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Issue: How To: Spark plug change-2004-2008 5.4 3V V8
Find out how to make this difficult task manageable with more information about the following:
• Tool and parts needed
• Step-by-step directions
• Proper use of a lisle toolClick Here
Please Read the full discussion below
Find out how to make this difficult task manageable with more information about the following:
• Tool and parts needed
• Step-by-step directions
• Proper use of a lisle toolClick Here
Please Read the full discussion below
How To: Spark plug change-2004-2008 5.4 3V V8
#351
Senior Member
make sure all of your ignition caps are seated, may have a bad one
#352
still missing...
Lizyness08,
I'm probably the weakest member on here but my suggestions are 1) go back over every bolt you pulled out, every wire you disconnected and every line you displaced and make sure they are connected correctly. This is a very elementary step, but I'd bet everyone has closed the hood at least once and forgotten to put something back in its correct location, position, or connection at one time or another. It doesn't hurt to double check your work, could save you some time money and embarrassment down the road. 2) if you are driving it anyway, take it to a parts house and borrow their code reader. I know you said it isn't throwing any codes but I'd give it a swing any way. That is my .02 do with it as you will.
Enjoy....
I'm probably the weakest member on here but my suggestions are 1) go back over every bolt you pulled out, every wire you disconnected and every line you displaced and make sure they are connected correctly. This is a very elementary step, but I'd bet everyone has closed the hood at least once and forgotten to put something back in its correct location, position, or connection at one time or another. It doesn't hurt to double check your work, could save you some time money and embarrassment down the road. 2) if you are driving it anyway, take it to a parts house and borrow their code reader. I know you said it isn't throwing any codes but I'd give it a swing any way. That is my .02 do with it as you will.
Enjoy....
#353
In addition to the electrical connections, check all the vacuum and PCV connections. I know I removed the passenger side PCV tube when I did my plugs. The symptoms you describe are consistent with that tube being disconnected and it would not necessarily trigger codes right away.
#354
2 months ago the truck developed a miss. Bad plug, had just the one replaced because it kicked my friends *** for 2 days before he finally got the whole thing out. Cost me a good price too! Fast forward to today, the remaining 7, did just like was said, hot engine, PB Blaster and carb cleaner. I don't know the cylinder numbers, but the only two that are !@#$, are the ones by the ECM!! I was able to pull the electrode out of the bottom part of the porcelain, that will need the extractor. The furthest back, can't get any of the porcelain out of the shell!! The nut/threads are spinning on whats left in the head.... Wish me more luck than I've already had! Oh yah, Ford, a better idea! My ***!!
#355
Senior Member
2 months ago the truck developed a miss. Bad plug, had just the one replaced because it kicked my friends *** for 2 days before he finally got the whole thing out. Cost me a good price too! Fast forward to today, the remaining 7, did just like was said, hot engine, PB Blaster and carb cleaner. I don't know the cylinder numbers, but the only two that are !@#$, are the ones by the ECM!! I was able to pull the electrode out of the bottom part of the porcelain, that will need the extractor. The furthest back, can't get any of the porcelain out of the shell!! The nut/threads are spinning on whats left in the head.... Wish me more luck than I've already had! Oh yah, Ford, a better idea! My ***!!
#357
Hydrant, that one is one POS! Lucky you got it out that easily!. I have to say, this whole job of changing plugs scared the hell out a me! It may have went well in many ways, it wasn't bad at all. I am mechanically inclined and I let this job scare me, and I shouldn't have... I now have all new plugs @77k miles. One question for all, Will these new plugs have the same issue as the OEM crap. I assume not, as they are, ""New and improved."" Other wise, I have a used Lisle 65600 removal kit for sale! Used on 2 plugs, almost perfect condition....
#359
Thank You
First things first kozal01 you are Awesome!
That was the best write up I've seen in a long time. By a weird turn of events I ended up doing the swap myself. I was planing on the 3 day weekend just dropping the truck off at a service center where the normal 450 + 100 per broken plug fee seems to be common cost for the spark plug change. When it just happen to work out that my girl friend had plans the night before I was going to go to the air port and I couldn't use her car " Taxi cabs might as well take an arm and a leg ".
Turned out nice that she got a ride over to her parents house and went on her own vacation for a week . Leaving me with a car sitting in my garage when I got back to use. Nothing every works out that well for me I just have bad luck... It got even better when the guy next door had the extractor tool because his son has an 06!
So to cut that story short when I started not a single one would budge. I was starting to question if the plugs where done when I first got the truck with 80k miles. It ran like a champ and had a problem with these two big black things on the back I think they are called tires sticking to the ground... I may have a slightly heavy foot. It was also getting 18mpg at the time and that was all city driving so I assumed they had been done. Of course over time that dropped down to 13.3 MPG highway.
There are a few post that say soaking the plugs when they are all the way down wont help and they need to be cracked a 1/8 to 1/4 turn to let it soak. We'll it dose help just to anyone that needs to do it. I used a torque wrench on the front passenger one for several reason. Mainly its the easiest to get to so if it broke I can see how to use the tool. I set the wrench to 33 the max for the plugs didn't budge, went up to 40 nope, 50, 60, 70, 80 then I stopped. It never made a sound. Did a little PB and carb cleaner and started pulling the rest of the stuff off and out of the way. Came back 15 minutes later reset the wrench down to 33 and it came loss. All of them came loss after. I went to about 3 turns out with a little effort but not much. Let them have a little bath for an hour and did the in and out turns for a few tell they got stiff again. By this time it was 9:30 at night and almost 130F in the garage. I was done for the night. One last spray on each and let it sock for 24 hours.
Jumped back in the next night and they all came out with ease. I will say they CRY and SCREAM! This was by far the most hair raising gut wrenching experience I've ever had with a simple spark plug change. Without your write up and a car for a week I wound't have attempted to do this at all. I've been putting it off for far to long just waiting for enough time and a safety net to fall back on. I have the $1200 in case they all snap but was not looking forward to spending it. All said and done it was $130!!!!
The one thing I will say to anyone doing the change if the PB and carb cleaner makes for a nice white cloud after you fire it back up. I have a MBRP 3 inch SISO with a 3.5 inch tip on mine and that was the first time I've seen it smoke even after sea foaming it ones it didn't smoke that much. It runs so much better i had a nasty power hole with the old plugs now its back to the flat pull that I'm use to. Oil change tonight...
Short version:
kozal01 - you are Awesome! Thank You
$130 total
Be patient. They will scream and cry!
Use the shortest extensions possible if you aren't using an impact wrench. Or put your finger in the hole to hold the extension steady when putting any force on the plug. "That can be taken so dirty its not even funny. Sorry"
Oil change after.
Engine should be warm. I live in a hot area so its always warm. Its 130+ under the hood in summer when its been off all day.
That was the best write up I've seen in a long time. By a weird turn of events I ended up doing the swap myself. I was planing on the 3 day weekend just dropping the truck off at a service center where the normal 450 + 100 per broken plug fee seems to be common cost for the spark plug change. When it just happen to work out that my girl friend had plans the night before I was going to go to the air port and I couldn't use her car " Taxi cabs might as well take an arm and a leg ".
Turned out nice that she got a ride over to her parents house and went on her own vacation for a week . Leaving me with a car sitting in my garage when I got back to use. Nothing every works out that well for me I just have bad luck... It got even better when the guy next door had the extractor tool because his son has an 06!
So to cut that story short when I started not a single one would budge. I was starting to question if the plugs where done when I first got the truck with 80k miles. It ran like a champ and had a problem with these two big black things on the back I think they are called tires sticking to the ground... I may have a slightly heavy foot. It was also getting 18mpg at the time and that was all city driving so I assumed they had been done. Of course over time that dropped down to 13.3 MPG highway.
There are a few post that say soaking the plugs when they are all the way down wont help and they need to be cracked a 1/8 to 1/4 turn to let it soak. We'll it dose help just to anyone that needs to do it. I used a torque wrench on the front passenger one for several reason. Mainly its the easiest to get to so if it broke I can see how to use the tool. I set the wrench to 33 the max for the plugs didn't budge, went up to 40 nope, 50, 60, 70, 80 then I stopped. It never made a sound. Did a little PB and carb cleaner and started pulling the rest of the stuff off and out of the way. Came back 15 minutes later reset the wrench down to 33 and it came loss. All of them came loss after. I went to about 3 turns out with a little effort but not much. Let them have a little bath for an hour and did the in and out turns for a few tell they got stiff again. By this time it was 9:30 at night and almost 130F in the garage. I was done for the night. One last spray on each and let it sock for 24 hours.
Jumped back in the next night and they all came out with ease. I will say they CRY and SCREAM! This was by far the most hair raising gut wrenching experience I've ever had with a simple spark plug change. Without your write up and a car for a week I wound't have attempted to do this at all. I've been putting it off for far to long just waiting for enough time and a safety net to fall back on. I have the $1200 in case they all snap but was not looking forward to spending it. All said and done it was $130!!!!
The one thing I will say to anyone doing the change if the PB and carb cleaner makes for a nice white cloud after you fire it back up. I have a MBRP 3 inch SISO with a 3.5 inch tip on mine and that was the first time I've seen it smoke even after sea foaming it ones it didn't smoke that much. It runs so much better i had a nasty power hole with the old plugs now its back to the flat pull that I'm use to. Oil change tonight...
Short version:
kozal01 - you are Awesome! Thank You
$130 total
Be patient. They will scream and cry!
Use the shortest extensions possible if you aren't using an impact wrench. Or put your finger in the hole to hold the extension steady when putting any force on the plug. "That can be taken so dirty its not even funny. Sorry"
Oil change after.
Engine should be warm. I live in a hot area so its always warm. Its 130+ under the hood in summer when its been off all day.
Last edited by lvrob; 07-11-2014 at 07:14 PM.
#360
First time poster here.
I wanted to thank all of you for the information you've all contributed and especially Kozal01 for his perfect how to. I'm pretty good with mechanical work but this was the biggest job I've ever took on. I have a '05 FX4 with 93K and I was getting a lot of shuddering when shifting at low speeds and idling. I wasn't getting any codes but I had some misfires a couple weeks back that cleared up.
I did my plugs yesterday, 3 of 7 broke. I already had replaced #6 a couple months ago so only had 7 more to do. I order the puller tool when I prdered the plugs from Rockauto. I figured I was already saving $400 by doing it myself so I wasn't going to mess with trying to find a used one on ebay or anything. And thank god I had that thing!! I couldn't imagine what would have happened without it...
I did the same routine posted here, crack'em all 1/4 turn and pb blaster and carb cleaner. Let them soak while I ate dinner. The first one came out intact and I was pumped! The second one, not as much luck. It cracked with a good amount of porcelain attached. So I busted out the puller tool. I think I tighted the pusher pin a bit too much because the porcelain actually pushed down all the way through the metal loop across from the electrode of the plug and busted it. I'll post some pictures once I get a chance. The odd thing about that plug is that where the loop broke it did not look like a new break. It must have broke in there before and the pushing the porcelain through it just bent it open. I used an extendable earth magnet and compressed air to grab any excess metal bits that may have fallen into the cylinder but I found nothing substantial.
Next, 3 and 4 both broke in a similar situation. They broke in such a way that the threads were just spinning around the porcelain and I had to use some needle noses to twist and yank the plugs out. That was not fun on the driver side rear plug.... The whole driver's side was a mess actually. The passenger side all came out with a bit of squealing but with no breaks.
Overall it took me about 4 hours of work, most of which was spent trying to get 3 and 4 out with the needle nose and switching extension and socket combinations.
One thing I was say is make sure you have all the sockets for the Listle tool, a huge variety of extensions and knuckles and multiple different types of needle nose plyers before you start this job. And have all those tools laid out in an organized fashion because if you have a break you're changing sockets and extensions so much it can get a little frustrating.
Now the truck is running great and feels like it's brand new again. Once again I appreciate everyone's help and input!
I wanted to thank all of you for the information you've all contributed and especially Kozal01 for his perfect how to. I'm pretty good with mechanical work but this was the biggest job I've ever took on. I have a '05 FX4 with 93K and I was getting a lot of shuddering when shifting at low speeds and idling. I wasn't getting any codes but I had some misfires a couple weeks back that cleared up.
I did my plugs yesterday, 3 of 7 broke. I already had replaced #6 a couple months ago so only had 7 more to do. I order the puller tool when I prdered the plugs from Rockauto. I figured I was already saving $400 by doing it myself so I wasn't going to mess with trying to find a used one on ebay or anything. And thank god I had that thing!! I couldn't imagine what would have happened without it...
I did the same routine posted here, crack'em all 1/4 turn and pb blaster and carb cleaner. Let them soak while I ate dinner. The first one came out intact and I was pumped! The second one, not as much luck. It cracked with a good amount of porcelain attached. So I busted out the puller tool. I think I tighted the pusher pin a bit too much because the porcelain actually pushed down all the way through the metal loop across from the electrode of the plug and busted it. I'll post some pictures once I get a chance. The odd thing about that plug is that where the loop broke it did not look like a new break. It must have broke in there before and the pushing the porcelain through it just bent it open. I used an extendable earth magnet and compressed air to grab any excess metal bits that may have fallen into the cylinder but I found nothing substantial.
Next, 3 and 4 both broke in a similar situation. They broke in such a way that the threads were just spinning around the porcelain and I had to use some needle noses to twist and yank the plugs out. That was not fun on the driver side rear plug.... The whole driver's side was a mess actually. The passenger side all came out with a bit of squealing but with no breaks.
Overall it took me about 4 hours of work, most of which was spent trying to get 3 and 4 out with the needle nose and switching extension and socket combinations.
One thing I was say is make sure you have all the sockets for the Listle tool, a huge variety of extensions and knuckles and multiple different types of needle nose plyers before you start this job. And have all those tools laid out in an organized fashion because if you have a break you're changing sockets and extensions so much it can get a little frustrating.
Now the truck is running great and feels like it's brand new again. Once again I appreciate everyone's help and input!