RickTM

This is the set I was considering. Seems well reviewed, at least at first glance:

TOPGLOCK

RickTM

Fair Enough, TOPGLOCK. Thanks again! If anyone else can offer other recommendations, please post or PM me.

Have a safe and happy Holiday season, everyone...

RickTM

After re-reading the thread, I let a couple of things drop in my replies. I have the BLACK (PITA) coils, not the Brown ones. The engine manufacture date (very clean and easy to read) was June 14th, 2006. I think the final assembly date was sometime in April of 2007. (Fade up Chopin's "Funeral March".) After I started poking around the engine (the dealer did a great job of cleaning/detailing the innards and underside of the truck) I did find the leftovers of (what's referred to around here as) a "Dirt Dobber's" Nest on the top of one coil. I think this truck was unused for an extended period of time. (Not sure if that's a good thing or not, but I guess that's obvious from the Odometer...) I took some Windex on a cloth and cleaned it out and found the rest of it down in the plug well. I took an air hose and blasted it out. It's about as clean as I (and the dealership, to their credit) know how to make it. All the local guys I've taken it to say "let the good times roll until 100K miles". But I can occasionally feel a bit of hesitation, usually when I least need for it to be there. It's not a land rocket, but I like for whatever pickup it has to be there when I need it to be.

It has a newish (really NEW looking, except for the new tire manufacturing studs being absent) set of Hankook Dynapros. I know one of the great things about this truck is its low-end torque. Those tires (to be "All-Terrain") are surprisingly easy to break loose. Max PSI (according to the stats on the pillar) is 35psi. Is that where I should run them? The other reason for doing this plug/coil thing is my mileage is about 10-12mpg. But that factors in my having had to run it parked at various times while doing these LED (and I had to replace the gasket on the Rear Cargo/Third Brake Light) installations. I haven't actually run an entire tank of gas through it at one stretch yet, which I know doesn't give an accurate picture, because the tank is full (heaviest) nearly all the time. Is there anything else I should be looking at? TIA...

redfishtd

The 5.4 is a high maint engine due to the hydraulically operated cams using dirty engine oil . The tensioners were changed to plastic causing gasket failures on them .for a better system go back to steel tensioners , no gasket and they hold tension . The other plastic parts get broken by the chains losing tension ,the plastic guides, which get chewed up and jam oil pickup . There is not a better part for plastic guides that break .
Key here is frequent oil changes using synthetic and mc filters . Carbon from combustion is the problem, even holy oil will not prevent that .Use a good grade of oil but the high dollar oil is going to drain out at 5k anyway, don't fall for extended oil changes,don't even ask me how I found out the hard way . Get it out of there Before 5k or 4 months .If you want to see horrible sludge look at a real cold climate engine that goes many months at low mileage , like in high Canada . That stuff is like cake frosting ,once it builds up you have a major problem . The root is heating/ cooling cycles ,200 deg f running then 10 f/ or lower every shutdown with limited trips . Who feels like changing oil in that . Plus they should use a lower oil like 0w -20 or whatever .I now do an engine flush every other oil change and I run 1 quart marvel mystery oil .
Never use the higher vis oil to try to fix the noise and symptoms . This engine has small passages and screen filters in oil system .
Using non mc oem parts inside is a disaster except /oil pump melling /tensioners steel melling or better . . Wholesale changing of cops not necessary just clean the contacts good --95% of the time that's all you need . Oem cops rarely fail .Aftermarket never worked for me . Mc cops cost 40-50 each ,you buy aftermarket-- 50 bucks for 8 , what do you think you are getting ????
Plugs ignition circuit must be done each 60k with the newest plugs hosp clean and correctly done ,change those boots out for new . Go easy on that insulating dielectric grease . Torque in 25-28 foot pounds .
If you have to go in certainly use melling HV oil pump.
Thats my rant could be longer buttttt.

RickTM

Thanks for that advice, Redflishtd. With respect to the coils, that's exactly what I was trying to get a read on. If there's nothing wrong with eleven-year-old MC's, then why change them? I can have the luxury of sending those aftermarket coils back. I'll spend money if I can see it's necessary, otherwise I'm "tighter than Dick's hatband". I've got some 2K grit Emery Cloth that will clean those contacts back down to fresh metal with just a little elbow grease. Is it okay to De-Oxit them?

I have new MC SP515 plugs. It has new Oil, Filters and fluids. I do not know for sure that the transmission fluid (and transfer case) lubricants have been flushed, but I do know the dealership checked them and gave them a seal of approval before they asked me to sign up for the "Ford Exclusive Extended Service Plan". (The words "bumper to bumper" has been used and not by me.) That said, I've been told by the closest dealership (not the one I bought it from) that this plug disaster isn't covered. If I can get past THAT without a mishap, I'm hopeful that being OCD with respect to Oil and the Marvel Mystery Oil treatment (Seafoam's also been mentioned) will future-proof the truck. It's going to be the "haul stuff and go to Home Despot" fallback vehicle. It's not going to see heavy duty service. But I will confess the more I drive it, the more I prefer it to my 2017 passenger sedan. The "new" hasn't worn off of it yet, but It comes in handy nearly every week. I really hope to improve that mpg situation...thanks again...

RickTM

The Green Hornet (my wife calls it that, not sure why) has been Bambified and is looking good.

All that leaves is the plug and coil switchout.

The Ford dealerships are all too hyperinflated and won't give me a price to JUST do those two things.

I'm looking for a local shop that won't manhandle the plugs just to run up the tab. Wish me luck!

Jeffrey Gaither

well if they run good they run good but if they are not dont buy it the 5.4 engine is probly the worst engine. For problems ford ever made just saying from experience

RickTM

Not by my experience. I'm two years in and not one minute of trouble. Plugs were changed no problem. I think the plug problem was largely nulled out by '07. I keep it maintained and it's sewing machine like in how well it runs. What I see in other forums leads me to believe that you just get a different set of mundane discontents as the MSRP's geometrically multiply and the model years advance. But everyone gets their own bite at the owner experience apple. I was really worried when I posted this. It turns out it was for nothing...