procedure sparks plugs 380 QV ( rear bank )

How funny! I'm replacing my plugs tonight! I'll have to check back before I start to see if anyone has posted any advice.

Good luck!

p.s. I've read that a couple of different elbow socket adapters help. I've also read that a smaller socket may be required for the front bank than what is required for the rear!

 

I use a piece of black-plastic pipe with an inner-diameter equal to the outer diameter of the spark plugs (about eight inches long) Use the pipe to hand-thread the plugs into the wells, do NOT just grab a socket and start jamming them in there. You are threading Steel plug threads into soft aluminum, so these must be started by-hand with a little bit of anti-seize compound to lube the threads. If you screw up and cross-thread with some torque, you're flat-bedding the car to a shop to re-tap your engine block.

 

You really just get good at the "feel" of doing it blind...

I use a integral swivel plug socket and short extension but do not "click" it into the socket, just use it to turn, then when you feel the plug come loose in the well, use a fabricated wire hook, to pull the plug socket with plug in it.......


Go back in the same way in reverse....don't forget to check the gap and remove the ferrule off the end (assuming your wires are like my early ones).

The roof spoiler gets in the way too, compared to my early cars....

Good Luck!

 

...engine HEAD.

Otherwise, well said.

 

I placed a large hand mirror back there, with good lighting and used it to find the plug holes, I think I taped the socket to the extension, so it didn't fall off. Be sure to start them by hand, so no cross threading. I used the same technique to replace the injectors- they're even more fun to do, with just a mirror.

 

I usually just throw them in the trash to get rid of them .

I try to start out by removing the well gaskets and blowing compressed air into the wells since who knows what besides parts of Jimmy Hoffa might be in there.

I drop the plug socket in the well. Then I drop in the extender and engage it with the socket and the plug. Then I attach the ratchet and go to town. Then I reverse the procedure with last step being use of micro magnetic pickup to retrieve the plug. It is indeed an exercise in patience.

 

Wow I feel primitive here! I just climbed into the trunk, leaned over the engine and used the tools that came with the car. Seems to work fine.

 

I just did it using the same suggestions as above. I have no rear spoiler so I could easily see what I was doing between the deck lid and rear of the cabin roof.

The first two I did (driver's side) took the most amount of time, about 45 minutes, as I am slow but the last two took about 15 minutes total as I figured out what series of sockets, extensions, swivels, ratchet and a hook made from a coat hanger used to fish out the socket after torqing the plug down and dropping the socket back in the well I needed to accomplish the job.

You kinda have to "build" your tool in stages with socket and plug into the well, start it by hand as suggested above, then finish building your tool to be able to ratchet/torque down the plug. You disassemble your tool in stages in order to get it out.


I could be wrong, but doing this on a cool engine is probably better than a warm one, besides the possible burn issue, -- Right guys?

 

Did it once and I'll second the "feel" of doing it blind. It was a pain to do the wires, extenders and plugs, but its not really that hard, just patience.

I actually thought about writing a procedure up when I did my ex-QV, but it was too dark (in my underground parking garage) to take good pics with my crappy digital camera.

Oh, took me 6 hours +/-. The thread: http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=168073

James in Denver

 

Yea, well, it was a friends Testarossa, and....well......

 

i do mine through the engine lid and rear glass gap. i prefer the Porsche 911 spark plug tool to the Ferrari one. i can have them all changed in about 30-40 minutes. be sure to use a small dot of anti seize on the threads of the spark plugs. it makes your next change easy and fun!

 

i have a socket that has rubber inside that holds the plug in place while i start the threads. it's just snug enough so the plug slips rather than cross threads. it also helps if you have a joint in your arm between the wrist and elbow;-)