My BIL's F-150

[Mark_in_NH]

The "2004" - "2008" F-150's are notorious for plugs breaking due to their 2 piece design.
There is a ton of information at the F150online forum. 2004 - 2008 F-150 - F150online Forums Here you will find a plethora of threads reference the plugs. Some people have had ok luck and some people have had terrible luck doing the dreaded plug change. There are actually a couple of tools specifically designed for removing the broken plug parts that everybody says are quite effective.
Lisle Ford Triton Spark Plug Extractor and this one Rotunda 303-1203 Broken Separated Spark Plug Removal Tool | Hard to Find Automotive Specialty Tools
Here is an interesting article on the use of the expensive Rotunda model.
Ford Spark Plug Removal Tool - Picture of Ford's Bad Design | Denlors Auto Blog
The Lisle tool from what I have read does the job quite well for a much more reasonable initial cost.
I am somewhat dreading getting mine done, my truck is an 06 and has around 65K on it. I understand most dealers charge in the vicinity of $80+ dollars for each broken plug over and above the normal charge of a plug change. Some owners have complained of paying upwards of $1k for a plug change, depending on how many plugs break and have to be extracted.
I have to say that from some of the horror stories I have read. Chris did an excellant job with only breaking 1 plug on a truck with 108,00 miles on it.
I believe this is or was Fords lates update on the proper removal procedure.

 

[Diamondpilot]

$1000 is crazy. I hear around here its 1/2 that around here for the removal job...

Chris

 

[ModMech]

It is NOT a "common problem with Ford Modulars", it is a common problem with Ford 3V engines that use special "pencil" sparkplugs.

The problem is almost always moisture getting into the sparkplug well where it causes rust between the plug and head, making plug removal difficult if not impossible. The best prevention is to change the pulgs at 1/2 of the suggested interval AND to NEVER EVER wash the engine!

Ford also had a couple years worth of COP modules that did not last as long as they should. No worse than GM HEI modules tho.

 

[kebo]

Well over thanksgiving dinner my BIL told me he had a check engine light on in his 2006 F-150 4x4 SuperCrew with the 5.4L and 3.73 gears. We went out after some football and checked it out and the code said miss fire on the #8 cylinder.

I asked him what maintenance he had done to it and he said "not ________".:laughing: He said he gets the oil changed every 5,000 miles and the air filter once a year. Its on its second set of tires which the first set made it to 70,000 miles and it has new front brakes as of 10,000 miles ago. By the way it has 108,000 miles. He had never changed anything else on it.

We sat down and formulated a plan with a shopping list and decided to change both the front and rear diff with synthetic gear oils, the tranny fluid and filter along with a bucket flush, the transfer case, coolant, fuel filter, air filter, and spark plugs and of course the bad COP on cylinder #8.

He came over last night and we pulled it into the shop and pulled the drain plugs, dropped the tranny pan, and started everything draining. We also followed the Ford Service Bulletin on spark plug removal.

This morning we went out and buttoned everything up and installed all the fluids, filters, ect. We ended up breaking one spark plug off and did not have the proper tool for removal so we just buttoned it up with 7 plugs, disconnected that cylinders injector, and he drove it home 70 miles. He said it had a miss and would vibrate a little at certain RPM's but other than that it drove fine.

He will be taking it to his Ford dealer a few miles from his house Monday morning for them to deal with the plug.

He was kind of upset and its a bummer that Ford built such a great truck but he settled down a little when I pointed out that its cost him only 1 set of tires and front brakes above normal oil changes, a few air filters, plus gas. It will be interesting to see how much they charge him and I will post back but even it they get him for 4 hours labor and parts for a total of maybe $300 that is not bad for a truck that lives on construction sites, pulls trailers, battles snow in the winter, and life in the city stop and go traffic for 108,000 trouble free miles. This is 3rd F-150. He had a 99 with no problems and traded at 100,000 miles for a 2003 that he traded at 60,000 miles for this one. This will be the first issue with any of the three.

Just wondering if anyone else has had issues with plugs breaking off?

Chris

Yep, I had a whole thread here about a plug breaking off on my 2000 F-150 with the 5.4 Triton v8 in it. That wound up costing me over $500 just to put in a new set of plugs!!!

 

[Dmace]

I am curious how you got it out? I know there is a tool kit but this one broke off flush at the top of the sleeve where the threads end.

We lucked out, the ceramic came out with the plug leaving just the threads and electrode. We rented the special Rotunda tool from the local NAPA for free and it pulled them out no problem.

 

[Soundguy]

It is NOT a "common problem with Ford Modulars", it is a common problem with Ford 3V engines that use special "pencil" sparkplugs.

The problem is almost always moisture getting into the sparkplug well where it causes rust between the plug and head, making plug removal difficult if not impossible. The best prevention is to change the pulgs at 1/2 of the suggested interval AND to NEVER EVER wash the engine!

Ford also had a couple years worth of COP modules that did not last as long as they should. No worse than GM HEI modules tho.

can never seize be used on them ?

i use it on my gasser tractors plugs.

soundguy

 

[ModMech]

I don't know about the plugs for the 3V engines but do NOT use anti-sieze on the plugs in a 2V, you are more likely to over Tq the plug and strip the threads than to help anything.

 

[Diamondpilot]

On the 3V they say to use anti seize. Not sure if it was used or not at the factory. My guess is no. He is taking it in at 7am tomorrow so we will know something.

Chris

 

[some zilch]

my boss thinks its still 1950, and we change spark plugs at 30kmi intervals in our fleet. we have multiple 3v fords (8), and i flat out refuse to do the spark plugs in them. the last two times, 2 plugs per engine have broke off. we dont have the tools to remove the broken ones, so we end up having them towed to the ford dealer who has one guy that does nothing but spark plugs in 3v motors.

 

[Diamondpilot]

my boss thinks its still 1950, and we change spark plugs at 30kmi intervals in our fleet. we have multiple 3v fords (8), and i flat out refuse to do the spark plugs in them. the last two times, 2 plugs per engine have broke off. we dont have the tools to remove the broken ones, so we end up having them towed to the ford dealer who has one guy that does nothing but spark plugs in 3v motors.

Towing them is crazy. Just pull the wiring harness of that injector and drive it easy. It will throw some codes but the dealer can clear them once done.

Chris