If you are running stock boost try .040 or something.

 

Finally got the damn change from Hell done! Anything that could go wrong - DID go wrong. But I'm done and she fired right up! Haven't taken her around the block yet, but the tapping noise is GONE!

 

Anyway, for an update about the change. The passenger side looked fine. The drivers side had 2 issues, but I suspect my ticking noise was the #2 plug. The whole plug was practically black. It was fairly loose too. I'm sure the looseness allowed a little seepage of oil to happen, and fouling out the plug. The #3 plug was a little loose. About 3/4 of a turn made it hand tight...but overall - that plug looked fine.

Thanks for everyone's help and advice on here. I couldn't have possibly completed this task without you.

Marc

 

Glad the ticking is gone
NIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICE SAVE

Sorry bout the horror install, doesn't it suck sooooooo bad.
Had I known what a royal PITA is was, I may have bought a
Cobra
OR SOMETHING ???

 

I don't know why I thought I could do this in the first place. I'm 30 yrs old and have NEVER done a plug change of any sort on any vehicle. I take that back. I've changed THE plug a time or two on my jet ski and lawnmower. I feel that if I completed this change though - I can complete ANY change - and will do so in the future. BTW - I've mainly never done a plug change before because I've never really kept a vehicle all that long to warrant doing so.

As far as the horror part of the change went, let me see if I can recount what all happened. Getting the plugs out wasn't so bad...except for #3 on the driver's side. That alone probably took an hour. I got the SP socket stuck down on the plug. I also had a 3" extension get lost down inside the plug hole on the passenger side. I lost one of the bolts that held the coil pack down. Couldn't find it for about an hour. I actually lost it twice. And the biggest problem - someway, somehow - the tube that contains antifreeze that sits right over the passenger side head...came loose and filled the plug hole up with antifreeze. Fortunately - the plug was already in, so no antifreeze went any further than that hole. I managed to create a device that I attached to my shop vac and sucked all the antifreeze out. No way I was going to attempt starting the truck until I knew that hole was dry. This happened on #3 on the passenger side, so that made it worse. I had no way of see what was actually down in that hole. That's about it.

 

I love when a plan comes together!
Glad you made the save, now go enjoy some time with your truck and daughter. Not neccessary in that order

 

Add one more thing to the "what can go wrong, DID go wrong" column. I finally got out and took her for a long spin yesterday...probably 50 miles. I didn't notice anything at all during the ride, but when I got to my destination, my idle was horribly erratic....and sounded something like a 5.0 'stang with a mild cam. I was also having "hanging RPM" problems...basically where I'd stab the gas and then let off - but the RPMs wouldn't go back down immediately. Quick glance through the engine bay didn't reveal anything out of the order. So I drove back home and figured that possibly one of the plugs had ended up getting fouled out from the antifreeze after all. On the ride home, it rode smooth. So I decided then that today I'd yank the #3 and #4 plugs on the passenger side when I got home from work. Then - on the way to work this morning, the dreaded SES light came on. That got me to thinking about saturday's events - and figuring that a fouled plug likely wouldn't cause that light to come on. Went out and popped the hood during lunch and one thing immediately caught my attention...the mass air was reversed 180 degrees. I had removed the rubber boot in an attempt to make a little more room on the first driver's side plug. I guess I just put it back on wrong. I ran home during lunch and flipped it back over. Presto! Idle problems and hanging rpms gone! SES light is still there, but I think I'll have to disconnect the battery to erase it.

Thanks for listening to all of my horror story! Hopefully this was the last of it and I can now enjoy a cold one.

 

Glad to see you save your motor.

1st plug change stories are always the best. Took me 5 trips to sears for tools and 3 trips to autozone the first time before I had it right. The right tools for the job make it so much easier.

Don't feel bad, like the 3rd or 4th time I pulled the plugs my hand slipped and I sliced off a nuckle. I had to wrap my hand in a T shirt., Finish putting back in 4 plugs and coil pacs, plug it all back in and then drive to the emergency room.

A 1/4 7mm swivel socket makes the 3rd on the drivers side coil pac bolt a peice of cake. And the snap on tools 6 inch spark plug socket is awesome for those deep holes. And a extendable magnet to grab those coil pac bolts so you do not drop them.(lost 2 striped 1 on my first change)

 

Glad everything worked out............finally!!!!!
BTW......Iam on my 4th