The stock plug for the Pontiac is AC Delco (a GM subsidiary) platinum. They sell for $5+ at Kragen. The equivalent Bosch platinum sells for $2+ and has a 60 cent rebate. Does anyone have a feel for the relative quality of the two different brand plugs? Any reason I shouldn't use the Bosch?

And, get this. Called a dealer to find out how much they would charge to change the spark plugs (those back plugs look scary to do it myself). He quoted about $50 parts and labor for regular plugs and an additional $65 if platinum plugs are used. Deducting the cost of standard plugs, that's over $11 per plug at the dealer. I wonder what I misunderstood.

P.S. - I've always preferred AC spark plugs, and always avoid Champion brand since I had such bad luck with Champions back in the 1960's.

Regards, Gary in Sandy Eggo

Gary,

I am no Sherlock, but after 115,000 miles I changed my plugs...which to my surprize were NGK's. I asked the guy at the dealership why they weren't AC's and he said "Because someone switched them already." That is about as big of load as I have ever heard. I got the car new, like totally new, and there is no way in hell that some vandal broke into my car and stole my OEM plugs.

So when I bought new AC Delco plugs from him, he gave me 6 neat little AC boxes which contained 6 NGK plugs inside. I don't remember the exact price each per plug, but it was right around $8. The same exact plugs can be bought for probably half of that at Kragen.

The actual swap is no big deal, even the rear plugs are nothing to be afraid of if you have ever done a blind replacement before. The archives is loaded with people telling how simple it is, if you don't mind doing the work yourself. I would say skip the dealer plugs, and go for the cheaper but same. And do it yourself.

Good luck,

Kerry

Thanks for the come-back Kerry. I'm REALLY surprised they sold you NGK plugs in AC boxes. That's fraud, for one thing. The NGK plugs are prolly cheaper, and the dealer's just trying to increase his profits.

Frankly, I suspect a spark plug is a spark plug (although I've avoided Champions for 30 years now because of earlier poor performance when gasoline was leaded (spark plugs were only good for 10K miles with leaded gas - Champions even less)).

As for working blind, I'm an expert at that. I'm also very patient. The only problem I usually have when changing hard-to-get-at spark plugs is pulling the boot off the plug. I tried to search the website for changing plugs remembering seeing removal of the dog-bone braces and rotating the engine forward, but I couldn't find that. Well, if you've done it blind, I'll have at it too. I'll make sure to do it with the block cold also to keep from stripping out the aluminum threads in the heads.

I'll letcha know how things go.

Regards, GAry in Sandy Eggo

Gary,

One more bit of information about the plugs that you could use, is to be POSITIVE that you spin the boot on the plug before you try to get it to come off. You will get a good feel for this if you try it on the front bank first. I swear you couldn't get the boots off with a come-along if you tried to pull them straight off without spinning them first.

The back boots are somewhat difficult to spin--you may try to lock some pliers on (if you are trashing the wires anyway) and get them to release that way. Then just pull firmly and they will pop. Just make sure the boots spin on the plugs. It will make your life easy.

Also, pushing the metal heat sheilds as far down onto the plugs as you can will give you more room to grab the boot. You may have to push the shield serveral times during the job.

Have fun, don't bleed.

Kerry

Thanks for that last, Kerry. Somehow I missed your last post until just now. No harm done, however, since I still haven't changed the plugs. That "spin" the boot is going to save my butt. THAT's why I've always had so much trouble before in hard to get at places.

Regards, Gary in Sandy Eggo

Actually guys, GM switched to NGK as a supplier a few years back for some of their car lines (the grandprix being one of them) - so when you open the GM box and get NGK don't be surprised.

No dealer shadiness going on here. Also I think they switched away from platinum to iridium - so don't be surprised there either.

Regards,

Chew =)

I read an article today in the paper about a plug called a halo plug....www.haloplug.com what do you guys think...

Garbage, same as the splitfire.

Just another kind of snake oil.