Thanks,guys I feel much better now. I have 45,500 on mine with original plugs.
I think that says something for durability
on these trucks. The shop I took it to just
said that they were very tight,and possibly
seized so they didn't want to take a chance at breaking them off in the head.
I will let a dealer do it before I do the same thing . I've seen the prices for new
heads and I'm sure the labor on those are nearly twice as much. I' m afraid,,very
afraid. LOL,,,,,,,,,,98

------------------
98 F-150 4.6 Litre XLT2wd Ext. cab
prarie tan/tan int.
K/N gen.II fipk
custom dual exh/gibson rectangle tips/rear exiting.
color matched snuglid
Superchip!!!
Westin nerfs blk .powdercoat
Clear front corners
Cobra 75WXST cb w/weather alert
Kenwood cd w/Radio Shack speakers,don't laugh it sounds pretty good
On the way/wheels,tires,air dam, etc..etc.......
doin the monochromatic boogie
on the front end.Billet grilles on order
Hoping for deliverance from door crack hell.

 

it is not bad at all. Too many whiners here on this subject!

To change plugs on any car or truck with a V8 under the hood is a job. It is no easier on a 5.0L mustang, corvette, camaro, etc. The plugs are just as bad to get at.

First, there are only 8 of them. It only takes about 30 minutes to do. The boots have a top section that is made to pull on. Just wedge your fingers in there to get them. Just pull straight up. They are like the imports, long boots because of the OHCs. You need a spark plug socket with a built in swivel/rag joint on it. If you have that, the job is easy!!! Get one from Sears, MAC or any good tool supply. Then you need a 3" and 8" extension. The hardest plug us the drivers side front becuase of the power steering. You do not need to remove it. With a long enough extension, you can get in there. Also, make sure the extension is tight on the socket. Put a wrap of tape around the end of the extension and then force the socket onto the extension. This will keep you from loosing it in the holes. Otherwise you will need a pair of needlenose vice grips to get them. Once you get the plug loose, then pull up on the socket. If the plug does not come, double check that it is unthreaded and then put the boot back on the plug. Then pull up. It will bring the plug with it. To install plugs, that is really easy! you cannot get them offcenter. Be sure to use antisieze on the threads. Take your time, it is not that bad. 30 minutes my first time doing it. If you get the right spark plug socket with the swivel joint built in it is a SIMPLE JOB! no worse than any other V8 in a car or truck.

FYI - if you are still running the factory plugs, you should change them. I have never seen the factory plugs have the same gap. Most are off by 25-50% from each other. You can loose 1-2 mpg because of this. I think that ford is the WORST at spark plug gapping.

 

I am not ,,I repeat,,,Not going to do it myself. I have a little money,but I am not
buying some new heads. The person I paid to change them said they were seized and didn't want to do them. If he's
right, why would I want to do it? I have never owned an aluminum head vehicle,so someone else IS going to do it.
It's just a matter of finding a place that isn't trying for a huge profit,only based on the inconvenience of doing the job, Ford
dealers included. Has anyone else ever
paid $185 dollars for a plug change other
than your 4.6 or 5.4? My thermostat bolts
were nearly tight enough to break off when I replaced it. So that,and the fact that a non-ford mechanic wouldn't do it,makes me wary of trying it myself. Not to
mention the difficulty of reaching them to
begin with. I'm a whiner,oh well,I'm a whiner without a huge embarrassing repair bill,to fix or replace the heads,,,,,,98

------------------
98 F-150 4.6 Litre XLT2wd Ext. cab
prarie tan/tan int.
K/N gen.II fipk
custom dual exh/gibson rectangle tips/rear exiting.
color matched snuglid
Superchip!!!
Westin nerfs blk .powdercoat
Clear front corners
Cobra 75WXST cb w/weather alert
Kenwood cd w/Radio Shack speakers,don't laugh it sounds pretty good
On the way/wheels,tires,air dam, etc..etc.......
doin the monochromatic boogie
on the front end.Billet grilles on order
Hoping for deliverance from door crack hell.

 

The 1st time you do it they are a pain in the butt. But after that it is easier, why? because you know all the little tricks. Wanna know mine?

1. Use a small stepladder.
2. Use hose pliers to get the plug wires off.
3. Unplug the injectors.
4. Take off the steering resorvoir.
5. Remove the air intake and throttle body cover.

This job can be done in under 2 hours easy. I bet I can do it it now in under an hour. I have had some experience since I had plug wire trouble so I'm quick at it now.

------------------
97 F-150 S/C 4x4 ORP XLT 4.6 K&N , Flowmaster w/dual tailpipes, Bosch+4 plugs,Ford 9mm wires,Superchip.Patriot fiberglass toneau cover, Westin chrome step bars. Rear seat lift 4".
Kenwood 4011 stereo, USAcoustics 2150 amp, Profile electronic 3 way crossover, 2 10" IDQ DVC's, and Polk Dx7 5x7/6x8 3 ways in the front doors.

FUTURE PERFORMANCE MODS:
4.10 gears, Edlebrock shocks, Magnacharger, Airaid, and slotted rotors.

OTHER FUTURE MODS:
Ram Air hood w/functional ram air, suspension lift, 17" polished wheels, 35" tires, and sunroof.

 

O.K. I'll try it ,is there a penetrating oil that
works on aluminum? How much are the
Motorsport 9mm's,and how long does it
take to get them when you order? Do they
come in other colors besides blue, I used
red hose covers with yellow tie wraps,and
i'd like to keep the color scheme going.
Accels' are yellow,right? I'm not choosing wires strictly by color,but it'd be nice if they match. Cool,,,,,,,,98

------------------
98 F-150 4.6 Litre XLT2wd Ext. cab
prarie tan/tan int.
K/N gen.II fipk
custom dual exh/gibson rectangle tips/rear exiting.
color matched snuglid
Superchip!!!
Westin nerfs blk .powdercoat
Clear front corners
Cobra 75WXST cb w/weather alert
Kenwood cd w/Radio Shack speakers,don't laugh it sounds pretty good
On the way/wheels,tires,air dam, etc..etc.......
doin the monochromatic boogie
on the front end.Billet grilles on order
Hoping for deliverance from door crack hell.

 

If I remember right they cost in the neighborhood of $90. I think they took less than a week to get to me. I've had them for a year so its hard to remember.
To be honest I can't even remember where I got them. If I find the site again I will let you know.

 

Thanks,The dealer where I bought the truck is a an auth. motorsport dealer,and
it's about 10 blocks from my house in Houston. I'll let you know how it goes,and
I'll need an address to send the bill for the new heads if the plugs break off,,,LOL,,98

------------------
98 F-150 4.6 Litre XLT2wd Ext. cab
prarie tan/tan int.
K/N gen.II fipk
custom dual exh/gibson rectangle tips/rear exiting.
color matched snuglid
Superchip!!!
Westin nerfs blk .powdercoat
Clear front corners
Cobra 75WXST cb w/weather alert
Kenwood cd w/Radio Shack speakers,don't laugh it sounds pretty good
On the way/wheels,tires,air dam, etc..etc.......
doin the monochromatic boogie
on the front end.Billet grilles on order
Hoping for deliverance from door crack hell.

 

Yes, they are yellow.

I'm running the Accel, SuperSport 8mm's on my "piece of history" 66 Bronco, w/mallory dual point distributor into reg. motorcraft plugs and that thing screams. I originally wanted to get the 9mm's but were told that they were overkill. It's been a few years but I remember the 8mm's being a little less than 1/2 the price of the 9mm's, maybe 1/3.

However, These new engines certainly produce and consume much more energy that the "Shelby-era" vehicles (amp ratings, at least on mine). With the 9mm's, I don't think you'll lose any power, but I wouldn't be certain that you'd gain any over the 8mm either. Of course, I think we're talking about the non-radio-supression variety, right? Well, I'm guessing Superchip suggested the 9mm wires. I'm just being nosie because I think this sounds like a solid mod.

Kind-of like the 3" exhaust notion that bigger is better, when under natural aspiration, anything over 2 1/4" starts to impeed on your torque curve. And the similar point that can be made about single v. dual exhaust.

 

My duals are factory dia.,didn't want to use
anything larger and risk losing low end torque. That would be like building up a
killer small block,and using a 1150 dominator carb. I don't know about the plug wires having an effect on the same,
I don't know much about plug wires to decide. I was just going with what other
people had success with,and hoping for
the best. Noise suppression is pretty high
on my list of requirements,though,,,,,,98

------------------
98 F-150 4.6 Litre XLT2wd Ext. cab
prarie tan/tan int.
K/N gen.II fipk
custom dual exh/gibson rectangle tips/rear exiting.
color matched snuglid
Superchip!!!
Westin nerfs blk .powdercoat
Clear front corners
Cobra 75WXST cb w/weather alert
Kenwood cd w/Radio Shack speakers,don't laugh it sounds pretty good
On the way/wheels,tires,air dam, etc..etc.......
doin the monochromatic boogie
on the front end.Billet grilles on order
Hoping for deliverance from door crack hell.