How To Replace Spark Plugs And Wires - 4 Cylinder Ford Ranger

Spark plug and plug wire replacement tutorial on a 1999 2.5 liter Ford Ranger pickup. The same procedure should work on all 2.3 and 2.5 liter trucks from 1989 to 2001.

[@dennisjr1000]

I just bought a 2000 ranger with 200K miles. The previous owner said it had a bad miss. How about #3 & #4 plugs loose and #2 fuel injector unplugged! What a bargain! Changed plugs and wires and still ran rough (duh) started checking my work when I pushed on #2 injector wire it went down about 1mm and click, problem solved. Running perfect now, on to the A/C and cruise then the bed then, then, then... Great video.

[@MowersNBlowers]

Instead of pulling the wires off all at the same time, pull them off one at a time change the plug and move to the next. No chance of getting them mixed up for a misfire and damage.

[@rockstrong4342]

and the open holes are just waiting for shit to fall into the cylinder - do them one at a time.

[@fergosfergos1493]

Las bobinas están marcadas, genio!

[@blackf9068]

@@fergosfergos1493 Ciertamente están marcados pero para alguien con poca experiencia sería fácil perderse entre tantos cables y ponerlos mal. Lo mejor es ir uno por uno para evitar confusiones.

[@timmylee41]

@@fergosfergos1493 no obla

[@kevinharmon6992]

That's what I was thinking

[@villpaz9]

Just finished this after wqtching this video. Went straight to the auto parts store and picked uo the wires and all 8 plugs. It was pretty tight but this video deff helped me out a lot. I have a 96 ranger xlt and it has 196k miles on it. Just purchased it for $1350 and im hoping it last me another 100k.

[@mrpoopo2320]

Update?

[@jyee2217]

The engineer who put those plugs on the driver's side down behind the exhaust manifold, should be banished

[@classic287]

Beaten senseless, is more like it...

[@HectorMartinez-qc3ti]

Intake manifold

[@MAGWolf]

Intake Manifold isn't even that hard to remove on these. Like 5 minutes of extra work and saves you 30 minutes of time. Dunno why anyone would go through this much work to put in sub par autolite junk. Go for NGK or something. Then you wont be doing this for another 200k. First person to say use motorcraft they are Autolite. Precisely why they break in the heads. Because like all Motorcraft parts they are designed to fail after the warranty is out.

[@foxyroxstar]

yeah a little further to the right of the dumpster..they've just power washed everything back here and who feels like having to drag a hose back out..Max von Sydow! that's it..got anything to say for yourself..For BIDEN?

[@buk6708]

@@MAGWolf I removed my manifold, took about 20 min to fish all the stuff off and a hassle to put it back on.

[@pgo301]

I know partner, I did this about 7 years ago and put the highest quality in that was available. Supposedly they are guaranteed to 100,000 miles. You ran into all the same problems I did. I'm approaching a new 100k and you gave me some updated tips. THANKS and Appreciate your posting.

[@emb2580]

it's been discussed time and time again, the 4 extra plugs were for reduced emissions, they were not for more power.

[@classic287]

I thought I was going to save the hassle of changing plugs by getting a 4 cylinder....

[@christophjohnson3777]

Yeah, got my ranger today and was like "EIGHT PLUGS?!?!?" 😂

[@pjwitherspork9810]

Just bought a 99 ranger 2.5 (no ac equipped) I was pretty frustrated with the 3rd and 4th so I took the throttle body off and yea it was way easier to see all the chunks of oil almost falling in the piston as I installed them haha. Definitely will have to change the valve cover gasket/oil cap. Rockauto is like a third of the price compared to everywhere else, their jingle is bad but its accurate. Thanks for these videos man !! Been watching since the ct90 rebuild!!

[@scottwebb8547]

Thanks! great video. It has helped a lot & you make it look easy. I'm on day two trying to get the #4 wire back on the plug.

[@robertpadgett9376]

Paiin in the but.

[@mrpoopo2320]

Did you get it yet?

[@legacyfineartframing9038]

Good video. Thanks! I love these trucks. My 2001 2.5L is over 250,000 miles and still running strong!

[@edwardsiafa808]

+Legacy Fine Art Framing I have a 2.3L 5 speed 95 ford ranger with 270,000! These little guys are tough!

[@The247th]

I was recently given a "free" 2000 Ranger.. As far as condition goes, its an eye sore to look at BUT it runs great. I'm in the process of restoring it. So this weekend I decided to change the plugs and wires and guess what... It still had the original factory spark plugs!! 150K on the odometer! :O

[@fm00078]

OEM plugs are still purchaseable.

[@NomadicDave2032]

Gonna do this job here soon why I was looking it up, prefer to watch normal joes like me do it because I don't have all the fancy tools and so on that pros have...that and now and then I pick up little tricks like the masking tape bit. Liked and subscribed, thanks for the videos.

[@paullacroix5042]

This was helpful. 3 and 4 are a bitch to change. I put a zip tie on each of the tabs to make removing them easier for the next spark plug change. To make it easier to install the plugs I took a piece of vacume tubing slipped it over a 1/4 wooden dowel taping it make it secure it then slipped the the end over the spark plug.

[@orangehat9057]

As someone who just did this I gotta say this was a big pain in the ass.

[@flusso316]

Yeah, my ass still hurting from it.

[@potatos_4_free]

Mine's about to hurt. Wish me luck.

[@blackf9068]

​@@potatos_4_free Mine gonna hurt too, I must change just the wires, but even yet is uncomfortable put your hand on those narrow spaces. I just beg to god don't mess it.

[@potatos_4_free]

@@blackf9068 for me the wires were the hard part since my boots did not want to come off in one piece. (They rly didn't want to come off at all)

[@blackf9068]

@@potatos_4_free I'm afraid about that, I change spark plugs the last year, but the guy that did the work pull wrong the wires and one of them got a crack that I notice some time after, I put insulation tape while I got the new wires.

[@electronicasolorio2988]

What a great video, my brother, thank you. I thought about buying a Ranger, but looking at it properly, no thanks. But your video helped me a lot

[@christophjohnson3777]

I'm glad i saw you do the driver sde. I was ready to take the intake off to get to them.

[@Syntheticham]

Been a subscriber for years. Love all your videos. First time I've ever searched for something and it was a topic you covered! Awesome! Hope the camper is going great! :D

[@markchapmon8670]

I bought a 1990 2.3l Ranger and my friends keep saying, "Have you put a V8 in it yet?" The joy of the plug swap you're doing are making it a little more appealing. LOL

[@HiddenUsername1]

Awesome gonna be doing this very soon as well as injectors on my 98 with 195 thousand miles on itv

[@douglassprague9727]

The coil is set up to fire 2 and 3 at the same time as well as 1 and 4 at the same time so it won't matter if 2 and 3 are switched or if 1 and 4 are switched.

[@vincentking2206]

regarding why your plugs were reversed in a way contrary to factory specs...there is a "dual-fire" mod people do on these engines which makes the intake and exhaust plugs fire simultaneously as opposed to one on the intake stroke and one on the exhaust stroke. The theory behind the mod is that it's more efficient to have both plugs (per cylinder) firing at the same time. That's why your ranger forum advised the plug swap. Haven't seen real numbers of what a difference it makes, but people seem to claim it makes a notable difference. Not advocating, just thought you'd like to know why they were reversed.

[@danielcollipp5981]

Thanks for the great video. I am off to change them today. I get the impression from reading the posts below that you might get more power from swapping the wires #2 and #3 on the driver's side. Ford may have put on the extra 4 spark plugs to help with emissions ( I think 4 of them fire a mlli-second late to burn up unused fuel), but the swap might possibly change the timing from milliseconds apart to exactly the same for all 8 plugs, so all 8 would be igniting on their respective cylinders simultaneously? Either that or those two plugs have identical timing and there is no difference I would imagine.

[@tedmartian413]

Just use a piece of string with a slip knot to slide over the spark plug boot and tie the other end of string to a pry bar if you even need to they pop off easy. No need to disassemble the engine for a tune up like guys in comments. Good video, that string trick has saved my ass a few times

[@jamesmcknight6440]

The very first time I changed my spark plug on my 94 ranger I didn't pull the upper manifold now i pull it every time it's much easier

[@raypowell2076]

I enjoyed watching your video “great job” I have a 1995 Ford Ranger, some literature somewhere said the engine is a Mazda ?? . When I replaced the plugs I removed the intake manifold as it turned out this was not fun! All the grass died around my house from all the foul language I used. Again great video.

[@doug112244]

Whenever the small truck went from being a Courier which was a Mazda with Ford bages on to the Ranger name they became Fords. The Mazda B2300, B3000 and B4000 are just Ford Rangers alhough I don't think they had all the options a Ranger did. As far as the 2.3l and the 2.5l single overhead cam engine they go back to the Ford Pinto so they aren't Mazda.

[@thomasjefferson1457]

Much easier to remove the upper manifold first and then do the spark plugs and wires. The outer 4 spark plugs which are easy to get at are only for emissions. Use cheap plugs out there if you want but buy the best plugs you can get for the 4 main plugs under the manifold, Double platinum's if you can find them.

[@wattsobx]

which side do you mean when you say outer? The driver side?

[@BlondWithGrit]

I can't believe he was putting in Autolite plugs instead of Motorcraft spark plugs. Ford Rangers are known to have issues with anything other than Motorcraft spark plugs. Of course I am a woman, what do I know about cars and trucks...lol

[@yourmomzwrld695]

😂😂

[@KarazyKidAtHeart]

I put in NGKs are those gonna ok? They didn't gsvr motorcraft in stovk n these was alot more?

[@jesusalopez828]

@@KarazyKidAtHeartno that’s not okay

[@SantanaTelevision]

The reason that Ford used 8 spark plugs rather than 4, is they wanted to increase fuel economy. Providing a stronger spark can ensure a cleaner burn. Therefore helping emissions as well as economy.

[@swagtofly123]

But it is a bitch to do it your self

[@SantanaTelevision]

+Elmo Garcia All about the right tools for the job.

[@swagtofly123]

+David Santana which you are right about it took me forever on Saturday but this guys tips helped out a lot too

[@Koshunae]

I know this is old but fuel economy wasn't the factor behind these, it was entirely for emissions. This system is essentially a waste spark system, where the driver's side plugs fire on the exhaust stroke just to burn any extra fuel. This doesn't increase fuel economy as it doesn't burn any less fuel to make more power, it just burns any excess fuel after combustion, which keeps less fuel from dumping into the catalytic converter, which lowers NOx and improves emissions. Most modern vehicles have this system already, but it is controlled on the single set of plugs with the car.

[@santioros3670]

Yea

[@coledoubt]

nightmare job... pulled #4 plug wire first and the resistor broke off in the plug cap.. rough castings on the intake and my arms and hands look like I've been attacked by a rabid feline. gonna be a long day...

[@mojorisen594]

probably one of the most insightful videos on u tube kinda made a pain n the ass job look.doable to a mentally challenged person like myself 🤣🤣🤣🤣 especially on the intake side

[@rubenestrada8819]

just finished installing these bad boys great Video thanks,really helpful

[@neaituppi7306]

I found that when the wire connectors don't come off, or break off from the rubber insulation, it is because I wait too long to change the spark plugs. And I wouldn't suggest pulling all the wires off, and then doing the spark plugs. I would do each wire and spark plug, so as to avoid putting them back in the wrong order. Even if I did mark them.

[@prestonimtheman]

What's cool about this model Andrew cool pack thought the firing order is on the coil pack so even if you took the each off u would still have the firing order

[@bellyanchor138]

how are you able to remove the number 3 spark plug with the fuel rail in the way? with my extensions I can't get my ratchet to fit over the spark plug without bumping into that

[@wattsobx]

any luck how did you get past it?

[@jonnymiskatonic]

Nice, braving this and filming it myself. Looks like #3 is about to be as much of a bitch as I figured it would be.

[@stealthslide]

Thanks for this video....I'm about to do this on my Ranger.....

[@jenniesgarage]

Good luck with the job!

[@Vasolini]

Thank you for posting this. Do you remember where you bought the gray spark plug wire tool you are using in this video? I am trying to find it, but no one seems to have that one.

[@jackdurham5601]

Good job Patriot.. thank you for posting this.

[@phillipfuture9202]

Thank you for the video, it helped out a lot, although my Ranger back fires, do you think its because of cheap connection wires? Everything is connected correctly, every now and then my truck backfires, I bought it used, 170,000 miles to be exact, but still runs good. I would like any suggestions anyone can offer. Thank you.

[@pdufusc]

That coolant line thru the manifold helps vaporize the fuel, hence increased fuel mileage. Mac makes a double knuckle deepwell socket, works wonders doing tune-ups. S&K makes a swivel-head 3/8 rachet that swivels on center of rachet head, not an inch and a half behind the rachet head. This puts the torque on center, it doesn't slip off and massacre your knuckles! Took me several knuckles, but when I bought that S&K, all was well with the knuckles! Nationally certified in Tune-Ups (70s n 80s). The changes were coming fast and furiously all car/trk manufacturers, and the independent garage couldn't afford all the schools to stay in business. Went back to aircraft, they paid for the schooling. heh-heh-heh "Have a Great week in the "LORD""

[@sonybravo957]

Thanks the best explication...

[@learn123gunsandguitars4]

You rock dude! You're as good with cars as I am with guns! If you're ever working on an AK/Saiga, hmu!

[@jenniesgarage]

Thanks!

[@BossaNossa1]

Thanks for the video. How about the 6 cylinder Ranger? I have a 1990 Ranger 2.9L V6 and would like to replace the distributor cap and rotor and the spark plugs and wires... Any videos for this truck? Anyone..?

[@qs8787]

I owned a ford ranger and one day decided to change the plugs. One look at the location of the plugs, I said holy molly. I never encountered a car so difficult to change plugs..

[@OtherDalfite]

Yeah major pain in the ass. Least they could have done was sand down the casting edges on the manifold. Shits jagged as hell

[@doug112244]

Try any V6 in a fwd.

[@foxyroxstar]

I'M pulling my Intake Manifold! There's an exhaust emission vacume I just replaced..(the hard way!) I Could Better Address That Tightening! The Engine Light Went Out For Awhile! I addressed each individual plug and wire replacing..4 down! 6! They Broke Loose! (possibly a risk?)..yeah..235,000 miles on MINE!

[@marlonfb6_raiden662]

Quick question do those Plastic pullers on the driver side bother ? I been trying to push my Spark plug wires deep till it clicks and when i put them on and than pull them out they easyly Come off. Are The plastics bothering it and not letting them go all the way in ?

[@robertlove8429]

"and we may need some other tools as well"

[@ronaldharris6569]

I'm in the middle of this horror show right now plus I got debris from rats to deal with around some holes and no compressor to blow it out

[@robertlove8429]

@@ronaldharris6569 I found that drinking a nice cold beer helped

[@ronaldharris6569]

@@robertlove8429 I borrowed a buddy of mine craftsman,u joints and extension set,some clever use of gorilla tape and a gallon of sweat i got all 8 swapped out. Now I have to drop the tank,and clean it and the fuel pump sitting in a field for 5 years makes my 200dollar,truck a huge project.

[@hmarvin3791]

I have the same car ,and its not easy to replace sparks plug.

[@kinetoscopes]

Super helpful. Thanks bro!

[@michaellouviere9979]

harbor freight has extra long needle nose pliers with 90 degree end that make this job way easier for around 15 dollars you will love these pliers they can reach and grab or hook on many things hard to reach no reason to use or make any wire hooks or special ?

[@billycolwell4263]

I used a bent over welding rod made a loop on the other pops them right off.

[@dancehall23able]

Great video

[@jmatthew9641]

Yea have big hands, used curved large needle nose pliers for intake 3 and 4 takes time

[@franmitch3589]

Good video just done mine not fun lots of extensions and universal joints and awhole lot of patience yea right literally hadta walk away for a moment the only other worse project is the junk pressure fuel lines on filter if it aint regularly done it gets fused on there

[@JTMONEY2247]

Will leaving that tape on spark plug hurt anything?

[@stevewinword9266]

Thanks for the clip!

[@jenniesgarage]

Steve Winword glad to help!

[@SkyWatched]

Jennies Garage could you please comment and tell me if you noticed if it ran better and had more power after changing plugs and wires? I have a 1997 ford ranger xlt 2.3 with 125,000 on it and I know it was due a plug and wire change at 100,000 miles. I just haven't done it yet. Thanks so much for this video.

[@jenniesgarage]

***** Hi, unless the plugs are so bad that one or more cylinders are missing you probably won't feel a difference. At 125000 you probably should think doing it though, as those electrodes are probably getting pretty worn :)

[@luvfinger]

Hi, and thanks for posting this very helpful video. I'm about to take on the the same project on a similar 94 ranger; with 8 plugs. I noticed on my car the wires on the driver's side didn't appear to have those plastic handles that are supposed to be attached. Not too sure if I'll have more difficulty then you did in getting the driver's side wires off of the plugs, or if they assist in seating the wires back onto the plugs. In any case, do you think I should buy those parts and attache them to the new set of wires during the new install?

[@jenniesgarage]

Gene den Daas I think I would try disconnecting and connecting the existing wires first. If it's a real pain, try to get the handles. Otherwise just replace the wires.

[@mirandal3378]

Any idea what I would look up to find the part with the “handle”?? Need to replace the part and can’t seem to find them online. Husband can’t seem to either.

[@Dazubegener]

My mechanic is STILL trying to change my spark plugs. It's been three weeks. :(

[@jenniesgarage]

I hope you're not paying by the hour!

[@peteg6419]

Time to move on. Get your car and find a real mechanic or just do it yourself. It's not rocket science.

[@xxyy1318]

So what did you do

[@jeffreylbelcher8438]

thanks very helpful. can u give me a video of wher the plug wiring goes. I change my wiring. a got a bad miss

[@jenniesgarage]

+Jeffrey L Belcher Hi, if you look closely at the coil it should have the numbers stamped in the plastic. good luck!

[@PTTrue-mu5rq]

Would be more impressive if you showed how to change the passenger side on a 2.9 six cylinder

[@markkrause3569]

It looks like it would be easier to slit the intake, (were the bolts are in most of the video)that way everything is right there

[@mauricehayes3953]

Yo plzzz how in the hell do you take off the ignition wire connector he has on his truck

[@JASCOBAR]

What is the gap if you do not have a owner's manual & the hood specs are partially gone?

[@joeysanchez5926]

.42-.46

[@stevenstrombone]

I cannot find any information on removing the manifold to remove plugs 3 and 4 on the drivers side. Any tips?

[@brendanmay8527]

refer to Hanes manual if you're having trouble

[@jmanbgg]

here we are again D';

[@deronjacobs3651]

Is this a manual transmission.

[@deronjacobs3651]

I see him shifting now

[@moustachemike7128]

that little simple boot tool works wonders if ya can get it on the plug boot.... lol

[@DavidRamirez-be1ke]

So even tho its a 4 cyl there's 8 plugs and wires?

[@FordRanger-ih9wq]

I heard it was supposed to be more fuel efficient. I wish it wasn't it's a pain in the fuckin ass to do them lol

[@2232smiles]

thanks for the video, Do you know where can I find a video on how to replace a valve cover gasket on ford ranger xlt 1991?

[@jenniesgarage]

Sorry, I haven't had the pleasure of doing that job

[@2232smiles]

thanks

[@billypirtle1443]

The auto zone is for 1993 only not 1994 and up oreillys is right for 1994 pn.

[@Country_Girl]

The video provides valuable info if you have the patients to wait for him to get to it. SLOW - for a 5th grader?

[@xxyy1318]

*patience (vs patients)

[@gui9442]

Hey i have subscribed to you when the dirt bike videos came out and i wanna know if you could do a vid on them by any chance

[@jenniesgarage]

I'm looking for a new project right now, I should have something going soon :)

[@gui9442]

alright ! i love your vids there really helpful keep up the good work

[@RickyTaylorBowtiefever]

Just a tidbit of useless information you can also use a piece of rubber hose to remove the plugs that are hard to get to

[@zx8401ztv]

What a pain, those designers just need a kick in the arse real bad lol. When i did the sparkplugs and cables in a frends car (very farty in comparison to american beasts) the plugs were smaller than standard and lived in a hole, the socket for them had a perminant magnet inside to hold the plug in :-)) So your use of a magnet is professional :-))

[@jenniesgarage]

That socket with a magnet would be a good thing to have. With my screwdriver I felt like I was fishing!

[@jeffreylbelcher8438]

don't no if I crossed on or what. 2.5 ranger

[@garyjames2465]

So hard to hear??

[@gabedodo3697]

done < thank you sr

[@jenniesgarage]

+Gabrile Jacobo Glad it worked for you!

[@zachsheffee8458]

How can two month old wires look so filthy?!

[@zachsheffee8458]

Eight spark plugs is slightly better!

[@MrJohnyutah1]

Keep thos guys arms away from any open flame or spark!

[@Anonymous_Music]

Here to clarify I was seeing my truck correctly. Why tf does a 4cylinder need 8 plugs

[@doug112244]

In this case it's to reduce emissions. In airplanes it's to provide redundancy.

[@thelawntractornut5448]

Actually designed by Mazda

[@lloydmccoy4077]

,1995Sabbath 900seconds show Mr how to change plugs

[@masonholloway3487]

"This is the only amount of platinum I own" lol what about in your catalytic converter? That's the main reason they're so expensive.

[@pairisfabrication2476]

Mason Holloway I don’t have cats on mine 🤷🏿‍♂️😂

[@ScottysBackYardBBQ]

couldnt you just take off the intake manifold..

[@shawnbrockel7233]

Its alot to it and then you would need to replace gaskets and a whole lot more than just taking your time

[@Chaddz3]

@@shawnbrockel7233 not really, the gasket is a simple piece with rubber inserts for the runners.. as long as you dont nick them, they'll seal right up. The hardest part of the deal if you remove the manifold is the EGR valve.... and you do need to replace the egr valve gasket.. its also a good idea to clean the damn thing as long as its off.

[@arizonalurps5150]

I had to take throttle body & intake manifold pain in azz

[@jaybird3608]

Thats weird 2 plugs per piston

[@jeffstifel3569]

Step 1) remove and dismantle engine............🙃

[@Charlies_Corner]

NOOOO!!!! Don't use AUTOLITES in a Ranger engine!!! They require Motorcraft plugs!!!! You will get a Check Engine Light with a P03xx code! I put Autolites in my 01 Ranger and have had nothing but problems, only use MOTORCRAFT plugs!!! Never trust Autozone information, if in doubt check service information, such as mitchell online or your chilton/haynes manual. if the wires are crossed it wont blow up it wont start..

[@johnagudelo1645]

Charlie's Corner I am throwing ngk iridium plugs in mine, should burn better shouldn’t it?

[@Charlies_Corner]

John Agudelo I always use motorcraft plugs because that’s what it came with from the factory.

[@johnjohnson1313]

I bought a 97 ranger a couple months ago and I've taken the intake manifold off 4 times already and I can tell you it is a 1000 times easier,faster and better than the system you showed in the video. And my hands and arms are twice as skinny and small as yours.# 3 plug was doable when I used your system but # 4 is a f'ckg nightmare with your system.Had to jack up the truck,remove oil filter and start plug from under the truck. And still had trouble getting it on! The time and trouble I spent doing all that I could have pulled the intake and put it back on twice! Please delete this video.

[@johnjohnson1313]

Well I've had a change of hard(and heart,LOL).That #4 plug can be removed fairly easy with a couple of special tools.A long pair of needlenose pliers,preferably 16",and a piece of flatbar with a 90 degree angle on one end. I slid the pliers through the tunnel alongside the valve cover,pinched the boot hard with them,then used the flatbar to "hook" the backside of the pliers and jerk HARD to pop the boot off the spark plug. Removing the plug itself is pretty much as described in the video.

[@wattsobx]

@@johnjohnson1313 would you still do without taking off intake manifold?

[@johnjohnson1313]

@@wattsobx I cant remember much about that procedure,I got rid of that truck not long after I posted. I spent about $500 trying to track down a missfire and it turned out the rings on the #4 cylinder were shot and that cylinder only produced about 92 lbs pressure and would not fire. I loved that truck otherwise.

[@fm00078]

Early in the video your odometer didn't work, later it was working. Es'splane Loosie. ___ 8D ___

[@nickdyson2828]

Ýuƴ

[@corbettknowles9942]

The other reason is called dual over head cam technology and with that technology it requires 2 plugs per cylinder

[@Chaddz3]

DOHC doesn't require 2 spark plugs per cylinder... where the hell did you come up with that? My 2.0L ecoboost in my Focus ST uses only 1 plug per cylinder, all of your DOHC vtec hondas use 1 plug per cylinder... hell even the 2.2 GM Ecotec motor with its dual overhead cam system uses 1 plug per cylinder. besides the 2.5L engine in the ranger is a SOHC engine.

[@rexdrax4649]

terrible video

[@hunterlaney6587]

Instead of masking tape try a small price of water hose.. about 6-10 inches..

[@jimrica959]

The drivers side two inner-most plugs are a challenge to replace. I had my wife help, since she has skinnier hands, and we did this in about an hour - without removing the manifold or any pieces other than the plastic throttle cover. Be patient, and careful not to bend the wires to the plugs, and you can change both the plugs and wires on the driver side in less than two hours. Don't listed to those that claim it's a good idea to just leave one or two plugs alone - they are very likely the ones that are bad! My number four (closest to the firewall) was the worst. Good luck.

[@marcusconner4162]

Can bad plugs cause misfire, loss of power and make the truck hard to stay running at times?

[@Mercy-lb5rq]

it's great you had help perhaps that my hesitation on doing, and if not my truck I thought I'd do a something nice for a friend maybe I take him out to dinner instead. we can do together but we can't do alone

[@zerostarfree]

had my gf help me, lol, she has skinny hands also

[@copedennis1]

@@marcusconner4162yes it can but many times the problem is the engine control module behind the ac compressor

[@BugzKiller]

Very detailed vid, Thanks!! I've been holding off doing this because when I got my 1999 ranger in 2001, I was told the Manifold has to be taken off to do the plugs!! Then I saw your video and seen this was not true! My plugs have Not been changed since I got the truck in 2001!!! It has been running bad as you know, and will be refreshing when the new plugs and wires are in!! Thanks again!!

[@rocketsevens9539]

Huge pain in the ass, but this is the best motor Ford ever made; if you can say best and Ford in the same sentance...

[@doug112244]

I would general give the best title to the 300 in³ in line 6 cylinder but the 2.3l and 2.5l are excellent engines.

[@classic287]

WTF????? 8 spark plugs in a 4 cylinder????

[@potatos_4_free]

Apparently mazda makes these trucks.

[@doug112244]

​@potatos_4_free no they are Ford trucks with the Mazda name on them. The Ford Courier was a Mazda with the Ford name on it.

[@supabradsi]

Just bought a Ranger a few days ago, was curious how the hell there was 8 plugs on a 4 cyl motor lol, thanks for the video! Plan on tackling this job next weekend.

[@neaituppi7306]

That kind of showed how little he knew. Every 4 cylinder vehicle I ever owned had 8 plugs. It might help to learn what cylinders are and how they work.

[@supabradsi]

Heki Kahni my Mitsubishi Evo and Honda prelude are both 4 bangers with 4 plugs.

[@neaituppi7306]

Hogman The intruder Yeah, I'm only as good as my next fix.

[@christophjohnson3777]

Bought one today, and was stunned to see 8 plugs. Like wtf?? 😂

[@christophjohnson3777]

​@@neaituppi7306kinda shows what you know, every 4 cylinder i owned only had four plugs. And that has nothing to do with how cylinders work.