28 of em, not too bad, its when you do all 56 that it hurts. My favorite bank is number 6, well I can sit to do them.
Did you do the prelube before trying to turn it? Just for safety take the lowest spark plugs from bank 3 down and around to bank 6.
Did you try to hand turn it or use the starter?
Gosh as far as preservative, they don't fill them with cosmoline, its something that mixes with the engine oil and must be kinda waxy.