Hemi395
Senior Member
- Joined
- Mar 18, 2013
- Posts
- 8,989
- Reaction score
- 15,672
- Location
- Cape Cod MA
- Ram Year
- 2013
- Engine
- 5.7 Hemi
I saw a bunch of questions about this but didn't see an actual thread on doing this. I refuse to pay my dealer $400 for this and this should be done every 30k on 2013 and older Hemi's.
The drivers side was somewhat difficult but not bad. The brake booster is in the way but it's not that bad. I started with this side because I figured it was the worst side. However I had a much harder time with the last cylinder on the passenger side.
There's a huge wiring harness going from the pcm plus 2 heater core hoses right over cylinder 8. You can unclip the hoses and the wiring harness to somewhat move them out of the way but there's still not much room.
I used the Mopar NGK plugs and got them on Amazon: Set of 16 Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram 5.7 Liter HEMI NKG Spark Plugs Mopar https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LME0BQQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_bu1jzbVV0TCPQ
Supplies used:
Nickle Antiseize compound
Dielectric grease
old blanket
spark plug gap tool (to verify .043 gap)
Tools used:
5/8 spark plug socket
5/8 deep socket
2 3" extensions
1 1.5" extension
1 universal joint adapter (didn't end up using this)
Small telescoping magnet
I let the truck sit overnight so it was stone cold. Always a good idea with aluminum heads. Start by blowing the engine off. You definitely don't want dirt and debris getting inside the combustion chamber. Once you get the coils off blow the spark plug Wells out again to make sure they're clean. I started with the rear cylinders first. You have to lay over the engine to reach the rear cylinders which is what you need the blanket for.
Coils come off easy as there is dielectric grease on them from the factory. The plugs themselves came out surprisingly hard and we're making a scary squealing noise. This is probably due to my truck sitting a lot and it being outside 24/7 so do you expect this. I did one cylinder at a time to minimize the chance of dirt getting in the combustion chamber. You will need the spark plug socket to remove the plug or the telescoping magnet to remove the plug is you're using a regular deep socket.
My plugs have about 28600 miles on them and all came out looking great with normal wear on them so if yours look like the picture your engine is running fine.
When installing new plugs, put a *light* smear of antiseize on the threads and a dab of dielectric on the end of the plug the coil attaches to. For the cylinders with little clearance, carefully drop the plug into the well, then drop the regular deep 5/8 socket, then a 3" extension, then the 1.5" extension. I rotated the plug counterclockwise until they I clicked to ensure they weren't crossthreading. That would be a bad day. Then torque to 13 ft/lbs or approx 157in/lbs. There are crush washers on the plugs that crush before finally seating. Before reinstalling the coil, put a dab of dielectric grease in the end of the boot to ensure they don't seize to the plug over time.
Repeat 15 more times and you're done.
Things to note:
Be care while laying on the engine with a blanket over it. There's lots of small plastic things that can get broken. A layover creeper would be ideal for this job. 2014+ trucks with Platinum plugs, I would still pull the plugs out and antiseize at 30-40k of you plan on keeping the truck.
Not a bad job at all and an easy way to save $340. Hope this helps someone!
The drivers side was somewhat difficult but not bad. The brake booster is in the way but it's not that bad. I started with this side because I figured it was the worst side. However I had a much harder time with the last cylinder on the passenger side.
There's a huge wiring harness going from the pcm plus 2 heater core hoses right over cylinder 8. You can unclip the hoses and the wiring harness to somewhat move them out of the way but there's still not much room.
I used the Mopar NGK plugs and got them on Amazon: Set of 16 Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram 5.7 Liter HEMI NKG Spark Plugs Mopar https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LME0BQQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_bu1jzbVV0TCPQ
Supplies used:
Nickle Antiseize compound
Dielectric grease
old blanket
spark plug gap tool (to verify .043 gap)
Tools used:
5/8 spark plug socket
5/8 deep socket
2 3" extensions
1 1.5" extension
1 universal joint adapter (didn't end up using this)
Small telescoping magnet
I let the truck sit overnight so it was stone cold. Always a good idea with aluminum heads. Start by blowing the engine off. You definitely don't want dirt and debris getting inside the combustion chamber. Once you get the coils off blow the spark plug Wells out again to make sure they're clean. I started with the rear cylinders first. You have to lay over the engine to reach the rear cylinders which is what you need the blanket for.
Coils come off easy as there is dielectric grease on them from the factory. The plugs themselves came out surprisingly hard and we're making a scary squealing noise. This is probably due to my truck sitting a lot and it being outside 24/7 so do you expect this. I did one cylinder at a time to minimize the chance of dirt getting in the combustion chamber. You will need the spark plug socket to remove the plug or the telescoping magnet to remove the plug is you're using a regular deep socket.
My plugs have about 28600 miles on them and all came out looking great with normal wear on them so if yours look like the picture your engine is running fine.
When installing new plugs, put a *light* smear of antiseize on the threads and a dab of dielectric on the end of the plug the coil attaches to. For the cylinders with little clearance, carefully drop the plug into the well, then drop the regular deep 5/8 socket, then a 3" extension, then the 1.5" extension. I rotated the plug counterclockwise until they I clicked to ensure they weren't crossthreading. That would be a bad day. Then torque to 13 ft/lbs or approx 157in/lbs. There are crush washers on the plugs that crush before finally seating. Before reinstalling the coil, put a dab of dielectric grease in the end of the boot to ensure they don't seize to the plug over time.
Repeat 15 more times and you're done.
Things to note:
Be care while laying on the engine with a blanket over it. There's lots of small plastic things that can get broken. A layover creeper would be ideal for this job. 2014+ trucks with Platinum plugs, I would still pull the plugs out and antiseize at 30-40k of you plan on keeping the truck.
Not a bad job at all and an easy way to save $340. Hope this helps someone!
Last edited: