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04-06 ford 5.4 spark plug change!!!

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04-06 ford 5.4 spark plug change!!!

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Old 04-16-2011 | 10:55 PM
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Guys I sell tools to do this all the time there are a few things you can do to help.
1) Run a carbon cleaning solution first,while a profesional unit will be best a couple of cans of auditive in the tank will work almost as good.It loosens up any carbon around the lower part of the plug.
2) Loosen the plugs just slightly,then spray 2+2 or any good carbon cleaner around plug and let set for a while.
3) They can break four ways
leaving the porcelain in
Porcelain comes out
porcelain and electrode stays in
Nut breaks and leaves the whole plug in excluding the nut

When the porcelain comes out thats easy using the Lisle tool extract the remainder of the plug.If the porcelain stays in use the pusher included in the Lisle tool to push it down approximately 1/4 inch,then remove.If the electrode stays in its the same.If the nut breaks off and the whole plug stays in use a socket and extension you have to break the plug.

I would recommend buying the tool before you start as at least one will break that way you have it.I can drop ship the tool any where in the 48 states for about 75 bucks.Let me know
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Old 04-17-2011 | 07:22 AM
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Originally Posted by high bid
Seriously....it's that much trouble? No wonder my dad wants me to change his. What about a regular air 3/8 impact...ok to use?
No. An pneumatic impact gun has too much torque and will just cause problems. The beauty of the cordless impacts is that they have just enough, but not too much torque.
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Old 04-17-2011 | 07:27 AM
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Originally Posted by Ted G
Do NOT under any circumstances use an impact. The threads in these heads are very fragile and will fail. Even removing them with an impact can damage them.
That was true only on the very early Ford modular motors. There were only 3 threads holding the plugs in and they could be stripped quite easily. Ford cured that problem many years ago on the 2 valve motors.

The early 3 valve motors took this one step further by making the plugs next to impossible to remove die to carbon buildup. This is a completely different head and plug design though. Ford fixed this problem in 2008 with a revised design.

And yes, changing the plugs on these motors is not for the average backyard mechanic. Fortunatley, most Ford techs have done enough of these plug changes where they can pull it off quicky - without even breaking any plugs. If they do, the Lisle tool works just great as had already been mentioned.
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Old 04-17-2011 | 09:31 AM
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[QUOTE=Too Stroked;3378769]That was true only on the very early Ford modular motors. There were only 3 threads holding the plugs in and they could be stripped quite easily. Ford cured that problem many years ago on the 2 valve motors.

The early 3 valve motors took this one step further by making the plugs next to impossible to remove die to carbon buildup. This is a completely different head and plug design though. Ford fixed this problem in 2008 with a revised design.

I did not know that,so 08 and above should not break?
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Old 04-17-2011 | 12:00 PM
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[QUOTE=Expensive Date;3378843]
Originally Posted by Too Stroked
That was true only on the very early Ford modular motors. There were only 3 threads holding the plugs in and they could be stripped quite easily. Ford cured that problem many years ago on the 2 valve motors.

The early 3 valve motors took this one step further by making the plugs next to impossible to remove die to carbon buildup. This is a completely different head and plug design though. Ford fixed this problem in 2008 with a revised design.

I did not know that,so 08 and above should not break?
Yupper. In fact I think it might have been late 2007 that they changed the design. I love my Ford, but who could be so stupid as to swing the pendulum all the way from plugs blowing out due to a dumb design to plugs you can't get out - also due to a dumb design.
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Old 04-17-2011 | 01:26 PM
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I don't mean to start a war but does the fact that they hosed up the 2V motors with 3 threads holding them in and replaced it with a crap 2 pc design bother anyone else? I am a mechanical engineer by profession and if I had a new grad or intern that designed a pressure vessel with 3 threads holding a plug in we would have a long discussion. Unbelievable they still mess with spark plug thread design after all this time. Bully for the Ford Techs that figured out how to get them out without breaking them too often. How about a cylinder head design that isn't a POS.
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Old 04-17-2011 | 07:53 PM
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Originally Posted by nailit
Well, Ford had a problem withe the 3pc style spark plugs they used and even put out a bulletin to help ppl change them.

Thats crap... I had 7 of 8 break. they extend down past the treads.. a metal shields surrounds the ceramic about an in below the treads.

Anyway, the metal shield is bottomed out on the head and sticks, thus breaking and then the plug will not come out either. I had to break the ceramic and then they make extractor tools just for this issue!

Dealer wanted over $400 to change the plugs.. plugs will run you about $100 for all 8.

they have some common extactors for this problem, but 1 requires the ceramic to be out.. then they make a ceramic extractor! Thats crap, both of them.. you have to glue the adapter into the ceramic and hope that it was dry enough after an hour set time to pull the ceramic out!!

Then you have to tap the shield THEN use the extractor to pull it out!!

DONT BUY THESE!!!

BUY the extractor made by Lisle.. you have one part that allows you to push the ceramic down and its made so you have to bottom it out so you cant over do it!! THEN you put the counterrotating "TAPERED" extractor into the shield and tighten, then you can put the big nut on to pull the shield out!

EASY!! it took me about 3hours to do the remaining 6 with the new tool, but it was at night in my driveway where I had to keep adjusting the lights!

I used this tool for 7 of them and it worked perfect!

had I known about the Lisle tool, this job could have been done in an afternoon and only cost about $160 ($100 for plugs and $60 for tool) wasted about $90 on the other 2 extractor kits!

yes.. I had a fun weekend so far.. but I just changed out my impellor pump and serp belt.. So I ready to hit the water now!
I've always believed in one simple axiom; real trucks don't have spark plugs.
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Old 04-18-2011 | 06:05 AM
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Originally Posted by Catmando
I've always believed in one simple axiom; real trucks don't have spark plugs.
Oh so true.

On the other hand, a Glow Plug change on a diesel isn't a walk in the park either. (Then again, they rarely blow out or refuse to come out.)
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Old 04-18-2011 | 02:00 PM
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the only thing that will help you change the plugs on the 5.4 is to trade the MotherF@#$%$ in.
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