HOW TO: Change Your Spark Plugs and Wires (2.7 liter 3RZ-FE engine)

Last week I stopped into the dealer to get a new radiator cap because last weekend I flushed my coolant and changed all hoses, thermostat, PCV valve, throttle position sensor (I got a check engine light a month or so ago from slamming on the brakes, and the code was related to that sensor), but I realized that I had forgotten to get a new cap.

Anyway, I had the guy price me for some wires and I believe he said they were $85. Which seems a bit pricey, but hey it is the dealer right? The plugs were $2.22. Im not sure if there are different plugs to choose from, ranging in quality, or do they just have 1 type to choose from? I would prefer the best ones but if theyre all the same I guess it doesn't matter.

When you got your plugs from the dealer, did you have to gap them or did you just put em right in? I'm strongly considering ordering those wires maybe today and picking up some new plugs. Also, does dielectric grease come with the new wires? It seems like my old ones did I cant remember though

 

Well I just ordered those wires off of Amazon. (Thanks for the link). So just to make sure, those will fit on my truck right? My truck has no distributor or cap/rotor. Judging by the picture they did look like they would fit. I was gonna ask you before I ordered them but I want to replace them ASAP because I am about to be going on a 500 mile drive here in about 6 days. Gonna replace the plugs/wires and fuel filter.

 

Just an FYI for other Taco owners with the same style as mine, I have a 02 Taco with a 2.7 doesn't have those type of wires.

 

Sorry Cody I didn't see this until just now! I had to buy a little tube of the dielectric grease as the new wires didn't come with any. How did your install go with the new wires?

 

You are correct and I think it was discussed on the first page of this thread but after I believe the 00' model year they went to the style that has a coil on top of each individual plug so you don't have to deal with wires at all.

 

It went well Lol I just started logging into this forum again this past week, and was just looking back at my watched threads, which included this one. So, sorry for waiting 2 1/2 yrs to reply

 

With the COPs does it matter which cylinder the COPs go in or do they have to go in the cylinder it came out of?

 

Pretty sure the actual coil packs are all the same. The wires have to go to their designated pack, though.

 

The distributor should be facing which spark plug? Because on mine it's facing the the bottom left.

 

Just changed my plugs and wires on my 2.7L due to a misfire on cylinder 3 (P303) and found that the cylinder 3 spark plug was super loose like not even hand tight and found a bunch of oil old oil and debris in the spark plug well. I’m hoping I’m pretty safe to assume that the oil has just blown by the spark plug and that it’s not something like a piston ring instead. Anything else I should check for damage due to the loose spark plug? Threads in the head seemed fine threading in the new one. Any advice is appreciated.

side note this is a super easy job if you have the DLS it’s not really any different than if you have a distributor and if you look carefully the Denso coil packs are labeled as to which plugs go where.

Cheers!
Riley

 

I also finally just got around to doing the plugs, cap, rotor and wires on my 95.5 2.7L due to a cylinder one misfire code. Been putting it off since I got the truck and just started running crumby so it was way past time to do em. Cylinder 1 plug was so bad I’m embraced to show a pic, needless to say it ran much better after I swapped out everything but now I seem to have a new problem. The engine vibrates more than I remember and idles around 2k, tossed the old cap, rotor and plugs in just to see if it made a difference but same results. Not sure if anyone has has similar issues? Also just did the belts and water pump/thermostat since it was long over due wrench time on it. Doubt that had anything to do with it. Runs fine down the road, just has this weird idle issue.