Well I haven't found any explanation for this yet but today I was finally rallied up to finally do my spark plugs, watched many YouTube videos and even bought the lisle tool for standby. Have the Motorcraft SP-515 Spark plugs waiting to go in and I take the first spark plug out and it's all totally different from what I expected, not a porcelain type at all from what I was expecting. The plug was thinner, threads not even the same size or lengths. Anybody out there is there something that you know that I don't know? Here are the pics and the one more yellowed is the plug I pulled out and other is what I thought I was gonna put back in. Thanks

in advance!!!!!

 

Oh man.

8L3Z on the coils?

 

8L3E if that makes a difference

 

If the boots between the COP and sparkplug is brown, you have the redesigned heads that came out in early 2008. Uses a one piece plug that does not separate.

 

Cool nice to know, very few of us have this style I guess, and yes it's brown. One last question...is there anything else I don't know that I might need to know???

 

3L3E = High Thread Breaky.
8L3E = Non Breaky.

Just look on the coils for either engineering number.

8L3E means you probably have the latest Phaser and all that jive.

 

I believe the revision was 10/8/07 engine build according to the drivers valve cover


Still need to confirm that date

 

You have the revised heads, you need SP509's. When you exchange them take back the Lisle tool too. You are fortunate!

If you ever need coils, you need DG521's, not DG511's.

 

"Affected engine build days are as follows:
5.4 3v and 6.8 3v before 10-09-07
4.6 3v before 11-30-07"

Also remember going from "early build" to "late build" the torque specs change as well
Black boots [early] is 25 ftlbs
Brown boots [late] is 9 ftlbs

According to Alldata, early plugs are PZT-14F and late are HJFS-24FP

 

PZT14F is the old SP507 plug, the SP515 is the new recommended PZH14F. The HJFS24FP is a SP509.