hey everyone. I'm new to the site. Tomorrow I will be picking up my new (to me) 2002 super cab FXR 5.4L. Woohoo! It has 91,000 miles on it, and I know that i'll need to do some standard maintenance on it soon, including fluids, O2 sensors, and spark plugs. I've read a bit about the spark plug blow-out issues, and am a bit freaked out by it. I have a Haynes manual and have a small amount of engine know-how, but finesse is one virtue I have not yet mastered. I'm afraid that I may crank too hard and strip the threads. Is this a valid concern?

 

well...the only thing with plugs...i would know ive changed waayyyy to many lol....the only thing is dont overtighten 'em....just tighten the plugs with your hands..and socket and extension lol..but just make sure theyre threaded right then just sung and i mean snug the plugs...cuz when you crank it back up after u change em...they will tighten just a little more..and your in business..and just to warn you when you crank it the first time with the new plugs it might die..maybe the second time too..but thats just cuz the plugs are new and its gotta burn all that new crap off...AND DONT CROSS THE WIRES...or coil packs DONT DO IT its a major p.i.t.a. ive done it..no fun

 

Yeah just do one plug and one wire at a time...no rush and you wont cross any wires...just changed mine today...AGAIN this is like the 7th time ive changed them in like 60,000 miles im gettin pretty good at it. Good luck Rember...Motorcraft ONLY Triton motors are very picky and they will know if anything else is in them

 

thanks guys. shifty_85, why have you had to replace them so often?

 

Make sure you use motorcraft plugs and also use plenty of dielectric grease.

If not, you will be taking it back apart.

Patients (beer) is the key to a plug change on our engines.

 

Frist time i got a sent of bocsh POS double plats. with a crappy murrys wire set for 45 bucks. Plugs went in about 2,000 miles all 8 were pure WHITE burning hot and throwing misfire codes. Then i got Autolite Double plats. Lasted for 5,000 miles and then 3 of them burned out. I finaly found this site got fed up with spark plugs and after replacing the coil packs. i got motorcraft plugs and wires Truck ran fine till i had the cut-outs open one day and kept it in 1st to long and for somereason all 4 on the driver side were BLACK and the passenger ones were fine. So im going to look into it more today and see if i can find the prob. My truck was at redline for about 5-10 seconds so im guessing the spark plugs didnt like that to much.....

But yeah make sure its motorcraft plugs +Wires. Pull one wire/ one plug @ a time and you wont have to worry about fireing order and all that. Well you have the 5.4L so you have COP's *coil over plug* so you cant really switch the order on that. Good luck with the COP's Ive never changed any plugs with COP's. Good luck take your time and get only motorcraft stuff because after all...Your truck does say it under the hood...

 

use a torque wrench i would not just snug them i would torque them to the proper specs and i would use some anti-seize on the plug threads good luck with new truck. semper fi

 

Shipmate!

And this is why exactly you know not what you are talking about with a 97-04 application... NO ANTISIEZE! Please! HOOAH!

 

you got me there tech-doc no anti-sieze.