Coolant with Spark Plugs
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Coolant with Spark Plugs
Hey all,
Just joined, I've read many articles on here and they have helped me quite a bit. Now however I have an issue that I can't seem to figure out.
Problem:
Coolant in the tubes with spark plugs causing misfire.
A while back I was having this problem. The truck has the 5.4 (2008 Lariat), and it started missing/bucking. Engine light came on so I took it to have the codes read. Misfire cylinder 1. Pulled the coil (after market accel coils), sure enough, full of coolant. I then received guidance from this site, as well as a buddy that's a ford mechanic. I put a new Doorman intake manifold on it, new gaskets, etc. I also put a new set of MSD coils on it after reading how the accel brand tends to crap out.
That was completed approx 2.5 weeks ago.
Yesterday the same symptoms arose, missing/bucking at 50mph. It was a good 20 miles to the house, pulled all the coils to check for coolant. No check engine light. Coolant once again found in 1 and 8, but very little. Still missing, however.
Thoughts? warped heads? bad head gasket?
I was told the water jackets in these heads were nowhere near the spark plugs, so it's not really possible to have a cracked head leaking coolant.
Also, it's not the same spark plugs filling with coolant every time. One day it can be #1, I'll blow it out and the next week it's #6. Which makes me think it's not a cracked head cause it's too unpredictable as to which cylinder will miss.
The plugs were not changed (dreaded) when new coils and intake were put on. Still however, there is new coolant in the tubes and missing again just as before.
Thanks
Just joined, I've read many articles on here and they have helped me quite a bit. Now however I have an issue that I can't seem to figure out.
Problem:
Coolant in the tubes with spark plugs causing misfire.
A while back I was having this problem. The truck has the 5.4 (2008 Lariat), and it started missing/bucking. Engine light came on so I took it to have the codes read. Misfire cylinder 1. Pulled the coil (after market accel coils), sure enough, full of coolant. I then received guidance from this site, as well as a buddy that's a ford mechanic. I put a new Doorman intake manifold on it, new gaskets, etc. I also put a new set of MSD coils on it after reading how the accel brand tends to crap out.
That was completed approx 2.5 weeks ago.
Yesterday the same symptoms arose, missing/bucking at 50mph. It was a good 20 miles to the house, pulled all the coils to check for coolant. No check engine light. Coolant once again found in 1 and 8, but very little. Still missing, however.
Thoughts? warped heads? bad head gasket?
I was told the water jackets in these heads were nowhere near the spark plugs, so it's not really possible to have a cracked head leaking coolant.
Also, it's not the same spark plugs filling with coolant every time. One day it can be #1, I'll blow it out and the next week it's #6. Which makes me think it's not a cracked head cause it's too unpredictable as to which cylinder will miss.
The plugs were not changed (dreaded) when new coils and intake were put on. Still however, there is new coolant in the tubes and missing again just as before.
Thanks
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 413
Likes: 48
Some time back I read on this forum that a member had this problem with coolant around plugs on his 5.4 - been a long time but It was something simple like he relocated a hose or tube that was pissing coolant into those plug areas -
Super Duper Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 1,804
Likes: 349
From: Florida
Had a similar issue with the 4.6l engine in my Exploder. Had the mechanic check it out and he used a tool that put pressure into the cooling system and showed were a hose had a very small pinhole by the clamp that would drip coolant right into were the spark plug was. He replaced that hose, then cleaned things out, and my issue went away.
Harbor Freight sells the tool he used fairly cheap. His tool was a high dollar one, but if you are only gonna use it once or twice, the HF version should work for you. Screws onto the coolant overflow cap and has a hand pump to add pressure.
Harbor Freight sells the tool he used fairly cheap. His tool was a high dollar one, but if you are only gonna use it once or twice, the HF version should work for you. Screws onto the coolant overflow cap and has a hand pump to add pressure.
