The truck didn't fall into the hands of a fool,after careful reasearch,I'm going into retirement so I paid cash for it,I'm not a mechanic.How about you do a bit of research and find out about the class action law suit thet have going on because of defect ive engine.And when I but A truck from a dealership for cash,substantial cash,Should I be expected to know about broken sparkplugs.,Eightmonths later.I think your aim at slagging me was weak,thanks for your help

 

Again,I was talking to Fords today,they guarantee their tool,they derill out the whole and put in a full thicker sleeve,I think its the best way to go,just gotta find 600$

 

It's definitely the most expensive way to go. Not any better than Timesert, just more expensive. You should not complain about the cost when you are advised of less expensive options that are just as affective.

I can't blame you for being upset, but you seem to ask for advice and then totally disregard it even though several are giving the same good advice. I do hope you get it repaired and can enjoy the truck going forward.

 

If you are not a mechanic, rent the kit and find someone to do it for you or find someone locally who is familiar with and uses the Timesert system..

 

Yes you're right,many is the time I've walked by a dealerships place only to find a dozen potential customers with their tools ripping apart an engine to make sure it reaches their criteria,what an idiot is right,wake up,smell the exhaust fumes....for awhile

 

Thanks for all your advice,I will just take it to the dealership and have them do it,Unfortunatly I don't hang out with mechanics and no one has offered to help,I can see I'm not making any friends here so i'll just bow out, thanks happy motoring.

 

I did have a friend look at it with a heli-coil ,but accesabillity made it near impossible to tap a new thread,it's the plug at the very back,It's not as easy as you all make it sound,you have to remove a lot of stuff to access it properly so we take it to the pros,the Ford dealership say their way is the best way(of course) because they put in a full length,thicker insert.and it comes with a guarantee,I didn't just fall off the turnip truck,of course I've been looking for what I can do,I'm a single parent and I haven't had wheel's for over a month,I'm most certainly trying to get back on the road.

 

heli-coil is a waste...


time cert or a lock-n-stitch insert is the only way to fix it

 

if you're upset we're not telling you what you want to hear VS what you need to hear then don't let the door hit ya where the creator split ya...





it's called reality, not everyone gets a trophy

 

If your a guy who can change spark plugs you can do the timesert repair in an hour. If you cant probably you've waste our time from the get go..

 

the people bagging on this guy have not tried changing the plugs on one of these trucks. it is next to impossible to get a good torque reading when tightening those plugs. And how often do these same people go in and check their plugs to see if they are still torqued properly. i had this same thing happen to my truck, as have many others. the problem, form what i was told, was that Ford didn't really have enough threads in teh head on the 5.4. the modified that mid 2003. from 4 - 6, is what i was told. this was the result of mine blowing out.

[IMG]//http://s410.beta.photobucket.com/user/tlanemann/media/03%20Lightning/DSC00312.jpg.html?sort=6&o=12[/IMG]

 

You were told correctly as to the cause, but the fix to avoid it is to torque to 28 ft lbs without any antisieze. No, not easy to get to, but doable. Also, when you hear a ticking, then you need to stop and check the plugs as it can be one backing out.

 

Actually the people giving him advice on the topic I am sure have done the repairs before. Just about every person on this forum has changed their plugs at the least. I have nowhere near the knowledge of some of these guys and I have done tear downs, swaps and plenty of plug replacements owning 3 2v 5.4's

Nobody has disagreed that there is an issue with the head design, we all know that. But, for 8 years or so there has been a known fix for the issue with almost 100% corrective results. And cost next to nothing if you can follow directions.

He seemed not to want to take the advice. After numerous people mentioned using a timesert to fix it, he went and got a quote from a mechanic to fix it with a heli coil.

Not hating him for not being able to do his own mechanical work, but at least use the advice given to repair it properly.

 

ding ding ding ding, we have a winner