Guys!
I need some help!
okay, the truck is:
2001 Ford F-150 XLT
4.6 L V8
135,000 Miles

I changed all the COP's, boots, spark plugs about 8 months ago. I have intermittenly gotten CEL's come on saying there was a misfire in #1 cylinder and/or TPS switch.

Since I just changed out all the COP's and such, I changed out the TPS sensor and still had the CEL come on indicating misfire in #1. So today I finally pulled off the COP and the boot and this is what I saw! There is all kinds of crap, like moisture, dirt, etc in the cylinder and on the boot and in the boot! There hasn't been much rain, or I haven't been mudding or anything like that at all!









Guys! Help! Whats going on!?

Chris

 

upload the pics to your profile

 

blow out the spark plug bore and that should clear that part up.

 

Yeah, thats why i was taking the COP and boot out to begin with ,, to see if it was an injector and then I found the aftermath of whatever is in the cylinder and all over the boot..

 

Man, I blew the cylinder out, but it still looks so full of crud! I want to remove the plug and replace it, but I don't know if that is a good idea to remove it and all that crap get down in the plug hole? Right?

Is that just junk from moisture/dirt or something? I don't remember ever seeing a plug hole that dirty before! I know that the F-150 boots dont really seal all that well and are prone to getting moisture in them, but this is ridiculous!

Any comments? Im going on a 4 1/2 hour trip on saturday, and don't want to make it there on 7 cylinders!

 

Ok, so i pulled the Spark Plug. God, the plug is wet and grimey. WET!. Here are some pictures of it.
Any ideas what is causing this.







If you can help, please let me know your thoughts.

Chris

 

looks like you have a manifold gasket leak, the coolent port is verry close to that #1 cylender and it dont take much for it to spring a leak.

 

Thats just out right nasty!

 

Can you guys tell me what the process/cost to fix this is?

I work full time, go to school full time (more than full time) and also have my own computer business. I really hope this isnt finacially devastating.

 

nah, not that hard, just look at it, see that giant piece of plastic, covering the whole top part of the motor, yeah thats what has to come off....... or is it a metal? but before you do anything. first clean that sparkplug n put it back in, and clean that hole good, and use compressed air to blow it out good, clean the boot and everything, put some new dielectric greese on it and put it back together, disconect your battery for a few min, should shut off the light, and just drive it, there should not be any missfire, and if not good, check it in a few days and see if it has coolent in that hole, if not it probably plugged it's self for now, if it is wet again, you will need to replace the gasket, it's not really a big job... well it is, but not a hard job just time consumeing, just soak all the bolts a day before you tear it down, and do it on a stone cold engine....... you dont have a flush kit adapter on that heater hose or a leak in that hose above that side of the motor do u?

 

Sweet. Ok.. I bought a new motorcraft spark plug, gapped it to .054, bought a new boot/spring, blew out the spark plug bore as best I could, and put it back in. It seems to be running a lot smoother. We'll see how it runs the next 100 miles.

Man i hope i don't have to tear the top part of that baby off.

Ive just never seen so much oil/dirt/gunk on a spark plug and bore before!