Cruelty

[guy48065]

Why would a mfr bury something so necessary to regular maintenance? Am I supposed to remove the power head to change the plugs, fog the cylinder, etc?
There's also no bowl drain on this Sea King (Chrysler).

 

[Chris1956]

How about using an open end wrench on that spark plug?

A whole bunch of Merc IL engines need you to use an open end wrench on their lowest spark plug.

 

[airshot]

If the thread reach on that plug is short, yep, open end wrench and a few cuss words is all it takes....wait until you put it back in....even more cuss words !!!

 

[JimS123]

I once had a car that you had to pull and raise the engine to get to the bottom plug. Manufacturers don't care about stuff like that. In fact they delight in it because their dealers can charge more money for repairs.

Yours is an easy peasy simple repair...

 

[guy48065]

Open end, box end, offset, crow foot, 13/16 sockets of all types... nothing will reach in there. This is not easy peasy until someone who's done it tells me how.

 

[tphoyt]

I don’t see the pro but I’m not there either.
Can you loosen the pan for more room?

 

[tphoyt]

I once had a car that you had to pull and raise the engine to get to the bottom plug. Manufacturers don't care about stuff like that. In fact they delight in it because their dealers can charge more money for repairs.

Yours is an easy peasy simple repair...

I heard there was a TransAm that required the motor to be lifted to change a plug. Not sure what year it was. I had a 79 that was tight but doable. That car was a ton of fun. Canadian model. 401 with no emissions on it.
I remember test driving it and looking at the speedometer and within a few second it said I was doing 70. I thought holy ****. Then I realized it was in Km and I was only doing 46.

 

[jmok1978]

You don't have enough clearance for an open ended wrench of normal length, find an open end wrench that will fit the plug, make it your permanent spark plug wrench by cutting it down real short, use a flat head screw driver or something similar as a lever against the wrench once you get it in there to loosen it. Should be no problem after that.

 

[jmok1978]

You don't have enough clearance for an open ended wrench of normal length, find an open end wrench that will fit the plug, make it your permanent spark plug wrench by cutting it down real short, use a flat head screw driver or something similar as a lever against the wrench once you get it in there to loosen it. Should be no problem after that.

Actually, upon further look I'm still not sure you will have enough clearance. Yikes.

 

[racerone]

Different paint color ?----Is it the correct cylinder head for that motor ??-----Drill a hole in the lower cowling and put a rubber bung in the hole after plug work.

 

[jmok1978]

You are definitely going to have to make a tool I think. What if you got a cheap spark plug socket, cut a channel out of it the width of the spark plug insulator that way you can slip it on the plug. THen you could use vice grips on the socket further out away from the cover. I dunno, but I bet you will figure it out eventually.

 

[JimS123]

Open end, box end, offset, crow foot, 13/16 sockets of all types... nothing will reach in there. This is not easy peasy until someone who's done it tells me how.

I have 3 Sea Kings and all have the same affliction. In each of mine, the lower cowl has to be removed to access the lower plug.

One has a split cowl and comes off easy. The others have a bolt in one place or another that allows the cowl to move backward. None of the 3 require removing the powerhead to get the cowl off.

That's the best I can offer since I can't see your motor in person.

 

[guy48065]

...One has a split cowl and comes off easy. The others have a bolt in one place or another that allows the cowl to move backward. None of the 3 require removing the powerhead to get the cowl off...

On this one it looks like the lower cowl is a one-piece 'bucket' that's sandwiched between the powerhead & upper leg.

 

[guy48065]

You are definitely going to have to make a tool I think. What if you got a cheap spark plug socket, cut a channel out of it the width of the spark plug insulator that way you can slip it on the plug. THen you could use vice grips on the socket further out away from the cover. I dunno, but I bet you will figure it out eventually.

That actually might work. You're describing an O2 sensor socket and I have one I can try. It's 7/8 so it might slip, or be too big to fit between the plug & face of the head but it's worth testing to see if I can get it down in there.

 

[Scott Danforth]

I have a few cut-up plug sockets (similar to an O2 socket)

Also, unthread the wire spud. It gives you wrench clearance. Then thread the wire spud back on

 

[guy48065]

Also, unthread the wire spud. It gives you wrench clearance. Then thread the wire spud back on.

The little terminal at the top? I'll try--every little bit helps.

 

[Scott Danforth]

The little terminal at the top? I'll try--every little bit helps.

Yes.

 

[guy48065]

What about a stubby plug?
Might there be a shorter alternate with the same reach & heat range?
Or is there more to it than that?

 

[airshot]

No different than vehicles...cheapest design to mfgr but no regard for repair or maintenence. When there is a will, there is a way !!