1999 F150 5.4L SOHC 16v. Just bought the truck a week ago from a private owner and the #6 spark plug blew out. Almost spent $600 at a shop and then did some research on this forum. The spark plug hole has been repaired before and now has a diameter of around .68 inches. After reading on here I don't trust a shop to fix it except for maybe a Ford shop and I can't afford that. I'm considering the CalVan 38900 and the TimeSert 5600 kits right now to fix it myself. The CalVan has some great reviews on Amazon and is way cheaper but I think it might be borderline for the size of the hole I have to fix. From reading on this forum the TimeSert seems to be the proven way to go but I'm hesitant about the Triple Oversized Last Chance repair it will need according to their website. I've read a lot of success stories about the Ford Big-Sert repairs but I don't recall any about the Triple Oversized repair that requires two inserts. If anyone has done the two insert repair I would love to hear about it. Sorry for the long post but I feel like I might have one chance to get this repair fixed right and I don't want to blow it. Thanks for any help offered.

 

The standard Big Sert is supposed to be good for up .660".

Are you certain of your hole size?

 

If the hole is THAT big, I'd be inclined to replace the head.

Where are you located?

 

projectSHO89 It is very close to .68 inch in diameter. I'm certain it is more than .67
glc I am located in Clearwater FL. Do you guys think the triple oversize timesert is worth trying? It says for holes up to .73 inches in diameter. Have you heard anyone who has tried this and had success? I don't think I can afford the cost of replacing the head right now.

 

Yes, if you can get your hands on both the 5553 and the 5588 kits. The 5553 kits aren't hard to come by, several of us have them for rental. The 5588 kit, I don't know if you'll find one of those without buying a new one ($275).

One of the other kits, perhaps the one Snap-On carries (CalVan?), uses a larger hole than the standard Big-Sert.

The CalVan 38900 kit sells for less than $250 new. You can usually get at least $175 on ebay by reselling it when you're done if you're patient. The CalVan 389-100 inserts can be used in holes up to .73".

Me, I'd be inclined to try the 5553 kit first and see what the cleaned out hole actually measures once reamed.

This is a long way from needing to buy a new head.