sgt_guidry

My truck is an 05FX4, with the 5.4L engine.It has at 105,000 miles, and the maintenance guide recomends changing the spark plugs. The local dealership wants $500 to change them, and said that for everyone the break off in the head, it costs an additional $90! Is this something I can tackle myself? If so how do I keep from breaking them, and what do I do if some do break off? I am no mechanic, but my father and I are no strangers to working on vehicles. Are there any special tools I will need? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Skull31

You can do it yourself.I did mine myself.However thoe,3 of them did break off.Best bet is to let your engine warm to room temp.Spray pb blaster down the spark plugs holes,let soak for about a day(and spray allot,pb blaster will not cause your engine to hydro lock as it Will just get flushed out the pipes)Then proceed to remove very carefully,if you hear it squeaking,back off very slowly,spray more pb blaster to soak.Move on to next and come back.Now i did recommend getting the whole rotunda tool set to extract any broken ones.After you have all out,be careful,but using an air nozzle,blow out any shavings and the pb blaster.Just use care when doing this..

BJV269SS

Do a search on this subject. There is a ton of info on it. I just did mine and the last plug broke. The job takes about 1 1/2 hours to do and if you break one will cost you another 15 minutes to remove. That is if you have the correct tool to remove the broken plug. The tool I have is the one Ford uses. It's by Lisle. It's the sweetest tool you'll ever use. I got mine from Amazon for $65.00 and I got the Plug socket for $14.00 from Amazon too. The socket is a 9/16 socket with a 2 inch extensoin as a complete unit. No extra flexing that way. The photos are of my plugs with 90K + on them.
I should mention crack the plugs loose and fill the holes up with PB blaster and let them soak before you try removing them.
Good luck...Just go for it

joksanmo

OUCH!!! Im at 103,000 and am half-*****ed nervous on tackling this. If I may, what is the average cost for the LISLE tool?

BJV269SS

I have to correct my last post...I got the tools from Amazon.com. At the time I searched these were the best prices I could find. It is $65.98 plus the $8.46 shipping for the Lisle Broken plug remover. Total...$74.44 The Ford plug socket is $21.95 plus the $8.95 shipping. Total 30.90.
$105.34 Total.

The tool # from Lisle is 65600 I don't have the # for the plug socket. I suppose you don't need it but I would as the plugs are an 9/16" socket. The plug socket made for the Ford plug is all one piece so there's not flexing at the joint and it has the rubber insert a plug socket has to hold onto the plug or piece of plug to get it out of the hole.

I was sweating it too in the beginning but it really was not as bad as some of the posts here make it seem.

WillsCustoms

I have 178,000 on original plugs!! A friend of mine works for Ford and is doing the job for me for $150. Id rather let him deal with them breaking especially with how many miles I have on mine.