I was driving on the freeway today and my number three splark plug shot out of the block does anyone know what could casuse this and possibley how to fix it. thank you!

 

Its common on these trucks. Do a search youll find LOTS of info.

Youll want to put an insert in there. Ford will want to replace the entire head.

 

i had the exact same problem a couple of years ago. i came to this site and got all the info to fix it myself.

here is the thread i found with all the info needed.

If you have any questions then just ask away.

PS. welcome to the site. :santa:

PSS. what truck do you have, my guess is a 99 5.4.

 

This happened to my truck about a year ago and my truck was still under warranty so they changed the whole block. if it wasnt under warranty it would of cost $1310. but it was so i didnt have to worry about it ford did

 

common problem. thats just FoMoCo's friendly way of welcoming you into the ford "family." please, sit down, relax, and try not to spend too much $ trying to get design flaws fixed! enjoy your stay!

 

You need to get with the service manager immediately at the dealer..even if the warranty is expired. He can call Ford MoCo and see about the possibility of them eating most of the cost. My #4 (passenger side, rear plug) blew out at 67,500 miles when the truck was at idle. Service told me the head woould cost $1,400 and that labor would be $1,300. After several conversations with the service manager, NOT service writer/advisor he informed me I would only be asked to pay $500 of the total cost. While I certainly wasn't happy it was better than $2,700 plus tax.

The problem is that the 1998 - 2002 heads and plugs have very few threads. The plug has 4 or 5 threads and the head has 4. This is ridiculously UNDER-engineered. (They fixed it in 2003) although they do NOT acknowledge that there is a problem. I don't think there should be a recall but they should at least stand behind the ones that do eventually FAIL.
When a plug loosens up slightly, the piston acts as a air hammer on each compression and firing. The result is that the steel threaded plug blows out and strips out the threads of the aluminum head. Fix is head replacement or installation of an insert. Good luck finding a "dealer" who will install an insert. I don't think the #4 location could be be accessed properly to install an insert. The dealer here removed the entire cab body to access the engine. (2001 Supercrew). I checked on the truck and the body was up in the air and the bed, chassis, tranny, and motor were on the ground. Engine was torn all apart...very scarey looking sight. The mechanic put it back together in ONE DAY...and it has run like a top since...(about 500 miles).

Bottom line is the fix is a pain in the *** regardless of which way you go. Good luck dealing with the dealer and MoCo. They have lots of excuses. Mine blew on the 7th of October and that's when I had it towed to the shop. I got it back on the 31st.

Good luck and let us know how it works out. BigSert looks like a great alternative to head replacement. I think it's www.bigsert.com

Semper Fi,
Steve....Pensacola

 

you say just the 1998-2002 Heads? So my 1997 5.4L is fine ? I thought it was all years with the 5.4L engine. I sure hope your right, because I'm just over 97,000 miles and I'm gonna do the spark plug change within the next 10,000 miles.

 

I read on-line that it is the '98-'02. Don't take that for gospel. I don't know if you could trust a dealer to tell you the exact years or not. But, do go to the thread that lees99f150 has linked in here for everyone to read.
Steve

 

Would any of you recommend frequently checking the torque on the plugs? I just bought my '02 Screw Lariat 5.4L on Halloween and this is not something I'm enjoying reading. Perhaps I will put the torque wrench on them anyway.

 

I they are torqued correctly then they should stay tight. if it make you feel better then check or replace them.

 

It happens. My old '97 5.4 popped #3 coming off idle. I replaced the head, but if I knew about it at the time, I probably would have done a Timesert.

 

turn the boost down

 

I plan on it. I haven't bought my shop manual for this truck yet so do any of ya'll have the torque specs on the plugs?

 

'97s are included in that, its any of the 5.4L engines.

 

How many miles were on your truck when this happened, and had you replaced the plugs prior to it coming out? I have 97,500 miles on it and the plugs have never been changed. I'm so nervous about this plug thing that I have been thinking about selling my truck.