joe Villarreal

twist and pull next time you install them add the lube that comes with the wires or add vasaline inside the boot so you wont have this problem again

dougbfresh

How does this help him get the old boots off??

MawneeC5

I always just used a small pry bar on the heat shields to pull them up. My first c5 was high miles and my Z06 is low, but they both took the same effort to get off. A couple of them took a bit more effort, but nothing epic. I've never broken one..though I did replace the high mile ones anyway(originals are still in my garage somewhere lol)

imavettegirl

they don't dry out as much.

it is for the NEXT time you change wires.

Kick2TheJunk

Mine took a little longer, but only because I had to give my hands a break from scrubbing on the various things in the way. I'm a 'Gordo', so my hands were a little tight getting into some of the spaces.

I used this
http://www.amazon.com/GearWrench-805...5480504&sr=8-2

and along with another Craftsman 3/8" swivel and some strong hands, I got them all out and replaced without major complications. Hardest part, getting the old wire boots off the plugs. After doing one side, reading about the angled needle nose - I used that idea on the other side... gripping the heat shield with the angled needle nose and along with tugging on the wire boot itself, they popped right off. No room for me to twist and turn them on the plug to free them up, so the pliers helped me alot. Good tip there.

Putting the new wires back on was a little tight for me too, making sure they locked into the tip of the plug wasn't always 'click - done' - I'd pull em off once or twice and see if I liked the feel of it.

I bought the AC DELCO 41-110's and MSD 32819 wires. Runs like a new car. No more light miss at a red light, smooth as silk.

I bought both from Advance Auto Parts (website) and used coupon codes on both items (purchased separately) and used coupon codes I found online. I saved $30 on the plugs and $35 on the wires. I added the dielectric grease and the anti-seize lube to the cart in order to reach the cart requirement for max discount.

I don't race my C5 or even lay into the pedal, but I will say this was a MUCH needed procedure and well worth the time/money spent.

Anyone on the fence about it, just do it. I paint houses for a living and haven't had my hands in an engine in 15 years. This went off without a problem.

I think the OP already moved on.

rboineau

A couple Forum members wondered what I wound up doing after posting my initial request for information/assistance.

What I did was. . . . nothing yet. Obviously I don't need to do anything (with the car's mileage as it is) so I am still cogitating, hoping something will come to me regarding the removal of the metal shields without marring and taking off the existing wires without damage.

Since I was flamed by people assuming I was too cheap to buy new wires, let me say again that I would be perfectly willing to buy wires but would rather spend the $70 on beer, particularly because an 8000 mile garaged car doesn't need new wires and they shouldn't have to be destroyed.

Since I cannot break the boots' "stiction" by turning/twisting, I will probably use one Forum member's advice and put locking pliers on the boot ends, then pry up against those pliers to pop the boot off(and surely ruining one or more boots in the process). Or maybe I'll just sell the car.

Thanks once more to the people who offered help, as opposed to the smart-alecks.

joe Villarreal

the lube helps them from sticking to the plugs

Fastguy

I just pulled wires off a 99 Camaro SS that were last installed at the factory, they did not want to come off after 12 years. I didn't care about the wires or the dust shields so I yanked on them and they would not budge. I ended up having to put a tool under the shield and pry against the head. It didn't damage the shield. The plugs themselves came out fairly easy so the whole excercise may be a waste of time if the car runs fine and your wires don't arc.

duckvett

I just did this job on our 45K mile 2000. One thing I have not seen mentioned in this thread that may help somewhat is to pull the wires off the coil packs first. Grab the top boot and twist it both way (doesn't require much turn), it will then easily pull off the coil pack. Now you have a tiny bit more room to work on the bottom end of the wire. Now grab the heat shield around the lower boot and turn it from side-to-side. Pull only on the heat shield or the boot, I guarantee if you pull on the wire you will break at least one of them, probably more.

Many people have tried to help you (in their own inimitable ways), so without being a "smart-aleck" I will tell you the awful truth: You would be foolish to attempt this project without knowing you want to change the plugs and wires. This is not a project you want to be doing just for practice. You will sweat, you will curse, you will bleed - make it worthwhile and change the damn plugs and wires.

leadfoot4

Well put, "smart-aleck"..........










BTW, I can't believe this thread is still around!

lucky131969

Huh, so that's what those metal shields are for...to protect the spark plug boots from dust. Who knew..?

lucky131969

Really? You went through all that changing spark plugs/wires ?

There are soo many choices for mechanics gloves today. They fit tight, and have rubber coated palms/fingers, so you still have dexterity. No reason to cut your hands up any more.

Fastguy

My engine is extremely dirty.

duckvett

[QUOTE=lucky131969;1576584373]Really? You went through all that changing spark plugs/wires ?

There are soo many choices for mechanics gloves today. They fit tight, and have rubber coated palms/fingers, so you still have dexterity. No reason to cut your hands up any more.
QUOTE]

I wore mechanics gloves....my hands were fine, it was from the wrists to the elbows where I bled. There are a lot of sharp edges in there!

dmarkshark

Look, Im not an expert by any stretch, but if I pull on the plug its going nowhere. If I give it a good twist it pops loose. But, again, that is just what seemed to work for me. I don't know if it will work, but probably not hurt, too much! LOL

lucky131969

[QUOTE=duckvett;1576588246]Sorry, I forgot to say......wear a long sleeve shirt....or mechanics sleeves.

dennyf

I ruined my the first set of wires I tried to pull off. Ended up buying several different types of spark plug pliers and I put dielectric grease on the plugs before installing the wires.

tquinn

Thanks for all the comments on this subject. While I do have a C5, I've not yet gotten into the spark plugs on it. But today I started to change the plugs on my daughter's 2004 Grand Prix GTP, and ran into the same issue, same type of connectors. I finally got all six off without breaking them, but it was not easy. Here was my approach, which uses some of what was discussed above:

1. Get the heat shield loose from the boot. It is held down by a spring type device. With your hand, rotate the shield clockwise as if you were tightening it (because the wound spring is like a left hand thread). This should break the shield loose from the engine and the boot.

2. Use a large pliars, set it to allow a big opening. Pull the heat shield back down toward the engine and clamp the big teeth of the pliars on the rubber boot, between the large molded hex on the boot and the metal heat shield.

3. As said before by others, wiggle and manipulate the boot with the pliars. If possible, rotate the boot 90 degrees in one direction, then 90 degrees in the other. I suspect that is what the rubber molded hex is for, but in some locations on the engine, I couldn't turn it with my hand, but could with the pliars.

4. While keeping the pliars tight on the boot, use the other hand to pull outward on the pliars hard while wiggling the boot with the pliars.

5. Here is the tough part. Keep doing #4 until the boot finally comes loose and pops off. It can take several minutes or more of putting heavy force on it. It is tiring and can cause parts of your body to ache intensely. Especially when laying across the top of a transverse V6 to get to the back row of plugs (much harder than the Vette). But eventually it will come loose.

6. There was one plug on the GTP where there was not enough room to get the second hand on the pliars. Eventually I took a 2 1/2 foot long 3/8 inch round rod, and got it behind the pliars and pryed the pliars away from the engine while keeping the pliars clamped on the boot. It popped right off.


If I can get all six off the GTP using this technique on boots that had never been removed in 100,000 miles, any Vette should be a cinch with this method. But you have to be persistent and confident that it will eventually come loose. Don't give up.

NatB

Wow, old thread.

The hardest part of replacing the spark plugs on my 2002 Z06 at only 30k miles 2 years ago was pulling the old wires off . Good thing I had new GM wires, several of the originals were destroyed in the process.

tquinn

Yes, it was an old thread, but I was looking for help today, this came up, and it was useful. When I did some of my own refinement to the technique, I figured it was a good idea to post that so that someone else might benefit in three years. Or you might be able to save all your wires next time you get into your plugs.

Terry