Anyone have any tips for changing the spark plugs on a 460 since the front plugs are inaccessible from the doghouse side?

 

I feel your pain!
I have a van with only a 5.8L and that #1 plug is still a bitch to change. On a 460 I can guess that it's even more so. I was able to squeeze my hand/arm down from the front after removing some of the easily removable stuff that was in the way. You may have to even go through the trouble of removing an accessory or two that is on that side of the engine to gain access.

I would suggest that you install the best spark plug you can afford so you don't have to do it that often.

 

Ok here are the numbers:

Replace 8 spark plugs - 5 hours

#'s 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 piece of cake (30 minutes)
#'s 1, 2, 5 pain in the neck

Temporarily removing the spark plug heat shielding is the only way to go.
Removing the battery and airbox gained front access via under the hood to the #1 plug.

Replace 8 plug wires - 4 hours
#'s 5 took 3 hours

1/4" drive wratchet and a short 1/4" TO 3/8" adapter to my spark plug socket, along with sheet metal body marks on the tops of my hands.

Hey Ford designers from the 1970s.....I would have gladly given up 1/2" of floor space on each side, or been ok with removeable floor/firewall panels to access the front plugs. Perhaps the 460 wasn't originally designed for the E-Series during the gas crisis back then? Oh how I thought about drilling an access hole by the accelorator pedal assy.

 

Oh don't I know your pain!!!

I just did mine a week ago and it took over an hour with a friend helping to change #1 out. I got it out easy through the fender well, but could not line it up to put the new one in. My friend has much smaller hands and still could not find a way to get to that one. I finally figured a way to snake my hand through all the smog crap and around the side of the engine to just bearly get a couple of threads started. And believe me I shed more than a couple drops of blood doing it. I have a very long set of needle nose pliers that I used to put the wires on #1 & #2 through the fender well... I wish I coulda given you some pointers, but it sounds like we all just have to do it the hard way... It took me about 5 or 6 hours to finish the job with someone helping, and between us we have over 70 years mechanics experience...
Glad to hear you finished it though...

SteveM14

 

im about to start this endeavor myself and sems like i should just be expected to be a full day lol

 

I'm also about to change plugs in reman'd 5.4 in my '05 E-350, not the first time doing this but I take my time, often getting distracted often times it'll take upwards of 8 hours from start-to-finish Taking time and being careful results in no broken wiring harness connectors, no stripped COP bolts and plenty of time to properly torque the plugs.

Of course I remove most of the air intake including housing and ducts back to the throttle body. The dog house comes out so for the most part I'm working obstruction free.

Yes indeed it be take a lot of time doing this right!

 

Come bad or stay at home
It only pays 3.8 hours to tune up a van
Here are the tools I use
The bent wire is a mechanics trick tool and is used to pull the boots off the plugs
It is made out of an antenna mast using a torch to bend the wire
That will save you an hour
Consider using Motorcraft double platinum plugs on your 1990 7.5 and then you will only need to tune it up every 50 to 100 thousand miles