We had a 2003 5.4L Expedition blow the #3 plug. Put in a timesert (Bigsert). 72000miles with original plugs. We don't see plugs blow much at all here. 2 in 3 years with lots of fords. Love the luck because everyone at the shop owns a 99'-01' 5.4L.

 

Mine started ticking two or so weeks ago... I felt like something wasn't running right since the truck felt sluggish and low on power. We looked all over for the source of the tick. Yesterday I was going about 30mph when the plug blew out, and broke the COP (Coil on Plug) and stripped out the plug hole. The truck is at the shop today. This is a big problem.

 

Hi.

Actually, in this case, the problem might have been self-inflicted.

You kept driving despite the warning signs - not your fault, since you likley did not know what that ticking really was at the time - not ragging on you

What procedure did you use to install those Bosch plugs 15000 miles ago?

Biggest single cause of this issue is improper installation/torque:

Here's some info:

https://www.f150online.com/forums/sh...7&postcount=14

Good luck - like another poster said - Timesert them all and rest easy.

 

Just some info for thought.....
You CANNOT count the threads in the head by counting how many turns the plug takes to seat.
You can have ONE thread in the head and turn the plug 6 turns, 8turns, 9turns, or whatever turns it takes to seat the plug. It depends on the thread length of the plug as to how many turns it takes to seat it.
I have been in the aerospace/machininst/manufacturing field for over 34 years. I started out running turret lathes and I have cut many a thread in my time. I now manage a manufacturing engineering dept. The only way to find out how many threads are in a head are to physically count the threads, and this is because it is a through hole. If it was a blind (not through) hole with threads almost to the bottom, you can count the threads by running a thread gage all the way to the bottom and counting how many turns it takes for the gage to clear the threads.
Bottom line is, don't be fooled by thinking that you have more threads than you do by counting how many turns it takes to screw in a spark plug.

 

I had #2 plug to blow out of my `1997 F150 w/ 5.4 engine with 82,000 miles so I could not afford a new head .
My mechanic put a helicoil in it and works fine except now every so often I have the check engine light to flash off and on and the engins bucks like a 8 cylinder engine runnin on about 4 cylinders. I get a P0301 code whic is misfire on plug 2. have had to replace the plug coil 3 times now,(keeps burnin them up) then runs great again for a while till next time same happens. Now what do I do? I cant depend on truck to travel in for fear of truck lettin me down away from home so to me truck is useless to me or at least not dependable. I have spent a lot of time and money fixing my truck up for this to happen. So much for Ford's Better Idea!! Any ideas??

 

In the P030x series of codes, the x is the cylinder number. P0301 indicates a misfire on cylinder 1.

Which winding in the coil is burning up? The 12V side, or the high-voltage side? Is the #1 spark plug torqued into the head correctly? Have you ever checked compression, or read the condition of the spark plugs using the color photos in the inside back cover of Haynes?

 

sorry, was workin from memory, code was P0302 for #2 plug. didnt know to check voltage, just replaced coil. plugs look fine as far as I can tell.

 

I'm hoping and praying the issue I've described here doesn't lead me down the same road!

And it appears you're definitely not the only one who's encountered such a problem...

 

Bulls^^t.

If that was the case, the Romeo 4.6's would be suffering the same problem, but they don't.

Those who say it has to do with the torque of the plugs need to take a hard look at the Romeo motors and ask themselves why they don't have the same problem.

The 5.4 plug problem affects the 4.6's too, but only those of Windsor manufacture. That little thing, that one single detail, makes all of the torque arguments nothing more than well-intentioned horse s^^t.

 

So you're saying my '99 CV has a Windsor 4.6L??? I don't think so...

 

Learn. To. Read.

Well-intentioned, but not B.S.

My input was in reference to an end-user's re-installation methods, and how, on these engines said improper procedure can result in the same consequence.

Oh, and the link references advice from someone with far more actual experience than you will ever have. Good grief. Don't believe me? Pick up the phone, call him, and then come back here and re-post

Hey - maybe the Romeo robots just do a better job on intial install torque

Anyone who believes that plug torque is not a major contributing factor here is, well, clueless. Or in denial. Or just plain stubborn. Or worse.

 

My reading circuit works just fine, thank you. But so does my BS detector, thus the post.

Those motors are spitting plugs installed at the factory.

Hey! I have an idea! Could it be the reason the Windsor's are spitting plugs and the Romeo's aren't be because the Romeo's have a full set of threads where as the Windsor's only have 4??? Oh s^^t, THEY DO!!! OMG!!!

I am not arguing with him, I am talking to you, not him. He's right. The half thread heads are the primary reason why this happens. Do you really, honestly thing that after a few million engines, the robots at the Romeo plant make ANY difference? YES, you have to be 1000x more careful because the 4 thread heads are likely to blow out and anything you can do to hopefully prevent that, you SHOULD DO!

You need to learn to read without taking your own opinions out of everything you read while you ignore everything else.

And you have no idea HOW MUCH EXPERIENCE I HAVE. To even think you do just shows how truly ignorant you really are!

 

Is this an issue with my 2004 f-150 screw 5.4l? I have 34,500 miles on it. Do I need to have the plugs replaced? I have only had the truck for about a month.

thanks

 

ANY aluminum head with aluminum sp threads can spit a plug, ESPECIALLY if detonation is involved. Ask me how I know! LOL

That being said, it is possible for a Romeo to spit a plug, but it is EXTREMELY RARE. It's no where near as common, not even comparably common, to the rate at which the Windsor's are blowing them.

 

i have to agree with you, IMHO its a thread problem!
the reason i say this is I have a romeo with no problems ( NOW ) i changed the motor after a oil pump failed so i took it apart to see how it works and I counted the threads in the head and they have like 8 threads!
as for aluminum heads spiting plugs because they are aluminum??? im not to sure of that i have a aluminum head 351 clevland running 11.5 to 1 compression and my best friend has a 302 with AFR 185's and hes running 12 to 1 compression and no problems blowing plugs out?