ok everyone im at 90k on my 2000 f-150 with the 5.4. i know all about the spark plug problem. my ? is do i do it myself or bring it in. the only problem is i work 40 hours a week this is my only vehlcal and i have to hopefully not have a plug blown out. i cant afford to not have the truck. if i were to take it in.. where? ford dealership??? ... if i do it myself who has had the best technique? antiseaze or no? foot pounds? sorry for the repeated ?'s but i just wanted to know if anyone has found an updated solution or what you think my best odds are. thank you everyone in advance.

 

I have a 2002 f-150 with the 4.6 and I just recently changed the plugs, it looked difficult, but it wasn't. There isn't much of a difference between the engines. You have to remove the feul rails (2 bolts on ech side) to acess the coils. remove those bolts and you should be able to acess the plugs. The drivers side is a little more difficult but if you have good motor skills, you should be able to do in about 2 hours tops.

 

the other thing you absolutly need to be mindful of, MAKE SURE THE ENGINE IS COLD before you pull the plugs, you can strip the threads out of the head and cause all kinda problems. hopefully i am preaching to the choir here, but all in all it isn't hard to do plugs and wires.......

 

The biggest problem that you will have is trying to access the back two plugs. The best solution is to make sure that you have extensions for your sockets.

 

First of all, the fuel rail does NOT need to be removed if you have the right sockets, extensions and swivel joints.

I think it was a 7mm swivel socket that came in real handy.

Second, I'm confused as to what your trying to do. Change the plugs, or prevent them from blowing out in the future. Probably both. If I was you, I wouldn't do anything other than changing the plugs until i had a problem. The truck will still get you where your going if you blow a plug on the road. Just unplug the injector for that cylinder and rumble your way home on 7 cyl.

The plug change isn't fun at all. I hate doing it myself. But, I know I do a good job. I can't say that for any shop around me.

 

I couldn't imagine doing it without removing the fuel rails. As for costs at a place, I called some repair shops and was quoted around $250-300 while other vehicles are $50-100. That should tell you about the difficulty.

 

an extension that lock the socket on the ext. can be helpful, you can get them at Sears. probably a 6 in. I am not a mechanic or anything and i changed my plugs, it aint' rocket surgery!!!!!

 

thank u very much on all the help you guys.im more then likely going to do it myself. and the extension that locks is a great idea i have one in my tool box somewhere. does anyone know about the anti seaze if u should or shouldnt use it? and also the ft lbs of tourque that is used for the new plugs ( by the way i dont have wires i have cop) ... i thought i read in another post NOT to go by what the book says and the person recommended like 2 pounds more or less or something?? could be my imagination tho.

 

When you tighten down the plug and it does not feel like it seated good and solid with out over tightening you have a problem. Typicaly with the tapered seat on the plug you should feel the plug seat when tighting then all is needed is about 1/4 turn. When I changed the plugs on my 99 one plug did not feel right during that last 1/4 turn, well about 2 months later that was the plug that launched.

 

Hi.


This has been discussed many times - most recently here:

https://www.f150online.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=251078

The best install advice is in that thread.

Oh, and ignore the BS from FasterHorses at the end - does not have a clue .

Early and frequent preventative maintenance has been, and will always be, the best way to ensure reliability and longevity from your vehicle. Manufacturer's maint intervals are first & foremost a TCO measure and are NOT in the best interests of the consumers. That posted elsewhere as well.

Flame all you want - I really don't care. It will not change the facts.

Hope this helps.

Cheers
Grog

 

Changing the plugs isn't hard. I did mine recently in about 2.5 hours. Like someone said before, make sure the engine is stone COLD before doing it. Have a swivel, 3 and 6 in extension, spark plug socket, Tq wrench and 7mm socket for the COPs. A 1/4 drive 7mm helps with the COPs. The fuel rails do not have to be removed. I used anti sieze on the plugs and dielectric grease on the inside of the COP boots. Remove the COP connectors and the injector connectors for access. TQ the plugs to 13-14 foot lbs. I would not suggest using the 1/4 turn method. If you have a vacuum avaliable get a length of auto vacuum line and rig up a sucker for the plug holes as there is a lot of grit that settles in the bottom of the plug holes. Take your time and follow the instructions that others have posted on this site. I also rechecked the torque on all the plugs after 1000 miles to see if any started to back off and none had. I'll probably recheck after every 2nd oil change just to be sure. Just be prepared to be waist deep in your engine bay to get all the plugs out. Oh, don't crank down the COP bolts when putting the COPs back in, you'll either break off the bolt or crack the COP tab.

On a side note, my truck had 72,000 miles and had the original plugs in it. I don't think they were gapped properly as I had varying plug gaps from .046-.058.