Scary Plug Change
06-08-2013, 11:58 AM
#321
5th Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location:
Posts: 3,319
Plugs
I've read through most of these..... I was changing my plugs today, to the exact TSB specifications as required, and I still ended up with 3 busted plugs... Noone around here carries the part directly, and Ford sells it for $711!!!! I found a Triton 3v kit that is a diff part # but the same equipment and ordered that... hope it works...
Should I continue this on my own, or tow it to FORD and make them fix it? I do have the extended warranty premium plus whatever and only 62,000 miles on the car.
Should I continue this on my own, or tow it to FORD and make them fix it? I do have the extended warranty premium plus whatever and only 62,000 miles on the car.
06-09-2013, 07:05 PM
#322
I actually changed mine yesterday with 40K on them. I let Ford do the first plug change a couple years ago, but felt things getting a sluggish hesitant. I worked on the car with a room temperature engine. I used a torque wrench set to 30 ft lbs to break them loose. I put Seafoam deep creep in each plug well, and went and cleaned the pool. 1hr later I used a socket and went back and forth, loose to tight until they felt like they were ready to come out. Got all 8 out no breaks. The plugs look OK, but did have some carbon buildup around at the end of the electrode shield. However, I didn't see a lick of anti seize on any of the plugs, whether the deep creep dissolved it, I don't know, but I wouldn't be surprised if the FOMOCO mechanics don't follow the TSB as well as we do. I put in a set of Champions, with NICKEL anti-seize on the threads/shield and changed the fuel filter and it runs so much better. So it can be done warm or hot. There are also a couple really good internet videos out there as well, especially one from Autolite.
06-09-2013, 09:08 PM
#323
5th Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location:
Posts: 3,319
Plugs
I actually changed mine yesterday with 40K on them. I let Ford do the first plug change a couple years ago, but felt things getting a sluggish hesitant. I worked on the car with a room temperature engine. I used a torque wrench set to 30 ft lbs to break them loose. I put Seafoam deep creep in each plug well, and went and cleaned the pool. 1hr later I used a socket and went back and forth, loose to tight until they felt like they were ready to come out. Got all 8 out no breaks. The plugs look OK, but did have some carbon buildup around at the end of the electrode shield. However, I didn't see a lick of anti seize on any of the plugs, whether the deep creep dissolved it, I don't know, but I wouldn't be surprised if the FOMOCO mechanics don't follow the TSB as well as we do. I put in a set of Champions, with NICKEL anti-seize on the threads/shield and changed the fuel filter and it runs so much better. So it can be done warm or hot. There are also a couple really good internet videos out there as well, especially one from Autolite.
06-30-2013, 08:41 PM
#325
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location:
Posts: 19
I feel lucky, I didnt see any of this til after I did my plugs a couple weeks ago.
05 gt with 92K miles.
I let the engine cool down first. Every plug felt like it was binding after an 8th of a turn. But I just went slow and a little bit at a time so the threads wouldn't heat up and I got all 8 out without a hitch.
05 gt with 92K miles.
I let the engine cool down first. Every plug felt like it was binding after an 8th of a turn. But I just went slow and a little bit at a time so the threads wouldn't heat up and I got all 8 out without a hitch.
08-02-2013, 01:42 AM
#327
1st Gear Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Oregon
Posts: 81
Two piece plugs?? That's a joke...right? One piece going in & two pieces coming out, if they break ha ha .. Chevy has used steel plugs in their aluminum heads for years & ALWAYS used anti sieze on them from the factory. Why so many problems with these plugs & heads? And how does carbon get built up on the plug threads? The threaded portion of the plug is suppose to be the exact same length as the threaded hole in the head, so there shouldn't be any extra threads of the plug protruding into the cylinder for carbon to build up on. Did FoMoCo buy a shiet load of "kinda sorta wanna be plugs" from the Chinese, & the threaded portion is too long? What am I missing here??
08-02-2013, 02:39 AM
#328
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Ontario
Posts: 24
Its not the threads that carbon up. Theres a sleeve going through the head, very close to it. Carbon builds up between the sleeve and the head, so spark plug twists out of the sleeve, leaving the sleeve behind. You can buy 1 piece plugs to replace them. Broken ones are easily removed using the lisle tool, its like $40 off amazon.
08-02-2013, 08:15 AM
#330
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Utah
Posts: 730
Don't fear the two piece plugs. It's not the plugs themselves that's the problem, but the carbon that is allowed to fuse them to the head over time. Break them loose every 10,000 miles or so, clean them off, and a new coat of anti-sieze. They'll never break if you do this religiously.