The heads from my truck are at the machine shop right now waiting for cams, new springs they already stuck in the helicoils.

 

Yeah, I wanted to check mine about that timeframe. However it's only been ~3 months and about 5k.

I wont have a chance to even see the extent of the damage until tomorrow morning, I'll update as I get more info.

Thanks for the info and help all

--wes

 

Has anyone had a problem with plugs blowing out of the head, with stock L's? Or is this more of a problem with modded L's running more boost?

I have a 99 L thats stock for now, but plan to do some mods one day.

This plug thing kinda scares me...

Chas

 

does this scare anyone else??


be sure to use the red locktite. :EEK:

 

Yeah, use the Red Locktite. They will never come out.

Are you guys allowing the engine to cool down overnight before changing the plugs? Just curious. This is the recommended technique for other cars with Al heads and is what I have done on my plug changes.

Theory: change hot, Al is expanded due to temperature. The Al CTE is higher than the steel spark plug so when the engine cools the Al trys to shrink more than the plug, it can't so it stretches/fatigues the treads in the Al.

FWIW

 

]

 

 

 

Not a happy head

--wes

 

ALL 5.4's have had this problem.... Its not a mod thing...

I have worked on two EXPY's with 5.4's and found plugs loose....

 

It appears that the motor was run for some time with either a very loose plug or after the plug blew. The exhust really ate up the aluminum. You may be damaged beyond a Heli-Coil. Mucho material missing.

 

red00lightning,

whoa, that was a flashback, thats exactly what my damage looked like.

 

What did you end up doing ? New head ?

I'm thinking of buying some ported/polished heads if I'm gonna spend the coin on new, if not I may jsut go with a used one.

--wes

 

Well mine is still under warranty, so I took it to the dealership, and I am assuming they are just going to replace the head. They haven't called yet, so I'm not sure yet what they are going to do though.

 

If its not under warrenty thats the thing to do. There are a few guys running ported heads ona stock bottom end.