Changing plugs in 2.7 Magnum
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Changing plugs in 2.7 Magnum
Hi all,
I have a 2008 Magnum SE and just changed the spark plugs. As most (or all) of you know, this engine does not have plug wires. It has a coil-on-plug engine, not traditional plug wires.
First, use compressed air to blow away all debris from around the coils. Be thorough, you do not want any debris, however small, to fall down the spark plug hole.
Start with the right engine bank first. Remove the air intake hose. It is attached at one end to the air cleaner box and at the other end to the intake plenum. Using a flathead screwdriver, unscrew the hose clamps that are on each end of the intake hose. Then loosen each end and pull the intake hose out of the air box, and then off the intake plenum. Simply lay it back out of the way (it is connected with a wire, but this does not need to be removed). Now you have easy access to the right 3 plugs/coils.
Do one spark plug at a time. Start with the right front coil/spark plug. With a Philips screwdriver, remove the screw holding down the coil. Put the screw in your pocket. Gently lift up on the coil, pulling it upwards. It goes down about 5 inches or so into the plug hole. You do not need to remove the coil wire from the front coil to do this. Lay it back out of the way. Now, insert a long spark plug socket. Before turning with a wrench, give the top of the socket 3 or 4 gentle taps with a mallet, in case the plug is seated too hard into the threads of the hole. Now remove the plug as you would with any engine. Insert new plug, once you have put a little anti-seize compound on the threads (just a little, don’t want it getting into the combustion chamber). Tighten hand tight with the wrench, then 1/6 of a turn more, to seat the plug fully. Put the coil back in the hole, and tighten down the Philips screw snugly. Ok, one done.
Now do the coil/spark plug behind this one, same routine. With the 3rd plug, the one that is closest to the windshield, the coil wire will need to be removed first. Simply press down on the connector and gently pull away from the coil. Now follow the steps above. These 3 were the easy ones. (do not reinstall the air intake hose yet)
To get at the coils/spark plugs in the left engine bank, the intake plenum needs to be removed. No ifs, ands or buts. It’s gotta come off. The plenum is that big plastic lump that covers the left engine bank and hides the plugs. First, at the back of the plenum, on the driver’s side, are two rubber hoses that need to be gently pried off. You will also notice back there is a thicker metal tube that inserts into the back of the plenum. We’ll get to that in a minute. Now loosen the 7 bolts in the top of the plenum, these hold it to the top of the engine. These do not fully remove, so there is no worry of losing them.
Now, the hardest part. On the left of the intake plenum are two odd bolts with nuts, holding the plenum down to the left side of the left engine bank. The nuts need to come off, using an 8mm 6-sided wrench (don’t used a 10-sided one since you WILL strip the nuts). Wear gloves, it’s knuckle-busting time. When removing the nuts, if the planets are aligned and you have not broken any mirrors lately, the bolts (which go into the side of the plenum) will not also try to come out. If they do, stop. You will need a friend with a slim pair of long-nose pliers to keep that darn bolt from trying to turn. Remember, you just need to take the nut off. When accomplished, put the nuts in your pocket. Now, at the back of the top of the plenum is one more rubber hose, just to the left of the rearmost top bolt. Wiggle it off. With the 7 top bolts loosened, and the left side nuts removed, wiggle the intake plenum just loose. It will not come off yet though. At the back, that metal tube is still inserted. Wiggle the plenum towards the front of the car, and the metal tube will slide out of the plenum. The plenum will still be connected by a variety of hoses and wires but these are flexible and there is no need to remove them. Using a short bungee cord, hang the plenum from the hood, or get your patient friend to hold it up out of the way.
Now, finally, you have clear access to the 3 left spark plugs/coils. These are as simple as the ones on the right side, with no wires needing to be removed.
Ok, all the plugs are done. Now you gotta reinstall the plenum. It goes back on a lot easier than it came off. First, slide the plenum back so the metal tube reinserts at the back. The tube does not bend, so this has to go in first, it can’t be done later. Once the tube is seated, reattach the left side nuts to the plenum, then reattach the top rubber hose and the 2 rear rubber hoses. Tighten the 7 top bolts, then reattach the intake hose that you took off at the beginning. Done. It took me about 2 hrs total, including a bit of swearing at those 2 left side bolts…
I have a 2008 Magnum SE and just changed the spark plugs. As most (or all) of you know, this engine does not have plug wires. It has a coil-on-plug engine, not traditional plug wires.
First, use compressed air to blow away all debris from around the coils. Be thorough, you do not want any debris, however small, to fall down the spark plug hole.
Start with the right engine bank first. Remove the air intake hose. It is attached at one end to the air cleaner box and at the other end to the intake plenum. Using a flathead screwdriver, unscrew the hose clamps that are on each end of the intake hose. Then loosen each end and pull the intake hose out of the air box, and then off the intake plenum. Simply lay it back out of the way (it is connected with a wire, but this does not need to be removed). Now you have easy access to the right 3 plugs/coils.
Do one spark plug at a time. Start with the right front coil/spark plug. With a Philips screwdriver, remove the screw holding down the coil. Put the screw in your pocket. Gently lift up on the coil, pulling it upwards. It goes down about 5 inches or so into the plug hole. You do not need to remove the coil wire from the front coil to do this. Lay it back out of the way. Now, insert a long spark plug socket. Before turning with a wrench, give the top of the socket 3 or 4 gentle taps with a mallet, in case the plug is seated too hard into the threads of the hole. Now remove the plug as you would with any engine. Insert new plug, once you have put a little anti-seize compound on the threads (just a little, don’t want it getting into the combustion chamber). Tighten hand tight with the wrench, then 1/6 of a turn more, to seat the plug fully. Put the coil back in the hole, and tighten down the Philips screw snugly. Ok, one done.
Now do the coil/spark plug behind this one, same routine. With the 3rd plug, the one that is closest to the windshield, the coil wire will need to be removed first. Simply press down on the connector and gently pull away from the coil. Now follow the steps above. These 3 were the easy ones. (do not reinstall the air intake hose yet)
To get at the coils/spark plugs in the left engine bank, the intake plenum needs to be removed. No ifs, ands or buts. It’s gotta come off. The plenum is that big plastic lump that covers the left engine bank and hides the plugs. First, at the back of the plenum, on the driver’s side, are two rubber hoses that need to be gently pried off. You will also notice back there is a thicker metal tube that inserts into the back of the plenum. We’ll get to that in a minute. Now loosen the 7 bolts in the top of the plenum, these hold it to the top of the engine. These do not fully remove, so there is no worry of losing them.
Now, the hardest part. On the left of the intake plenum are two odd bolts with nuts, holding the plenum down to the left side of the left engine bank. The nuts need to come off, using an 8mm 6-sided wrench (don’t used a 10-sided one since you WILL strip the nuts). Wear gloves, it’s knuckle-busting time. When removing the nuts, if the planets are aligned and you have not broken any mirrors lately, the bolts (which go into the side of the plenum) will not also try to come out. If they do, stop. You will need a friend with a slim pair of long-nose pliers to keep that darn bolt from trying to turn. Remember, you just need to take the nut off. When accomplished, put the nuts in your pocket. Now, at the back of the top of the plenum is one more rubber hose, just to the left of the rearmost top bolt. Wiggle it off. With the 7 top bolts loosened, and the left side nuts removed, wiggle the intake plenum just loose. It will not come off yet though. At the back, that metal tube is still inserted. Wiggle the plenum towards the front of the car, and the metal tube will slide out of the plenum. The plenum will still be connected by a variety of hoses and wires but these are flexible and there is no need to remove them. Using a short bungee cord, hang the plenum from the hood, or get your patient friend to hold it up out of the way.
Now, finally, you have clear access to the 3 left spark plugs/coils. These are as simple as the ones on the right side, with no wires needing to be removed.
Ok, all the plugs are done. Now you gotta reinstall the plenum. It goes back on a lot easier than it came off. First, slide the plenum back so the metal tube reinserts at the back. The tube does not bend, so this has to go in first, it can’t be done later. Once the tube is seated, reattach the left side nuts to the plenum, then reattach the top rubber hose and the 2 rear rubber hoses. Tighten the 7 top bolts, then reattach the intake hose that you took off at the beginning. Done. It took me about 2 hrs total, including a bit of swearing at those 2 left side bolts…