I am selling my 03 Ex and I've got 2 calls from perspective buyers asking if I've changed the plugs and coils recently. It has 140k miles. Is there a reason to change them if they work fine?

 

Nope. Not one single reason.

Stewart

 

Plugs, yes. Coils, not until one fails.

 

Agree with the above, coils aren't a regular maintenance item any more than your frame is. Coils don't get worse over time, they either work or they don't. Replacing coils if you're not misfiring won't make your truck run any better, but it will make your wallet lighter.

 

Ooops, missed the "plugs" part. Thanks, Scott.

Stewart

 

How easy is the plug change?

 

Good question. I will do this as long as the plugs are easily accessible. Can someone who has experience let me know.

 

This should help, also search is your friend, if you search spark plugs in this forum or the Modular V10 forum you can find several others.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...-pictures.html

 

The buyer may be concerned about the plugs blowing out issue.

 

Is it the same process for the 5.4? I'm going to search this as well, just wanting a heads up is all

 

5.4L are a little bit different, sometimes issues removing plugs, the 6.8L 2-valves had more of stripping loose plug issue. Different torque I believe as well, so yes definitely find one for your engine.

 

So the $1000 question is should I get a local shop to change out the plugs, or just tell potential buyers the truck runs fine and sell as is?

Thoughts?

 

Not quite, the issues are identical Sammie. You are confusing the '05+ 3V heads with the two-piece plug design. To my knowledge the problems removing plugs affect both V8 and V10 engines with 3V heads. Likewise the problem with spitting plugs affects all 2V modulars up until 2002 or 2003, including 4.6L, 5.4L, and our 6.8L V10s.

 

Ok ya what Cazy001 said ...

2v or 3 v issue not a 5.4 or 6.8 issue I guess, all I really know is my engine so definitely find out about your own before you attempt to change the plugs. Mines a 2v 6.8 and I had no real issues getting my plugs out. Did have one blow years ago on another 2v I owned.

 

Here is the deal on repairing the spitting plugs issue. I have had to repair several (well over 25) stripped spark plug holes in 4.6 and 5.4 engines that my extended family bought between 98 and 2003. Before Ford even officially acknowledged that there was a problem, the Time-sert company had a elegant solution. I bought their kit when the issue first arose within the family fleet, and it worked like a charm. Not a single incidence of failure or problems in any of the spark plug holes years after the repair.

The kit is not cheap, but is a lot cheaper than a dealer or mechanic doing the repair. You must be meticulous withthe process, an that means take your time and get everything right. Use lots of grease on the reamer and tap and clean it very often and put on fresh grease. The grease captures the chips and keepst them from falling into the cylinder.

The Time-Sert kit is now the "Official" repair for the heads from Ford. Good thing, too, as it makes a permanent proper repair. I will tell you that whether you have a early or late aluminum head, if you put the inserts in, The repair is stronger and better than the head originally was.