Hello again everyone. I just wanted to thank everyone that sent in their replys about the spark plug hole and threds concern. It was all very helpful. I still haven't got it fixed because I'm waiting on the dealership where I bought it to make a decision. The dealership has sold to yet another part-owner that has to make a decision. It's getting frustrating to say the least and i'm not sure that the dealer is not going to back out of it all together.
As far as the inserts that were put into my heads by one of the previous owners, one of them was HUGE and has pretty much waisted the thread area on the head, and the other is questionable. Hopefully the new heads are revised as one person had mentioned here in the forum. This is my game-plan... If, and when the Ford dealer complies, they are going to order the new heads, then I will take them and have them ported and polished, and have "Time-certs" installed if necessary before putting them on the truck.
The time-certs are a very nice design with 10 or more threads in them, and I've been told they NEVER back out. They also conform very well to the combustion chamber and have a very nice look to them when completed. We also plan on polishing the combustion chamber and toning down the "air-stop" eyebrow that sits behind the intake valve in the combustion chamber, this looks like an obstruction but is actually there to keep the intake charge going the proper direction. All that is needed is to smooth it out and get rid of the sharp edges.
I will keep everyone posted how this all works out. and by the way, has anyone here used a set of ported and polished heads with the stock cams, and the factory tuning? Just curious how much the porting will throw off the factory computer. I do plan on doing some tuning but hope it will run good until I can afford the Diablo tuner. I'm definitely gonna be broke for a while after doing all of the work to the heads. Thanks again and have a great day!! Brandon

 

I don't have anything to offer but I thought I'd 'bump' this back up for you .

Dan

 

I'll let someone else answer the question about the ported heads with a stock cam and stock tune. My gut feeling is that it would probably help if you have it done by someone that is familiar with our motors otherwise I would be scared to let just anybody touch it. Of course there is always the possibility that this combination using stock cams might not work well with ported heads and you lose power and/or torque.

If you do end up getting the revised 03-04 heads they already have 8 threads, people don't seem to have a problem with the spark plugs popping out of these heads. It doesn't make much sense to install thread inserts just for 2 more threads. It will just cost more money and the potential for somebody to screw those up.

 

Get the 03-04 8thread heads. Have them P&P that way you have them opened up for future moding if that is what you plan. otherwise don't waste you time and money. The stock heads are restrictive and will help you move more air, easier through the motor... meaning less boost. Then if you want to get a built block later on down the road you already have the topend done. my $.02

 

Good luck with your "Timeserts". What more fail to realize is that the number of threads is not nearly as important as how the load is distributed. A solid insert is no better than the stock threads. Flame away but it's a fact. Under a torque load with a solid insert the burden is still on 2-3 threads. Does not matter how many threads the insert has. With a wire type insert the load is evenly spaced over all the threads. In a side by side test I have seen a wire type insert with only 4 threads handle enough torque to twist a spark plug in two. Same test with a solid insert and the insert pulled out every time. The wire insert handle as many plugs as we wanted to break in the same hole. I will see if I can figure out how to post a PDF of the stress anyalis cross section. Pretty cool when you can see the actual load on the threads.

Beliveve me or not I really don't care. Feel free to flame. Still won't care. Just trying to share information and actual lab testing that we have done. Solid inserts have their place, just not in an aluminum head.

 

Thanks for the info, and hopefully the new heads will have the 8 threads anyway, but if they don't, I will go with what 3 out of 3 cylinder head shops in town told me.. Time-cert, all the way. I also looked at the timecert, and I'm very happy with its appearance and its concept. When they are done correctly, while the head is off, it actually "bites" the head throughout its whole depth, and it's steel with a locking/epoxy last thread. I'm impressed with it, totally sold, and they've NEVER had one back out. I'm sure that the Heli-coil may even work better like you say, but I'm a visual person and these just look better to me, much more of a "finished" look when they're done. I'm not looking for "hercules" threads here, just want it to be normal, and the time-certs are much better than normal even. The 4 threads by Ford, that's just rediculous. I've talked to the shop about the heli-coil option and they wont do it anyway, Time-Cert or nothing they say.

 

Solid inserts backing out isn't the issue. Pulling out is. Think of it this way. Essentually the external threads on a solid insert are no different than the spark plug. How is that stronger/better? The holes will still be as torque sensitive as if you had no inserts.

I can only lead you to the water, can't make you drink. Probably work out ok for you.

 

IF you drill out the heads and go big enough, you have a TON of metal to tread the time-cert into......
ok, here's the deal, the time-certs that my machine shop is using are oversized and have a MUCH BETTER bite than the original spark plugs not only because of the epoxy-locking portion of them, but because they are oversized and require the heads to be off, and redrilled pretty large, then they tap their own treads in the normally "unthreaded" portion of the plug-boss. The boss material area is there on the stock head, but FORD only utilized a small portion of it to use for threads. It doesn't make any sense. I looked at a set off of the truck, and the material is there, but you have to drill the hole larger to get to the available material. The timesert fills up the area, and it also threads into the head over a good 3/4 INCH section, plus they give you 10 threads for your sparkie-plug They are nice and are completely surrounded by and threaded into aluminim when installed, I intend to use them if I don't get the better heads from Ford, then I'll be happy with the 8 threads. I'm sure heli-coils do an excellent job, I was a lube-tech before I was ever a mechanic (ase certified, thank you) and I really liked how they came factory in a few of the General Motors and Ford aluminum pans at the drain plug. Worked very well. Just not the best option for me on this application. Thanks. BK