Alright guys,

I need help. I have a 1998 Ford F150 4.6L V8 Triton that has a bout 155,000 mile on it. Had it for a couple of months now, it needs a tune up.

Now I'm no mechanic, about best I can do is change my brakes and oil. So I have no idea where to start, so my question is what do I start with first? I don't want to take it to a shop, I'd like to do everything myself so I can learn. But don't want to end up screwing anything up and be vechicless.

Now a little about my truck, there's a few problems I notice. My brakes will sometimes lock up on me. But I notice it only really happens when it's wet outside. My E-brake doesn't work. I'm hearing what sounds like missed in my engine while driving down the road.

Any help of where to start and how to do so would be great!

 

The first thing you need to do is get the codes read. AutoZone or advance will do that for free. Write down the codes and come back here and post them. Don't go with what thay try to sale you first.

 

Spark plugs replacement on these engines are a challenge because they are really hard to get to. Sine you don't have much mechanic experience you could do it but it might take you a couple of days taking your time.

The main thing to remember is to torque the new ones to 28 ft. lbs. These engines are notorious for blowing out plugs if they are not torqued enough. My 2002 factory manual has a torque spec of 8 ft. lbs. which will guarantee a blowout.

 

I read that it was the 5.4L that were notorious for blowing out spark plugs. I could be wrong.

 

The 4.6 can too.

 

All of the 2 valve modular engines have the issue. 4.6, 5.4 and 6.8 V10. They all share the same basic head design.

 

4.6 and 5.4 have the same heads and yes both have the same problem. If you have a 6 and 3 inch extension and a universal joint plugs are no problem. Use Motorcraft of NGK plugs. Do not use Bosch as they do not agree with the modular's at all.

 

I agree. Avoid Bosch. I had intermittent misfires with them. Motorcraft for the modulars.

 

For parking brake, ensure the cable is hooked up 1st. Then adjust the brake at the drums. There's about a billion YouTube videos on it.

Brakes locking up in the water... If you don't have ABS, they will do that. Make sure you have tires that are safe to drive in the rain on your truck. Otherwise look for blown ABS fuses or damaged sensors.

It's probably not a bad idea to flush your brake lines. Again, YouTube has a billion videos. Look for ones with higher view counts and "likes". If at anytime you see a hammer being used in conjunction with duck tape, hit stop, and find a new video. You're looking for someone who looks professional, or knowledgable about what they do.

 

After driving it a ways, place your hand on the center of the wheels to see how hot they are. If the brakes are dragging the wheel will get very hot.

 

The 4.6 was definitely the one notorious for the spark plugs blowing out. The 5.4 is notorious for having problems with the valves around 100k that would cause knocking in the engine. Fixes were only temporarily able to solve this and sooner or later the engine would need to be replaced

 

I think you are talking about the 3V 5.4. The 2V doesn't have those valve problems.

 

...and you're wrong about the spark plugs, too....

You're off to a poor start on your first post, perhaps you should reconsider your choice to provide "advice".

 

Yea, I have not heard of or had any spark plug blowouts with my 4.6 L '98 F150 that has 166K miles on it, I would definitely pull out the plugs and check to see if they are worn out or have oil deposits. The plugs will definitely tell you what the condition of the engine is in, and why it's running like crap.
I changed out my plugs 3 times, and have used Bosch and Autolite without problems.
Also, throw some of the BG-44K into the tank, and it will clean up the plugs pretty quickly, I had misfires on the last ones I replaced, and it had deposits on the cylinder that had the misfire, and cleaned up the old plug within 100 miles after I put a can in, and I had time to change the plugs out.

 

Anyone have an idea what could've caused a rim to slice cleanly in half on an 04 heritage?