5.4 Triton Broken Spark Plug Problem Tip
07-17-2014, 02:02 PM
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5.4 Triton Broken Spark Plug Problem Tip
I have a 2004 Ford F150 Triton with 275,000 miles on it. Just bought it and it had a stutter when I hovered between 40 and 60 mph, so I decided to change the spark plugs. Knowing the issue with the spark plugs breaking, I went ahead with Ford's recommendation on removing them. This topic is covered else where but based on my experience, this information I am going to provide is not available in full on here or anywhere else I looked. If it is, I apologize in advance.
First, Ford recommends having the engine at warm to the touch temperature and soak the spark plug wells with penetrating lube. Then remove slow and steady. The first one came out fine but the second spark plug I pulled broke so I tried removing the rest according to a video that advised using an impact wrench. 3 of the four I tried broke doing this so I don't think it matters how you pull them, just expect at least one will break. At this point you have two types of tools out there to get them out.
Autozone has one that uses locktite to attach to the porcelain to get it out. Worked for one but due to the design, I couldn't get the pin in the other holes not to mention if you get locktite on the threads, you risk stripping them. Also, each cylinder takes one hour to cure and if it doesn't cure right or you make a mistake, you just lost an hour. Basically this one works by attaching a disposable pin (which they don't inform you you have to buy until you read the instructions and it costs an additional $10). You clean the center hole out with the pin, use a second tool to coat the interior column with locktite and then place the pin in with the sleeve to extract it in an hour. Once it cures, you use a nut and wrench to pull the porcelain out with tension. Then you remove the sleeve, place another sleeve in, tap the steel exterior of the stuck plug with threads. Then you remove that tap, screw in another screw to extract it and hope the threads do not break. Like I said, I was able to get one out in this manner, the other ones would not enter the column in the porcelain.
The other one and best one to use is the Lisler based tool. Snapon and Matco also make one like this but it is more expensive. This one has three pieces and pushes the porcelain into the metal guard. Don't worry, the design of the tool and the gap on the bottom keeps the porcelain from falling into the cylinder. After you use the sleeve that screws into the sparkplug threads and pushes the porcelain down, you put the other piece in and screw in the extractor which creates its own threads. Then you turn a nut out which uses tension the same way as the other one. Pops right out with no problem. I had the three remaining plugs out in under thirty minutes. Make sure you blow away all the dust and grime then blow out the broken porcelain before you extract to minimize contaminating the cylinders and valves.
I put the new plugs in, replaced the coils and had the thing running in under two hours after using the Lisler tool and my skip or stutter is now gone.
I hope this helps. If you have any questions, feel free to post. By the way, the Autozone tool is $130 but the Lisler tool is $70 with overnight shipping from Amazon.
First, Ford recommends having the engine at warm to the touch temperature and soak the spark plug wells with penetrating lube. Then remove slow and steady. The first one came out fine but the second spark plug I pulled broke so I tried removing the rest according to a video that advised using an impact wrench. 3 of the four I tried broke doing this so I don't think it matters how you pull them, just expect at least one will break. At this point you have two types of tools out there to get them out.
Autozone has one that uses locktite to attach to the porcelain to get it out. Worked for one but due to the design, I couldn't get the pin in the other holes not to mention if you get locktite on the threads, you risk stripping them. Also, each cylinder takes one hour to cure and if it doesn't cure right or you make a mistake, you just lost an hour. Basically this one works by attaching a disposable pin (which they don't inform you you have to buy until you read the instructions and it costs an additional $10). You clean the center hole out with the pin, use a second tool to coat the interior column with locktite and then place the pin in with the sleeve to extract it in an hour. Once it cures, you use a nut and wrench to pull the porcelain out with tension. Then you remove the sleeve, place another sleeve in, tap the steel exterior of the stuck plug with threads. Then you remove that tap, screw in another screw to extract it and hope the threads do not break. Like I said, I was able to get one out in this manner, the other ones would not enter the column in the porcelain.
The other one and best one to use is the Lisler based tool. Snapon and Matco also make one like this but it is more expensive. This one has three pieces and pushes the porcelain into the metal guard. Don't worry, the design of the tool and the gap on the bottom keeps the porcelain from falling into the cylinder. After you use the sleeve that screws into the sparkplug threads and pushes the porcelain down, you put the other piece in and screw in the extractor which creates its own threads. Then you turn a nut out which uses tension the same way as the other one. Pops right out with no problem. I had the three remaining plugs out in under thirty minutes. Make sure you blow away all the dust and grime then blow out the broken porcelain before you extract to minimize contaminating the cylinders and valves.
I put the new plugs in, replaced the coils and had the thing running in under two hours after using the Lisler tool and my skip or stutter is now gone.
I hope this helps. If you have any questions, feel free to post. By the way, the Autozone tool is $130 but the Lisler tool is $70 with overnight shipping from Amazon.
