I had my spark plugs changed 4 months and about 10,000 miles ago. Today a spark plug blew out of the head on the driver side. I tried to put it back in and it seems like the guy who put it in stripped the head. I can screw it in about one and a half revolutions finger tight and then it won't turn any more. It does have the coil on plug ignition (99 F150 5.4). I was using a long spark plug socket with a swivel to try to screw it in. The place that did the work is no longer in business. How bad am I screwed? Is there any was this can be fixed without replacing the heads? Any ideas how much this is going to cost to fix?
Thanks

 

Sorry to hear about the bad news!
There have been several posts about this, I believe the head can be rethreaded but not sure if it needs to come off. Some of the other guys can probably give you more info. Good luck.

 

search the 5.4 forum lots of info, some not to good

 

I have tried to search and I have found one thread. There was one reply about a rethreading kit and another about taking the truck to a machine shop and having it rethreaded for <$150. I would like to find out more about those options. Thanks for the help.

 

Try to search for steel inserts.People have installed them with the heads still on.To remove the heads,you'll likely have to lift the body off the frame for good access.Good luck.

 

I've heard about the 5.4, and the V10 blowing plugs. Has anyone heard about the smaller V8 throwing the plugs? This is enough to scare me off the engines that I know are blowing them.

 

Thanks for all the info. I had my truck towed to a mechanic that a friend reccommended. He said that he has fixed the heads on fords before with the insert and had good luck. I post what the outcome is.
Thanks again

 

Yup, same thing happened to my 99 F-150 5.4
Blew a plug and it stripped the threads on the way out. I did a thread insert (welded an extention to the tap cuz the kit required a socket to big in diameter to fit in the plug hole) and so far it's been working fine......been about 3 months now. Kit was like 30 bucks or so.

 

Thanks guys,

Good to know there are cheap fixes around. I've heard alot of bad stories about the infamous blow out.

 

We dont allow talk of law suits on here and wont get involved with anything to do with them so I am going to have to remove some posts here.

 

It seems so odd that all the 1999 F-150 with the 5.4 have blown spark plugs in the head as mine has done on the way home from work today.
I was hoping FBOMB or someone that has resolved this problem could give me some advice......anyone PLEASE a little help here.?!

 

You may want to run a search over to the '04+ F150 forum...not to long ago we had a guy with similar issue. I think he used a product called "TimeInserts"...Lemme see if I can dig up that thread or a website...

 

http://www.timesert.com/

I had mis-spelled it earlier sorry,...It seems to be what most repair shops and dealers are using now. It seems to handle the pressure a bit better than your standard issue Heli-coil. I hope this helps.

 

My father has worked for a Ford dealer in northern Wisconsin for the past 3 years and my neibor was a Ford tech for the past 10 years and neither of them has ever seen a truck come in with this problem, so I dont think its a major issue.
I think it happens when people try to change the plugs without letting the engine cool competely and/or they crossthread the plugs when they install them.
My brother has over 100,000 miles on his '99 F-250 with a V10 and Ive got almost 140,000 miles on my '99 F-150 with a 5.4L and neither of us has popped a plug yet (knock on wood).

 

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