Damn!!!

I thought I was out of the woods after the first 5-10 minutes of the test drive but the misfire came back!

So far I have changed #1,2,3,5,6,7, and 8 plugs (#3's nut is rounded off and I'm waiting on a Snap-on Socket to hopefully get it out). Changed #3 COP with a new OEM COP. Thoroughly cleaned MAF, COP terminals, and PCM terminals (packed with dielectric).

Buttoned it all back up and cleared the previous codes (P0171, P0353, and P0303). Took it for a test drive and all was cool for a few minutes. Then all of a sudden it started to get the shakes and shutters and the MIL started flashing. Limped it home and checked the codes. Now I have P0171, P0316, and P0303)

From my Actron CP9575:

VIEW FREEZE DATA
P0171 (MOD $00)

MIL STATUS OFF
ABSLT TPS (%) 18.4
ENG SPEED (RPM) 0
CALC LOAD (%) 0.0
MAF (LB/M) 0.00
COOLANT (F) 189
IAT (F) 104
IGN ADB 10.0
ST FTRM1 (%) 56.3
LT FTRM1 (%) 0.0
ST FTRM2 (%) 56.3
LT FTRM2 (%) 0.0
VEH SPEED (MPH) 0
REL FRP (PSI) 44.19
FUEL SYS 1 OPEN
FUEL SYS 2 N/A
REL TPS (%) 5.5
THROT CMD (%) 9.0
02S11 (V) 0.000
02S21 (V) 0.020
ST FTRM21 (%) 56.3
02S22 (V) 0.100
MIL DIST (MI) 0
VPWR (V) 11.905
OBD2 STAT CA

 

Why are you packing the terminals. Clean them out and try again. We have weather pack connectors, there is no need. Terminals need good contact or you'll be hit & miss. You can go over the connector shells and around the back of the connector where the wires enter the rubber inserts, but leave the terminals dry. Ford doesn't use the stuff your using on the inside. Never heard of anyone doing this before.

 

I packed them based on a different post that I read. I'll clean them out but I don't think this is the problem. It has to be the #3 plug that I can't get out. It had serious corrosion and I think it's actually almost "welded" in with electrolysis. All the other plug cylinders were shiny. I have a Snap-on deep-well socket on the way that is supposed to be used for rounded off nuts. Hopefully that works when I get it.

Here's a picture of the cylinder:

 

Did you say you greased the PCM harness? Not the big plug/connector - (Main) right? . Hope not. Yea , it sounds like #3 to me as well. - It's gottuh come out. You should have it soaking in a catalyst. A fairly good one. PB Blaster isn't bad, - Ford has some better stuff, can't recall the name of it. But soak it for awhile, try to save the threads in the head if you can. If it still won't budge after soaking, - Don't force it , - heat it up as hot as you can. That should do it, the heat will break down the corrosion and the head will expand . It won't take much heat to do this, not with a 4 thread head.

 

Wait a minute, you have an 04. Ahh shoot!, disregard my post, - I thought yours was a little older. different heads on that one, but still - soak and heat.. If that's a 3 valve, then you better find the TSB and read it over.

Good Luck!

 

Which TSB? I've already changed 7 of 8 plugs according to that TSB. I bought the Lisle tool and haven't needed it yet.

 

Fan- How did you round the plug head off? Cheap socket or not on far enough ? or something else? I can't imagine rounding it off with a GOOD socket and on tight. Think I would have tried a metric that maybe had to be "driven" on, but that is sure a bad place to have a plug round off on you. Like Jbrew said, need to have that soaking with something that will be able to get past the taper on that plug- a little tough. I always like impact sockets for plugs, won't do the stretching that regular sockets will.

 

Yea , we did two plug changes ,-04 and 05 in my driveway with an impact. That was either just before or about the time when people started having problems removing and the dealerships were raping people that were lucky enough to break a couple. I believe they were removing the heads to fix those problems back then lol - and charging $$$$$$...

Anyway, we removed most of the plugs with a a cordless impact on both trucks. Zipped right thru it luckily. Went fast with the impact.

Those cordless impacts equalized the pressure to all corners and the hammering mechanism cant be beat IMO. That's the way, but I didn't see all that many doing them this way. Most likely because the TSB doesn't have it in there lol..

I'd still hate to break one... Mann, I don't want to mess with this *****!!!

Thankfully the Rotunda toll is coming thru for allot of people (Lisle).

 

Apparently not far enough down on the plug. There was no way to tell though. It felt the same as the previous 5 (I had already done 5-8, 4). I know you can't tell in the picture but that corrosion is actually built up pretty good. After this happened and I realized what was happening, I switched to a 14MM and tapped it on. No luck...
I'm going to tear it down again today and let it soak until the new socket comes in.

 

OK, tonight I did a little test. I used the extra COP that I have and tested for spark. I engaged the fuel inertia switch to stop fuel from going to the cylinders and then connected the extra COP to #1 COP plug. I had my son crank the engine a couple of time and saw strong spark. I then reconnected #1 and did the same test on #3. The first time there was faint spark about every other cycle, the second time there were a couple of good sparks and then nothing and, the third time....nothing.

I rechecked the wires coming out of the #3 COP plug and cleaned the PCM terminals.

Any thoughts?

 

how the hell is the plug rounded off? and do you have a 5.4 or 4.6

 

He must have used the wrong socket, like a 5/8 instead of a 9/16 tappered edge. Iduno, he keeps starting new threads, hard to keep track. It must be a 5four ? -Here's his latest -

https://www.f150online.com/forums/v8...tle-dance.html

 

ah got it.

 

+1

A few months ago I had an expert "coach" hang around and watch me pull all 8 plugs out of my '05... intact! On installing the new CHAMPION spark plugs, he advised that only a little dab to seal the boot was necessary, as crash said above.

Secondly, he advised that any time you change the plugs, you should change the boots, ESPECIALLY if you were switching from A-L/MC- to Champs. Improper boot installation was reported to me as being the number one cause of misfires on modular engines after spark plug changes. The boots get heat bonded/formed to the profile of the original plug. The Champ has a smaller diameter and no ribs, so if you put a boot on it that has formed to an MC plug you are very likely to get misfires from spark jumping. Apparently, the Ford COPS are pretty hot (he mentioned 15-amps!). Even if you replace a plug with the same type, the old boot doesn't fit as well as it should. There are exceptions to this and lot depends on how long the plug and boot have been mated. Generally, he said, it's better to plan on boots with plugs every time.

This is coming from an engineer from Federal-Mogul who travels around the country training techs how to deal with this problem. He carries around a bag of broken off A-L and M-C plugs around as examples of how NOT to do it He uses and promotes the Lisle tool, but also trains with the Ford if requested.

Obviously, he is not completely objective, but he spent a lot of time with me countering many of the "anti-champion" comments I have seen here and settling my mind that Champs were the way to go. I'll save those arguments for another time.

He did say that most of the big disasters people see removing the plugs are from improper technique and he told some tales about time spent in shops and dealerships helping deal with some of those disasters. A lot of techs don't have a clue about how to deal with this. Unfortunately, a lot of the time, the customer ends up carrying the weight of the tech's lack of knowledge or unwillingness to learn.

We can argue about whether Champs or Motorcrafts are better and perhaps we get too hot about it. The bottom line, however, is that with regards to clueing people in on getting those pesky plugs out the right way, forums like are providing a valuable and genuine service informing people about the problem and how to deal with it.

Here is a pic of the plugs removed from my truck. Note the lack of carbon and ask me how.

 

I'll bite, how are they so clean?