I have a 02 Sable with the 3.0 L durtec twin cam motor, How do you get to the rear 3 plugs to change them? I had the plugs changed once before by a mechanic but would like to do it myself. The front 3 are a piece of cake, the rear ones, not so much.
So how do you get to these to remove them?

 

It's a tight fit and that's why mechanics get the money they get. Cut up hands etc.
There is a long spark plug socket that makes the job somewhat easier along with a swivel head 3/8 drive ratchet and assorted sizes of extensions. As you know by this time you need to be extra careful to break the vacuum seal of the plug wire boot over the plugs or they can be difficult to remove within the small space provided.
Carefully taken one at a time can get the job done since it is done by feel and if you don't feel up to the job it might be best to let someone else do it because it the plug gets cross threaded on installation, the nightmare begins. It is always important to blow the grit out of the plug hole after loosening the plug approx 1 turn or it goes into the cylinder to do its dirty work. If you don't have compressed air available you can use something like a turkey baster or an enema ball to do this. Let us know if any of this was in any way helpful.

 

hanky, thanks for the info. I have done some reading online and 50% claim you need to take the upper plastic intake off and 50% claim to get to it from the passenger side and to take the coil assembly off where the plug wires go into and to take part of the cowling off. Which approach do you suggest. I have compressed air, various 3/8" extensions and swivels. What do you mean by along spark plug socket vs a std spark plug socket. Where might I find one?

 

Take whatever approach is easiest for you.
The socket I am referring to is about 4 inches long, has a knurled portion on the top making it easier to turn, and is 3/8 drive. It is a lifesaver when doing spark plug work in tight places. A good auto supply store should stock them. I don't recall who made them, but if you need the manuf. I will try to see if I can still read the manuf name on it.

The socket is made by S-K , tool #4421

 

on my '04 the my mechanic said the intake manifold was removed for him to gain access, needless to say the total bill was around $150.00 for new plugs. He installed the best plugs available so this will not be needed for another 150,000 miles.

 

Did you ever find out what his brand and type "best plugs available " were?
How did the plugs look that you removed? That should tell us what they were.
Not to "bust your bubble" , but what was the reason you decided to change the plugs?
Maybe after 1/2 that 150,000 miles you might be looking at them again. Time will tell.

 

well, maybe 'best plug available' is a bit over optimistic, NGK was the brand he mentioned if memory serves. If not that brand, it was a familier name, he chose the plug he has had the best performance and longevity with for these cars. i would have to dig out the paperwork to see for sure of brand/number

 

Ford likes Motorcraft or Autolite. Usually anything else has a short life.

 

I put the Bosch Fusion +4 in my 01 Sable with a Duratec engine. I tried the autolites recommended by NAPA and the car would not start. Put the old plugs back in and it started. Returned the Autolites and they were surprised by the trouble they gave me but did get the Bosch Fusion plugs for me as I initially wanted to try them. The rear plugs are no pleasure to change so I was hoping these would last the life of the car as they use Iridium. About 30,000 miles later I am pulling the plugs and they do show wear and there are definite sign that all 4 posts have been firing. Not necessarily at the same time but they have all been firing. I will try to post a picture of the plugs showing the wear. My fuel economy did not improve with the Bosch at all and in fact went down. I am using Autozone brand lifetime wires. Not sure if they are that great and I may replace them with another brand. I decided to try Denso TT plugs as I have had great success with them in other vehicles and they are priced right at 2.99. So far have replaced the 3 front plugs but am having more trouble than I did in the past with the rears. I will try again later in the week or next weekend as I have a few interviews that I need to focus on midweek.

 

If you have a choice,always , use Motorcraft plugs in a Ford !! A long time ago A Ford parts salesman told me I would get better results using Ford pads and Motorcraft plugs.
Since quite a bit of the fleet was Ford products and I was using other aftermarket parts I thought , well I'll give it a try. It was the best advice any body from Ford ever gave me.
The pads lasted much longer and the engines ran very well . So I will try to pass that advice on to others. Yes, the Ford stuff costs more, but I did not like doing a job over because some aftermarket stuff was of inferior quaity. If possible and $ permits consider using OEM parts it doesn't cost, it pays.