I wish you luck -- couple of tips:

if you start with the front 3, and they are easy to get out, don't presume that the same will be true for the back 3 -- the environment in the back might be much hotter than the front such that after time and miles, the coils and plugs are much more "stuck"

and consider getting some PB Blaster and putting it into the wells, and letting it soak in, before trying to remove the plugs -- I've let it soak in over night for things that are stuck on

 

thanks for the hint. I’m also just gonna go the “easy” well easy figureatively speaking of just taking off the air filter and throttle body housings and then taking off the intake and going from there unless the thought is that taking off the wiper and the windshield cowl is a better way to go?

 

I can't help you with those details -- the closest is in another vehicle with the same (transverse) V6 layout at about 15 years and 160K where I could reach one of the back 3 by pivoting the alternator out of the way and the other 2 from below, all without removing things from the cowl/wipers area
(and that vehicle had wires, which were really stuck on in the back, instead of coils which in some ways made things a little easier)

one other cautionary hint: be very careful with the fasteners you loosen or remove -- after time and heat, they can break and leave you very unhappy

 

Doesn't matter which way you go, intake or wiper cowl, they both suck to do. But I do notice the wiper cowl route will give you more visibility but less room to work.

It's funny I just did a Honda Odyssey which is also a traverse V6, that requires NOTHING to come out besides the engine cover then the ignition coils themselves. But you have very little visibility, basically did it blind. But I'll take that over an RX any day.

 

How lovely. So I could just be going in there doing it by “feel” as far as the back ones go. Sounds like I’m in for some “fun” with those back 3. (Yea right) along with some cuss words under my breath lol

 

I might call area dealers tomorrow and find out what they say as far as the best route to go unless they choose to not tell me because they want the money for doing it

 

you might do just as well checking what tools you have and figuring what will fit your access options -- it might turn out you don't have as many choices as you think

 

On the bolt sizes for doing the plugs; I’m probably just gonna go the route of taking the air filter box off; the throttle body off; then the manifold off. Now with this in mind; what are the socket sizes needed for this so I can sorta prepare to tackle the plugs. I’m probably gonna do it thanksgiving day since most places are closed and I can’t really go anywhere. Hopefully it will take at the most 3 hours; but I’m prepared for it to be longer so I will start early in the day as I have to be elsewhere for t day later on.

 

There are several how to posts here that tell you the wrench sizes and such. I'm surprised no one mentioned searching.

Here is the one I followed - https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-...ug-change.html

Two comments - there is the controversy of whether to remove the plenum chamber or not. The how to says leave it. I say take it off, you will have a lot more room to work in, which makes the job go faster. It doesn't take that much time, either, maybe 15 minutes. As a sub-controversy, some say that if you remove the plenum, you don't need to remove the intake manifold. Never thought to try that.

In the how to, there is a point where the op says use a 13mm wrench. That is a mistake. It should be 12mm. Japanese don't use 13mm, the Europeans do.

 

This looks like I could be in for a long battle unless someone has tips to try and make access to the rear plugs “easier”

 

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Take the plenum off way easier.

 

is that directly under the intake manifold? Forgive me if i dont know where it is as Ive never really done work on my own vehicle as i usually just pay to have it done; but in this case i would rather go at it myself to save money

 

Please read the following thread with the tips.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-...-change-2.html


I'll say it again in this thread though... I could see no way of doing this job without removing the wiper cowl, and the intake manifold. Just make sure you have all the tools ready to do the job otherwise you're going to be running out to the store all the time. Not a job to try if you aren't comfortable for sure.

 

With such tight clearances back against the firewall; how the heck can u get any tool in there to get the coil packs and then the actual plugs out with such limited space? I still ask because I watched a couple YouTube videos this morning on it and one of them showed in a Camry with the same v6 how small the space is between the rear 3 coils/plugs and it didn’t look like there is any way for them to be able to be yanked outta there