just a report if anyones interested, just did my first belt change (along with a 7 plug tune up ) and i was surprised it wasnt bad at all. you do NOT have to remove the fan, i dunno why rave says to do so. i took the top cover off and the rad fan cover off, used a 15mm wrench to push open the tensioner, slid the belt off of it, then fed it out. the new belt i fed down one side then under the fan to the other side to be roughly 50/50 on both sides, fed on every pully except the tensioner, layed on my back under the front of the car and could easily fit both hands/arms up (without even removing the splash guard) to pull the belt down under the big crank pulley, went back up top, lined up the belt with just hand tension on the part nearest the tensioner to make sure it was seated on all the pulleys ribs and idlers, pushed back the tensioner and slapped it on over! started it up, checked to make sure it was riding well and not rubbing on anything, replaced both covers, and bam! done. id say under 10 minutes with a screw driver, single socket and the wrench.

as for the spark plugs, i used 2 different size extensions, and did all 7 within nearly the same time frame... except the one drivers side all the way to the rear. could NOT get a wrench back there with the SAI pipe there! tried all combos of extensions... only way it would work was with a small ujoint but even then it jammed the wrench against the heat shield and would not turn the plug. (it was also arching bad before the change, so i think perhaps the porcelen is cracked on it) so ill save that plug for a fresh tomorrow attack at dawn.

i did find out i have STI blue wires on there, and the last person did had bosche +4 plats in there... but im dissapointed with the wires! one of the boots came off super easy, and behold, the inner connector was still attached to the rear of the spark plug! and it doesnt look easily servicble like the old wires, i feel like im going to snap the entire piece off sliding the wire out to fix, so i have no idea how i could even get it back in if it does come out without breaking!

even with the 1 old plug arching its face off, and probably the other one arching internally with that broken boot (just jammed it back in with a screw driver and lots of dielec for the meantime ) it sounded MUCH better! the horrible ticking went away too, i thought it was an exhuast leak, but it went away for some reason!? yey!

 

Rave says to do so because it assumes you have the appropriate tools to do the work at hand. And if you have the appropriate tools, it is much easier and much faster to remove the fan. There is no way in hell I would bother myself to work around that thing when I can have it off in under 30 seconds and back on in the same amount of time.

 

anyone have a trick for that last spark plug?

 

did you remove the manifold to get to the coil pack for the plug wires? I am looking to replace my wires and the rave is telling me to remove a bunch of stuff...I had one pop lose back there and was able to get it back on with the manifold still on. but i cannot imagine trying to do all 8. unless there is a secret or something?

edit: just found DeepBlueWater's post...

saweeeeeeeetttttttttttt!

 

well found out i have alot more problems then not getting sockets onto the spark plugs... its not that theres no room it turns out, its that the sockets not getting ON the plug... because the heads are so warped the plugs are all at different angles, some so much that the socket doesnt slide between it and the cut out in the head!!!

someone ROYALLY ****ed this motor up... hence my "now getting new headgaskets" post haha. just my luck. what makes things even merrier is that some b***h ran a red light on me yesterday on my motorcycle, so now i have no means of transportation, and not enough money to fix either... and god knows how long before i get the insurance money for the bike. yep, my lifes awesome.

dealer said it was an exhuast leak, sounded like an exhuast leak. yea, its a leak, THROUGH THE GODDAMN SPARK PLUG WELLS.

 

bro be lucky your not hurt with that bike...you crash low side I take it?

 

yea down on the right side... bike isnt so bad, atleast i dont think. new right muffler, mount, foot peg, handle bar, blinker, some sand paper and paint... only thing im worried about is that i noticed a dent in the tank... and the handle bar fits perfect.... :-/ hope its just the bar, otherwise maybe the front end is toast. but i dont want to touch it until her insurance company can photo and inspect it otherwise theyll blame me for sabotaging it or some ****. i hate NJ.