I need help. From just reading threads I have fixed many things myself on my 4.7L 2005 F150 due to this forum. I'm posting now because my family and myself is outta dough and I need advice. Here it goes....

I blew a few plugs over the years. I have helicoiled each and kept on going. Yesterday one of my plugs and coils blew out clean and still intact with one another. Tried to screw it back in and got nothing. It just falls through. Is there a Helicoil for a Helicoil? Is there a larger coil that the plugs will still fit in? Is there another product out there? This is my family's only vehicle and I use it for work. If there is anything to recommend i sure would appreciate your time and expertise. Happy Turkey Day.

-tim

 

You need a timesert. Helicoils don't last as you found out. A member projectSHO89 rents out his timesert tool. Ford dealers use a device called a locknstitch. Those two tools are the only ones that will do the job right.

 

Thanks for your response. Sounds like you know what you're talking about. A timesert is larger than the Helicoil I put in?

 

A regular Timesert isn't as far as I know, but a BigSert is.

 

They're the same thing.

FWIW, the use of the term "Bigsert" should be discontinued in reference to the Triton engines, it's an obsolete term that has been replaced by specific part numbers.

The Timesert 51459 insert in the 5553 kit can repair a typical blown Helicoil as long as the repeat failure didn't take out too much excess material. Holes with a max OD of .660" can be repair without extra methods. See http://www.timesert.com/html/sparkplugblowout.html

 

it's sad that after all these years the ricers still feel substandard repairs are viable substitutes for the Lock-n-Stitch inserts to correct a lazy spark plug installers error

 

I think it was more Ford engineering's error. They designed heads with 4 threads for spark plugs and then recommended 8 ft lbs of torque for the plugs. My factory shop manuals show a recommended torque of 8 ft lbs for the spark plugs.

 

Actually, the 2002 WSM specifies 13 lb-ft for the 5.4L. I'm on the camp of doubling that.

 

Recommended torque from Ford techs is 28 ft/lb.

http://www.blownoutsparkplug.com/faqs.htm

#51 and #52.

 

Yep, you're correct. I looked it up. I was going on memory and I was incorrect.

 

Yeah, my memory is getting like that... getting older sucks more and more...