yes, everything can be done with the hood open and a few tools.
Search tuneups on the forums and you will find a lot of tips and tricks.
Examples:
-Dielectric grease on the inside of the spark plug wire boots that connect to the spark plugs and the distributor.
-When taking the spark plugs out, BE VERY CAREFUL...if you strip it, you are going to spend a bit of money paying someone to take it out unless you know how to do it.
- Mark you wires and take your time so you know the order the plug wires connect to the spark plugs (search firing order) and distributor...or, just find a wiring diagram (i posted one about two weeks ago) and just pay attention to that. If your car doesn't run correctly after tuneup or you throw a check engine code, 9 out of 10 times you connected the wrong wire to the wrong plug
- you must torque the spark plugs correctly (i think it's 11lbs, BUT DOUBLE CHECK). i read somewhere these plugs are indexed so they work optimally at the appropriate torque setting...you will need a torque wrench for this (it's worth owning for other auto stuff as well)
- for plugs, spend the extra money on AC Delco premium
- Be careful when cleaning your MAF, you must use MAF cleaner...if you touch or disturb those thin pieces of metal with crud, say goodbye to your MAF...its VERY sensitive
- If your car calls for 41-993 spark plugs (which I believe it does), your gap is .06. Get a simple gapping tool (<$5) and verify the gap on each spark plug is the same. The premium plugs come pregapped but it is possible one may be off...so just confirm the gap before you install. When using the gap tool, be careful when measuring to not damage the tip of the electrode (pictures on the web showing how to check the gap)
- CAR MUST BE COLD WHEN DOING A TUNEUP - you're going to be touching a lot of parts that typically get very hot, so I usually perform my tuneups in the morning.
So, net net - do some research and have print outs available for you to reference when you perform your first tune-up. After you do it the first time, it's really easy afterwards....just remember to take your time and don't break anything when you get aggravated.
Also, cover your fender with a mat or towels etc...if not, you'll scratch the hell out of your fenders performing this tuneup.
The other items such as servicing your trans, rear diff and front - save those items for another day and really make sure you know what you're doing...even though straight forward, mistakes can be rather expensive around those parts.
Welcome to the forum - a lot of friendly people on here that are always willing to offer advice. My recommendation is ALWAYS confirm opinions b/c every now and then good intentioned advice may be incorrect...I know I have accidentally give inaccurate advice before...so always double check and verify what you read!!
