Anyone here have any suggestions on how to remove a stuck dipstick tube from the block? I have a '04 F150 Scab with 5.4L, I have to remove the heads to remove the spark plugs but the Oil Dipstick Tube will not budge. I have wiggled it to the point where I think that the tube is starting to crack. I have ordered a new tube but would like to remove it with out removing the oil pan.
Any Suggestions????

 

First off, why do you need to remove the heads to change your spark plugs? Sounds like your severely on the wrong track here.

 

Not sure about the dipstick tube on this motor. How many plugs did you break off? How many miles? Did you follow the TSB for removing them? There is a tool for removing the ground shield from the head without removing the head itself... just curious and trying to be of some help.

 

I just saw your other post so you do not have to answer. If anyone is curious the other post is here https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/6...-for-head.html

 

I just read your other post. Two things you mentioned that probably contributed to your broken plugs. One, you said to use a 9/16 deep well socket which is incorrect. You need a special 9/16 spark plug socket which has a rubber insert to keep it lined up. A regular socket can put sheer loads on the plug and break them. Two, you said you would put never seize on the threads but not on the ground shield. That is a direct contradiction to the TSB. The threads seizing are not the problem here, its the ground shield and that is where the never seize needs to be.

I still don't know why you pulled the heads, 110,000 miles should be nothing on these engines unless they were abused. There is a way to remove broken plugs from the top that really isn't too difficult.

 

It would be nice if someone could just answer his question!!

 

Maybe no nobody knows!? In the past I always thought they just pulled out of a rubber grommet after you took the bolt out of the bracket. Now its probably some super complicated ordeal like everything else on these engines.

 

Judging from the service manual it looks like it just pulls out. The text based removal instructions verify that. Perhaps a liberal amount of penetrating oil to help loosen it up?

 

Might be a dumb question but did you take the bolt out that holds it to the head?

 

Well, let me see where I should begin. Fist of all I did use a 9/16 Spark Plug socket (from Ford) and followed the TSB to the letter and even purchased AeroKroil as Ford suggested. (The Rubber Grommet it used to assist in retrieving the Spark Plug from with in the engine and to stabilize it. All 8 broke off as a result of 1. not enough antiseize on the ground and 2. due to the extreme carbon build up around the ground shield. I even had a friend who is a mechanic for at the local Ford Dealer assist and he broke off 6 of them. Granted the truck has 110K miles on it but there are only 75K miles on the plugs. Ford changed them around 25K miles due to performance issues. OTC makes a ground caseing removal tool but first you have to chip out the porcilan out of the Ground Shield in order to use it. If you want to risk damaging your engine with pocrcilan that has fallen into your cylinder and scoreing the cylinder walls or getting jammed into a valve, than go for it. I plan on having this truck for at least another 100K miles and the only way to guarentee that no damage will be done is to pull the heads. Yes, I did remove the bolt from the head for the oil dipstick tube but the head will not pass over the tube with the exhaust manifolds intacked even after soaking it with Aerokroil and PB Blaster. The tube was broken at the base from trying to remove the head and moving the tube. I left the Exhaust Manifolds on the heads to maintain ridgidity on the heads along with the OHC, this was done due to being informed that when removing the heads (bare) they tend to "Normalize" or warp also this simplifies reassembly. Now the tube has totally broken off at the base leaving the remaining tube in the bottom of the block and oil pan, just another thing to figure out how to remove it from the block. The Tube looks like and a Haynes Manual states just to pull it out but looking at it from the base it looks like it is a tapered seat instead of a standard O-Ring seal. This engine has by far not been abused, it has been maintained by the Ford Dealer up until now. The truck is barely 2.5 years old and with 110K miles on it. If it was abused it wouldn't of lasted this long. The Truck from Ford (and I quote the Mechanic) does not include antisieze on any nuts, bolts or removable item from the factory. I do plan on placing Nickel Antisieze on the ground shield (per the TSB). I am by no means attempting to cut corners but attempt to cut cost, ford was going to charge $450 just to change the plugs and $4,000 if they needed to pull the heads. I have so far (with the purchase of parts) done it for $400 (for new seals, springs, gaskets, dipstick tube, anti-freeze, oil, exhaust flange bolts, header bolts, timing chains, and more) the only thing not accounted for is TIME. Granted, it all started with changing the spark plugs (typically a hour of time) to this, but at least I know that it will be done right, with the help of a Ford Certified Mechanic. How many '04 F150's do you know of that have well over 100K miles on them and still look new?

 

Oh. Well, ummm. Let me know when you get to the flux capacitor and I might be able to help.

 

Oh. Well, ummm. Let me know when you get to the flux capacitor and I might be able to help.

 

Unfortunatly, I may need the Flux Capacitor to turn back the clock (and the Mileage). I have thought and tried just about everything that I can to get the remaining portion of the tube out of the engine block. I think that I used about a 1/4 of a can of Aerokroil and 1/4 of a can of Blaster on the tube before I attempted to remove it. This has definatly turned into a project though, all for the change of spark plugs. I fell for anyone who has not removed, cleaned, and anti-siezed thier plugs and are over 30K miles. (The Higher the Mileage the stronger the Headache!!!)

 

Thanks for the full story. I just never heard of having to remove the heads to change plugs, even broken ones. Sounds like your doing everything right and then some. I have the same year truck but only have 10,000 miles and will probably change my plugs this summer just to avoid the problems your having.

Wake up FORD! Spark plug change should not result in engine rebuilds. STUPID DESIGN!

 

I was once wanting that 3 valve 5.4 pretty badly. Now I am happy I had to settle for a 4.6