On the DT-generation Ram 1500, this job is straightforward but repetitive. The 5.7L Hemi has 16 plugs — two per cylinder — so you pull eight coils and unscrew 16 plugs, with the rear cylinders on both banks being the awkward ones. The 3.6L Pentastar is a quick six-plug job once you move the intake tube out of the way. The 3.0L EcoDiesel has no spark plugs, only glow plugs.
The thing people get wrong is torque and thread care. These are aluminum heads and a 13 ft-lb plug spec feels alarmingly light with a long extension in your hand — use an actual torque wrench, skip the anti-seize, and always start the plug by hand. The second most common mistake on the Hemi is swapping two coil connectors and chasing a misfire code afterward, which is why you do one cylinder at a time.
| Item | Type | |
|---|---|---|
| Socket wrench set 3/8 in drive ratchet, plus a 1/4 in drive ratchet for tight coil bolts Drives the coil bolts and plug socket. | Required | shop |
| 10 mm socket 10 mm, 3/8 in drive Loosens the 12V battery negative terminal nut before working around the coils. | Recommended | shop |
| 8 mm socket 8 mm, 1/4 in and 3/8 in drive Removes the single hex-head bolt retaining each ignition coil on both the 5.7L and 3.6L. | Required | shop |
| Spark plug socket, Hemi 5/8 in (16 mm) thin-wall magnetic or rubber-insert, 3/8 in drive The 5.7L Hemi uses 5/8 in hex plugs in deep, tight tubes — a thick-wall socket will not fit the lower bank holes. | Required | shop |
| Spark plug socket, Pentastar 14 mm (9/16 in) thin-wall magnetic, long reach, 3/8 in drive The 3.6L Pentastar uses 14 mm hex plugs recessed deep in the cam cover. | Required | shop |
| Wobble extension set 3/8 in drive, 3 in, 6 in and 10 in Reaches rear plugs on both banks where a straight extension will not clear the firewall or brake booster lines. | Required | shop |
| Universal joint / swivel adapter 3/8 in drive Helps break loose the driver's-side rear coil bolt and plugs near the steering shaft. | Recommended | shop |
| Torque wrench 3/8 in drive, 5-25 ft-lb range (in-lb range ideal for coil bolts) Plugs thread into aluminum heads — over-torquing strips them. | Required | shop |
| Trim/panel pry tool Plastic Releases coil connector locks and pops engine/airbox trim without breaking tabs. | Recommended | shop |
| Flat screwdriver and hose clamp pliers Small flat blade; 7 mm or 8 mm hose-clamp screw Loosens the airbox-to-throttle-body intake tube clamp on the 3.6L for front-bank access. | Recommended | shop |
| Compressed air or vacuum Blow gun with extension Clears dirt from the plug wells before removal so it does not fall into the cylinder. | Recommended | shop |
| Spark plug gap gauge Wire-style gauge, 0.030-0.050 in Verify gap (0.043 in on the 5.7L) — never pry on iridium/platinum tips, only confirm. | Recommended | shop |
| Spark plug thread chaser or brush 14 mm x 1.25 Cleans carbon from head threads if a plug came out gritty. | Recommended | shop |
| Dielectric grease Silicone, small tube A thin film inside each coil boot prevents boots sticking and sealing water in. | Consumables | shop |
| Brake/electrical parts cleaner Aerosol Cleans oil and dirt from coil wells and boots. | Consumables | shop |
| Spark plugs 5.7L: 16x Mopar/Champion RER8ZWYCB4 (gap 0.043 in). 3.6L: 6x OEM-spec Mopar iridium (e.g. SP149087AA family) — confirm by VIN Use OEM-equivalent plugs; the Hemi is sensitive to wrong heat range and misfire codes. | Parts | shop |
| Ignition coils / boots 5.7L uses 8 coils each with two boots Only if boots are cracked, oil-soaked, or carbon-tracked; inspect while out. | Parts | shop |
| Mechanic's gloves Nitrile or work gloves Exhaust manifolds and heads stay hot for a long time; sharp brackets everywhere. | Safety | shop |
| Safety glasses Debris falls out of plug wells when blowing them clean. | Safety | shop |
5.7L Hemi eTorque: 16 plugs with a 5/8 in (16 mm) hex, coils retained by 8 mm bolts, 13 ft-lb. 3.6L Pentastar eTorque: 6 plugs with a 14 mm (9/16 in) hex, also 8 mm coil bolts, and you need to loosen the intake tube clamp for the front bank. 3.0L EcoDiesel: no spark plugs — glow plugs instead, a different procedure requiring intake removal.
| Spark plug, 5.7L Hemi (aluminum head) | 13 ft-lb (18 Nm) |
| Spark plug, 3.6L Pentastar | verify in the service manual (commonly quoted near 15 ft-lb / 20 Nm) |
| Ignition coil retaining bolt (both engines) | verify in the service manual (snug only, roughly 70-90 in-lb) |
| Battery negative terminal nut | verify in the service manual (snug, do not overtighten lead terminal) |
The 5/8 in plug hex and 8 mm coil bolt on the 5.7L Hemi and the 14 mm plug hex on the 3.6L Pentastar are well established, and 13 ft-lb is the long-standing Hemi plug spec; confirm the 3.6L plug torque and coil bolt values and your exact plug part number by VIN before assembly.
Sixteen — two plugs per cylinder, one on each side of each head, fired by eight coils. Buy 16 plugs and plan on roughly twice the labor of a normal V8.
The 5.7L Hemi uses a 5/8 in (16 mm) thin-wall plug socket; the 3.6L Pentastar uses a 14 mm (9/16 in) thin-wall plug socket. Coil bolts on both engines are 8 mm.
13 ft-lb (18 Nm) for the 5.7L Hemi. For the 3.6L Pentastar, verify in the service manual before tightening — it is in the same low range but do not guess into an aluminum head.
Check your specific owner's manual maintenance schedule; the gas engines are listed at a long interval (around 100,000 miles), though many Hemi owners replace earlier because plugs get harder to remove the longer they stay in.