Burrich

The Champion plugs are a little different design, but the 7989 are the correct replacements. Some people have better luck than others with them. I just got a misfire the other day, and I think I'll swap out my plugs with SP-515s.

curtk69

1m aware of that, thats why it was a dead give away they were changed already. they were the correct length and everything , just different electrode for the cheap champions, hopefully it runs better, longer with more expensive proper looking autolites.

winnerverse

Just curious on how serious the damage is with these plugs, i'm currently ready to change mine @ 88,000 miles, sounds like i should have done so already, but i was sticking to the book, (ford service manual) claim not to have to untill 100k regardless there seems to b an issue, I have done some research on the issue and it doesnt look good, special tools, vacums,the right tempeture first read do it at warmer temp, then another @ lower temp, warmer does sound like it would losen up a bit then squirt in some type of lub like pb blaster, or some type of lube but then i here that u could cause a vapor lock on engine if u put in to much,heard of plugs blowing out of cylenders and not threaded enough that might have to be tapped and the fix for that is uhhh it broke most replace the heads with new ones which is the one we added longer threads to and extensions and blah blah blah WTF is the going here, this was my first brand new vehicle and it has been problem free, just had to do upper and lower ball joints bout 3 months ago (lives on chitty streets) My real question was about gapping plugs owners manual says there is no gap measurement, is this to b true. any info is greatly appreciated on both mentioned topics

atxval

I got my tune up at 88K by a mechanic. They broke 2 plugs. I was having a miss fire. If you're going to have a mechanic sooner rather than later would probably be best. However, if you're going to do it yourself I would just wait, especially if you have no problems.

proftomda

Winnerverse:

Regarding the 100,000 mile change interval, Ford found out a few years ago that these plugs were defective and lowered the change interval to 90,000, then 70,000 and then 60,000 miles according to my local dealer. Regarding stripped threads and plugs blowing out, you are talking about the 1997-2003 5.4 engines that had only 3 spark plug threads in the cylinder heads. The redesigned 2004 3 valve head was supposed to fix the thread stripping and plug blowing out issue, but introduced the 2 piece defective/ broke in half spark plug issue that this entire thread is about.

Regarding removal, there are many successful techniques described in this thread..hot vs cold..air impact vs socket etc. I followed the Ford TSB to the letter, did it cold with a socket and used liberal amounts of carb cleaner and pb blaster or similar. All came out in 1 piece but my truck a 2008 with 60,000 miles. I did use anti sieze on the threads of the new plugs in sensible amounts. Good luck in your endevour.

1917-1911M

2006 F150 4wd with 118,000 miles on the original plugs. I was unaware of this plug issue until about a year ago when the local Ford dealer quoted me over $1,000 for a plug change. I've been turning wrenches all my life as a hobby so after reviewing the comments here, looking at the videos, reading the Ford recommended procedure, the air wrench method, etc. I decided to give it a try.

I put one can of Sea Foam in my 3/4 full tank, at 1/2 full I added another can, at 1/4 tank I added another can. When almost empty I ran 1 can through the brake booster line. Previous to this my engine ran well at average throttle, started well but missed at WOT.

I removed the coils on the drivers side, blew out the plug recess and general vicinity, added a spray of Remington Remoil w/teflon followed by brake cleaner. Let them set a few minutes. I removed the 1st three plugs on the drivers side with a warm engine. I don't believe any of the cleaner can get past the seal until the plugs are broken loose. So, they were broken loose 1/10 turn. After a few minutes I began removing starting with #1, then #3, etc. They creaked, popped and pinged but all came out intact. The engine which was not hot by now had cooled considerably. I broke #7 loose and let it soak while removing the coils on the passenger side. Then I broke the first three loose and soaked them. #8 looked difficult to reach so I decided to leave it for last.

Letting #7 soak some more I removed #2....It didn't creak....it also wouldn't come out after the threads were disengaged. I expect the center electrode is stuck in the broken bottom ceramic. #4 came out but didn't creak either, #5 broke off, no creaking. Back to #7 and it apparently broke also but I don't have the long nose pliers to pull it either.

I really babied the ratchet on all of these plugs, back and forth but only the hot plugs, the ones that really creaked and popped came out. What I'm thinking is that these plugs separate when you break them loose. I'm also wondering if all plugs are created equal. I intend to fasten the bottom electrode of the plugs that didn't break in a vice and then with a torque wrench see if they all snap consistently or if there are large variations.

Here is a picture of the plugs that have been removed. I don't know about you guys but these do not look like carbon encrusted plugs to me. These have not been cleaned or wiped down, this is the way they looked when removed. I measured the gap in the old plugs vs the new one pictured at the top. 0.090" vs 0.045" in the new. You can also see that the new plugs have had a considerable amount of the tip of the ground electrode removed and this appears to be the area where the old style was fouled the most.

One more concern, I know how to use the Lisle tool but what I'm wondering is as I shove the broken ceramic down so there is room for a threaded extractor is there a chance the bottom electrode body could be pushed into the cylinder. Again, I don't see a lot of carbon here. Perhaps the Sea Foam did a good job.


0.090" gap on old plugs at 118,000 miles vs 0.045" gap on new plugs. Notice the change to the ground electrode and the much longer strap. I expect the new strap will run much hotter and last fewer miles. SP-515 Motorcraft new plug PZH 14F

These look like pretty darn clean plugs to me. At this point I'm thinking that if you get them all out without breaking any.....you are lucky. Since this is a pretty time consuming effort and knowing what I know now I would recommend removing yours much earlier, like the sooner the better and either replace them or at least clean and coat with anti seize compound. I wouldn't wait until 100,000 miles. The Electrodes are very worn by then and the gap is huge. Hope this helps show what plugs look like at this mileage, the gap, what 4 cans of SeaFoam might have done regarding cleaning and that they still break. M1911

lbajo1

For all you guys that have upgraded to different coils. Is it worth the money if mine are fine if so what brand would be the best? Thanks

txredbirds#4

I haven't read all the messages but does anyone know if this is legit?

Logan Jones
Garrett Law Office, P.C.
616 South Boston Avenue , 2nd*Floor
Tulsa , OK 74119
Toll Free: 1-888-427-7388
Direct: 918-622-9292
Fax: 918-549-6794
www.GLOPC.com

They contacted me about a lawsuit vs Ford because of the spark plugs issues.

KingRanch4Life

iTrader: (2)

Let us know how that turns out for you....

BigNick98

Has anyone tried anything other than motocraft plugs for our 5.4s? Our is that the only way to go?