How to Replace the 1 Spark Plug on a '95 Ford Taurus 3.8L

The No. 1 spark plug in a 1995 Ford Taurus with a 3.8-liter engine is located on the firewall side of the engine. This is the left side as seen when standing on the passenger side of the car facing the front of the engine. Ford recommends replacing the spark plugs every 30,000 miles. The spark plug gap widens with mileage as the electrode burns away. The wider the spark plug gap the more current is necessary to jump the gap. There comes a point when the width of the gap requires more current than the coil has capacity to jump the gap, which diminishes performance.

Instructions

1

The engine must be totally cold before you remove the spark plugs. Remove the air duct from the air cleaner housing to the throttle body using a flat-head screwdriver to loosen the clamps.

2

Remove the spark plugs closest to the radiator first. The firing order on this engine is 1-4-2-5-3-6. The right side, or firewall side, of the engine has cylinders 1-2-3 starting at the front, moving rearward. The radiator side is 4-5-6, starting from the front. This places the No. 1 plug closest to the passenger side of the firewall. The distributor rotates counterclockwise for the firing order. It is better to remove one spark plug wire at a time and complete the spark plug installation before removing the next plug wire. This reduces the possibility of crossing the wires in the firing order.

3

Remove the spark plug wire using the spark plug wire boot-puller. Place the puller on the boot only. Give the boot a twist in both directions and pull it off the spark plug. Inspect the spark plug wire for any signs of burning, cracking or melted spots and replace all the wires if any evidence is found. Replace the wires one at a time as the plug is changed.

4

Remove the spark plug with the spark plug socket, short extension and ratchet. Turn the spark plug counterclockwise to remove it.

5

Gap the new spark plug to between 0.052 and 0.056 inches using the spark plug gapping tool.

6

Place a small amount of dielectric grease in the spark plug boot. Install the short vacuum hose on the spark plug to aid in its installation. Install the spark plug by hand and thread it in clockwise using the vacuum hose.

7

Torque the spark plug to between 7 and 15 foot-pounds. It is better to keep the torque on the low side with the addition of anti-seize compound. Install the spark plug boot on the plug and press it down until it snaps in place. Do the rest on this side in the same manner.

8

Replace the spark plugs one at a time to prevent the possibility of crossing the spark plug wires. With the spark plug boot puller remove all the plug wires on the rear bank. Start with the No. 1 spark plug that is the hardest to remove. Place the spark plug socket with a short extension on the spark plug. Place the ratcheting wrench on the spark plug socket. Rotate the plug counterclockwise to break it loose. There is little room to get a good swing on a ratchet, but the ratchet wrench works easier. As soon as the plug is loose, remove the socket. Push the vacuum hose on the spark plug and twist the hose to remove the plug.

9

Gap the new spark plug. Place some dielectric grease in the spark plug boot. Thread the spark plug into the engine using the vacuum hose. Place the spark plug socket on the plug. Use the ratchet wrench to tighten the spark plug just slightly more than snug. This makes it much easier to torque the spark plug with so little movement in the torque wrench. Remove the ratchet wrench and install the torque wrench. Torque the plug to between 7 and 15 foot-pounds.

10

Push the No. 1 spark plug boot on the plug. If it is difficult to press it hard enough to get it to snap, use the handle on the ratchet to push it down until it snaps in place.

11

Replace the remaining two plugs in the ordinary manner since they are much easier to access. Install the air duct between the air cleaner and throttle body and tighten the clamps with the flat-head screwdriver.