I'll try to keep it short. Drivin on the local interstate to my office today doin 65 and all of a sudden...BOOM!!! I think it's a tire so pull over immedietly but the whell isn't tuggin either way so nextv thing in my mind.....spark plug. The engine is gaspin for air and I notcie as soon as I open the hood a plug is popped out on the left side 3rd to the back. *****!!!!!!!!!!

A good samaritan stops by and tries to help me get the plug back in but doesn't have a long enough socket. The threads on the plug looked fine but I imagine the aluminum threads on the head are stripped. It doesn't help that the porcelian part of the plug is spinning freely. SO I sit and wait for a tow truck and cotemplate my thought.

I call SVT will I wait. People will remain nameless but I told the SVT rep my story on how my truck just blew a plug. This person asked how many miles. I say 20,000 garage queen 2000 Lightning whose warranry just expired. This person said not to bother tryin to put the plug back in and to get it to a dealer asap. I ask "WTF is ford doing about this problem?" I must read an average of 2 blown motors a week of not only lightning owners but 5.4 overall and some V10's dating from 96' due to the 3 Thread syndrome. This person says Ford is aware of the problem and that with my limited amount of miles on the motor that this should not be happening. Says that I should take it to my dealer...have them look it over...contact this SVT rep and Ford should have it fixed under a AWA(after warranty assistance) type deal. This rep says majority of dealers have been good w/ Ford about covering this even if the warranty is up but still have relatively low mileage like myself. This person says that Ford is VERY aware of the ongoing problem and haven't recalled it basically because it isn't a safety issue(my *** I almost side swiped a dude pulling over). This person also asked if my L was stock(which it is of course) w/ exception of filter but this person said it wouldn't be an issue. Call dealer and he says bring it by and we will work it out w/ Ford if you do have a blown head which in a likelyhood I do.

My day sucked due to the weather(snow), fact I blew my motor, have to work at 4am tommorow, and that the tow truck was 2 1/2 hrs. late but it was free. Scratched my hitch cover unloading the truck and it a branch when he pulled off the shoulder onto the highway...no damage though.

Hopefully Ford will take care of me on this issue. I will keep you guys updated.

 

Sorry ogieogilthorpe
That really really sucks

I Frigging hate these post and use to go off quite a bit
GIVE ME HEAD FORD


Unfortunatly now it's become a reality to each of us on just
WHEN IS IT GOING TO HAPPEN TO ME
and of course the worse part is the 1st thing they asked,
IS IT STOCK.
What the hell does that have to do with a defective head

Ok an example we can all relate to
My GF has a bad Heart but still goes out and gets fake TT's,
Now she drops dead and the Life Insurance Company say's,
Sorry, she's not stock, we don't have to pay
WTF ?

 

Well if they do cover it, i'd consider yourself lucky

They dont even cover peoples trucks when there under warranty..

Good Luck

 

Tig ol Bittes add weight and undue stress to the heart.


Just curious, do mods such as pullies, NOS, chip add anymore stress to the head's?

 

Let me ask you guys this.

Do you think it is almost certain that the threads on the head is gone? Should I try putting a new plug in? Any experience?

 

Yep it's the #3 I believe on the passenger side 3rd from the front.

I can't take this anymore. When it's fixed bye bye L.

 

If ford doesn't fix it... I suggest taking a look at http://www.timesert.com/sprksert.html

I bought the kit (~$200+$10/sert) and had mine fixed in an afternoon. Excellent quality machine work on the tools and inserts.

P.S. I bought the 10 pack of inserts, 8 for me and 2 for my homies.

Wade

 

I know Don's Bolt used this one and had great results
Not sure where to get it, but he will prob chime in
http://starrproducts.com/images/backtap.jpg

GOOD LUCK BRO

 

Thanks guys...I'm off to the dealer.

 

Damn, sucks to hear that.

 

Sorry to here about your L.

The webmaster doesn't want to make this thread a "sticky", but check it out anyway.
https://www.f150online.com/forums/sh...hreadid=136876

Mine just 'popped' the other week too.
In 11/02 Ford told me that my truck had an extended warranty until 4/06 or 75k I was told "wow Mr. Redneck Ferrari it's your lucky day" ok I asked "are you sure?" again was told "Yes" by Ford.
Well I was going to buy one (my 3/36 was up in 4/03) but now I didn't have to. Maybe it was my "lucky day".
I even used it for a rental car when my passenger head was leaking oil. Cool or so I thought.

The L spits a plug a couple of weeks ago at 40k miles and all of the sudden now Ford tells me that "OH our mistake in telling you that your truck had an extended warranty, it does not. We cancelled it as of January 1st, 2003".
My reply was "shouldn't you tell the owner of the vehicle of such a change". Ford's response, "Duh"
As a matter of fact Ford replied to me that and I quote verbatium,
quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you for contacting Ford Motor Company on 11/19/03 regarding your 2000 Ford F-150. We appreciate the time you have taken to write us concerning the issue surrounding your vehicle's dash.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


UHH who said anything about a "dash"?
MY EXPERIENCE WITH FORD IS They don't care much for customer's opinions or concerns.

It will be hard to replace the L, but I'll find something.

This vehicle has been in for repairs more than any other vehicle I've owned: IC repair, leaking oil out of the pass head, now it spit a plug. All things I could live with, but I cannot live with a lack of integrity.
In any business I've owned, if I made a mistake, I never made the customer pay for it NEVER. I took responsibility for my actions as well as my employee's. I know it's now popular, thanks to Bill Clinton, to spin issues around to make yourself innocent of any wrong doings, but INTEGRITY still lives in America - just not at Ford.

 

SOunds like you and I are in the same boat. I'm typing up the classified ad as we speak.

I filed a complaint too w/ NHTSA.

 

Ford did help me w/AWA program. It was just over $3000.00 to replace the head. I had to pay $1000 and they generously picked up the remaining balance.





Of course, I had to pay for Ford's mistake. If I had known that I did not have an extended warranty on my L I would've bought one for around $1000 back in April, but Ford has no integrity, so now I'm just out $1000 and I still have no warranty.

But Ford screwed up this one. They just lost a 18 year, 30+ year, a new Van, and a new HD sale.

Oh well.....................maybe a '67 El Camino SS or a new GTO, '69 Firebird convertible ....................I'm still thinking about it.

 

I'm getting so good at working on my truck that my next vehicle is going to be a U-Boat.

 

Haven't had any problems with mine. I do pop the hood at least once a week and listen for anything. Most people say they hear a ticking like an exhaust leak first and then it's all over. I only pop the hood because I just put colder plugs in. My buddies dad had a vanilla 5.4l pop one and Fords is taking care of it.

Just a thought, but if you are worried about your plugs popping why not just get under the hood and re-torque them? I know it sucks, but it's worth the hour or so!