Cappy,
Following this 'advice' depends on how far you made it into the sauce this weekend.
Plug change out is a snap, but you do need a good plug socket that will hold the plug tight (little rubber bushing that grips the upper tip of plug), and a variety of 3/8" drive gear.
Yes, remove the air cleaner: loosen the 4" dia. hose clamp going into the AFM (air meter), remove the top of the box + filter. Two more 10mm bolts and the base of the AC is out of the way.
If you slightly warm the eng first, the plug wires will pull off more easily: Pull on the boot only. You can loosen the spark plug wire harness manifold (2 or 3 10mm acorn nuts on the valve cover) to again, make life easier.
Once the wires are out of the way, the plugs are waaaay down in their wells - that's why the gripping socket. A little effort, and all 6 will be out.
To reinstall - set gap of single electrode plugs @ 0.9mm
- small dab of anti-seize on the threads (on nothing else!) - some will advise against anti-seize.
- carefully lower the plugs into the well, and thread IN BY HAND. It is all too easy to cross thread in an aluminum head when you can't see the engagement. Snug to ~14 ft/lbs after correct threading is assured.
Like I said, a piece of cake: So, what kind of sauce are we having?