So what I am interested in learning about is: what miscellaneous issues can I tend to without a whole lot of monetary investment? Vague..

Clarification: I have an '07 F150, 5.4 3V, FlexFuel, Extended Cab, 4x4, more or less loaded (minus the in-dash Sync System w/Navi., leather interior and moon/sun-roof). Upgrades include: 4" Rancho Suspension Lift (after it was all said and done, I wish I had gone with the 6" Pro-Comp lift, but whatever), SLP Exhaust (custom welded and heat wrapped), Dynatech SuperMaxx Off-Road Long Tube Racing Headers (currently in the process of removing them and ceramic coating them), K&N Cold/Ram Air Intake, SuperChips Flashpaq Plug-N-Play Tuner, 33" BFG Tires. I just finished painting the calipers and doing a custom drill job on the rotors.

I am rather frustrated with Autolite over the multi-piece spark plug casing; I read about them and my truck has VERY LOW milage (i.e. 33,900mi approx.) and I understand they are known to stick in the heads and the press seal of the casing breaks (amongst other possible breakage points) and the bottom casing stays in the spark plug well within the combustion chamber, apparently this is a known problem when the plugs are routinely changed at 60K miles. With the low mileage that mine has, I figured I would beat it to the quick and take them out, Anti-Sieze them and put them back in as to avoid the potential breakage later. WRONG; they STILL broke, well three of them did. I bought the Lisle Tool Kit and got them out, put new ones in with Anti-Sieze on them; hopefully I will never run into that again.

I also changed my ATF and Filter (hadnt been done in almost 20K miles).

For those that haven't messed with the rear brakes before, on this particular model of the F150 (04-07/08), the rear rotors are PRESSED onto the axle, ASININE IMO. So when I drilled my rotors (as mentioned before), I drilled my rear rotors in place.. Ugh, FML…

What this is all boiling down to: I am just going through my ruck and tinkering on it to improve everything I can for as little monetary investment as possible. I am in between jobs currently and I don't have that plastic card thing called a license, for the time being. Sometime in the next month, approx., I will probably be moving to the LA area. Between now and then, I am just doing everything I can to keep myself busy and improve whatever I can.

I know I can look around and read into any recalls or factory-discovered issues/problems. But I am more so interested in problems that anyone that drives their truck daily has come across. I mean, they're F150's, built to last and known to be (IMO) the best trucks on the road. I do everything myself too; I have most every tool I can possibly imagine, aside from welders and torches and that sort (I have friends that help me with projects involving that equipment) and if I dont have the tool, I know someone who does.

Any ideas or suggestions? Or, feel free to ask me about things I have to my truck and how, I created this thread to learn from other Ford truck owners as well as to help in anyway I can. Thanks in advance.

 

With those mods, you MUST get custom tunes, it will run too lean if you don't. Reason is the custom intake, the MAF is no longer measuring properly and it must be compensated for. Canned tunes do NOT do this unless they are specifically for that exact intake.

Motorcraft and Autolite spark plugs, although both made by Honeywell, aren't the same thing. PROPER reinstallation and changing at recommended intervals will minimize the breakage issues. Getting an intake/fuel system cleaning (BG or Motorvac) prior to a plug change helps, as will running Techron in the gas - or if you use Chevron/Texaco gas frequently.

 

I noticed that Autolite was the brand name on the box, but Motorcraft was the printed/stamped name on the actual plug, what is the difference? Is the shape of the electrode strap? Cause i when I bought the new plugs, there was an 'alternative design' plug that I could get, but when I opened the box and visually compared them, the only difference I could see was the opening on either of the bottom casing that exposed the electrode tip and formed the strap. When it's time to actually change the plugs (in approx. 25K miles), I want to put single casing plugs in. I have read in a few different articles that there are a couple companies that make single casing spark plug designs for OEM replacement, but I have to find where they are sold.

Custom tuning is definitely in order, but I unfortunately dont have the Benjamin's to get that done yet. I have no doubt that it running a bit lean. I was, for the longest time, running too rich due to an exhaust leak. But I fixed that and it seems to be running much better since. No blue smoke or anything. In fact, it still smells SLIGHTLY rich. The other factor that made me think of the custom mapping in the past, is the fact that when I originally put my headers and exhaust on, the was no mention of a special aftermarket, high-flow cat. cross-over assembly needed, until the LAST PAGE of the installation manual (I LOVE my headers, but DESPISED my exhaust system, until I welded and heat wrapped it). So, to make the system work, I had ot modify my stock cross over assembly, and therefore, have no cats in my exhaust. I have a total of three pieces, including my headers. I would venture to bet that, that is part of the reason its till smells slightly rich.

The CE light comes on occasionally, due to the lack of cats. But I can clear the code via my tuner. The tuner wasn't SPECIFICALLY for my intake system, but it was recommended when I bought the intake.

I suppose all this would explain why the P1000 code has been thrown a couple times.

What's your opinion, glc, on ceramic coating the headers and how that will effect the engine running lean vs rich? My thought process on it was that heat wrap and ceramic coating will hold in more exhaust heat, therefore burning the exhaust fumes cleaner and more efficiently, at least, that's the theory. Think I will benefit from it or..?

Custom mapping is definitely in order though, as soon as i can afford it. Cause my next upgrades for the engine (after mapping), will hotter C.O.P.'s, 80mm BBK Throttle Body and upwards of a 100hp shot of Nitrous. I will be installing a wet system, so as long as the OEM fuel system is adequate enough for the upgraded C.O.P.'s and larger throttle body, I am not worried about upgrading the fuel system for the Nitrous. I was reading in some other articles, that the stock 5.4 3V can handle a 100hp-shot safely, but anything more than that, is 'rolling the dice' and 150-shot is a definite blown engine..

Of course, all that is down the road when I can afford it. Right now I am just curious about your thoughts on the ceramic coated headers. Thanks for tip, by the way, on the mapping. You're the first to mention that to me and I haven't seen anything in that regard in other articles.

So much for the words from a Ford Modular Aftermarket Specialty Company; I can't remember the company's name off top my head, but I was CONSIDERING porting my heads too, until I found out how much the top-end gasket set was for the FlexFuel (even though I don't run E85 in it). When I talked to them about it, they said that custom mapping wasn't necessary if all I am doing is porting, but that didn't make much sense to me since the intake, exhaust and porting that I already have done and was looking into directly effects the fuel requirements.. lol. I'm not taking the heads off and porting them, at least not anytime soon. I have A LOT of plans in store for this truck, but the majority of them are on hold til I have income and whatnot.

 

For 1 piece plugs, your best bet are the Champions - but not everyone is having good luck with them. The E3's are proven garbage. Brisk makes 1 piece, but they are primarily racing plugs with a cold heat range and are not platinum, they only last about 25k.

Honestly, the best bet are Motorcraft SP515's, those are the latest 2 piece plugs. The difference from the original plugs is the sleeve is cut back a bit exposing more of the tip, this seems to help in minimizing carbon deposits.

 

Gotchya… The sleeve being cut back a little more exposed the electrode tip more was all I noticed the difference to be too when I compared them to the stock OEM style plugs at the store when I bought my new plugs. I s'pose those are the plugs I will get when it's actually time to change them.

I was also looking around at some different articles and was thinking about what we talked about in regards to custom mapping as well as ceramic coating my headers.

First of all, I don't think I am going to continue taking my headers out to coat them. Couple of reasons why; one, the ceramic coating requires several heating cycles via the engine warming up/running to fully cure the coating. In order to properly break in the ceramic coating via the heating cycles, you have to advance the timing, which is something I dont have a way of doing really. I could be wrong, but based on what all I have read, the timing is adjusted electronically and my tuner doesnt allow my to mess with finite tuning aspects, such as timing. Beyond that, the ceramic coating really doesnt add any significant benefits that make the time invested worth it to me. I mean sure, I want to coat my headers, but I remember how much of a pain it was to remove my stock headers and install my Dynatech's and that's a huge headache. The engine bay in my truck is compact that I would have to a SIGNIFICANT benefit from taking the headers off and messing with them; and ceramic coating just doesn't quite cut it. Perhaps if I decide to get some Banks Power headers down the road, I will. That would be worth it to me. And ceramic coat them BEFORE I put them in. Haha… The other side to the ceramic coating, is that I would be doing it myself, which is fine, I trust my work. But I only have a can of 'Flame Proof' and I dont have the proper primer or clear coat to go over it, so I fear that the coating would ping and crack/chip off within just a few miles, if that…

As far as the running lean goes, I am not sure that my truck actually is running lean. I had an exhaust leak sometime back, cause apparently I either lost a bolt, forgot to put it in, or it simply fell out somehow, but nonetheless, I was missing a header bolt which caused a slight air leak into the exhaust, before the O2 sensor. Because of the excess air, the O2 sensor was reading lean and those codes were thrown. I put a new bolt in that hole, cleared the codes and havent had a problem since. Hell, I even 20-21+mpg on the highway. Seriously… The only code the is OCCASIONALLY thrown is P1000. But even that doesnt pop up very often. It wouldn't surprise me if it is running slightly lean, or rich, but it not enough to throw any codes. Though a custom tune is still definitely in order as soon as I can afford it.

 

The P1000 simply means that all sensors are not in a readiness status.

 

Getting away from the plug issue somewhat, the rear rotors ARE NOT pressed on as you eluded to..that being said, they will sometimes become 'stuck' from rust, or the em brake needs to be backed off a few turns. A few beatings from a BFH will usually loosen them. Just trying to clear that one up for you.

 

Thanks for tip, sam1947. I assumed they were because I saw what looked like a pressed seam around the hub. I also beat living h%$$ out of them and wasn't able to get them to budge. I used a piece of wood and a sledge hammer and ended up smashing the wood to splinters. Then I used a heavy copper mallet beat on them some more. Next time I'll use a little heat plus the hammer and hopefully get them to pop off. Pressing rotors onto the axle made absolutely no sense to me and I've seen rusted rotors before that were hard to get off, but a hammer always did the trick. That's good to know for future reference. Thanks man.

 

Yea..many members just wind up breaking them to get them off. If you do succeed in getting them off in one piece, slap some anti seize on the axle flange..it will help the next time around. Also, on removal, try to get some solvent like PB Blaster onto the base of the studs, it might 'wick' in and behind the rotor to help. I know....they can be a B**CH to get off.