How do you remove the number three cylinder spark plug on a 2000 Chevy s-10 pickup 4.3 6 cylinder engine?

Answer 1

Although it is indeed difficult to access the number 3 spark plug on the 4.3 motors (driver's side, middle plug), the easiest way is to temporarily disconnect and move the steering shaft that runs directly in front of the aforementioned plug, thus causing most of the headache involved in removal. Access will also be improved by lifting the front of the vehicle and removing the driver's side front wheel. When removing the bolt on the steering shaft, first note the connection point of the shaft to the steering box itself. This is usually covered by a two-piece plastic sleeve, which can be removed by gently pressing in the clips with a small flatheaded screwdriver, and separating the two halves. Then locate the small bolt that connects the shaft to the steering box and remove it. At this point, you should be able to gently, and I stress gently, work the shaft up and off the steering box. Note that the connection shaft is splined, and will need to be matched back to the same position it was originally moved from. Please use extreme caution once the shaft is removed, it is best to simply pull it up just enough to allow access to the plug in question, and hold it there with some tie-wire or even a strong twine. Their may or may not be a heat shield in place (this is more of a general fact for all years and models using the 4.3 v6), and it can be gently bent back in order to offer more access to said plug. DO NOT move the steering wheel while the shaft is not attached, as the wheel will easily move past locked postion, and possibly damage the clock spring inside the top of the shaft. Re-installation is the reverse of removal. While it sounds complicated at first, a quick overview of the engine bay, combined with a little patience, will make this a much easier job then trying to jam a socket on the plug, and remove it with a box-ended wrench.