Does anyone know if the Champion Part #7989 is the same as the OE heat range?

hmmmmmmm........which plug to run now? A one piece, or Ford's HT15?

 

Putting a FORD plug back in your engine is like playing Russian Roulette with an 8 shooter instead of a six shooter!.........

 

Maybe some of us like to live on the wild side!!!

I wish Champion would post more specs on their plug. From what I've read, it has a copper core, with platinum tip and electrode. Is the Motorcraft PZT-14F a full platinum plug(core,electrode,tip)?

 

Look at it as if you are buying the Champion's as a 150$ insurance policy. They are the closest thing to stock you are going to get, without risking it breaking apart in the head.

They are double platinum. Champion has been around for years, and, I have used them in various applications. I have no complaints with them.

 

Getting my plugs changed tomorrow. Tried to get some Champions, but still not available at the parts stores, so will go with Motorcraft. She has 65,500 miles on her, so have my fingers crossed. The dealer says they follow the TSB and have not had a problem.

 

Good luck & keep us posted on how they make out!............

 

I've been hounding my buddy at Federal-Mogul, about these new plugs, hee said they are flying off the shelves so far. They are working on ramping more production and some informational pieces.


In regards to the copper/platinum content of a spark plug:
From what I know; Copper is a good conductor of electricity and HEAT, thus the reason good plugs are "copper core". Its problem is it is soft, that is where the platinum comes in, it basically doesn't wear, but VERY expensive (I just checked commodities market, $2,200 a troy ounce) anyway, no plug has much more than a little platinum. High-end platinum plugs have a pad on the tip and ground, and in most cases don't wear out, after a time the metal around erodes and the platinum weld breaks loose.

I took double platinum plugs out of a friends 1995 Caprice with 105,000 the ones that the platinum pad didn't fall off still were good, the ones that the pad fell off, were toasted - almost no ground!

 

2 questions about the plug issues. First oneis I have a 60k mile powertrain warranty. If I take the truck in before 60k to have plugs changed and the service department breaks them on removal, is it on them to replace it at their cost? I'm pretty sure the plugs themselves aren't covered in the warranty if they break, but if it involves pulling heads and running a huge bill, would that be warranty work? I would hope so, especially if the service tech broke the plug in the head...

Second question is if I were to wait to 100k miles and took it to the dealer to change the plugs and a plug broke, would that be on the dealer to replace/ repair whatever issues arise from the broken plug despite being out of warranty? If you take it to the dealer for the recommended maintenance at the recommended interval and they break something (and the vehicle is no longer on warranty) is it still on them to fix it at their cost? I would hope this would be the case as well, as in either case the dealer was the one perfoming the service and breaking the plug in the cylinder head.

I just hear alot about guys paying out their a$$es to pull the heads and repair the problem from broken plugs. Is this usually cause they are replacing plugs on their won so it is on them to pay if they break something?

 

According to the TSB, if they break a plug while you still have warranty, they will cover it. See page 4.

http://www.fcsdchemicalsandlubricant...d/tsb/0819.pdf

Alot of guys on here have reported that dealers are refusing to do a plug change prior to 100k, just so they aren't stuck with the bill. Unless Ford has some big recall or redesign of the heads, if you are out of warranty, and they break a plug, you will be stuck with the bill.

 

And people love this company, they could care a less about us out here until someone sues them or the government forces them....

 

I live in Gldsboro NC the dealer here deacon jones very big Ford Dealer.The service tech said they always break some on every change but have not done many because most people do not have that many miles on their trucks.Here is his cost 280. pus tax to change 8 plugs and for eveyone they break off they charge an extra 2 hours labor at 60 dollars an hour thats alot of money.If he has to removed the head he does it at the hourly rate after the 280.

 

I wonder where they get the 2 hours/broken plug?? Fordtech1, what's the book say for the number of hours to remove a head??? My guess is 4-6.

 

If you watch the video that Ford produced for their factory technicians, it doesn't take 2 hours to extract a broken plug with the Rotunda tool.

Episode 26
http://www.flatratetech.com/index.php?categoryid=4

 

They are saying for each broken plug they had 2 hours labor time thats removing it with the tool. If they have to remove the heads thats alot more hours so if you went in and they broke 3 plugs which is their normal so far your looking at 280. plus 6 hours labor on the 3 broken plugs which comes up to 280 plus 360= 640 plus tax and a smile

 

Didn't know they factored in cigarette and coffee breaks.