yotaluver

So here's the deal, I need to replace my valve cover gaskets, but it's kinda cold here and I don't have a warm place to do it, so that job is going to wait till it warms up. I was reading about the gasket replacement and everyone said to do the plugs at the same time since you have everything apart and it's easy to do, but I don't know when the plugs and wires were last done so I was going to do them today since it's warm (...well 30ish degrees...), I mean how hard can it really be??? Well I got started and replaced 2 of the plugs, when I went to do the next one I realized why people do it when everything is apart... Yeah kinda hard to get to some of the plugs. So I guess the point of this is to ask, will it hurt anything to run with the 2 new plugs and 4 old plugs until spring? They are the same plugs, but the old ones are really old and the gap on the 2 I pulled out was probably twice what it should have been. Also if it makes any difference, the 2 new plugs run off the same coil and have a new wire between them.
Thanks for any insight.

Jomoka

It's not that hard to do plugs. Just do all of them. Unless you don't have the right tools, there's not much of an advantage to having the valve covers off. They're right there, straight down the holes. You just pull the wires on one side, pull the COP packs on the other.

But unless the plugs are so bad it's missing occasionally, it shouldn't be too much of a problem. Modern ignition systems like the 5VZfe has will fire about anything, it's not like the weak ignition system on older cars with points and condensers that were very sensitive to gaps.

yotaluver

Thanks for the info about the modern ignition.

The advantage isn't in having the valve covers off, but in having the intake, plenum, vacuum hoses, etc off to provide better access. It takes an extension on the sparkplug socket just to reach down the tube to the plug, and on two of them there isn't enough room above the plug to get the extension straight and drop it down (much less get a ratchet on top of that extension). I'm sure I can figure out a way to do it, and if it's gonna make a big difference in how the truck runs I'll figure out a way, but since I'll have all that stuff off the engine and out of the way to do the valve covers in a few months, I think I'll just be lazy and wait and do the other 4 plugs then.

maachine

it'll be fine. wont harm a thing

TheDurk

As long as you weren't getting any misfires, and aren't now, you'll be fine. It's definitely easier to learn to do stuff on an engine when it's warm outside. Key to Cyl. 6 is the correct length extension--not too long, not too short.