubber hose to thread the new plugs in. Now our van is purring like new. Many thanks!!!
Don't know how long ago you made this video...I'm now a Subscriber...Thx
joe, thanks for the information, I have been a mechanic or 43 years and have had many ideas on how to change those pesky rear plugs, used to take the "dog bones loose then use floor jack to jack the engine foward, last time I used the ratchet strap, didnt think anyone else would have thought of that, when I did it I thought I was brilliant. you stole my thunder but anyway I have changed my coil packs and the new ones are not marked after removing all the plug wires I forget which is #1, I do know that #'2 and 5 are on the same coil pack...but not sure which of the 3 it is.
The ratchet strap to pull the engine forward was essential in changing the back 3 plugs. It sure made it a lot easier. Thank you for this video and the fine advice..
Maurice Cardinal welcome and thanks for watching
I was scratching my head trying to figure out how to get the rear plugs. Thank you very much for making this video. Great job!😀👍
That was very helpful. I just did it this morning on my Wife's Venture. Now I know why i hate horizontally opposed engines.
Stopping by to say your video was helpful. I did mine today! It looks harder than it is. Thank You!
Thank you for posting this vid, you saved me money by showing me how to get at the back plugs myself
James MacKinnon no problem. thanks for watching
Thank you. Im changing the plugs on my friends century 3100 at my guard post tonight. With limited ratchet accessibility, i was very iffy until you made it so easy with just an extension. Thank you!
very informative, thank you. I was like how in the Fudge am i going to be able to reach those plugs with my big meat hooks. guess what I am doing in the morning. Doing the back 3 plugs.
BTW, without even touching the motor mounts. remove the four bolts on the coil mount plate. Unplug the wire on the passenger side and swing the coil pack out of the way. Now you and get to those rear plugs so much easier. I always use "never sieze" on the plug threads, especially with any aluminum heads. ( you'll never break a plug off)
Tim Peters show me your video please
Exactly that's how I did mine 4 bolts and boom u got a foot to work with easy as pie
Dude, you just saved me like a few hundred bucks in labor. Ratchet strap trick works great!
***** thanks for watching
No anti seize ! I got two engines 2001 and a 1999 chevy 3100 that had came to me to remove broken off spark plugs and man they were so much fun
Which way do u loosten the ones by the firewall towards the driver or passenger side?
Hay joe thanks i just got a Buick with 3400 i thought u unhooked the front motor mounts but wasn't 100% on that
Just changed the plugs and wires on a 92 Cutlass Supreme, and who ever previously installed the front plugs must have said the heck with the rear ones because the front had ACDelco and the rear had Autolites. Using the ratchet strap is a whole lot easier and cheaper than buying the tilting tool or using pry bar. Thanks for the tip, and I did use a ratchet strap.
Something I want to point out per GM service manual. After the dog bone bolts are removed from the motor side, and before the dog bones are pulled up and rotated toward the radiator, the other dog bone bolts need to be loosened enough but not removed, so that the rubber inside the dog bone mount does not shear and cause damage.
Thanks for the video, and either way this job is done the rear plugs are still a pain in the wazoo!
Great video; I wondered how on earth you get to the back spark plugs and wires!
Why did you not replace the black 3 cable sleeve from the old front wires?
Thank you!
+Liberty Patriot i actually did this spark plug change about 4000 miles before hand and thought id make a video as i was replacing them after a major engine service. i tend to replace the plugs again n a short distance because this engine was rebuilt and ran in the dead of winter . so anything left out of the video was unintentional as i pieced together footage from 2 actual services
honestly ive nevr used anti sieze on plugs, if you change them at proper intervals ive never had a problem, not that i dont agree its a good idea, thanks for watching
should I use a thread cleaner on this job. I thought it would be a good idea.
Actually the manufacturer recommends that you do not put anti-seize on your spark plugs. as apparently, it conducts electricity and if it were to come out of the spark plug hole somehow it could cause severe arcing of that plug and wire.. if you change your plugs at regular intervals there shouldn't be a need for anti-seize anyway 😏
Thanks Joe I know this video is 10 years old but I got a 2000 Buick century 3.1 liter engine this was so much help I gotta do a tune up soon I did the coil because it came up coil but it’s still running rough so ima just change them all out
Glad it could help you
@@JoeTheAutoGuy hey man quick question so I did all the plugs and wires and coils and it’s giving me a p0300 code could it be fuel injectors ? It’s still misfiring after doing that and I changed the egr valve aswell
Great video. I'm just curious, when you take off the motor mounts and pull the engine forward, is it pulling the transaxle along with it, sort of as one unit? I'm wondering if it creates any risk of damaging the rear main seal?
What size socket and ratchets are you using?
Thank you I have to tackle this process soon....where can I get that belt from??
Thanks I'm about ready to change my plugs on my 97 buick century and I think I'm gonna need to do this cause I couldn't even get my hand back there much less a ratchet!! Thank you!! awesome idea!!
When you unbolt the black motor-holder things, is that all you need to disconnect in order to pull the motor forward? will pulling the motor forward and resetting it afterwards be difficult? you seem to have edited out the whole part of shifting the motor.
the motor pretty much falls back into place, it will take just a little effort to get the bolt to line up .
I have a 98 Olds with a 3.1 engine. But it doesn't have the dog bone mounts. It has a top mount on passenger side! Should I loosen that and then try to tilt the engine??
once you tilt the engine forward can you get to the plugs without removing the coil packs
thanks
Is there a certain torque that the motor mount has to be retorqued to on those bolts or no?
strap make job very easy, what vacuum line did you disconnect? I must have a leak the car accelerates by itself when I accelerate a certain amount. Was not doing it before. the car idles great, can you think of anything?Thanks
Ron Close there is a pcv line that comes from the rear valve cover and it could be causing extr air to be coming in. what is your idle rpm at currently?
Video was very helpful. I need to replace the wires I spend over $400.00 for the tune up. My bad, but I was able to replace the transmission fluid. I bought a 98 chevy lumina real easy to work on for being a home mechanic. Thanks.
It appears a strap with a very short fixed end is best for this task. Also it doesn't appear from the strap width it is rated for a real high weight load. Is that correct? if so I have been having trouble find a strap with short fixed end on it. Any suggestions?
did you have to remove any other parts away from motor before you did the strap thing to pull it forward cause in a another vid from another guy he had to remove parts around the motor... and by the way can you do my spark plugs & wire and 2 of the coil paks that havent' been done.. cause i got a missfire i can't go over 45 without the chk engine light flashing seviral times then staying on but eventually goes out..
Do you have to disconnect your exhaust???
Your video give me more insight on how, ive been looking for my purg valve. i have anther one to replace the old one but tilting the engine seams to be the only anser
. Thank you for the tip
Hi, the thing is I have the Pontiac transport 1996 with 3.4l but I only have one motor support on the passenger side, and in your video you have 2 support that holdind the motor. Is that possible that I only have one or there one is hiding under the motor???
thanks
Excellent video man. Been looking everywhere for someone to show how to use the rachet strap and remove the back plugs.
19bassplaya91 thanks for watching
hey quick question on the chevy venture spark plugs can u tell me which numbers go in which spark plug front and back because i let the shop do my car and i just wanted to make sure they put them back in the right order thanks alot and keeep up the great work besafe always and have a great day
rear cylinders are passenger side to drivers side 1 -3 - 5 and fronts are 2 - 4 - 6
Another thanks post, you saved me a whole lot of time, this made the job so easy I thought I must have messed it up! Thank you sir!
+tommy watson glad it helped , thanks for watching
how you get the wires off? I had a lot of trouble and they would not budge. I do not want to risk breaking or harming the wires.
thanks for all the advice Joe. Having intermittant vehicle lurching at times engine at running temp on 02 Venture van .3.4 167k especially under load heavy or sometimes light and have to back off throttle to let engine calm down. Bat light (may ) flash if lurching is severe as its happening . No Codes even while high line pro scanner is used by mechanic who drove it , he never had lurching . Both o2 sensors changed crank sensor replaced . Pump pressure shows over 50 lbs . Sound like coil s ??? Batt light is puzzeling
Great video bro i was dreading the day i had to change the spark plugs on my impala but your idea with pulling the motor forward made it sooo much easier
glad I could help, thanks for watching
@@JoeTheAutoGuyDid I miss the part where you pull the motor back in to attach the brackets.? Saw you reattach the brackets but not pulling the motor back in probably the same way you pulled and out. And will this work for a 2000 Malibu.? Thanks for the video.
Hi Joe, I have a 2006 Malibu - Same procedure as your video for my spark plug and wire change I will perform tomorrow? Please let me know! Thanks
Jabboy8 i think on the malibu you need to remove the coil packs i dont think the dog bone mounts are not on the 2006 as far as i know
Greetings..Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us .. how could you drive the engine to get the job done? That can also be done with a Chevrolet venture?
do you still have this car?! I have the same motor and everything. Took my car to a mechanic months ago and just realized he left a line loose (he didnt strap it back on).
The line im talking about is the one to the right hand side of the motor oil cap and the dipstick (you can pause the video at 2min:18 seconds to see it)
where does that line go? its connexted in the front but its loose in the rear
Does the vehicle have to be in neutral ? That's what the Hane's manual recommends.
So i cannot take off the little screws inbetween the spark plugs on my 01' .. what size socket do i need? Or what size do i need of anything to take the screws out?
+TiandMandy Akens the spark plug is a 5/8ths socket, if you are talking about the coil packs its a 5.5mm socket to remove the individual packs from the ignition control module
hi im going to be doing this in the morning and i was wondering is there anything i need to worry about or that i should know when untightening the strap after im finished? engine falling to fast?
+John Veier no just be cautious and the engine will fall virtually back in place
I like the ratchet strap trick; that is some brilliant hillbilly engineering.
quick question i have a grand prix and i have oil getting into just one spark plug ive already replaced the spark plugs once but dont want the new ones destroyed the same way any ideas, is it just a seal needing to be replaced?
usualy with the valve seals need to be replaced if this is happening but that onvolvs the cylinder heads coming off. is the oil just surrounding the external spark plug or is it getting to the cylindr itself
Good video, lots on here the person just talks, camera on them and point to whatever part they are talking about without ever doing anything. Or they did it and just show what they did. At least you went through the whole process of everything. Great job!
thanks joe thats what I did. unfortunately my bracket that holds the alternator broke and it's been one mess after another. since I had to take the alternator bracket off I went ahead and remove the Pax like you said and changed the plugs in the back
Thank you fix my car with this video much love bro
I'm gonna do the same on mine tomorrow but on my 03 chevy malibu it doesn't have those "dog bones" mounts I tried remove the spark plug wire but it seems to be stuck in there good but the one in the front are easy to remove, any tips?
on vehicles without the dog bone mounts tend to be a little more difficult. but some of them there is barley enough room and models like your malibu you can remove the coil pack main mount with a few connections attached to it and gain all the access you will need.
I have a chevy impala 04 ,
do I have to set the car in neutral and why ?before I pull the motor forward? cause I read that in a different website,thanx!
stryperman you can but as long as your not super crankin it i dont see the need
JoeTheAutoGuy but what I want to know is ,if its really necessary! I mean I prefer to just have it in park ,I would feel safer that it wont move.and if I break one of the spark plug wires ,do I have to replace the whole set or just that one,? thanx
i use all electronic ratchets now but is there any easy way i can do it without having to use a strap
Yeah a serp belt tool works great
glad i could help, that's why i do the videos i always want to save somebody money, and yeah i feel with proper maintenance these engines can last a long time.
JoeTheAutoGuy Do those wires in the front plugs just pull out like that?
hey would this trick work with the buick 3.8l that have those front mounts?
Keegan Perea it can , but the 3.8s have a little more space usually dont have to do that
How I can fix/exchange the aluminum tube that is in front of the engine and it got another tube connected, I thi6is called EGR ,tube ,please let me know, thanks
Thank you for the video. i have a 1999 Chevy Lumina that needs a tune up. I watched the video all the way through twice, but didn't see the vacuum lines that you disconnected. You mentioned for us to reconnect them and the motor mount after the install. Which ones did you take loose?
the ones connected to the map sensor near the coil pack
Mike Sandlin I have the same car any tips?
How do you put the engine back? Do you just release tension? You're video is a lot of help, by the way. Really made me less scared about changing plugs.
Caleb Long Productions when you release tension the engine will sit in its place and the mounts will almost line up maybe be a half inch to quarter inch off you can line it up by hand at this point , thanks for watching
This might sound like a dumb question but if I lifted the car would I have easier access to the spark plugs in the back?
i feel that it is impossible although i have heard people doing it
Emily Rodriguez I tried that , didnt get me nowhere
Can you still replace the rear plugs without using the ratchet strap?
the nuts are locking type so no you just need to get them tight and they will hold , i just buzzed them on with a impact usually , just blip the trigger.
I have a Chevy Malibu Ls 2000 I need to do my tune up what kind would you recommend me to get
Hey Joe, thanks so much for the informative and helpful video. You made it very clear and easy to understand, even for a novice like myself. In my case, I am working with a minivan (2002 Chevy Venture), is it much different or will everything go about the same? Should I only replace the misfiring spark plug, or should I swap them all out while I'm at it?
Thanks for the video joe. Do i need to push the engine forward if im only replacing the wires?
Thanks, I had a hard time trying to get to the back 3 this helped a lot!
thanks for watching glad i could help ya
Hi, Well I changed the plug and wires! It ran for a day! I found it was not getting fuel , I changed the fuel filter because my son said he had the pump change but not the filter! So it ran for a day ! The weather went cold ! I am getting fuel now but it will not start! Do you think it could be a coil? If so do you have a something on how to check and change if needed! Thanks Again for you help!
Annette Carlisle the 3 coils have a circuit board underneath them. You can ck the resistance on them to see if they all 3 have the same values. As for the ignition control unit not sure. It holds all 3 coils on it and controls the spark sequence to the engine. One other thing you can ck is the camshaft sensor located by the powersteering pump/reservoir. Are there any codes that popped up? That is a good starting point, hopes this helps.
Thank you les goolcharan yes and sorry for late reply but let me know on any check engine codes , if the crankshaft position sensor sees no rpm it won't engage fuel pressure just a few things to look into again sorry about the late reply these google plus comments are tricky to keep up with
Annette Carlisle have any things changed in the car situation any more info and I will surely do everything to help
how'd you get that broken spark plug out as mine did the same things. (front)
when the wires break off you can just pull on the wire thats remaining
This is an excellent video, going to make compression testing my Oldsmobile a lot easier. Do you have to jack up the engine/trans before performing this job?
thank you good video
did you get a bit of oil on the threads? i pulled 2 out and saw some on the threads but not the electrode
little bit on threads is not a real big concern just check that your engine is not leaking into the spark plug valleys if it is you need to address that concern
Hi joe. I have a 1992 grand prix. It only has one dog bone though. Its the twin dual cam 3.4 liter. Not the 3400. Is it ok to still do the ratchet strap thing? Will it still tilt forward?
i honestly am not sure on that model
Hey joe ,i have a 95 mote carlo, and when i accelerate the engine has a big hesitation in it , and when i accelerate hard as to pass someone it hesitates more. could that be my spark plugs?
Samantha Aylor the spark plugs could be the issue do you have any check engine light on, also vacuum leaks can cause a hesitation as well
Samantha Aylor could be a bad cat converter
Turns out it was the spark plugs. Fixed those and now she purrs like a kitten.
any tips on changing a thermostat in this engine. cant seem to get to it.
+smoke one wow, am in the middle of this nightmare job myself smoke one. NIGHTMARE. RichPin has a somehwat good video on this, but it may not work. There's another half hour video -- with audio in RUSSIAN (sic) that's almost helpful. Manuals mindlesslessly tell you to remove the exhaust crossover pipe -- then don't tell you how to do THAT. (!!! as bad as the engineering team from *&$# who put the thermostat where you can't easily get to it)
RichPIN and others will counsel that you can use a curved or short wrench to reach under the exhaust crossover from the back.... extremely difficult to pull off, and if you're lucky to do that, you then have to get the lower bolt on the thermostat back on. (RichPin uses a left hand blind method -- wild even if you have small hands, long fingers)
The russian video counsels taking off the throttle body assembly (yes, a real pain), as well as just about everything else to the right side of the engine. even then, with the throttle body removed, you STILL might not have enough room to put the thermostat housing back in! (ggggrrrrrr.....) Even if you do that, starting that lower bolt is a nightmare....
Two tips/workarounds:
1. yes, try loosening the exhaust crossover bar -- just by removing the two (no doubt very rusty) cover nuts on front side of engine. (yes, another pain to get to).... that will permit the cross exhause cover to come up maybe a half inch.... and THAT is just enough to slip most right hands underneath towards the lower bolt location for the thermostat housing -- and with fingers from the left hand from the top, le voila!
2. forget finding a vw bended wrench. So yesterday. Get yourself one of the ratcheting 13mm wrenches. (cheaper often in a set) Stubby length even better. A HUGE help. (in a literal pinch)
You don't need to take the exhaust crossover off. Take the air intake off and the throttle body (easy) and the coolant bypass rod which is a thin black rod going across the front of the motor which should be one bolt and it will lift up and out of your way pretty easily. You'll need to take the two hoses off of that guy too. After that both thermostat bolts are accessible. Start with the back one (pain in the ass) a 6" 13mm or 1/2 wrench should do it. I'm a big guy so I went in under the exhaust crossover to get to the bottom one. After you break it loose you can use your fingers. Then you can do the front bolt same size wrench. Then the thermostat housings should come right off but be careful of damaging the crossover. Just rotate the housing and it should come off and pull the thermostat out. And follow those instructions backwards and you have changed your thermostat!! Good luck!
I just did that job, what makes this job difficult is the bottom bolt to the thermostat is a difficult spot that makes it hard to remove. This took me about 3 days of fooling with it. Might want to just take a a shop and let them fool with it. Not easy job
They make a special tool for it and sell it at napa or on Amazon as " ATD Tools 3310 gm thermostat wrench . I recommend getting it. It makes it a very quick job
whats up with ignition coil packs? ide like a narration including issues with those
what issues are you concerned with ?
Seems like you'd have to put the transmission in neutral for it to ratchet forward, right?
the auto store sold me AC Delco irridium.? is that a problem. please let me know before I put them in. thank you sir.
iridium is an upgrade from platinum nothing wrong with that
Doesn't the transmission need to be placed in neutral before the dog bones are removed and the ratchet strap is used?
it does help but not needed i you dont overcrank it, just move it enough to get your hands back there
So my 97 doesnt have the top motor mount like yours has how would you recommend ratcheting my engine forward?
as long as you do this cautiously and dont over crank it just give it enough room for ou to get your hands back there it will cause no damage
How do u get the block back after pulling it forward??
Great job. Very informative and instructional.
I broke the little clip for the spark cables, where could I find them?
Andy Castillo honestly have no idea i usually wrap a zip tie around whats left, thanks for watching by the way
Hey Joey...I have an 05 impala 3.4 liter...do you replace the coil pack too when you change the plugs? What is the relation of the coil pack to performance of the vehicle? Thanks for any help you can provide.
randolph2k7 you do not need to replace the coil packs unless a problem persists with them. As far as performance if they are not working properly you wont get full spark capacity
A little help man. I just miss place two wire in the wrong cylinder. it when pretty bad. what problem can cause that mistake I made?
im sorry im not really understanding your question?....... if two wires were put back in the wrong place just make sure they are in the correct position now
I noticed you didn't have to fight with those back plugs to get them out. Is there a special way to get them out without stripping the threads? Kinda like quarter turn out quarter turn back and forth, a little farther out each time or something?? 🤔
Pulling the engine forward like this wont have any negative consequences? How far is it safe to pull? Is there any risk of stressing/damaging something attached below the engine?
+Andrew Davis The designers took this into account when designing the engine. The lower engine mount, and all connections to the transmission are designed for it to come forward.
Yup says so per GM in All-Data to pull it forward, I'm doing mine today.
Andrew Davis I pulled the engine forward and it screwed up my radiator by the duel fans rubbing and puncturing it. I recommend you take off the wiper motor arms and then the coil packs. alot easier and less costly, but you have to feel for the plugs cause you can't physically see them, especially if it's on a Van with a 3400 engine
What size magnet socket was that for the spark plugs??? Anybody know was it 14? 13? I think I only have a 14 one from a Toyota
5/8ths spark plug socket
Thanks Joe for great video, I did change my sp.plags and wiring, but since than I feel like loosing power. when entering to a highway it takes too long to speed up.
I'm thinking maybe I wrongly connect the wires
any idea?
Thanks a lot
Nur Jum wrong wires will most likley post a dtc code of p0300 random misfire , does the engine feel like it has a slight miss? many times with those back plugs people tighten them at an angle and slightly crack the porcelain and can cause a lack of power pretty good?
what's the weight capacity on those ratcheting tie downs ? are they the ones from harbor freight?
northern tool, believe they are 450 lb but your not supporting extreme weight
DOC T. GREAT VIDEO. WILL CHANGE MY PLUGS AND WIRES MYSELF, THANKS TO YOU.
David Tutt thanks for watching, glad i could help
Great video! I am having a problem with getting the two spark plugs off on the right side (the are very close together). any suggestions?
thanks for watching, a 6 inch extension and the appropriate spark plug socket should work just fine with both wires removed from the plugs
I can't remove the plugs
any luck, how are you not able to??? stuck ? or different issue?
It's stuck in there good and I don't want to pull too hard
the wire or the plug?
What is the order of the plugs, where is number 1 plugs number 2 and so forth
Hello Joe, I'm looking to change my spark plugs/ wires on a 2005 Buick Rendezvous and wanted to know what tools I need to get from the auto part store. Or any store for cheap.
+Tamicca Bridges you will need a 5/8ths spark plug socket and a appropriate ratchet and socket set will get you most of the way metric sockets by the way , exept for the 5/8ths spark plug socket
Thanks. One of my employes said he would have to take the upper manifold cover off or jack up the Lumina and replace the back plugs from under the car?!
Robert Appleton, Jr. welcome, yeah ive seen many ways, minivans i usually do from underneath if i have the option but cars nope its easy enough
is this the same layout process for the 97 Grand Am V6 SE?
if I get wires that are not numbered how can I know the proper way to installed them ? the original ones are numbered but my new ones aren't
anthony torres check lengths of wires and number them yourself with a sharpie prior to installation of your having trouble the
coil pack is numbered starting from driver side of car is 1,4,6,3,2,5
the engine starting from the belt side is (1)(3)(5) towards rear of car
(2)(4)(6) more front
what sort of straps are you using ?
@@calloway1972 small ratchet straps are all that are needed if your going to do it this way
Great video...even for me lol...I have a question have you heard of turning on your ac and you lose your gas..every time I run my ac I watch all my gas go within an hour..ok leaking or no smell of gas...it seems like the ac kills my gas. I have a 2000 Chevrolet monte carlo ss. I was thinking a tune up may help what are your thoughts or anybody else can help if they know what the cause of this is. Thank you.
true it does put more load on the engine but not that much you would see that significant drop in mileage, do you have any check engine lights?, a tune up could b a good first place to start but definetly should be getting better mileage
JoeTheAutoGuy the check engine light is not on.
any video on doing a blown head gasket for that same 3.1?
Stone BoDean I'm in the same boat, friend
do you have to hold engine from bottom
Nope
is it difficult to put the engine back in place?
nope falls into place pretty much it will need to move it a little but pretty easy
thanks
JoeTheAutoGuy that wasnt fun lol, i guess the guy who owned the car before me hadnt changed the plugs in a while they were a real pain to get them out
+G. Phillips It's real simple, on the rear starting on the passenger side, left to right, #1 #3 #5 and on the front in the same direction
#2 #4 #6 Now, looking at the coils from left to right
#1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 hook them up and you've got it
+Tim Peters is this wire set up for the Buick century also?