I have a '98 F150 and this past spring it blew #8 plug. This was on the second set of plugs at 175,000 miles. And yeah, it was ticking prior to this. So I replaced all the plugs including #8 which tightened up just fine and even took it on vacation this summer with no problems until it started ticking again shortly after returning home. Went to tighten it and the threads were gone. I decided to go with the Timesert kit after reading all the positive feedback on this forum and the repair went well. Thank you. So now the question is do I do them all or repair them as they fail? I got the kit from Denlors Tools www.denlorstools.com/ and they will give me a credit of about half the cost of the kit if I return it as a used item within sixty days. I paid over $400.00 for the tools and inserts but am I asking for trouble trying to fix something that isn't broke?

 

yes!!! Fix them as they fail!!! Youll know its coming with the ticking,,, but the timesert isnt a certainy for the spark plug.

 

What is this ticking? Is it like a lifter sound or what?

 

what did you mean by this? TimeSert is absolutely a guaranteed, permanent repair!

I agree though, repair them one at a time if they fail. An extremely low number of people ever blow a second plug on the same motor. Very low odds it'll ever happen. Yes, it's possible, just not likely. I'd say around 2-3 (yes, two to three) customers of mine over the past several years have actually blown a second, different plug on the same motor. Can't explain why that is, but that's how it is.

Search around the forums here; much much cheaper option for,getting a TimeSert than the route you went!

 

Half the price?? You can get more than that for it on E-bay or Craigslist (or here!). I'd keep the kit and fix the plugs as needed. If/when you sell the truck or once you get to the point that you don't think any more plugs will fail, I'd sell the kit privately.

 

To PREVENT further plugs from blowing, use Motorcraft plugs, NO antiseize, and torque them to 28 ft/lb.

 

Yeah, a light ticking. I couldn't hear it inside the truck. I noticed it mostly pulling up to a drive thru window echoing off a building or wall.

 

I guess I could have rented the kit from you! But my original thought was to do them all and not have to worry about it and at the time I had to get it back on the road...it's my only means of transportation. Anyhow, I still feel I'm ahead of the game versus pulling heads, etc. And I agree with joe51 about selling it later.

 

I paid $150 for the kit I got used and found I could have bought it new for not much more. I like having it. I think if the plugs are tightened AND the coils are properly secured (that gets overlooked as the cause of blow outs} There really isnt a problem..

 

The ticking noise is the exhaust leak passing by the plug as it loosens.

 

now that im reading this it sounds like what i have going on, i have been chasing a exhaust leak for a year and i think this may be it. I did the plugs 50k miles ago, dry motor craft plugs 28 ftlbs.

thought all was good but how do i determine witch one is leaking? it didnt blow (yet ) or do you have to just wait and see.

 

Pull the cops off and go through them with a torque wrench.....

 

Ok so I guess I'll just leave well enough alone for now. Thanks for the quick replies !

 

I did tjhe timesert on the one that blew out only and 80,000 miles later all the others are still good.

 

Didnt mean timeserts dont work!!!! Just that he wasnt going to need them for all the plugs. I have never used timeserts,, so i would never make a comment about something i have not used. Also about its effectiveness!!!!

hope this clarifies!!!!