If you don't get it tightened real soon, it will blow out and take the head threads with it. Then you will be in for a Timesert job and possible collateral damage.

Do it at home, if you wind up needing parts call a taxi or a friend.

 

I can't even imagine how a mechanic could break a plug removing it from a 2V engine. He must have special skills at breaking stuff. If you are lucky, you may be able to just tighten it and be done. The longer you wait, the unluckier you may be. As I remember all I needed was a spark plug socket, extension and a 3/8" ratchet plus the socket to remove the COPs and fuel rail on the driver's side. I bought a swivel spark plug socket because someone said I needed one but I didn't need it or use it.

 

If you ever watched the show you know what I'm talking about.

So I'm prepping for surgery last night. I don't have an air hose so I went to the car wash spray spray that area out because every single YouTube video says to clean that area out so nothing falls in there.

With the engine running I spray the engine very quickly with just the rinse, straight out the rest of the truck, then throughout the engine one more time very quickly.

As I spray directly around that area, the whistling stops.

Doesn't die out, just stops. And it hasn't returned yet.

I'm not sure what to do at this point. If i can't recreate the symptom, and there are no warning lights on the dash, no performance issues, should i go through the trouble disassembling things to get to this plug?

 

Hmmmmm.........could have been the coil arcing. With the engine off, push down on the top of the coil and reseat the connector if you can reach it.

Be VERY careful spraying water around there - it can short out the coil.

 

I would have to remove the cop and make sure the plug was tight and inspect that cop really well making sure it didn't have any carbon tracks on it.

 

Whistle came back.

Took the boot off. I'm not sure what's going on here, if this looks normal or is something broken?
After taking this vid, i tried both tightening and loosening it. It's in there tight and doesn't appear to be backing out.
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Maybe I'm just tripping and the angle and lack of depth perception it's throwing me off.

 

If it whistles with the plug tight, replace the coil.

 

I suggest replacing the plug just in case also.

 

Done. Still whistling.
I guess I'll have to just get over my fears of changing out spark plugs in a 5-4. I went to some practice runs at salvage yard and they all came out okay. I just hope my luck holds out, and that replacing the spark plug will fix this issue.

I think it'd be prudent if I vested in an easy out before I started this.

 

2

Once again, it is easy to remove spark plugs from the 2 valve 5.4 engines like yours. They are just hard to get to. But, breaking is NOT a concern with these. The plug breakage occurs with the 3 valve 5.4 engines from 2004 up.

 

I hear you brother. I went to the oil change couple days ago in the manager at the Valvoline it has my exact same truck himself, and had a spark plug blow out. Even had a long conversation about the two generations of five fours and the spark plug issues.

But this thing is in there. I don't really have a way to measure torque but I'm twisting it almost as hard as I can go with one hand and it's not budging.

 

Are you saying you can't get it OUT? Maybe you should take it to a shop.

 

I got it out. Put the new one in. Whistle is still there, but it's different. Give me a few and I'll put up another vid.

 

Okay - new plug, torqued down reasonably tight, new coil? Did you inspect the plug seat when you had it out?