Coolant Flush
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 285
Likes: 17
From: KC Metro-Missouri-formerly WI
I don't know what plugs your year needs for sure but there have been repeated out of the box failures here on sp 515's .I can't help but think they have some production problems .I have run 3 sets of champions with no trouble but I bought new sp515's and they are sitting here unused .. The champions are getting very expensive . Go no more than 60k on plugs .
The antifreeze advice says the 50% mix is premium more or less is not efficient , flush and use distilled but you can't get it all out so I top it with 100%.
Change reservoir cap as they go bad and lose pressure-- they have been redesigned. Increased pressure helps a lot . Change thermo too.
Distilled water for sure ,I mix my own ,wally world cheap .
Miles is not the bottom line, time is -heating and cooling cycles break down water/metal minerals . Acid formation can create a lot of problems . My poor stepson used a bulb in his engine compartment/for heat- no anti freeze/corrosion prot. and well water . At the end of two years it turned into dark mud .Ruined radiator and engine .
Mom and I bought new rad and wrecked vehicle for engine .
The cooling system can ruin your engine in minutes you are right to keep it up .
The antifreeze advice says the 50% mix is premium more or less is not efficient , flush and use distilled but you can't get it all out so I top it with 100%.
Change reservoir cap as they go bad and lose pressure-- they have been redesigned. Increased pressure helps a lot . Change thermo too.
Distilled water for sure ,I mix my own ,wally world cheap .
Miles is not the bottom line, time is -heating and cooling cycles break down water/metal minerals . Acid formation can create a lot of problems . My poor stepson used a bulb in his engine compartment/for heat- no anti freeze/corrosion prot. and well water . At the end of two years it turned into dark mud .Ruined radiator and engine .
Mom and I bought new rad and wrecked vehicle for engine .
The cooling system can ruin your engine in minutes you are right to keep it up .
That was a costly mistake, I work at an auto parts store and I see people running straight water/ no t-stat and wonder why the vehicle is overheating when it is 100 degrees outside. Also mixing different brands of coolant is a NO/NO-the chemicals from the different brands can cause issues down the road. Buy one brand and use it for any top offs, etc. till the next change. its like mixing up different brands of ketchup-yeah its still ketchup, but it will taste like crap after a while
Plug change interval will depend on a lot. Run them to their rated life (100k) unless you have issues. You could just as easily said change plug ever 30k and not be wrong, just waste a lot of money.
You really need an hydrometer to check specific gravity to tell if your antifreeze is good. 50/50 mix is recommended, but you can vary that A LOT (60/40 etc) and still be fine.
Your cap is working unless you are losing coolant. Check the pressure (overflow) tank and if you're between the lines your cap is fine.
You can buy all the stuff this dude recommends but you're not solving any problems.
You really need an hydrometer to check specific gravity to tell if your antifreeze is good. 50/50 mix is recommended, but you can vary that A LOT (60/40 etc) and still be fine.
Your cap is working unless you are losing coolant. Check the pressure (overflow) tank and if you're between the lines your cap is fine.
You can buy all the stuff this dude recommends but you're not solving any problems.
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 105
Likes: 11
You have to have a little mechanical insight if you want to stay ahead of the game. The plugs are fine at 60k. Dealerships just made a lot more $$$ because 1. more frequent changes of GOOD plugs and 2. plugs less likely to require time consuming removal methods.
Why not change them every 30k? They should be REALLY easy to do then!
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 105
Likes: 11
False.
https://youtu.be/xM38rFuI_YE
https://youtu.be/xM38rFuI_YE
This guy never saw a hydrometer or knows what one is. His scare tactics aside, your water temp and multiple engine temp parameters are constantly monitored by OBDC-II requirements... so no, UNLESS YOU BUST A HOSE you're not going to slowly cook your engine to failure.
He also says that the engine gets the coolant temp from the oil temp gauge.
THIS IS 100% COMPLETELY WRONG.
2004-2008 F150s have a dedicated coolant temp sensor located at the top of the motor (so it will sense if you are low on coolant because it will go out of speck and the ECM will light the CEL).
Did you even watch the video???
There are other errors in his diatribe (your t-stat will open at 190 and circulate water.. so no, you're not going to 'boil off' anything short of a catastrophic failure or simply ignoring the gauges/CEL.
Last edited by MilosF150; Jul 31, 2017 at 10:12 PM.
So it's not due to wear, just easy to remove.
You have to have a little mechanical insight if you want to stay ahead of the game. The plugs are fine at 60k. Dealerships just made a lot more $$$ because 1. more frequent changes of GOOD plugs and 2. plugs less likely to require time consuming removal methods.
Why not change them every 30k? They should be REALLY easy to do then!
You have to have a little mechanical insight if you want to stay ahead of the game. The plugs are fine at 60k. Dealerships just made a lot more $$$ because 1. more frequent changes of GOOD plugs and 2. plugs less likely to require time consuming removal methods.
Why not change them every 30k? They should be REALLY easy to do then!
05 5.4l 3v s.crew lariat
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 3,505
Likes: 672
From: fl
There are no magic formulas
Each of us has to judge our risks . We don't get to see truck after truck for years unless we are full time mechanics . My experience with the breaking plugs set my schedule . Carbon around the tip needs cleaning out .
My years with protecting major electrical equipment set some of that too . Heat ages and destroys ,time and chemicals not good .
I love the fact that platinum plugs last so long when I was a kid changing plugs 10-- 30k was the norm, only fighter planes in the war zones were using platinum .Those mechanics were hoarding them and selling them for scrap .
I can see some people using plugs to 100k but not me ,I can afford to change them . But being retired it takes me longer to get to 60k . Same with the radiator cap and thermo . But I do all my own work that makes it really cheap.
I love the different viewpoints on here ,I think it helps us all . Cars are like women --takes a lot of custom handling . I've changed them out three times but the last one is 34 years in service --who knows ???LOL
Right now at 13 years and 178k ,I worry about the heater hoses and crossover . These seem harder to change than in the old days but they also seem more durable . Just don't want to end up 200 miles away in boonies with blown hoses/causing head gasket fail.
It can be hot any day here in fl. Ac runs everyday . But I don't even have an ice scraper.
My years with protecting major electrical equipment set some of that too . Heat ages and destroys ,time and chemicals not good .
I love the fact that platinum plugs last so long when I was a kid changing plugs 10-- 30k was the norm, only fighter planes in the war zones were using platinum .Those mechanics were hoarding them and selling them for scrap .
I can see some people using plugs to 100k but not me ,I can afford to change them . But being retired it takes me longer to get to 60k . Same with the radiator cap and thermo . But I do all my own work that makes it really cheap.
I love the different viewpoints on here ,I think it helps us all . Cars are like women --takes a lot of custom handling . I've changed them out three times but the last one is 34 years in service --who knows ???LOL
Right now at 13 years and 178k ,I worry about the heater hoses and crossover . These seem harder to change than in the old days but they also seem more durable . Just don't want to end up 200 miles away in boonies with blown hoses/causing head gasket fail.
It can be hot any day here in fl. Ac runs everyday . But I don't even have an ice scraper.
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 13,811
Likes: 3,184
From: Texas
From everything I've read about these engines, you are generally OK if you change every 60K or so. It's when you wait till 100K like the manual originally says to do. When I asked the tech, he said they now recommend it be done every 60K. even with the newer design spark plugs.
Thankfully I have the newer designed head that don't use the 2 piece spark plugs, but did help a buddy do his 07, and he had issues. He got his truck with 120K on it already, had the original plugs, several of them broke coming out.
Thankfully I have the newer designed head that don't use the 2 piece spark plugs, but did help a buddy do his 07, and he had issues. He got his truck with 120K on it already, had the original plugs, several of them broke coming out.
While I admit, I too do things sooner/more often than Ford recommends, the manual service schedule is the bible, not the tech or advisor.
Last edited by digitaltrucker; Aug 1, 2017 at 07:39 AM.
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 105
Likes: 11
So again, with ****** mechanic logic you TOTALLY should replace the plugs after 3 days, because they will be SO MUCH EASIER to get out!!!!
I never said replace the SP515"s every 60K.. I said.. they changed the service interval on the OEM SP507 to 60K due to extraction problems.. the SP515 does not have the Extraction problem.