Being an electrician I need a vehicle that will hold a lot of tools, so I have a 1977 one ton Chevy van, which carries the half ton or so of tools and materials in style.

I will have to smog this puppy next month, so I decided that since I hadn't changed the spark plugs in about three years that it would probably be a good idea to do this before I have it smogged. I immediatelly remembered why I hadn't done this sooner, it took the better portion of three hours to do! eek

The normal 5/8" spark plug socket is too short to reach the spark plug because of the smog lines attached to the outside of the exhaust manifold, and my shortest extension which is 1" makes it too long to fit in between the frame and the engine. But once you get the plug out, the fun has just started, the space that you have to work in on six out of the eight plugs is too small to get your hand in, and half of them you have to feel your way around to get the plug started because you can't see them. Half of the plugs have to be accessed from inside the van, and the remaining half have to be reached from the wheel wells.

The van runs great now, but my hands and arms look like I had a fight with a ferral cat...and lost! I think the next time that the plugs need to be replaced I think I'll just sell the van.

Greetings fellow electrician.

my advise sell the van




are u a member of a union?

Ah yes, the joys of engine maintenace on a van.
One of my first clunkers when I was younger was a 72 chevy short van.
Had it about two years and the engine puked.
Had to take the old one out through the side door.
Spent 3 days in the hot sun on that one.
Hope you pass your emission test!

Good morning guys...

Yes currmac, I have worked out of the IBEW as an electrician and as a signal and communication tech, and out of the CWA as a signal and communication tech. I'm self employed now, living and working in the foothill of northern Ca.

HitSquad, I've known people who took the whole front end off just to avoid that problem, there's less knuckle busting, worth the extra time imho.

You think thats bad try taking apart and repairing a digital camera like I did this week...Everything is so small and my hands are just to big to move around easily.

Kind of hard to do without a way to lift it.
We're talking two 16 yr olds back then also.

Hay there dc3
You being a "professional" I'm sure you realize that sometimes you need to
spend some money on specialized tools even though you'll seldom use them,
and that "less expensive" tools can be more of a hassle than a help
(strippers and crimpers come to mind) so if you need to (or want to) do your
plugs again I Highly recomend the "Snap-on" brand flex spark plug socket.
having lots of experience with changing plugs it made the world of difference
due to its design differences over cheaper (Craftsman) models .
I was amazed at the difference it made.

Yes, as a professional I do purchase the best tools for the work that I do on a regular bases, but if I only use a socket or open end wrench a couple times a year, I'm hard pressed to justify the price difference between a snapon tool kit, oppossed to the Craftsman. The Craftsman still has a life time warranty, and they still don't hassle about an exchange...so long as it isn't obvious that you used that screwdriver as a chisel.

Snap on and Mac tools are a couple of the better manufacturers out there currently, Craftsman tools in the sixties were good tools, but now they're cr#*, I bought a 200 piece set just for the occasion that I needed a socket or wrench on the job, and two of the sockets were cracked. So much for quality control.

If I had remembered what the specific problems were with changing these plugs I would have purchased a swivle, but once I had the first plug out I was beyond running to the store for a tool, much less hunting down a snapon truck.

Just as an example the type of tools I buy, most electricians have cable cutters that look like lopping shears with two rounded jaws, these sell for less that a hundred bucks, these are too large to keep in the tool pouch so you would have to go to your vehicle, get them, use them, and then return them to your vehicle. I have a klein ratcheting cable cutter that fits in my tool pouch and cuts copper wire up to 400MCM, and aluminum and multi-conductor cables up to 600 MCM. $180.00

Well there you go , you know exactly what I mean.