Does anyone know where I can buy that special broken plug removal tool? I see one on ebay, but that's it.

 

Well I talked to the dealer and he said that my spark plug broke in such a strange way that even fords special tool wont work on it.... They are going to have to remove the cylinder head and pound that sucker out of there. I might as well take it to a local shop now that I know the cylinder head has to come off. I cant wait to see this bill. Oh and I did call OTC to order the ford rotunda 303-1203 spark plug removal tool, and right at the end of ordering it he says it wouldn't ship for another month or so. I cant wait that long. So off to a shop it goes I guess. What a crap design. Thanks Ford.

 

Man, I am sorry to hear that. I made the decision when I bought this (2005 5.4 3v) truck that I will just pay the dealer to do the plugs and any other service on it.
I will be damned if I will go through what I have gone through for 12 years with my other Fords.
And to top it off this one engine is the worst one out of the bunch to work on. Not worth the damage I will/could do to it just trying to fix/replace something on it.

 

You must really do a lot of driving to have 100k on a 2004, already.

Wow!

 

So I got the bill today for removing one broken spark plug and changing the others. $400. I am going to call Ford and try to get them to pay for the labor, but I doubt they will. I cant believe motorcraft spark plugs cost $20 a piece. Ford definately has an unacceptable design flaw here. The dealer said my truck is the 3rd one this week that has been towed in with broken plugs.

 

Hozer:Good old ford does not consider this a design flaw and will pay nothing and they are doing nothing to change it at present they just designed a tool to get them out you are lucky they got it out it is really spendy it they pull the heads.

 

Yeah I just got off the phone with Ford about exactly that issue. They said they do not consider it a design flaw and that the speciality tool is avalible at auto parts stores. I said BS and to tell me where it is sold. They couldnt find anywhere that sold it. So then they said well I guess you just will have to have the sparks changed at the dealer from now on. He said that he knows that this sucks and that I must be frustrated, but the only thing he can tell me to do is keep my reciepts in case there is a recall someday. Thanks again Ford.

At least its over and my truck is running again despite the $400 setback. I doubt there will ever be a recall.

 

I may be mistaken, but I think you got off fairly light, even as bad as $400 sounds. I think that is about what a dealer charges for all plugs replaced. I think some guys that had to have a head removed ended up spending about $2000. yep, it is a stupid design.

 

u can always get a left handed drill bit on an extention and back it out of there...

 

$400 to do spark plugs - and that's US$400 - just seems like madness to me.

When looking at buying a vehicle one might want to look at costs like this when weighing up purchase price etc - if it's not on the later motors, it might be worth spending more, rather than going through that grief.

 

I could not agree more. A spark plug that costs $20 a piece is ridiculous in itself.

 

No you can't look at his pics the threads are still on the plug the bottom half stays in the head your idea would ruin the head in about 3 sec.s

 

go buy a 6 inch deep socket to get out the plugs... thats the only way you can get it out... from snapon or www.harborfreighttools.com . or www.steveswholesaletools.com <- small chain in oklahoma area dont know if autozone or oriely's carries it...

 

I am not sure you 2 understand what has happened here. It is not part of the threaded plug that broke off, it is the extention that goes down into the head. It is a thin metal that is attached to the threaded part of the plug. It is only on the plugs for the 3V heads or 2004 up. When it breaks off, it is down in the head on top of the cylinder and must be extracted or the head has to be removed. There is a special extraction tool similar to an ease out on a long extention that can be used to "get a hold" of the broken part.

 

ya i understood what you meant... only way i have gotten them out.. was with a longer socket..... my lil siste has an 06 with a 5.4 and i got nominated to be the one to change out her plugs.. yay.. and i used a 6 in.long ,thin walled deep socket.. to get them out.. i just done all that.. but i didnt break a plug..