Fuel smell
#11
I've got the same story. Plugs changed, less than 8000 miles later fuel smell and misses and ticks. Three finger tight and one close to. I know that all three couldn't have been missed. I wonder if there backing out because of the carbon build up around the threads and when there replaced the 25 lbs torque spec isn't enough and there backing out.
#13
Same here. Changed the plugs in December. By mid January I had a gas smell in the cab while the truck was idling. After I got up to speed, the smell would go away; it was only there while idling. Two weeks ago, I went back to the plugs and found 3 plugs were loose. #4 was so loose that when I torqued it, it took 1 to 1.5 turns to get it tight. Yikes. Admittedly I didn't spend much time torqueing them when I installed them in December, so it could have been "installer error" on my part. They are torqued to 25 ft lbs now, so I am hopeful the problem is resolved.
#15
Junior Member
Just wanted to add . I had the dreaded "ticking" and thought it was the Cam Phasers, but then I noticed a gas smell in the cab, After reading on here I had the plugs checked and found #4 almost falling out. Replaced it with a new one and gas smell gone and so was the ticking.
Thanks to the forum from saving me from a costly cam phaser job.
Thanks to the forum from saving me from a costly cam phaser job.
#16
05 5.4l 3v s.crew lariat
Torque those plugs for sure ,don't go by feel .
Everybody thinks they have the feel and can tell just by past tightening experience .
The other point is people don't self check ,I don't trust myself let alone someone else .
Torque wrenches don't cost that much and with modern equipment they are a must . You can strip out aluminum threads in heads by over-tightening or if too loose the plugs strip out the threads as the sparkplug is ejected out of there .
Rotors can be warped by unequal torques , lug nuts can be sheared off . Wheels can and do come off by not torquing nut on front wheel bearings . The f150 needs 295 pounds on that front bearing nut . Even with the big 300 pound torque wrench it feels wrong but it isn't ,that's a lot of mojo .
Since i'm an old guy I can tell you my feel is way off from what my torque wrenches say . Yours may be way off from being tired or sore .
Those sparkplugs on my 05 5.4 3v were a big pain when they broke so no way am I going to be careless with my plugs . I am changing them about every 30k . I torque check them at least twice after I clean the carbon out of the hole .
Click it or lose it .lol
The other point is people don't self check ,I don't trust myself let alone someone else .
Torque wrenches don't cost that much and with modern equipment they are a must . You can strip out aluminum threads in heads by over-tightening or if too loose the plugs strip out the threads as the sparkplug is ejected out of there .
Rotors can be warped by unequal torques , lug nuts can be sheared off . Wheels can and do come off by not torquing nut on front wheel bearings . The f150 needs 295 pounds on that front bearing nut . Even with the big 300 pound torque wrench it feels wrong but it isn't ,that's a lot of mojo .
Since i'm an old guy I can tell you my feel is way off from what my torque wrenches say . Yours may be way off from being tired or sore .
Those sparkplugs on my 05 5.4 3v were a big pain when they broke so no way am I going to be careless with my plugs . I am changing them about every 30k . I torque check them at least twice after I clean the carbon out of the hole .
Click it or lose it .lol