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Has anyone change there spark plugs (labor question)

8K views 75 replies 22 participants last post by  dafaic 
#1 ·
I am not looking for what type, but rather how much of a job was it to do. How long and how labor intensive? :help:
 
#2 ·
the back ones are gonna be a real pain the the ass to get to but just take ur time and go slow. shouldent take too long. i only got 847 miles on mine but am looking to change to ngk copper core v groove they have done very well in with previous vehicles now just waiting for better wires and coilpacks. just make sure u remember where u unconnect every wire from u dont want a misfire.
 
#3 ·
Is the plug swap an at home job or should I take it in and let someone else do it?
 
#4 ·
from my talks w/ mechanics, friends, etc...the HEMI in the Durango is going a beast to change plugs on...i mean more than 1/2 the block is wedged up under the dash!!! good luck and let us know of any tips...having an aftermarket air intake is a start...gets rid of that big air baffle in front of the throttle body..
 
#6 ·
I think it is to stop the air rushing sound at high throttle settings (because it is basically right in front of you becasue most of the engine in below the windshield) by creating a large air cavity before the throttle body (which deadens the air rush sound). Before I installed my exhaust I did the cold air intake. It sounded like the old carburated machines when the air cleaner was flipped upside down.

Anyways, about the plugs. I have bought them, should I attempt it myself?
 
#8 ·
there are 2 restrictive/silencing parts of the intake..one is the flat/ribbed cavity that goes across the engine bay and the other is the one that says 5.7 HEMI or whatever..both are no good!!
 
#9 ·
I changed mine out 2 months back, a tedious job, but not that hard. Took 2.5 hours. Just make sure you have a good set of rachets and such, here is a quick list:
2 - 2-3" 3/8" Extention
1 - 3/8" Universal
1 - Spark Plug Socket with the rubber insert (Essential to getting the plug in and out).
Set of 1/4 drive sockets, extensions and such.

Once your done, you have the satisfaction of doing it yourself... ;o) I used Iridium plugs, mainly for the fact that I won't have to do it again for 80,000 miles! <grin> I changed them out at 25,000 miles or so and did feel an obvious difference in power.

Good Luck!
 
#10 ·
Guys, not to hi-jack or anything, but for a CAI replacement of the stock air filter set-up, how much louder does it make the engine? I'm considering doing this on my new 2005 D, but won't if it makes the engine sound significantly louder through the firewall. From what I'm reading here it will.

I had done both exhaust and CAI to my old 2003 Durango (hence traded in), but under full throttle my ears got it from both ends. The exhaust roar from the rear and the sound of the engine from the CAI because all sound baffling was removed.

Please for those of you that have done a CAI set up on your 04 or 05 Durango, can you post here how much louder it made your D?

My first mod's I'm considering are:

- Aluminum crankshaft pulley (12+ HP)
- Jet Chip Stage 2 (20 + HP)
- CAI (10+ HP)

Working together I think they can add 30+ HP / TQ at the crank conservatively, but am not sure.

Again sorry about the hi-jack!
 
#11 ·
do it!!!! the CAI i mean...yes, under open throttle it does roar..but isn't that the point..you're flooring it for a reason...an by god..i have a HEMI..i want to be reminded that i do!!! i get it from "both ends" :) intake and exhaust!!! i need to change my plugs..but for 16 Iridiums it's gonna cost a lot of $$$$
 
#12 · (Edited)
Alex, how much time have you spent hanging around a dyno? I ask, because the mods you list, I predict will net you about 5 hp/tq. Just a guess on my part, but have been in the game enough to know that you can not do those sorts of things and run numbers that you are talking about.

But, I'm always the pessimist, YMMV!

Think of it this way. Your talking about a 10% improvement, which could be looked at a 10% gain in efficency. DC has MANY MANY engineers pulling their collective hairs out trying to eek out 1%. Now, some of the ponys you can coral come at the expense of NVH, but there is no easy hp to be gained by bolting on a pully. JET, IMHO, is not worth the energy to whip it against the wall. There are many on another other forum who spent $300 on CAI, only to find out on the dyno that Dodge got the hemi hat right. It's actually a complex piece of engineering that increases low end torque (the god you have to pray to in a heavy truck). The thread IIRC, was over 20 pages long.

A lot of these bolt on wonder mods have a great advertising budget, and magazine coverage to match. I laugh when splitfire plugs say they get x hp and 3 mpg gain. Think how many more D's they could sell if they were posting MPG in 20's on that sticker. Hell, why fool around with the Multi Dissplacement System at all? Split fire has already solved the puzzle!

Closer to the heart, the Tornado commercial, featuring an Impala SS. Everyone in the performance circles with this car can attest they pull 220 -230 rwhp in pure stock form. Yet the commercial showed a pull of 210 or 212 hp in "stock" trim. They put the Tornado on and WOW! 220 rwhp! How'd they do that?

So, call me mr. Cynical, but with an engineering background and experiance, I cringe when people start adding up hp to be gained by mods such as what your suggesting.

If someone could really crack the computer, the basics like headers/exhaust/cams etc would show a real world gain. But, we are pretty limited with the speed density system.

Exhaust is nice for many, gives it a performance sound. Same with CAI's out there.

All the above just my opinion, and worth about what you paid for it!

Back to the party!
 
#13 ·
No you're probablly correct regarding true HP gains for these mods. If, as you so elegantly pointed out, it were so easy to 'bolt on' another 30 HP, hell Dodge would have done that already simply to sell more Durango's.

Unfortunately I'm not near a dyno and would need an AWD (for 4x4) Dyno as my D has it full time and there's no way to go just to RWD.

Guess I'll hold off on HP mods and just dress it up a bit.

BigEd, thanks for replying regarding the CAI sound. The loud sound is what I want to stay away from because a) wife hates it and she drove me crazy complaining when I did this to my 2003 D (since traded in) and b) kids are coming in the next 12 months and I'm not sure a newborn in a care seat needs to kept awake with a CAI and Exhaust sound, screaming all the way! :D
 
#14 ·
...congrats on the newborn to come!!! just wanted to steer you in the right direction....the CAI and exhaust mods are VERY loud under WOT...w/ normal everyday driving the noise is negligible...it's up to you..i LOVE those mods...good for some HP..don't know how much..but it's there!! for a single 27 yo I love it...but if i want to be civilized i can be...even w/ the intake/exhaust...keep that in mind!!
 
#16 ·
Yeah well to clarify, she's not pregnant yet (hence the 12 month statement) but we're going to try *officially* in the next few months.

I keep telling her I need more practice...but me being 36 now, I think it's time. :D
 
#17 ·
Just finished putting in NGK Iridium IX plugs. Since the K&N intake is easy to remove it took about two hours. The driver's side about 45 minutes and the passenger side about an hour. The rear four (2 pairs) of plugs on the passenger side are very difficult. I found it much easier to remove the rear four plugs with the wires from the rear four plugs removed. This creates enough room to get the ratchet in from the top side. The heat shielding above the plugs on the passenger side needs to be slid all the way forward to get at the rear four (pax side), then all the way rearward to get at the front four. The spark plug ratchet socket completely dissappears in the hole to get at the plugs. With a 2 1/2 inch extension only about 3/4 of an inch is available to attach the ratchet to. Make sure the connection between the spark plug socket and the extension is very secure. It would be almost impossible to retrieve if it came off in the spark plug hole attached to the plug. Hopefully all the work will be worth it.
 
#18 ·
Power gains with add-ons

Several people have observed that if the add-ons really yielded much power or MPG then the factory would have used it to begin with. Being an engineer I can tell you that they have to do a trade - sound vs power/MPG. You can bet that if they can add power without sacrificing the quiet ride and MPG then they would do it. However - since the Durango is often bought as a family ride, they are compelled to keep it quiet.

You can see this in different models of the Charger. They have opened up the exhaust and presumably done some computer tweaking to get a few more HP on the SR/T. They can get away with more noise since the performance buyer actually likes that.

I do agree that some manufacturers of aftermarket equipment exagerate, but some apparently do the engineering and do dyno their products. I tend to believe exhaust claims in the 10-15HP range, air intake claims in the 5-10HP range and computer mods in the 15-20HP range. Spacers may gain 1-2 or even lose 1-2. Pulleys may gain the 12HP claimed - but at the cost of reduced cooling, reduced AC efficiency, and reduced alternator output.

Lastly - I think that one of the big mistakes is assuming that you can just add these together or that a given mod gives the same gain on any engine. If your vehicle is being choked equally on both ends, then an air intake and exhaust would do wonders. But - more likely is that one end is choked more than the other and by opening up both ends you may only get a gain of 15HP even though the individual parts should add up to 25HP+.

Bottom line is that a performance exhaust will almost always yield some increase in power and MPG but more importantly it sounds great. An air intake kit will provide less of a kick, but will also sound great. You may only gain a total of 10-20HP, but you will enjoy it more. Add a computer mod (Hypertech or Superchips) for even more power. I doubt you will see the 60HP+ you are hoping for with the three mods, but you may see 35-40. Anyone done a before and after dyno of these three mods?
 
#19 ·
I changed out my plugs today at 29,903 miles with the Denso Iridium. I figured in for a dime, in for a dollar, so might as well go all the way. It wasn't too bad of a job, but I had more trouble on the rear 4 on the drivers side than i did on the passenger side. I used a spark plug socket with the built in u-joint, 3/8 rachet, 3/8 swivel head ratchet, 3" and 6" extensions, 10 mm standard and deep sockets, plus i improvised with a 3/8 u-joint to add just a little extra length to the 3" extension. Not a job I want to repeat. I'm used to stopping after 8 plugs!

I was a little alarmed by the condition of the plugs. Some of them were pretty well corroded on the outside - on one, the finish was completely gone and it was a rusty mess. All of them made a squeeking sound when being removed that sounded like it couldn't be good on the threads. Not something i'm used to hearing on cast iron heads. The electrodes were pretty well worn and I wish I had replaced them sooner. Theres a lot of corrosion on the engine as well. It will be one ugly piece of aluminum by 100K miles.

Now the good part.... when i started it up i thought something was wrong - I wasn't use to such a smooth idle! Wife says it runs like brand new again.
 
#21 ·
well he started his post by saying he was at "29,903 miles", so i'm guessing that's his mileage...anyway, great info. on the wear of the plugs...actually more alarming than anything else...i'm in no way excited about the prospect of doing this chore either....darn it!!!
 
#23 ·
you did include that..he just wasn't reading closely enough...again, thanks for the info...
 
#26 ·
Man, I suffer changing the 8 plugs on my Mustang there's no way I am changing 16 on my Durango. I know it's great to work on your own car and it gives you a real sense of accomplishment but I'll gladly pay the $155 to save a couple of hours. I used copper plugs on my Mustang since copper is a better conductor and gives you a bit more power but it was such a pain in the butt since they only lasted about 10,000 miles that I switched to the platinum plugs so I don't have to worry about it for 50,000 miles.
 
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