When you break a plug and must remove the heads does the cab have to be removed from the frame?

 

I think it's a lot easier to pull the heads with the cab off or the engine out of the truck, but they can be done in chassis with the body on.

 

If they had to do this at a Ford dealer what would you expect them to do?

How hard is it to remove the cab? How many connections are there? I see this as being a big deal....

 

Most places would do it with the engine in the truck. The only real reason to pull the heads with the cab off or engine out is to beat the warranty labor times, IMO.

I've never pulled the cab off a 2004+ F150, I don't know how involved it is. Expeditions and Navigators are kinda close though, and lifting the body off a Navigator is easy. Most of the wiring harnesses stay with the frame, unbolt the steering shaft, master cylinder, A/C and heater core hoses/fittings, and up, up and away.

 

wreedKR- Did you (or they) break a plug (or 3) or were you just curious? i can't imagine having to pull an engine OR cab for a broken plug with all the knowledge (and extraction tools) they have now for that.

 

No No I only have 20k on my 5.4. I am just preparing myself.

 

in most cases broken plugs can be removed without taking the head off. I think it would be really rare you'd have to do that infact. The dealers seem to have broken plug extraction down to a science.

 

jethat- to top it off, I think if I broke a plug (or 3) I would be very tempted to put a heavy piece of plywood close over the plug hole and rev her up good. Early on when this broken plug thing started (before Ford even came up with the extraction tool) there were a couple of guys who tried that and it worked (blew the broken piece out), but i haven't even read of anyone trying it since they came out with the tools. If it works it would be a lot quicker (and you don't have to worry about pulling the cab, head or engine!)