5.4L Plug Change Finally Done!!!
05-16-2012, 10:02 PM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
5.4L Plug Change Finally Done!!!
Got it knocked out! For those of you who have patience and a decent amount of tools, this job isn't too difficult. Spare yourself by spending the first 30 minutes of the job by removing the air intake & upper air box, battery & battery box, PCM & PCM bracket. Go ahead & disconnect all of your coil plugs & fuel injector plugs. Pull the coils and move as much of the wiring out of the way, either tying it back or using zip ties, etc.
I've read several articles on here regarding pre-removal methods to help with breakage. I broke the plugs loose a quarter turn and soaked the plugs in B12 Chemtool for 48 hours before I began. Honestly, if they're going to break, they'll do it with the initial turn. After letting them soak, I started with the drivers side bank. The front plug came out without breaking. This is called a "FALSE HOPE". The rest of them broke. As you can see, they all broke in various ways.
The plugs that broke with the electrode intact were a little tricky. The 3rd back on the drivers side and last one on the passenger side both unthreaded but wouldn't pull out. These took generous patience and both 11" 20 degree needle nose and 8" needle nose vise grips to pull out.
The plugs that broke off with the porcelain still in the tip were fun. Best tip I can give you on the lisle tool is use a socket to thread the pusher tool completely in the spark plug seat. Insert the tip, then begin turning the pusher rod. I've found that if there is excess porcelain, take your time and remove the assembly a couple times to vacuum out the area. I used my mini shop vac with a 1 1/4" hose and bought the 'micro tool' set at Lowes for $13. Reinstall the pusher tool and continue crushing/pushing the porcelain down.
I then used an 18" portion of rigid tubing that I had laying around to get down through the plug threads to the plug tip. If you buy some from Lowes, match it up with the diameter of the electrode casing. PORCELAIN WILL KILL YOUR THREADS ON YOUR PULLER TOOLS. Between each step, I sprayed B12 Chemtool and vacuumed it out to keep it clean.
The Lisle tool worked great on 6 out of 7 broken plugs. The rear plug on the drivers side bank was a **EXPLETIVE**, only because I didn't seat the pusher tool completely before I drove the porcelain down and tried extracting it too soon. I didn't have enough bite and stripped out the steel. I quit for the evening and spent the rest of the night researching how to get it out.
The next day I pulled the passenger bank plugs, broke them all but had success extracting them.
I've been fighting the Drivers bank rear plug for 2 days. I've filed the Lisle tool threads, cut a thread off to have fresh threads, tried everything. No dice. When it would bite, it would only pull up bits of broken metal that it chewed out. I really thought I was screwed.
We've all heard of the Lisle tool, Rotunda, Cal-Van, but one tool I haven't seen anyone talk about is the Napa SER #4663.
This kit is pretty basic, gives you an Irwin thread tap and a puller tool similar to the Lisle tool, only with actual threads and they're not reverse threaded. Picked one up today for $65, used a 12 point 1/4" deep socket(1/4" drive with 3/8" adapter), and a 6" 3/8 extension, and a regular 3/8" ratchet to start the threads. I used the Lisle puller tool sleeve to regulate the movement of the extension while I was beginning the threads. You could just as easily use a 1/2" deep well socket with the same diameter of the plug well. I first sprayed the tap with WD40, then began turning. After it began to get difficult to turn, I backed it off a half turn. Don't attempt to thread the entire way on your first go. I ended up backing the threader completely out, cleaned it with B12 and sprayed and vacuumed the well out. Did this a total of 3 times before I was content with the thread count. **HEADS UP** I wanted more porcelain clearance than the lisle pusher tool gave me so I dropped a small set screw down in the plug tip and used it as a spacer to push the porcelain down a little further.
Long story short - I threaded the new Napa #4663 tool in, used the Jack nut to extract it, bam. Done. I was tickled s**tless.
Got the new plugs in, waiting on my coil packs to arrive! My wife is scheduled to go in for a C-Section for our baby boy on Tuesday so this needed to get resolved. Thank goodness it worked out!
Oh yeah, I kept myself busy while I let the wells soak. I pulled my sun-beaten wiper cowl off and touched it up with SEM Trim Coat spray. Made a huge difference!
I've read several articles on here regarding pre-removal methods to help with breakage. I broke the plugs loose a quarter turn and soaked the plugs in B12 Chemtool for 48 hours before I began. Honestly, if they're going to break, they'll do it with the initial turn. After letting them soak, I started with the drivers side bank. The front plug came out without breaking. This is called a "FALSE HOPE". The rest of them broke. As you can see, they all broke in various ways.
The plugs that broke with the electrode intact were a little tricky. The 3rd back on the drivers side and last one on the passenger side both unthreaded but wouldn't pull out. These took generous patience and both 11" 20 degree needle nose and 8" needle nose vise grips to pull out.
The plugs that broke off with the porcelain still in the tip were fun. Best tip I can give you on the lisle tool is use a socket to thread the pusher tool completely in the spark plug seat. Insert the tip, then begin turning the pusher rod. I've found that if there is excess porcelain, take your time and remove the assembly a couple times to vacuum out the area. I used my mini shop vac with a 1 1/4" hose and bought the 'micro tool' set at Lowes for $13. Reinstall the pusher tool and continue crushing/pushing the porcelain down.
I then used an 18" portion of rigid tubing that I had laying around to get down through the plug threads to the plug tip. If you buy some from Lowes, match it up with the diameter of the electrode casing. PORCELAIN WILL KILL YOUR THREADS ON YOUR PULLER TOOLS. Between each step, I sprayed B12 Chemtool and vacuumed it out to keep it clean.
The Lisle tool worked great on 6 out of 7 broken plugs. The rear plug on the drivers side bank was a **EXPLETIVE**, only because I didn't seat the pusher tool completely before I drove the porcelain down and tried extracting it too soon. I didn't have enough bite and stripped out the steel. I quit for the evening and spent the rest of the night researching how to get it out.
The next day I pulled the passenger bank plugs, broke them all but had success extracting them.
I've been fighting the Drivers bank rear plug for 2 days. I've filed the Lisle tool threads, cut a thread off to have fresh threads, tried everything. No dice. When it would bite, it would only pull up bits of broken metal that it chewed out. I really thought I was screwed.
We've all heard of the Lisle tool, Rotunda, Cal-Van, but one tool I haven't seen anyone talk about is the Napa SER #4663.
This kit is pretty basic, gives you an Irwin thread tap and a puller tool similar to the Lisle tool, only with actual threads and they're not reverse threaded. Picked one up today for $65, used a 12 point 1/4" deep socket(1/4" drive with 3/8" adapter), and a 6" 3/8 extension, and a regular 3/8" ratchet to start the threads. I used the Lisle puller tool sleeve to regulate the movement of the extension while I was beginning the threads. You could just as easily use a 1/2" deep well socket with the same diameter of the plug well. I first sprayed the tap with WD40, then began turning. After it began to get difficult to turn, I backed it off a half turn. Don't attempt to thread the entire way on your first go. I ended up backing the threader completely out, cleaned it with B12 and sprayed and vacuumed the well out. Did this a total of 3 times before I was content with the thread count. **HEADS UP** I wanted more porcelain clearance than the lisle pusher tool gave me so I dropped a small set screw down in the plug tip and used it as a spacer to push the porcelain down a little further.
Long story short - I threaded the new Napa #4663 tool in, used the Jack nut to extract it, bam. Done. I was tickled s**tless.
Got the new plugs in, waiting on my coil packs to arrive! My wife is scheduled to go in for a C-Section for our baby boy on Tuesday so this needed to get resolved. Thank goodness it worked out!
Oh yeah, I kept myself busy while I let the wells soak. I pulled my sun-beaten wiper cowl off and touched it up with SEM Trim Coat spray. Made a huge difference!
05-16-2012, 10:46 PM
#2
Senior Member
Well done sir, which new plugs did you go with? When I did this only the back left bank broke and I had no choice but to pay the dealer to extract. Hope to never have another plug break...
05-16-2012, 11:01 PM
#3
Junior Member
Thread Starter
I installed the AutoLite HT15's, made sure to anti-seize them. As far as I'm concerned, I have 152K miles on this motor. My next mod will be a replacement longblock from Promar engines. Well, after I replace the rear diff and bearings. Haha