bob_man069

Did my plugs this week. Reading this guide and everyones responses was very helpful. My truck is a 2006 and has 93,000km on it. We didn't break a single plug, although we did crack one. We had the lisle tool handy but luckily we can take it back as it wasn't needed. I sprayed my plugs with seafoam before hand but I also ran seafoam through my truck a few weeks beforehand to help loosen up anything from the inside.

The trick we used was to rock the plugs back and forth a quarter turn slowly going further each time. We also did this by hand. No air tools used at all. I decided to use the Auto Lite HT1 as they were cheaper. I did order the champion spark plugs but they really looked cheap so they went back.

dglasenapp

Congrats bob man, on your successful endeavour into the dark realm of 3v spark plug change.

I too must thank all who went (bravely) before me, for all of your valueable information, and tips posted here, Thank You, all.
Just looking at that motor all tucked way back in the hood compartment with all the cops and tight spaces is extremely intimidating!

I started after work Friday (330pm), I was just going to get the cops off and get the PB Blaster in the holes, then finish on sat morn. One thing led to another, and by 830pm I was cleaned up eating dinner!!

I only had one break, far back driver side (of course) The Lisle tool worked great, BUT....contrary to what the instructions say, the pusher tool will push the tip too far, if you go all the way to the end of the rod. Mine broke the metal stirrup off into the cylinder, it was pushed 1/4 inch past where I needed to be to get a firm grip on the sleeve to extract. I spent an hour or more trying to retrieve the pieces of platinum (they are not magnetic), I know I got most of it (along with a lot of porcelain)with the vacuum (found the pieces in the vac) the rest (I hope) made it out the exhaust.

In summary, I say it was well worth the 4 to 5 hundred bucks (or more) that I saved, by doing it myself, and if not for this forum I would not have been as well prepared for the job.

Thanks again to all and Merry Christmas!!

atxval

My mpg went from 13.5 to 12.9 with no difference in driving style. Lol so much for saving dough on gas.

madeSICC

Haha mpg went down too, but slowly getting back to what it was before.

Maulerman

4 came out good, 4 broke. I guess I got off easy considering I did nothing prior to changing. No seafoam or anything to reduce carbon build up. It was about 32F when I tackled job. Ran engine for 5 minutes to warm, pulled coils and sprayed PB Blaster in holes, cracked plugs 1/8 of a turn, waited 20 minutes, out they came. .500 is not bad.

Ironically, the only one to come out intact on the left bank was the back one, on the right bank the only one to break was the back one.

My recommendation is to have a large selection of different length extensions for the socket wrench.

I bought my removing tool from local NAPA store for $95. It is made by Lisle. It performed flawlessly as long as I did not get in a hurry. Twice I did not thread the electrode removal tool far enough in and it pulled out. Fortunately, I was able to thread it in again and both times it came out the second time.

Thanks to all of you guys that contributed to this thread. You saved my bacon.

Now, I have a miss. I suspect I have a coil wire not making contact with plug.

11eco

I have had great luck at work taking the truck out and running it really hard for a few miles then tearing it apart quick. I use 3/8 impact rattle them real slow till they start to turn. After they go about one round I ease on the trigger somemore and spin them out. I have done about 20 trucks this way without breaking any plugs. Take the computer off pass side if u need more room. Its piping hot but its better than breaking them... oh and do the back ones first and take all of the plugs out first while its still hot thread new ones in later

atxval

Glad I'm not the only one. Good to know that mpg is on its way back to normal.

lbajo1

What would be a good coil to upgrade to ? And what could it do as far as performance and mpgs?

curtk69

i got lucky i guess since my plugs were already changed by previous owner.
but i still had a rough idle/misfire so i had to change them myself anyways.
i bought the lisle tool and and all the rest, couldnt find motorocraft plugs but got lucky on autolites 8 for $50
changed them all in 5 hrs or so, 6 were pretty loose after cracking but 2 had to be carefully worked backnforth.
never broke any but fixed my rough idle and am surprised it didnt run worse judging from the quality and condition of the cheap champion plugs i pulled out. gaps look huge and one burned off completely!

flamehead16

uh the plugs you pulled out are the wrong ones for a 5.4, the electode should be like this