Thanks Jay. I tried to move the turbo end forward and couldn't get it very far, but that could be because I haven't dropped the engine down yet. I am just getting ready as I wait for my engine mounts, plugs and coils to come in. But if I do try and take it off, this is the point that you pinch at? Thanks.

 

No that's the attachment to the engine it pops off by lifting up. I just looked at the instructions again
Pinch connector is on top no need to touch it, it's not difficult pop up and easy to over think.

 

top right hose near the blue tape,from my coolant fiasco last year.

 

OK, I see, thanks. Will give it a shot tonight.

Update - so the reason I was having such a hard time with getting this out I believe because as it was hitting something while I was trying to lift it. I dropped the engine to the end of the motor mount bolts (not ready to drop it any further just yet) and then by pushing up on the mounting peg with a string of ¼ extensions it popped out easily.

But now even with the top mount out I can’t really move the turbo end enough to get access to that plug. I’m hoping if I drop the engine a bit more I will be able to move it out of the way more. Looks like I might, as @pkop2JZ suggests, have to take off some of the turbo accessories.

 

Duhh...ok now I see what was I was doing wrong. Like you said, it’s that air line on the top that has to come off to let the air intake drop to get access to the driver’s side front plug. But I just cannot get my arm down there – my wife can, but once at the fitting she can’t squeeze it hard enough and pull up at the same time. So I thought dropping the engine more would help...it does, but I had previously only dropped the engine to the point where the motor mount bolts were about to come off...as I unscrewed one of them a bit further it popped off and even though I thought I had the engine supported with the jack well, that side dropped fast and hard about 2 inches onto the back-up jackstand (which I fortunately did have a hockey puck on). So now I am worried something got damaged, I guess I’ll see if I ever get this back together.

So Jay you said you managed without removing the top air line; I can’t see how on mine this would work, I can’t even see the plug on the front coil pack, nevertheless unclip it and pull the coil out. I have the car on ramps not jack stands, I thought that might be a factor but even with the upper control arm hanging down that doesn’t look like it would make any difference.

The plugs look fine, about 20K miles on them, engine runs perfect, and I just thought to do this because I was installing a new exhaust anyway. Maybe I should have just done the exhaust!

 

Post a pic of what your describing, I removed the items in the guide with some oil lines and the VTG actuator on the right side.
I can do a plug change in under 6 minutes with the engine out

 

Seriously...I think it would be faster to take the whole engine out. OK, maybe not.

This is the top air line I am trying to disconnect. I looks so close, but too much weight lifting I guess and I just can’t get my arm in there.



And this is the real problem. The blue arrow is where the black pipe hits the mount for the upper control arm and it just won’t go forward any further. The red arrow is the part of the pipe that is too close to the coil to get anything in there to disconnect the clip and access the upper coil bolt. At the bottom you can see the amount the pipe is out of the turbo; it will pull toward the front of the car about an inch.


Both other coils are out, they were easy.

 

The top line is part of the SAI system I did not remove mine if you look at the engine out picture it will drop with the engine.
The smaller 1/8" line just pulls out of the rubber elbow into the turbo.
The plastic turbo intake pipe I just pried it out of the way to provide access about 2"-3" you can PM if needed.
Glad the coil pack connectors are good 2 of mine were so brittle the snapped off.

 

Success finally. So what worked for me (for the driver’s side front plug):
- did have to drop the engine a few inches
- did not have to take the top line off the intake pipe after all
- moved the black air tube away as far as you can to try and reach the clip on the coil
- give up: there was absolutely no way my hand/arm would fit in there, so have a mechanically inclined wife with strong but thinner arms reach up and unclip the coil for you (!)
- the rest was easy; undo the 3 bolts holding in the VGT controller, unclip the rod ball joint at the top and just let the controller drop a bit out of the way. I did not undo the oil/coolant lines, or loosen the headers
- coil and plug comes right out

Had to take a picture:


New plugs going in at 0.026” gap. I am putting on a Milltek 2.75” exhaust and getting a tune, but nothing more right now so picked a compromise between 0.025” and the stock 0.0275”. Using FR-6-DPP-332 plugs; they look oddly different than the same part number ones that were in there though. Different shape ground electrode. Probably just a new revision.

That's 30K kms on my old plug btw, looks not bad considering but you can see how the gap has widened.

This job is totally experience dependent. I can see it taking a quarter of the time next time. Thanks to all for the thread and the help.

 

Does anyone have a copy of the DIY that they could send me? The link at the top of the page isn't working, says I don't have access.
Thanks