I have a 97 se 5spd. I want to change teh plugs but I am a little nervous about the 3 on the rear of the engine. Has anyone done this? HOW do you get at those bad boys? Any advice would be appreciated.

 

They aren't too hard to get to, just takes a little effort.

I recommend a magnetic 8mm socket driver for getting the screws holding the coils in place loose without stripping them or losing them inside the engine. You'll also want to make sure the rubber boot inside your spark plug socket is well lubricated, you don't want to lose a socket down those rear holes.

PS - I just did this today, and yes I stripped a screw and managed to lose my socket, so shush!

 

Very easy. Recommend NGK plugs. For the rears, make sure you have a socket extension (at least 6") as it is rather deep to get to the plugs in back. Using a socket to get the screws out that hold the coils is good advice--it is too hard using a phillips screwdriver, you will strip it.

 

A 6" extension is probably too short, I used a 12" and it worked perfectly.

 

You too?? I also managed to strip one of my screws... they're on so tight. I didn't even have a socket that small so I ended up using a vice grip. The last plug in the back on the right was the most pain in the a$$ to get to, I had to unscrew some sort of bracket to get to it, I forget what it was for. The back three are so deep in there, its good to have a strut tower bar to lean on when doing this. Make sure you pull out that spark plug socket at a good angle, or else it will keep getting stuck in there. Those holes are really, really deep, especially the back ones.

 

This job is easier than it might appear at first glance.

1) Remove front bank rocker cover ornament.
2) Disconnect six ignition coil harness connectors. Three are found under
the ornament. Three more are found nestled among the plenum runners, in
plain view, closer to the windshield than the three which were hidden under
the ornament.
3) Loosen ignition coil fixing bolts and pull out six coils from the intake
manifold connectors.
4) Use a spark plug socket, a long extension, and a ratchet handle to remove
the spark plugs.
5) I recommend using a tiny dab of anti-seize compound on the threads of the
new spark plugs.
6) Tighten the new plugs to 14 - 22 foot-pounds.

See http://vbxmaxima.8m.com/sparkplug.html

See also Chapter 8, "Do It Yourself", in your Maxima Owner's Manual.

 

And one was all it took for me to use the sockets for everything instead of the Phillips driver(when possible).

 

Same here, I went looking for the right socket as soon as the screwdriver started turning and the screw wasn't going with it.

 

there's also some directions on www.maximadriver.com under the how2 section.

i just did this today... the driver side rear one is a b*tch. it's hard to get the coil off, and even harder to get the coil back on!

the plugs are 16mm, so you'll need a 16mm spark plug socket or equivalent. i got off all the screws holding all the coils down ok with a screwdriver. do the front ones first, they're easier, and you'll get a system down.

i also needed like 4 or 5 of those short little 3/8 drive extensions that come with the socket sets. after struggling with the rear driver side plug, I finally got smart and decided to use a universal joint somewhere in-between all those extensions.

don't over tighten the plugs, as they screw into somewhat soft aluminum on the head, so the proper torque is important.

a telescopic magnetic retrieve can help if the socket you're using doesn't have the rubber piece that grips the spark plugs, by magnetting the plugs out. when putting the plugs in, if your socket doesn't have the rubber piece that grips onto the plugs, use a small piece of tape to hold the plug to the socket all the way down, it's best not to drop the plug in.

you don't need to gap platinum plugs. i used the bosch platinum and don't seem to have any problems (of course, i've only drive about 100 miles since 5pm this evening...).

-V