Some dumb questions. If you use the compression of the engine to blow the stem out of the hole, do you not risk messing up the threads? Also, if it "shoots out like a bullet", how far does it go? Do you risk hitting the hood?

 

Wait.....don't do it!


ChrisAdams says you have to pull the heads.

Didn't you read his post?

 

Yes I did read it but others have done it. Even the guy that started this post. Also, I may be wrong but seems as if I remember that Ford suggested it in the TCB. Anyhow, just wondered what those that tried it experienced.

 

Ignoring KoolAids silliness,
If you do crank it to blow the ceramic core out, just lay a towel over the bank that you are working on. Or both banks if you have one on each side. A towel will hold the plug core and keep it from nicking up paint or hitting someone in the head... These trucks do not have high compression, a couple hundred pounds of force maximum is not going to turn the center into a bullet, more like a thrown object.
In the shop years ago I have seen a plug pull out of the head at high RPM, a tiny 300 Buick aluminum and come out with enough force to bounce off a tool box on the far wall. But again, a towel, or big cloth would have prevented that. Of course we were not expecting it to blow out, threads and all. Chronic weakness on that engine.

What you want to be careful of is if the core snaps off low and drops into the cylinder. You can probably see that with a strong light and a mirror. If the core is still in the sleeve, turning the engine over is a reasonable bet. If you pull the plug out and it is missing the center, and you look down there and the center is NOT visible, then the little bugger fell into the cylinder. Then you would have trouble.
No one has had that happen yet, but we are only seeing about 10 people posting on doing the job. When it gets to 100 or 1000 we will know a lot more. You are still on the bleeding edge of this job. Remember, only about one in four has snapped off core so far. And they have been able to get them out. Keep your fingers crossed.


Chris