Hi all,

I have an 04 clubwagon with the 4.6. I'm replacing spark plugs. Now I understand why I and others put this job off. It's not the nightmare I have heard of, but the driver's side rear seems especially difficult to get to. The fuel line connects to the rail right above it making it hard to get to. Is this just a matter of a mechanic's skill or do I need to remove the fuel lines? I tried taking the bolts holding the fuel rail on the block off, but this offered little movement. Maybe I'm just tired and frustrated. Thanks for any tips and tricks you can give.

 

It's a dog job, and that is why mechanics hands are beat up.

Just take your time and if ,possible , try to blow the grit out of the spark plug hole before removing the plug. If you don't, that grit goes into the cylinder and goes to work scoring cylinder walls. If you don't have compressed air to do this , something like a turkey baster or other type ball, will work.

 

It took me a while to get back to this job. I had to move the fuel lines to get to it. It wasn't that bad. 4 small bolts on the motor and another bracket bolted onto the trans. Once I moved it, I was able to get the to the plug. The challenge is that the fuel lines at the motor are rigid metal lines that create a seal by pushing down on the injectors. When reinstalling, it is important to push the lines down in the injectors to adequately seal them and prevent a leak. I found this out when I turned the key to the on position and saw fuel leaking out of the #8 injector. All is well now.

 

Thank You for the info and update.
There are times when if we remove a part or two to gain easier access the job goes much quicker and easier.. There aren't too many things that can be replaced directly on modern engines and removal of a component can help make the job a lot easier. What looks like a lengthy problem can actually go much faster when we remove a part that might be in the way. Of course, there are reasonable limits as to just how involved you might want to get with the job.