(79,500 on original plugs in a 2004 5.4L)
pulled the COP's, removed the PCM, disconnected the battery, turned all plugs 1/4 turn and sprayed down with GUMOUT carb cleaner and now waiting...
i have the rotunda plug extractor, nickel antisieze and all the plugs ready to install. only 1 plug was semi easy to turn. the rest i had to give a pretty good effort to even turn 1/4.
so my questions are:

is it normal for them to be this hard to turn? i was standing on my ladder (im only 5'9 ) and had to yank pretty good to turn them.

should i work them in and out (loosen then tighten) the whole way out?

should i blow out the fluid and spray some more in there right before i start?

and tricks for the rear most passenger side plug? seemed pretty hard to get to. if i have to use the broken broken plug extractor, how in the heck did you get it in there with the (i think its the) A/C line in the way?

im basically looking for tips and tricks on how to make my life easier...
i KNOW this has been beaten to death but im looking for some assistance at the moment and re-assurance im going to be able to do this. im pretty mechanical inclined but after trying to turn them suckers, im worried 7 out of 8 are going to break...

please help!

 

It's normal for them to be hard to turn. They will groan, pop and click all the way out. Working the plug in and out is a must. Turn it 1/4-1/2 a turn then tighten it about 1/4 turn. Keep doing this until it comes out. Leave the carb cleaner in there it's the only thing that's lubricating the sleeve and softening the deposits. If it gets really hard to turn, STOP and spray some more carb cleaner down there and let it soak. After about a half hour, turn it in about 1/2 a turn then start working it out again. Hopefully it comes out without breaking.

Have an assortment of extensions an a U joint. This will allow you to get the best reach and leverage. When you install the new plugs, anti seize on the ground sleeve only, you don't want to go crazy with it just an even coat all around. Too much and it could foul the plug. Then torque them to 25 ft. lbs.

All you can do at this point is roll up your sleeves, hope for the best and just do it. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

thanks for the tips. 1 thing i do not have is the U joint. must be for the passenger side rear? i bought a ford specific spark plug socket and i wish they had put a rubber grommet of some sort to stuff in the plug hole. that might help keep the socket/extension straight as you try and turn it. i will loosen and tighten as you stated and STOP if it gets to hard. i do not have a torque wrench (wish i did) to loosen them so i knew where the breaking point is. i thought i read around 35LBS.?

thanks again,
tom.

 

35 ft. lbs could be right, Ford is always changing specs for things. When I did mine a year or so back everything I read said 25 ft. lbs.

The U joint isn't a must but it could make it easier. I just did a trial and error thing combining extensions until I hit on something that worked. In my experience, the sockets with the rubber grommet are more likely to break the upper ceramic piece they fit around. Any sideways movement of the socket will snap it.

 

good luck. funny i was cleaning the garage today and found 6 of 8 plugs from my change. like said they creeked and groaned all the way out. i did not use a swivel just a couple different sized straight extensions and a 9/16 6 point deep socket. once i started turning i just kept on em. they all came out none broke. i did mine with the engine cold and no soak.

 

I was VERY nervous about doing my plug change (2004 w/ 62,000 miles), but at the same time I just knew that if I did the procedure exactly as outlined in the TSB, I wouldn't wind up with any horror stories.

WRONG! I broke 6 of mine and spent most of a day doing the plug change. But, with the extractor tool (I used the Lisle one), I got them all out and changed. That was in April and its been running perfectly. I also kept the old plugs as proof to future potential buyers that they had been changed out, as this is a well-documented problem with these trucks.

All the above advice is spot-on. The 2 plugs closest to the cab are difficult to get out but swivel joints and extensions do the trick. I also used a small hinged mirror I picked up at OReilly to see into those two wells, since of course the back two broke off.

So, my .02 is follow the TSB and all the advice from here on the forum, and even if some (or all) break, know you'll be able to get them out. And when you're done you'll feel like a million bucks.

Good luck.

P.S. If any of them DON'T groan and pop on the way out, you can almost guarantee those are broken off.

 

thanks for the confidence booster guys!
i do have some kroil sitting in my basement im going to use if they decide to stop turning and soak em with that.
i have to wait until the sun comes out since its currently only 38 degrees outside. its driving me crazy though, i want to get out there and dig in now!!lol

 

I used kroil and seafoam. I only broke 1 plug!

 

well,im taking a break..started at noon and its now 3:00PM. broke 6 so far and all are out with new plugs in. last 2 are the rear passenger side. i had to take off the plate for the PCM to make for more room. made it alot easier. i got about 2 turns before they got hard and i stopped to take a break and let them soak.
i guess they weren't cracked open enough to let the gumout wick down to the shank becuase they were BONE DRY. the 2 that didnt break were soiled so i think thats why they broke.
after a quick break im going back out to finish. im just praying all the porcelain is out of the cylinders (if any got in there). i vacuumed them out and turned the motor over a few times to make sure.

 

Wow! you got a perfect record so far! Ha! Are you going for a no hitter?

Good to see your spirit is still up-hang in there you'll be proud when it's over!

Good luck.

 

im sorry!!!
ahahahha, i broke 4 out of 6 so far, spirit is up..its really not that hard. as long as you have the extractor and have the hang of it you are fine. the worst part was i forgot the extractor is REVERSE threads and freaked out on the first broken plug. i couldnt figure out why i wasnt threading into it....DOH! hahahah

 

I still say them best way is use a 3/8 air impact no soaking, ive done a couple F150's without any breakage.

 

pics are worth a thousand words...





I MADE SURE ALL THE BROKEN PORCELAIN WAS OUT OF THE CYLINDER BEFORE A NEW PLUG WAS IN

it took me about 4.5 hours from start to finish.

 

Well done.....

Bet it feels nice to get that task out of the way.....

 

Your truck will thank you afterward!

Good luck with the rest!