Changed Coil, Distributor cap and rotor button, Spark plug wires and spark plugs on my Fiero today and boy that was a job! They ain't a whole lot of room to work with in that engine bay. Did some painting in spots. I've officially sprayed my scent on that girl. She's mine. I've had her a year and 8 months and this is my way of making her officially mine. The previous owner was good to her but I'm better to her.
Changed Coil, Distributor cap and rotor button, Spark plug wires and spark plugs on my Fiero today and boy that was a job! They ain't a whole lot of room to work with in that engine bay. Did some painting in spots. I've officially sprayed my scent on that girl. She's mine. I've had her a year and 8 months and this is my way of making her officially mine. The previous owner was good to her but I'm better to her.
Welcome and yeah, not a lot of room to change those forward plugs is there?
It's worse than some cars, better than some cars, my 2001 Sebring, the rear plugs are under the cowl (wipers etc), and coil on plug, so I need a deep socket and extension, I have to feed each part in individually, drop the socket on the plug, drop the extension onto the socket, drop the ratchet onto the extension, then once loosened, I have to somehow figure out how to disconnect the extension from the socket (can't pull it out far enough to even touch the socket before it hits the cowl). That was a long job haha.
Very easy plug change. Just use an engine tilter Unable to get the link up so do a search here in ebay. GM Dog-Bone-Mount V6 Engine Tilter - LISLE 22550
------------------ " THE BLACK PARALYZER" -87GT 3800SC Series III engine, custom ZZP /Frozen Boost Intercooler setup, 3.4" Pulley, Northstar TB, LS1 MAF, 3" Spintech/Hedman Exhaust, P-log Manifold, Autolite 104's, MSD wires, Custom CAI, 4T65eHD w. custom axles, Champion Radiator, S10 Brake Booster, HP Tuners VCM Suite. "THE COLUSSUS" 87GT - ALL OUT 3.4L Turbocharged engine, Garrett Hybrid Turbo, MSD ign., modified TH125H " ON THE LOOSE WITHOUT THE JUICE "
[This message has been edited by Dennis LaGrua (edited 05-02-2025).]
Very easy plug change. Just use an engine tilter Unable to get the link up so do a search here in ebay. GM Dog-Bone-Mount V6 Engine Tilter - LISLE 22550
Sumbitch, that's cool. All these years, never knew about those.
Removing the deckled to change the front plugs is pretty simple.
It makes access much easier and you need fewer bandages after finishing changing the plugs.
That is certainly an option but deck lid realignment can at times be tricky. I've had to use two people to align the deck and not scratch anything. With the tool you just take off the dogbone and replace it with the engine tilter. You just tighten the tilter with a wrench and it opens up plenty back of room back there to easily change the spark plugs. One man operation. That's how the pros do it.
------------------ " THE BLACK PARALYZER" -87GT 3800SC Series III engine, custom ZZP /Frozen Boost Intercooler setup, 3.4" Pulley, Northstar TB, LS1 MAF, 3" Spintech/Hedman Exhaust, P-log Manifold, Autolite 104's, MSD wires, Custom CAI, 4T65eHD w. custom axles, Champion Radiator, S10 Brake Booster, HP Tuners VCM Suite. "THE COLUSSUS" 87GT - ALL OUT 3.4L Turbocharged engine, Garrett Hybrid Turbo, MSD ign., modified TH125H " ON THE LOOSE WITHOUT THE JUICE "
I don't know if the tilter is the best idea, the engine isn't designed for it, the muffler is mounted to the cradle and there are no flex pipes anywhere in between, and the engine/trans mounts should resist that movement a lot, or potentially tear, with my old mounts (2/3 decent shape), I had to use a prybar to pull the engine backwards enough to just get the dogbone in, they are already supposed to have significant tension, to keep the engine from rocking a lot back and forth in the neutral zone between all bushings/mounts preload. With my new mounts, it took quite some time to get the engine far enough back, and was a chore. This tool is meant more for vehicles like a 1993 Pontiac Grand Prix, where the mounts and exhaust and everything were designed for that (and it is in the manual to do that), flex couplings, much less triangulated engine/trans mounts (but 2 dogbones to make up for it), etc. the rear plugs on that are impossible to access without tilting the engine. The Fiero isn't that bad. If the dogbone puller works or is even used, I'd be suspicious that your engine/trans mounts are either very old, oil soaked, and soft, or something has already fully separated, the exhaust won't like it either. GM designed many vehicles to take advantage of that tool, and those are the vehicles the pros use it on, the Fiero isn't designed to use that, and I don't see how it wouldn't cause damage.
I don't know if the tilter is the best idea, the engine isn't designed for it, the muffler is mounted to the cradle and there are no flex pipes anywhere in between, and the engine/trans mounts should resist that movement a lot, or potentially tear, with my old mounts (2/3 decent shape), I had to use a prybar to pull the engine backwards enough to just get the dogbone in, they are already supposed to have significant tension, to keep the engine from rocking a lot back and forth in the neutral zone between all bushings/mounts preload. With my new mounts, it took quite some time to get the engine far enough back, and was a chore. This tool is meant more for vehicles like a 1993 Pontiac Grand Prix, where the mounts and exhaust and everything were designed for that (and it is in the manual to do that), flex couplings, much less triangulated engine/trans mounts (but 2 dogbones to make up for it), etc. the rear plugs on that are impossible to access without tilting the engine. The Fiero isn't that bad. If the dogbone puller works or is even used, I'd be suspicious that your engine/trans mounts are either very old, oil soaked, and soft, or something has already fully separated, the exhaust won't like it either. GM designed many vehicles to take advantage of that tool, and those are the vehicles the pros use it on, the Fiero isn't designed to use that, and I don't see how it wouldn't cause damage.
having done the plugs on a 95 grand prix gtp woth a lq1 i can say you dont need the tool. it just sucks and takes an hour. as for fieros the worst time ive had changing plugs was on my gt when half the metal hex broke off. also you can use the puller for replacing the front trans mount a little easier
My dog bone is mounted to the cradle, so tilting the engine is not an easy task. Some people tilt the cradle, but that is not nearly as easy as removing the deck lid.
I take off and replace the deck lid by myself and find it much quicker and easier than trying to work around it. Four bolts and an electrical plug and it is off.
To reinstall, I remove the side vents, lay the deck lid back on the hinges and tilt it up to reinstall the four bolts to be snug, but not tight. I then close the deck lid into the lock. It is easy to line up with the rear quarter panels, press down on one hinge at a time to tighten the bolts and move to the other side and repeat, followed by reinstalling the vents. No scratches necessary.
having done the plugs on a 95 grand prix gtp woth a lq1 i can say you dont need the tool. it just sucks and takes an hour. as for fieros the worst time ive had changing plugs was on my gt when half the metal hex broke off. also you can use the puller for replacing the front trans mount a little easier
Yeah, that's a good idea, when you need to lift it off a mount, and yeah, one of the first things I did to my Fiero was to replace the spark plugs, and cyl #6 broke, I got the core, and the hex, and all that was left were the threads of the plug, it took quite some time to get that out, but it was doable, and I wasn't specifically lacking space. I do have long, flexible, thin arms, and I don't need to physically see what I'm working on to know what's going on, so that does help a lot.
I take off and replace the deck lid by myself and find it much quicker and easier than trying to work around it. Four bolts and an electrical plug and it is off.
To reinstall, I remove the side vents, lay the deck lid back on the hinges and tilt it up to reinstall the four bolts to be snug, but not tight. I then close the deck lid into the lock. It is easy to line up with the rear quarter panels, press down on one hinge at a time to tighten the bolts and move to the other side and repeat, followed by reinstalling the vents. No scratches necessary.
That's exactly what I do. The only thing I can add is that I stand in the trunk while lifting the decklid off the hinges (the decklid is tilted open with folded cardboard between the decklid and the rear window), and I then place it on a big flattened cardboard box that's been laid across the roof.
[This message has been edited by Patrick (edited 05-04-2025).]
Yeah, that's a good idea, when you need to lift it off a mount, and yeah, one of the first things I did to my Fiero was to replace the spark plugs, and cyl #6 broke, I got the core, and the hex, and all that was left were the threads of the plug, it took quite some time to get that out, but it was doable, and I wasn't specifically lacking space. I do have long, flexible, thin arms, and I don't need to physically see what I'm working on to know what's going on, so that does help a lot.
i wasnt so lucky. i broke the middle on the front right where it was covered by the bracket and i refused to take the decklid off until the 2nd day and 3 broken sockets later. turns out it didnt help at all on a gt lol. i do remember it was a 12 millimeter socket when i was done getting it out
i wasnt so lucky. i broke the middle on the front right where it was covered by the bracket and i refused to take the decklid off until the 2nd day and 3 broken sockets later. turns out it didnt help at all on a gt lol. i do remember it was a 12 millimeter socket when i was done getting it out
Yeah, the whole hex came off entirely, leaving only the metal threads of the spark plug, it was that rusty, my only option was an "easy out" and it took a long time but did end up working, this was probably the second thing I had ever done on this car (removed the headlight motors first) so it was pretty intense haha
I don't know if the tilter is the best idea, the engine isn't designed for it, the muffler is mounted to the cradle and there are no flex pipes anywhere in between, and the engine/trans mounts should resist that movement a lot, or potentially tear, with my old mounts (2/3 decent shape), I had to use a prybar to pull the engine backwards enough to just get the dogbone in, they are already supposed to have significant tension, to keep the engine from rocking a lot back and forth in the neutral zone between all bushings/mounts preload. With my new mounts, it took quite some time to get the engine far enough back, and was a chore. This tool is meant more for vehicles like a 1993 Pontiac Grand Prix, where the mounts and exhaust and everything were designed for that (and it is in the manual to do that), flex couplings, much less triangulated engine/trans mounts (but 2 dogbones to make up for it), etc. the rear plugs on that are impossible to access without tilting the engine. The Fiero isn't that bad. If the dogbone puller works or is even used, I'd be suspicious that your engine/trans mounts are either very old, oil soaked, and soft, or something has already fully separated, the exhaust won't like it either. GM designed many vehicles to take advantage of that tool, and those are the vehicles the pros use it on, the Fiero isn't designed to use that, and I don't see how it wouldn't cause damage.
The Fiero exhaust system is hung by springs, the mounts are rubber, the hoses and lines are rubber and everything is designed to move because as the car moves through the gears on acceleration the powertrain moves quite a bit. That is one reason why factory mounts and dogbones are not solid. I appreciate your comments but we have used the engine tilter many times on Fieros and we never have not experienced breakage of anything. The tilter only moves the powertrain about the same distance as when accelerating,
------------------ " THE BLACK PARALYZER" -87GT 3800SC Series III engine, custom ZZP /Frozen Boost Intercooler setup, 3.4" Pulley, Northstar TB, LS1 MAF, 3" Spintech/Hedman Exhaust, P-log Manifold, Autolite 104's, MSD wires, Custom CAI, 4T65eHD w. custom axles, Champion Radiator, S10 Brake Booster, HP Tuners VCM Suite. "THE COLUSSUS" 87GT - ALL OUT 3.4L Turbocharged engine, Garrett Hybrid Turbo, MSD ign., modified TH125H " ON THE LOOSE WITHOUT THE JUICE "
