K.C.,

There are 2 ignition systems used on the 4.6 truck engines. The first one was used from 97 to 99 and it employed 2 Coil packs, one in front of each cam cover with plug wires running to each spark plug. The second system is Coil On Plug, with 8 coils, one over each plug. It started with the 2000 model year and it is still being used today. All of the Triton engines have the plugs buried in cylinder head.

JMC

 

I was married at the time and quit wrenching all together when a bought my 98 until they serviced it in 2000 and failed to put oil back in the motor - needless to say the truck didn't get far and it got ugly at the dealership that day. Well they replaced the motor , but used the same heads so it got ugly once more , I felt they should replace every frickin thing. I accidentally broke the lower glass panel out of there showroom door . After a series of Anger management classes and new heads on the motor I felt allot better , but man that sucked!! I won't take it to the dealership again - last spring I found piston shrapnel in the plenum - they didn't even clean it out!!. Going from carburated motors - then going off to school not getting my hands dirty for 6 years or so , putting a wrench back in my hand I was lost for awhile , everything's fuel injected and computerised!! A-hole different world lol.
I'm still getting the hang of it haha. My 5.4L seams to be real picky about plugs - it ran 5 minutes or so on Bosch Plugs(total rejection) . My last changout I tried the double platinum AutoLites , now Autolite manufactures Motorcraft but the Autolites got me to work the next day , but barely got me home with multiple misfires all the way, hell there the same plug the even look identical (picture). I have about 200,000 on my 5.4L now and swore I would never stray from the OEM Motorcrafts again. I'm going tho on my next change out as I don't like the tapperd end design on the Motocrafts I will opt for the NGK's . I use these in all my small engines , bikes ETC...Never used them in a vehicle motor , what I like about these over the Motorcrafts is that NGK incorporates a compression washer which in my opinion is a better design. I always use Anti-Seize for reasons not just limited to easy extraction on the next go around , Anti-Seize also plays a role in sealing the possibility of compressed air squeaking past the threads. I never had a plug come loose on me.

 

Hi!

LOL - 35 years ago!! That's back when Honda's were Elsinore's, RM's were TM's and Harley Davidson came out with there first and last motocrosser.

Some day's I swear I feel every soil sample I took back in the day which wasn't to long ago, last bike was a CR500 just for fun. Awesome 5th gear wheelies!! That was 92 , so it's been a little stretch since I 've had that kind of fun.

Your motors a little easier to change plugs on. I think there's 3 4.6's as well. I'll post a very informative write up on the 4.6 for yuh to check out. If you need plug changeout instructions , just ask , there's more than one writeup on how to. Same goes for parts aswell.

http://www.babcox.com/editorial/ar/eb40228.htm

 

TM's now that was a man's bike, even had a metal gas tank. I still remember by brother doing one hell of a wheelie hanging on for dear life too.

Around here in Abilene your more likely to get ran over by a really bad woman drivers that drive with blinders on. As matter of fact I just missed a lady today as I was taking my kids to school. I guess she had the right away while turning left infront of me as I had the green light. Got less than 1K on those new plugs and really don't think they will make it to 100,000 mark.

 

Anyone remember "Bulltaco"? I rode a Bulltaco 250 back in the late 70's when I was around 14..... Man, that was a cool dirt bike! Sure, it was heavy, had no suspension travel, and it made a lot of noise, smoke and was a real bitch to kick start! When you jumped one of those things, you really had your hands full!!

Fun bike for sure... Oh, those were the days....

As far as plugs go, I like the +4's.. (this ones for you jbrew!! ) 100,000 miles + on them and not a miss yet! And I have not 'launched' one either...

Mitch

 

Oh yeah ,I remember the TM's well , first ones had the green stripe that ran the top of the tank than down the front of it, the last ones just had the Suzuki name in a sun like pattern. Then the RM's came ..

Here you gota keep an eyeball out for little old men with big hats driving those old Mark VII's (tanks) . You have to keep in mind they always have the right away, especially on Sundays lol.

 

Hi Mitch,

Bulltaco haha , yup I remember when those were very popular in the 70's and 80's along with Montessa's - those were the two most popular bikes for the trial riders. They use to climb mountains with those bikes , trial competitions got pretty big at one time, they televised quite a few compitions. Mann when they lost it they paid dearly. We could go for successful backflip all day long if the bike was ridable that long, but we practiced in the sand, when those trial riders practice , they practiced on the rocks . When they wiped out you didn't see them around for awhile.

Yeah,yeah - The plus 4's worked in your 5.4 , just curios - what's the numbers on those. They most likely changed them . I sure have learned the hard way differing from OEM's on my 5.4.

 

Thanks for the Link Jbrew! I will dive into that later today.

Montessa, Bultaco, geez I haven't thought of those for awhile, although I did see an old Bultaco in the back of a truck not too long ago! I used to love riding the Montessa Trials bike. Seemed to have about 400 ft/lbs of torque at idle!!!

The first bike I owned myself was a Kawasaki Green Streak Jr. 100cc rotary valve that even came with a factory dyno printout on it! As I recal almost 20 hp at 11,500 rpm. Power curve was from 10.5 to 11.5K r's.... Talk about pipey. I remember the first ride I went out to an old ranch, cranked it out through the gears and yeah it was OK, but not alot of "pull" Got it to 4th gear and held it on into the power band. I wasn't expecting much so when it hit around 10.5K it was all I could do to hold on! My buddy said my legs were flappin' straight out back and all I could think of was how much this was going to hurt!!! Maybe the pre-cursor to the superman seat grab???

So what are these "+4" plugs you mention?

 

Hey jbrew,

I remember the 'trial riders'... Just a 'big' bicycle with a motor in it, ha, ha...

I never got into that kind of riding... I liked MX type of riding or going to the dunes.... Now, that was fun!

This Bulltaco was not one of those however, as it had to weigh at least #400 and I remember when I dumped it, I had to get someone to help me get it back upright!

I don't recall the number of the +4's right now. I'll have to see if I still have the receipt for it, or the next time I pull #1 to check it, I'll make a note of it!

Mitch

 

Damnn, Now that's old LOL. The oldest Kawasaki I recall close to those cc's was a 90 a little green thing from late 70's. That's all it was called - a Kawasaki 90 lol.
ROTF HAHAHA - Sounds like you had some agressive style moments, where's the camera when you need one? That's the kinda stuff that make's the best home movies If you could just rewind history right

The +4's are Bosch plugs that Mitch has 100,000 miles on with his 5.4L . Not just Mitch , but a few others were able to use Bosch plugs in there trucks. For the majority of us they don't work at all.
Between you and me - I just think Mitch works for Bosch along with a few of his buddies on this site (that one's for you Mitch )

 

I'll never tell!!

 

Elsi's, OMG, that hasn't so much as crossed my mind in YEARS!!!!! Wow...... getting old-----er sucks a$$. But....... I guess _not_ getting old------er would suck worse.

Enduro- loved it
MX- loved it
Stadium MX- BIG SUCK to do, only fun to watch
Desert- blah, too much chain maint. hehe
Trails- fun, used to keep a summer house in Red River, NM just for this.
Groomed Trails with woops, TT's, 2x's, 3x's, IN THE TREES.... OH YEAH! There's nothing like launching from the top of one tall hill to the next with a line of trees you have to clear in the middle. Suicidal? Yes, but WHAT FUN!!!!!

I too have some lasting injuries from my go-fast days. DDD, degenerative disk disease, in my neck. I remember the injury that gave it too me too. A wide-open stuck throttle on a 1990 KX 250 on BIG woops. Hit the first woop ok, landed on the 3rd, then the 6th, then 10th, then planted right into the face of the 14th, DEAD STOP. I thought I was dead, couldn't move, couldn't breath, wow, that sucked. That was at Red River Motorcycle Park, AKA Bulcher.

You guys suck. Now I want one again.

Anyway, that's enough hijacking for me. Sorry to the OP.

I had nothing but trouble with Bosch. I run Autolite's in my race car and OEM Motorcraft in my mod motors. The Autolite's get replaced every Monday during the season. I put a drop of oil on the threads each time they go in to keep the head's threads happy. No anti-seize here. That s**t's just to hard to get out if you change your plugs very often, and it's totally unnecessary if you use a drop of oil on the threads. Now don't go dipping your plugs in motor oil. The amount it takes to wet the tip of your finger is more than enough, just rub it on one side. I do this on any bolt/stud going into aluminum. There's an accessory bracket stud on the Foxstangs that you will never get out of an aluminum head if you don't put something on it, just a little oil will work forever and a day. I don't think I have ever torqued a spark plug in my life either, and I haven't hurt anything yet. Just don't smoke 'em down. Tight is tight, 'nuff said.

 

As a matter of fact i just purchased a used truck from a private owner and he said they had to put a new motor in it at 130,000 because the plug broke off into the cylander and scored it, they had it bored and a new piston and a new camshaft put in . Thats all i know about the issue. I thougth it was made up when he told me but i guess its not

 

Hey KC , did you c JMC's post at the top of the page? Here's a Spec sheet on the 4.6's - there's three if you include the FFV fuel type engines - the natural gas / propane powered engines. -

http://www.fordf150.net/specs/engines.php


triton - that's what the Enduro trails are like in Mich - BIG WHOOP'S , launch right into a hairpin and yuh better be tabling of that last whoop before you hit the corner or your going to have a tree-bark moment.

Sounds like a nasty wipe out triton, I can relate many times over lol. One that comes to mind was 5th gear wheelie on an old Husky 390 Enduro, the wind took back so fast I could barely get my feet down to do that 50mph two step run before I turned to hamburger. I got up, was limping to my bike, on the way I picked up my tank, side panel and my rear fender that has been retro fitted 10 times over all ready lol.


Dose were duh days....lol


Ever heard of Rick Burlson? Anybody?