You've got to plug the holes with something

I was getting some occasional misfiring in the Viper I decided that I should probably change the spark plugs as a first step.  Here's how the job started:


Me: "I need some spark plugs"
Guy at the counter "Ok what have you got?"
Me "Champion part number RC12LYC"
Guy "OK, I've got lots of those in stock, how many do you need?"
"10"
"Oh. Well, I've got nine of them."

For how big the engine is and how small the car is, getting to the spark plugs is pretty easy.  On the pass. side, I highly recommend removing HVAC plenum.  It's only four screws and really open up that side of the engine.  After pulling a plug, I'm pretty sure that the plugs in it were the originals.  47,000 miles is well past their service life.  The electrodes were very well worn.  Here's the old next to the new:

Since we're dealing with aluminum heads, the new spark plug threads got some anti-seize on them, and the boots greased with Dielectric grease.  Speaking of boots, since they'd been on the plug so long, some of them were pretty stuck to the spark plugs.  In pulling one of them off, I managed to break one of the plug wire separators.

They're made from a fairly brittle plastic, and 17 years living above exhaust manifolds didn't help the situation any.  Fortunately, this type of plastic super glues very well.  I know it's a cheap part to replace, but a fixed free one is still cheaper.  I can always replace it later if it breaks again.