Long time reader, first time poster. I own 3 ford trucks and this forum has been an awesome resource. Hoping yall can help me pull through on this issue. I just completed a timing job on my 06 f150. Bought it with 65k mi and now at 96. Figured I’d go ahead and change spark plugs while I was in there and had no clue if they were original. I broke 3. First two came out easy with the lisle tool. The 3rd one on cylinder 8 has given me fits. Only the threaded piece came out leaving the entire rest of the plug. I broke it out as flush as I could and have been breaking porcelain for 2 days off and on. Now after finally thinking to get my camera in there, I don’t know what the heck I’m looking at. Is this some type of insert? It’s hard to imagine someone changed plugs, used an insert, and put the same 3 piece plugs back in. There’s no way the bottom piece of the plug that normally sticks is this large is it? And now I’m looking at what seems to be a hex head?? This is driving me crazy and I haven’t even been able to start the motor after dropping 2k on parts for the timing job/tune up. Any insight or ideas are appreciated more than you know. This truck has been taken care of by myself and it’s one other owner and I was so stoked to complete the timing job and feel pretty confident the truck would last me to 200k mi. I’ve been at war getting the rod and porcelain out enough to try and grip what I thought was maybe the tip but now I’m totally defeated when I thought maybe tomorrow I could get the extractor in and do a freaking dance across the garage.

 

I can't help. I'm praying for you.

 

Your prayers are greatly appreciated and apparently effective. Somehow in the midst of chaos that is my life and now my garage I was working on the wrong cylinder. Probably the dumbest thing I've done while wrenching on a vehicle and that says a lot. I pulled the spark plugs before I began the timing job and laid them out in the order I took them out in. I also put the new ones in as I was removing the old to prevent junk from falling in the cylinder. After I buttoned up the valve and timing covers I had got my new lisle extractor tool. Apparently my spark plugs got moved and I was breaking out a brand new damn plug. Was able to get the correct one(cylinder 4) out last thing tonight literally right after I started tearing the throttle body, fuel rail, and was working on the intake manifold. I own two of these trucks and I honestly feel like I should never have such a good understanding of how to extract a variety of different types broken spark plugs smh. I accidentally became a ford guy many years ago and this job legitimately made me question my next truck purchase, just on principle. Freaking engineers man...