47 minutes for the GTX, 70 minutes for the Charger.
Thank you kindly, sir.
All cleaned up, both critters have been run and checked for problems:
Everything seems to be in order here.
CONCLUSIONS:
1. Per plug, the Charger with its' modern 5.7 "hemi" was much quicker on a per-plug
average - but the sheer number of them (double the GTX's 440) and the redonkulous
2bazillion threads per plug both means it lost the overall contest.
Add to that all the anti-seize you MUST apply to the plug threads (and the old ones
will still fight you coming out even doing so!) and the dielectric grease needed for all
(16) boots (again, mandatory lest you rip rubber boots on coil packs!) and it makes
for a simple access/convoluted process.
Undo (2) 10mm screws per coil pack, pry the pack off the plugs, put your collection
of deep sockets and extensions together for the long reach down the plug tube and
commence to ratcheting....and ratcheting.....and ratcheting some more.
Plugs looked fine, but I did wait quite a but longer than the recommended 30k
change interval, so they fussed some when first being loosened.
2. The 440 in the GTX, hampered by the world's worst headers (ok, almost) makes
for a lot of dropsies, contortions, scrapes and nicks and what have you.
Each plug takes a different combination of tools to access it, of course.
Thankfully, it isn't a long-threaded plug and there's not much danger of seizing them
in cast iron heads, so no anti-seize needed (although I do still put a dab of dielectric
in all the boots).
(I also cussed a lot more working on the GTX as well, if anyone's keeping that score.)
Our WINNER! The GTX with (8) new J11Y plugs installed:
Old plugs didn't look too awful bad, either:
Hands trashed, wrists sore from all that ratcheting, I decided to keep going and climbed
under the GTX to patch up the old 3" exhaust where the previous owners' welding skills
*cough* yielded a rod "hanger" that had managed to rip off the side of a pipe in front
of the muffler, leaving a gash.
Ground it smooth, cut a patch out of some spare 3" pipe I had and clamped it in there
with a heavy duty clamp, then installed a proper hanger like Ma Mopar intended.
(I don't have any welding gear, nor the talent to perform such. We improvise and adapt
around here.)
Thanks to everyone who participated in the poll - and as usual, FBBO members knew
best!
