Changing spark plugs on my 2004 Lesabre

[JimP]

I had a code generated on start up the other day regarding a misfire. I cleared the codes and it never came back but it got me thinking. The car has 106K on it and is in wonderful shape but since I was not able to procure any service records from the previous owner (deceased, son sold me the car). I have no baseline for where the car is at regarding scheduled maintenance.
With this in mind I have decided to pick off things. I had the transmission fluid changed by an outfit that specialized in that a couple months ago. I flushed the heater core using white vinegar, then changed the coolant last month. Heater works great now. I just did an oil change to pure synthetic last week.
Now I'd like to tackle the spark plugs. However those ones in the back close to the firewall are a bi$@! At 68, it seems i no longer have the strength to loosen the ruber boots. There's little room for tools and trying by hand with your arm/hand in an awkward position doesn't work for me even after removing the overflow tank. I suppose I could remove the alternator and brackets.
I have seen a video of a procedure that folks do on the previous generation Lesabre whereby the front top motor mount brackets are temporarily rotated out of place and a ratchet strap is used to rotate the engine forward. They claim this increased the distance between the engine and the firewall by 4" which makes a big difference.
My Lesabre doesn't have front/top motor mounts.
Do you think I'd hurt anything by simply using the ratchet strap to rotate the engine, or possibly is there some other motor mounts that should be loosened?

 

[02LTD2.0]

I'm 68 as well. I was probably 65 when I did my plugs and agree that it's very difficult to get the boots off. You should replace the spark plug wires as well so just go ahead and cut the boots off with some wire cutters. There should be no need to try and rotate the engine forward as there is enough room in this generation of LeSabre to get to the plugs. You won't be able to see them as you're removing them, I did mine by "feel".
What you heard about using a ratchet strap applies to the Buick Regal. My brother had a 2004 Regal a few years ago and had to go that route.

 

[JimP]

Tx for the info 02LTD2.0. Yeh I bought new wires thinking I might destroy the old. So nothing lost as you say by cutting them off. If I were 66 I might have thought of
that 🙂

 

[silverbullet04]

I did my spark plugs and wires myself on my lesabre a few times. The fronts are easy like sunday morning! The rears are a bit of a pain. You need to climb on top, use a thick rubber mat across the front support for comfort and almost 100 percent of the rear is gonna be by feel only.

 

[Ultra Ego]

When I put the new plug wires on, I put a very thin coating of vaseline on the ceramic portion of the spark plug so that next plug change it shouldn't be as difficult to persuade the boots to let go. I've threatened to cut old boots off before, but fortunately they've complied before I had to resort to that.

 

[CottonPicker]

JimP, I hear you about the 68 yrs. Things don't work as I want them to at times for me either.
I have a 5/8" Snap-On spark plug socket with a double flex joint that is black or an impact socket made for the 3800 back in the early 1990's. It works 100% correct with no broken/cracked porcelain. I use a 18 inch long extension with this for all the plugs. (no bending over in front).
I made a tool to break the plug wire boots off the plugs. It is a U shaped tool steel flat stock welded to a hardened 14" long 3/8" rod. I slide the U into the plug alum cover a pry it off very quickly. Works 100% of the time w/o twisting the plug boots. No frustration or leaking red liquid.
I use silicone grease and coat the boot inside on install. After 20,000 miles, twisting the boot and pull the wire off easily. Always start with new Delco wires.
If I didn't have the removal tool, I'd twist the boot to break it loose for the plug. If the boot won't pull off I use a thin razor exacto knife to slice the boot off the plug and use pliers to pull the wire off. (Normal exacto blades have the cutting surface 90 deg to the handle. Exacto blade that is sharp on the front end works. Push the cutting end down toward the spark plug base.)
I hope this will help.

 

[Ultra Ego]

I made a tool to break the plug wire boots off the plugs. It is a U shaped tool steel flat stock welded to a hardened 14" long 3/8" rod. I slide the U into the plug alum cover a pry it off very quickly. Works 100% of the time w/o twisting the plug boots. No frustration or leaking red liquid.

Will you post a picture of this tool please?

 

[JGBuick]

JimP, I hear you about the 68 yrs. Things don't work as I want them to at times for me either.
I have a 5/8" Snap-On spark plug socket with a double flex joint that is black or an impact socket made for the 3800 back in the early 1990's. It works 100% correct with no broken/cracked porcelain. I use a 18 inch long extension with this for all the plugs. (no bending over in front).
I made a tool to break the plug wire boots off the plugs. It is a U shaped tool steel flat stock welded to a hardened 14" long 3/8" rod. I slide the U into the plug alum cover a pry it off very quickly. Works 100% of the time w/o twisting the plug boots. No frustration or leaking red liquid.
I use silicone grease and coat the boot inside on install. After 20,000 miles, twisting the boot and pull the wire off easily. Always start with new Delco wires.
If I didn't have the removal tool, I'd twist the boot to break it loose for the plug. If the boot won't pull off I use a thin razor exacto knife to slice the boot off the plug and use pliers to pull the wire off. (Normal exacto blades have the cutting surface 90 deg to the handle. Exacto blade that is sharp on the front end works. Push the cutting end down toward the spark plug base.)
I hope this will help.

^^^ What he said!^^^ I did this a few years back in my early 60's and it was a real PIA! Yes, cut the wires and so forth. I used a small vice-grip on the boots.

Problem was that the boot and the plug become "one" unit. I also used a liberal amount of silicone grease on the inside of the new boots/wires when installing.

You can't see much when doing this. Laying down padding and laying over the engine helps. Make sure you take a picture and keep track of your wiring order.

Outside of this... use OEM plugs!! No funky weird plugs or non-GM plugs.

 

[02LTD2.0]

^^^ What he said!^^^ I did this a few years back in my early 60's and it was a real PIA! Yes, cut the wires and so forth. I used a small vice-grip on the boots.

Problem was that the boot and the plug become "one" unit. I also used a liberal amount of silicone grease on the inside of the new boots/wires when installing.

You can't see much when doing this. Laying down padding and laying over the engine helps. Make sure you take a picture and keep track of your wiring order.

Outside of this... use OEM plugs!! No funky weird plugs or non-GM plugs.

I've heard through @BuickGirlFromMars that NGK is the same as AC Delco 41-101.

 

[ulycyc]

It depends on the plug. NGK and Denso makes many of the high end AC Delco plugs like platinum and or iridium

 

[silverbullet04]

I've heard through @BuickGirlFromMars that NGK is the same as AC Delco

Ngk made my car run crappy. I switched over to ac delco and the car runs great.

 

[CottonPicker]

Snap-on Universal Double Swivel 5/8" Spark Plug Socket S9721


I had no luck finding on this on the snap-on site. You could use the single swivel and add another one. I've never broken any plug. (Using an impact swivel limits the swivel so it will function not to break the plug and keep a smooth transition to the 90 degree turn at the plug.) Ebay had used sockets. That's were I got the pic.
I've found Snap-On holds the plug with a formed rubber insert correct. Others I've used, they don't hold the plug well and when tightening you crack the plug. I don't use it to hand thread the plugs, I use an old plug boot. I always anti-seize the threads even on iron heads. I only use it by hand.

 

[JimP]

There is a metal tube that goes over the rubber spark plug boot.
I suspect it serves a an EMI shield to reduce emitted magnetic waves that create radio interference?
Anyway, 02LTD, there is no way to get to the boot to cut it off with wire cutters. Might I suggest the last person to perform a spark plug change left the shield off your spark plugs. The metal shield can only be removed after the plug is out. Simply pull it off over the boot end. It cannot be slide up the wire to expose the rubber boot as there is a ridge around the top of the rubber that blocks this. Nor can you cut the wire then remove the shield because of this ridge.
I attempted to rotate the boot to break it's grip on the plug. You can only get to the far end of the boot with your fingers. Since it's rubber, twisting the far end doesn't succeed in enough rotation at the plug end to break the grip, or I couldn't twist it far enough as my wrist joint ran out of travel.
There's no way that any tool long than 4" can be maneuvered into place to grip the boot end so certainly using a tool with a 14" long rod is out of the question.
By the time you get a grip on the boot/shield with your hand, your arm/wrist is in a very contorted position such that it limits your strength precluding exerting enough pulling force for the boot to give up its' grip on the plug.
I believe I can access the first one in the line, fire order plug 2, from underneath the car and have my hand/ rm/wrist in a favorable position. But 4 and 6 are not easily accessed from underneath.
You might conclude that's a long list of excuses, but I beg to differ. I'm personally out of options. It needs a younger stronger guy.......hmmmm....my son?

 

[02LTD2.0]

Full disclosure: I had a friend come over and pull the only plug that I couldn't remove. That was the number 6 plug. He is 20 years younger than me and he laid over the top of the engine to get to it. I purchased some needle nose locking pliers to help with the rear bank of plugs.
My car has secondary air injection which complicates matters for removal of the number 6 plug.

 

[silverbullet04]

The plug boots will come off easier if whoever did the last spark plug change used the proper lubricant on them.

Either way though, the boots will come off with some force.

The rears are obviously more difficult and requires you to get into some funky positions. If you are older, this may be a bit difficult as comfort isn't there with this process.

 

[ulycyc]

I'm 75 and have no trouble changing plugs. Dielectric grease on boots and anti-seize on plugs makes the job easy next time. Also I never put the shields back on. Never had radio noise or cooked plug boots since there inception 50 yrs ago. Another point is if replacing plug wires just cut them off and use whatever fits best for you removing the plugs. Who cares if the porcelain breaks.