So I think my truck just blew it's SECOND spark plug. What's worse, it happened 75 miles from home and the first spark plug blew on the previous owner (so there's no way the dealership is going to give me any credit since I didn't pay for the first repair). The dealership I bought it from told me that the passenger side cylinder head had been replaced, so I am guessing it was replaced for a spark plug blow out.

It happened in the dark Friday night so I couldn't see what was going on, but I had been hearing the tell-tale ticking sound from the same side of the engine as the new cylinder head for a long time now so I'm pretty sure that the replaced head is the one that threw the plug.

I thought the replaced heads would fix the problem...could it really be that the newer cylinder head has the same defect as the factory head that threw its plug?? ...and that no matter how many times I have to replace the heads, the same thing could happen again??

And I will admit that as fed up as I am with this truck and as much as I'd love to replace it with a bow-tie, I need this truck to last me several more years for economical reasons. My big question is....what to do about this spark plug problem? Is there a way to prevent this from happening again... at least something for some peace of mind?

And has anyone had success with this...
http://www.denlorstools.com/home/dt1...ller_cal3.html

 

Your truck is out of warranty - get over it & move on. Brooding won't fix it. Click my '99 P71 in my sig & read the captions in the Spark Plug album. Then try contacting Jon at http://www.galaxylubricants.com to rent his kit.

 

I truly can sentiment with your pain. Had the same problem about two weeks ago.

 

I blew out #4 in my '99 F-150 last August. I used a kit that I purchased at Napa for retapping the threads and installing an insert. I figured I didn't have much to lose, other than alot of cash! Tapped, installed insert, new plug and NO PROBLEMS SINCE! Just be sure to follow the directions! I fixed mine in about 30 minutes. If you want some more info on the Napa kit that I got, lemme know and I will dig it up and give you the useful info!

Don't give up hope yet!

FordMasterTech

 

was it a helicoil?

 

Stay away from anything that says heli-coil. If it works, it will be temporary. DTS, yes, it is possible and likely the new head blew a plug. A replacement head of he casting would have the same thread issues as the original. The TimeSert kit will be better than the factory threads and better than (and obviously cheaper) another new head.

Fortunately, there is zero reason to to that route. Contact me about getting a Time-Sert kit and you will be repaired for under a Benjamin. When all your other plugs are gone, this one will still be there.

Thanks for the free plug Steve!!!

 

Listen to that guy ^^^^^ - this will serve you well

 

770-3003
Kit is made by Heli-Coil
Trust me, this is not like the helicoil from yesteryear..
It is a tap kit with an insert.
And I wouldn't endorse something that hasn't worked for me.
I have installed this insert in 3 other vehicles, as well as my own
with no problems to this day

FordMasterTech

 

Maybe the 770-3003 is a step up from the original Heli Coil set, -iduno? But there's been to many problems here with Heli-Coil kits in the past, it's about impossible to have any sort of trust with their product. - That's going by the facts. Actually, the facts have the Heli-coil kits lasting about 2 years max.

Time Sert - No problems, excellent kits. If you don't want to deal with the problem again, it's common sense to go with what works and the product with the track record that backs it up.

 

These kits seem to be the way to go. My spark plug blew out of its thread this weekend, leaving us stranded. 2003 V8 with only 42,000 miles.

Can the Time Sert kit be used on the #8 cylinder without removing the head? Ford dealer says no way (wants to replace the head at $3200).

 

Of course the dealer wants to discourage you. But we've actually DONE this, and the TimeSert kit is specifically designed to work on these engines in these vehicles. Have you watched the video?

http://www.timesert.com/html/triton_repair.html

 

I think what he is asking is if the kit can be used on number 8 due to lack of work space.

 

Yes, you can get to the rear cylinders. If there's room for a ratchet to get a spark plug out, you can use this kit. I'm not saying it'll be fun, but it will work. It will require some patience and deep breaths but the head doesn't have to come off.