25 Ft Lb, NO anti-seize on the thread portion of the plug

 

Dude if you can kick *** in Afghanistan and Iraq then you could do this. All joking a side i did mine and they all came out without breaking but they gave a hell of a fight and screeched and groaned all the way out! Just fallow the TSB and take your time. I would turn mine a 1/8 to 1/4 turn out, then turn it back in the same or more. Kinda like tapping a hole.
I know they say don't but put a tiny bit of anti-seize on the threads of the new plug when re-installing them.

I hear by pass on some of my Luck of the Irish to you bud!
Good luck!
Really its not that bad.

 

This is heart breaking...I just took my 04 Lariat in to have the plugs changed and so far 2 have broken off...I love my F-150 but this hurts...sorry guys had to vent

 

Just curious but I have a 2002 5.4 litre. I have a cyclinder missfiring and have to change the coil and plug. Does the 2002 have the same problems with the plugs as the newer models? I see in the TSB that they say 2004 and newer. Would like to find out before I try and remove the plugs.

 

No, the 2002 ejects plugs. Do not use antiseize on the new plugs and torque them to 28 ft/lb. Only Motorcraft plugs recommended.

 

OK so no anti seize on the new plugs. But does the 2002 have the problem where the sparkplugs break off while you are trying to remove them. I have heard from many that you need to use the motorcraft plugs, but just concerned about trying to remove them myself. I don't need to be braking them off in the head.

Problem I am having is a miss fire on #2 cylinder figured I would change the plugs and the number 2 coil, but now hearing about all the breaking plugs I am thinking of only changing the coil.

 

No, the breaking plugs are only the 5.4 3v engines from 2004 till early 2008. The 2002 had a problem of blowing the plugs out. Use Motorcraft plugs, do not use antisieze and torque them to 28 ftlbs.

 

This question has to do with one of the broken plug possibilities. This one is when only the sleve comes out and the whole plug, minus sleve, is still lodged.

I've heard several people say, when referring to a broken plug, to make sure you break the wire off flush with the boot. How do you make sure you break it off flush? I have a long nose plier to reach the top of the plug, now how do I determine where it breaks off?

 

Guys,
After reading this thread, I need some opinions. I brought my 2005 FX4 with 38k miles on it for service. The service rep told me that the plugs should be changed and mentioned everything that was posted on this site. The only thing that threw me was the $500.00 price tag, with the plugs at $27.00 each. I saw how some other dealers were charging high amounts but thought this was somewhat high. I don't have the time to take this project on and wanted to know if it was better to bring the truck to the dealer to do the service, or would any service shop take this on? Also, my vehicle is still covered under an extended warranty. Would anything be covered by this (broken plugs?) Thanks for the help!

 

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I would take it to a dealer that knows what they are doing unless you have a mech that you are absolutely positive has done them before. Many think they can do anything until they try these plugs. The $500 is about $150 too much. They are overcharging on the plugs, my dealer charged me $10 each.

 

Try calling around to other dealers in your area.......500 seems high....

 

Thanks guys, I thought it was really high also. For $216 in parts, I thought the labor was very high, especially if they do these frequently, I figured it would be somewhat lower. It all seems like a scam. Appreciate the help!

 

I'm puzzled by the TSB stating that no anti-sieze should be used on the threads.....

I understand the posibbility of over torque issues that are possible with anti sieze on the threads but I've been doping spark plug threads with high temp anti-sieze and sticking them into aluminum motorcycle heads for the last forty years and have not had any problems. As a matter of fact, I've taken those same plugs out twenty years later with no problems.

Does Ford want to sell a lot of replacement heads?

 

Motorcraft plugs are nickel coated0and won't sieze in alum heads.