Originally Posted by feefer

Hi all,

This is a cross-post from the Lightning forum re: a mechanical problem that may be an issue of interest to other F-150 owners.

Add my name to the list of trucks with blown spark plugs/ stripped cylinder heads.......

https://www.f150online.com/forums/sh...threadid=53172

Mine is a stock 1998 F-150 5.4L V-8 with 82,000 miles, bought in late August 1998.

I was driving 35 mph when a plug blew (don't know which one, yet, and I didn't think to ask the mechanic), and suddenly my F-150 sounds and runs like a two-stroke lawnmower engine.

Of course, the aluminum threads of the cylinder head were completely stripped when the threads holding the plug failed, and the plug came out explosively, and that means the cylinder head will have to be replaced; it'll be in the shop until next Friday (Labor Day weekend and all), and he estimated $1,500 to $2,500 for labor alone on this very labor-intensive job.

When I bought the truck, I had purchased the extended warranty for an additional $1k, but of course it expired 7,000 miles ago, which I'll easily put on in 3 months (I bought the truck almost 4 years ago to the day).

The non-Ford mechanic said he'd only seen maybe (3) blown plugs total in the 10 years he's been running his auto repair shop; that statement is what led me on a Yahoo! search to this site. I come here, only to find plenty of other F-150 owners who've had the same problem....

After reading other's posts, I now realize that the hiss I heard over the past few weeks and thought was a small exhaust leak was probably a compression leak around the plug.

These are the original factory plugs: I had not replaced them, so it can't be blamed on over-tightening, etc. Their torque was the result of FoMoCo torquing during manufacture.

I called the Ford dealership (quite accommodating folks before I laid down $36,000 to buy) and talked to a mechanic in the Service Dep't: he denied knowing of any problems or a TSB being issued pertaining to the aluminum cylinder head/plugs for any Ford car or truck (although he did mention changing a head for a blown plug on a Mustang just last week).

I'm obviously not a mechanic, but is it reasonable for an aluminum cylinder head to have only 4 threads holding the plugs in such a powerful engine? If this problem is as common as it seemingly is, isn't this something that should be subject to complaints to Ford, NTSB, and/or a recall, especially if Ford continues to offer no reasonable response?

Griping on a BBS is one thing, but where do you go to lodge a formal complaint in writing with either Ford (initially) or elsewhere?

All info and shared experiences are appreciated, as we're all in this together (like the door-crack and rear-window leak issue, amongst others).

PS the "take-home message" to other F-150 owners who haven't experienced this problem yet is to check your plugs regularly: they can (and do) work themselves loose from the cylinder head for no apparent reason, even after extremely low mileage, and then can fail catastrophically as a result, effectively totaling the engine.

Chris

Originally Posted by Phil F-150 06'

My truck has 95ish thousand miles and yesterday an a military transfer across country, the engine blew up. The dealership said the crankshaft barrings were worn out and that caused the crankshaft to slip back and forth thus causing a knock. In a short amount of time that knock led to the rear seal blowing out and loss of oil pressure. I called the Ford 800 number and expressed my concerns with the engine problems and the best answer they and was.......sorry that happened. I told them I wasn't happy with that answer and if that is the best they have, I am no longer a Ford guy!

From reading this blog, there are several issues ranging from plugs to valves leading to a host of concerns that seem to go unanswered by Ford Motor Company. If I buy a $40K truck, I expect to at least get 200K out of the engine before there are major issues.

Bottom line--I think there needs to be some sort of recall on the 5.4l engine. Ford needs to make this right if they want to keep my business!!!

Originally Posted by tarajerame

so was the motor detonating???

Originally Posted by glc

Why? They don't do anything for you except drain your wallet.

Originally Posted by TSR

The service manager at the dealership I bought it at told me by all means use a good quality fuel additive in the truck . I asked what he would suggest and he said we don't sell it but Lucas is what we reccomend to all our customers.

Originally Posted by tarajerame

time for some common sense and a a $250 motor from a wrecking yard