Lexmex

One of the most painful aspects of doing the spark plugs are the rear plugs as I did in this thread, https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=264967

A few of you I have seen have taken the steps to remove part of the throttle body (as I am about to show) in order to get better at them.

You will need:

A ratchet set with a 10mm and 12mm extension (both a long/short for the 12mm and a short one for the 10mm, make them as short as possible). You will also need a 10mm wrench.

I will edit my spark plugs DIY and add a link to this particular thread.

You can start from this point of view (I have no airbox).

Lexmex

Next step you can do by hand, though some plyers can help, is to remove the cranshaft vent hose from this location.

Lexmex

Then pull out this small hose off of this box.

Lexmex

Then time to remove the two baffles from the throttle body. Here you can use a screwdriver, 10mm ratchet, though it is also possible to use a 10mm wrench as shown.

Lexmex

Or a set of plyers.

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Should look like this afterwards.

Lexmex

Next step (though this is also part of the spark plugs DIY) is to remove the cruise control cable/cord using a 10mm wrench as shown.

Lexmex

Next step is to prepare the 12mm ratchet with extension. I actually had two, one as shown and one that had a thinner width on its extension (as shown in the next photo). The thicker in terms of the circumference of the extension the better.

Lexmex

There are three bolts on the throttle body to remove. Each is 12 mm. Start here.

Lexmex

Here is the next one just to the right.

Lexmex

The next one is underneath and you can stick the extension through this area as shown.

On a side note, not the dirty part on the left, this is where most of the oil/gunk that comes through that crankshaft vent hose goes...back into the combustion. Disgusting but part of the design.

Lexmex

Here is the third bolt on the bottom with the extension about to enter on top of it.

Lexmex

I recommend grabbing the nut by putting your hand in with your palm facing the driver's side of the vehicle and carefully unscrewing the remainder by hand. Otherwise, if you are lucky you can just go looking underneath your RX300 for the nut if it dropped or if unlucky prepare to go fishing on the back side of the engine with a flashlight for it.

Note that the throttle body begins to become separated from the intake manifold.

Lexmex

For some of you that little opening might be enough to get at the rear plugs (I don't need any opening at all, but for others, it might be difficult).

Thus, comes the next step that is to locate this 10mm bolt circled in blue.

Lexmex

Used 10mm short extension on the ratchet. I recommend putting the extension on the bolt first and then connecting the ratchet to the extension. After you have gotten it loose to the point where you can unscrew it by hand, do so, because there is not much room to move the ratchet around, no matter how big the extension is (reason for it being as short as possible).