Ok so here it goes, I am on my way to work today and POP! tsst, tsst, tsst. WTF is that, I stop and pop the hood and the noise is horrendous. Shut it down and a quick cell phone search later I find it to most likely be a blown plug. Limp it home and get to work. I have just been doing some research and I am freaking out. I am not sure of what plug it is yet as I have not had a chance to really check it out. But I have a few questions.
1. Does the sparkplug actually "blow" clear of the hole it is in with the coil?
2. What is the best "cheap" option, right before Christmas and I am a single income household-Thanks Obama.
3. I am mechanically inclined, can I do this at home in the driveway?
Sorry for the rant and thanks for any info as it will be a great help.

 

Had one blow on my 99 F250 had a shop right around the corner from me fix it they did the insert thing and it's held up but I don't really drive it a lot .....was like nearly $400 I tried to get a mechanic buddy of mine to do it but he wouldn't touch it

 

The entire kite from Snap-On was only $430 or so after tax a couple years back when I got mine. The inserts are $40 plus tax though. Where do you live? I have a few inserts left.

 

@mitch, I live in Columbus, Ohio. I was hoping to not have to spend that kind of money this close to Christmas; it seems as though I may not have a choice. I am hoping to get it apart tomorrow morning and get a good look at it to see how bad it is.

 

Might need a new cop if it damaged that when it blew.....think they're like $110 or so.....was part of the cost on mine I wanna say it was like $363

 

Had this happen on my expedition a couple of years ago. Got it fixed at the dealer for $200 after quite a bit of haggling. Was looking at the time-sert kit for a while before I took it to the dealer. The time-sert kit was around $400 if I can remember correctly.

 

You need the correct type of insert installed, a new spark plug, and probably a new coil.

Do NOT let anyone install a helicoil or a Dorman repair insert, neither is likely to last and can cause worse damage if they fail.

Just look at the COPs for the one that's jumping around. That's our blown plug. Disconnect the fuel injector for that cylinder in the meantime.

 

Not that this will help anything, but I have a question. Why won't Ford fix this problem? That's crazy - spark plugs launching from heads.

Yeah, I know, I know. Money. But there also has to be a lot of goodwill lost and brand loyalty too. How much does that cost? Sorry, rant off.

 

I agree Tedster, I called a dealer today and the said that they would work with me on pricing for the repair because this problem is so common. That working with me was still to the tune of at least $600-$800.

 

How much if they work against you?

 

Ted- later years had more threads for the spark plugs after 2005 Ford went to a different plug all together.

 

Yeah, I get that. There are millions of affected trucks still on the road, no? Didn't mean to say it's an ongoing problem but one they bear responsibility for, in my opinion. There's no easy fix, though. Labor intensive at best, 8 cylinders each, or new heads.

 

Sorry to hear about your troubles, oh2sd.

This problem is caused by improper torquing of spark plugs and nothing else. Unfortunately for you whoever replaced the plugs last did it wrong, and that's why you're having this issue. You can get an OEM Motorcraft COP for around $50 online, or a cheap one from eBay for around $10.

 

Got a quick look at it this morning in the driveway and it is what I believe is the number 5 plug (Passenger rearmost plug). I am gonna get a plug and COP, mechanic buddy has a snap on kit with inserts said he would do it for $150. Hopefully be rolling by the end of the week.

 

I just got to the site again today. Sounds like you'll get it fixed. That's what I've been doing them for. Don't use fast set JB Weld. Use the regular and let it sit a day if you can.