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When changing the plugs on my 2002 Ford F150 Harley Davidson fitted with a 5.4L Supercharged SOHC V-8 Engine the number 4 cylinder (last plug, at back, passenger side) didnt feel right when torquing it up. Suffice to say the plug and thread (fortunately) came out complete, so I now have the task of either doing a helicoil or time sert job to sort it.
Because its the number 4 cylinder right at the back its going to be a difficult job either way, as there isnt much room for any tools. So before I start on the task I thought i would check to see if anyone had any suggestions or recommendations on doing this. I've even thought seriously about dropping the engine as I really dont want to screw this up.
Anyhow, any advice, suggestions, recommendations etc. would be greatly appreciated.
Do NOT (EVER!!!) use a Helicoil or one of the cheap repair kits on any engine in a truck you want to keep. Timesert, Calvan/SnapON, and Lock'n Stitch are all high quality permanent repairs. Pick one of them.
Also, make sure you're using 25-28 lb-ft spark plug torque, including #4 if repaired as recommended, to prevent future blowouts.
Yeah, #4 sucks big time. Buy a box of Band-Aids before you start. My first Timesert install was a #4 on an NA 5.4. Don't expect a SC engine to be any better (HAH!).
sounds like someone messed it up, and used a timecert already
A properly installed Timesert is unlikely to ever fail or come out. If there's an insert in there already (inspect it!!), it's probably one of the ones I mentioned to not use.
Timesert has a BigSert available.
The "standard" Timesert is already the "Bigsert". That said, they do offer a triple over-sized insert but by the time you buy the extra set of tools for it in addition to the standard tools and insert, you should have used the SnapOn/Calvan that makes a larger hole to start with.
I'll do a thorough inspection before I purchase any additional equipment. Only issue is that i'm now in the UK, so I may have to get some of the parts required shipped across to me here. Fortunately most of my family are still in the US so it wont be too much of a problem. Will just take a little longer to fix thats all.
How can I check what engine is in my 2002 Ford F150 Harley Davidson 5.4L Supercharged SOHC V-8 Engine?
I need to do an insert on the plugs and other members have given me some great advice on what to do and probably more importantly what not to do do, but before I begin ordering the parts, I just want to be sure that my Harley is fitted with a Triton engine.
It's a Triton. Uses the same inserts as all 4.6, 5.4, and 6.8 2 valve SOHC engines.
Maybe not a useful enough thought, but one engine remanufacturing company adds a weld to deepen the metal and you get extra threads out of it. No doubt this means pulling the heads. Ahh, but if only to have money and time to blow.
i've always been partial to the lock-n-stitch kits. spendy but i over indulge my car hobby lol. they have a nice locking pin system along with an aluminum insert, and is the only brand that ford approves for out of warranty dealership work.
here's a pic of one i did on my 4.6 04 f-150 a few years ago (didn't put the locking pin in this one). you can really see the huge difference from stock and why they're so prone to blowing out.
i've always been partial to the lock-n-stitch kits. spendy but ... and is the only brand that ford approves for out of warranty dealership work.
... You can really see the huge difference from stock and why they're so prone to blowing out.
It makes me wonder why anyone would not do every cylinder at the same time?!?
Q: Why do you prefer 28 foot lbs torque instead of the factory specification?
A: Over the past few years we have heard from many of our customers that they tightened their plugs to the correct torque but they still came loose. We worked with 10 other Ford Certified Master Mechanics and concluded that 28 foot lbs of torque would be satisfactory. We have been using 28 foot lbs of torque for many years and have never had one come loose or strip out. To verify that we would not damage the original threads we used a test cylinder head with good factory threads we applied over 100 foot lbs of torque to the spark plug without any failure.
Q: Do you use Anti-Seize when you install new spark plugs?
A: No, we always use Motorcraft nickel plated spark plugs to stop any issues with electrolysis.
Heli Coil or Time Sert on my 2002 F150 Harley
