so i went to the mazda dealer to get some spark plugs and when i opened my hood, the spark plugs look very difficult to take out. the back trailing plug looks fairly easy to take out but the front trailing part is like hidden and i could barely see it wit a flash light. can someone tell me the easiest way to take off the plugs? thxxxxx

 

is pretty easy
take out the trailing first then the leading.
but u dont have to do it that way. Just look for open space n then bam u got it.

 

righty tighty lefty loosey?

 

its actually not as hard as it looks(ok, i have really small hands) just get all the wires out of the way, that frees up a bit of room-try not to bust your hand on anything, and just go for it. my car is na, turbo ones have even less room. you might want to try getting at it from the bottom, ive never tried that though.

 

easier from the top, there is nothing special about taking them out, just need a 13/16" socket and 3/8" ratchet. pull the plug wires off and mark them so you don't forget where they go to and remove the trailings then leadings and install the new ones.

 

What would a turbo motor have on that side that an N/A doesnt?

 

This is one reason I don't have AC or PS. Easy spark plug changes/checks.

 

thx ppl

 

Hey Jimmy, youll just have to roll down your sleeves and reach down through. Use a 1/4" ratchet with a long tube on the handle so you dont bust any knuckles open. Both trailings off first then the leadings. Reverse order when you put them on.

 

intercooler? though it doesn't get in your way that much down the side of the motor, power steering is what kills space over there.

 

And the A/C if you have it.
If you think the second gen is hard, take a look at a third gen. You have to come at them from below.

 

I've got an N/A GXL with A/C and PS and when I bought it the big burly mechanic changed all four of my spark plugs without a hitch, so I'm pretty sure anyone could do it.

 

Yeah, but thats not exclusive to the TII. And the intercooler is on top.

 

I changed my plugs just fine, and my hands arent tiny.

 

It is tight but doable...

what plugs are you looking at putting in there?

 

ac does get in the way, but the hose is flexible enough to manuver around it. also a universal joint is helpful, just remember to thread the new plugs in by hand then tighten w/ the ratchet.

 

what about leading and trailing plugs. 7's and 9's what is what?

 

this is how i remember

Leading (7)
o
w
e
r

Trailing (9)
o
p

 

I just took out my plugs today took me 2 seconds... 15/16's spark plug socket and... its easy as that

 

What are you guys bitching about? The RX-7 plugs are so freakin easy to change. Try an 80's Camaro with a 350, or a late 70's Ford Granada. You need rubber arms and Vaseline to change the plugs in those cars.

 

I found the rear trailing plug to be most difficult. I think I use a 3/8" ratchet with like a 6 inch extension on one or two of the plugs and the rest of them I use only the socket on the ratchet and put the mojo into it to break it loose.

Plus are not that hard on a 2nd gen... lots of v6's make you remove the intake plenum.

 

The easiest way I found was to use one of those short 3/8 rachet with a swivel short extension. Then again you will need to have some serious umpf to break some loose. Or just break them first and then use the short ratchet.

Just my 2€ cents.

 

I don't quite know what i hit, but when i was changing my plug wires one of them was tough to get off. When it did come off, my thumb smacked against something pretty good and went numb for an hour. Now whenever i press the spot that hit, my thumb goes numb...

So...take it easy when tugging on those wires.

 

Arnt the best plugs like the ones sold on rx7.com, the NGK Spark Plugs?