Glad we could help. Please let us know how those Champions work out for you in the future and if you have any trouble removing them when that day comes.

 

Hey guys,
I'm talking about my 2006 F-150XLT Scab 8' bed 5.4L V8 with 67k miles.

I came on the forum this time to see any threads about replacing ball joints and brake caliper. I do all my own work on my truck and am rather technically savy and have an idea for the process but was wondering if there were any tricks...
I am writing this now that I've read this entire thread because my truck has had this misfire/flutter one a couple times under "flooring it" acceleration and the engine light flashes and the book says just to get off gas and take it in. I've not checked any codes or taken it in because have no warranty and has hardly happened consistently enough to think it was major issue.

I have thought about replacing plugs and I do all my own work and have done plugs before on other vehicles but am hesitant with the rumors about them sticking in the cylinder and I don't have tool or $$ to pull these out if break or fix a cylinder head.

FRZOUT: How have these plugs worked out for you? Did you have any issues getting your old plugs out? Any guidance recommendations on project if was going to attempt to do plugs myself? I've done plugs before, just scared one will stick...

OptimusF150: How did the plugs work out?

mtnlovrs: I just moved to CA and haven't found a good trustworthy shop out here to get my plugs done, I'd like to do them myself but am afraid of them breaking and so would have them just do these so they have to pay for it if so. Any recommendations? You do your plugs by chance? Any issues if so?

Also, What is a COD?
And...looked at my Throttle Body...it definitely looks as though the TBS is removable and it has a unit on the opposite side as well bolted in, so did we conclude that the TB is not the issue? Also if so how come there was talk about buying whole unit because of a TBS? Different years use different types?

Thanks all for your help!

 

Last summer, on its way to its grave, my '90 XLT start missing and shuddering when going uphiil. It was real bad, like so bad I thought it was a transmission problem. COULD NOT be the plugs or wires 'cuz they were high quality and about 7,000 miles old.

Of course it WAS a bad plug or wire. I don't know which since I just changed them out under a shade tree in Kentucky burning myself on the exhaust manifolds several times. I couldn't believe that I'd fixed it for so little time and money.

 

USMCAIRF18,
Quote: mtnlovrs, I just moved to CA and haven't found a good trustworthy shop out here to get my plugs done, I'd like to do them myself but am afraid of them breaking and so would have them just do these so they have to pay for it if so. Any recommendations? You do your plugs by chance? Any issues if so?

Also, What is a COD?

And...looked at my Throttle Body...it definitely looks as though the TBS is removable and it has a unit on the opposite side as well bolted in, so did we conclude that the TB is not the issue? Also if so how come there was talk about buying whole unit because of a TBS? Different years use different types?

Sorry, I don't know a of a good mechanic in San Diego.

I'm almost afraid to admit it, since it's been so long, but no - I still haven't changed my plugs. I did buy a new set of Champion 7989's, but still haven't put them in. I made my own "Broken plug removal tool", just in case I break one. Here's the link, (Read the post that says he made his own for five bucks):

Spark plug horror?... Enter Snap-on spark plug extractor - Ford Mustang Forums

I don't know what a COD is, but a COP is an acronym for Coil On Plug. Instead of a traditional coil or coil pack, our trucks have individual coils that mount to each spark plug.

According to the Ford manual, there are two designs of throttle bodies used on the 5.4L 3V engine, parallel and in-series. The parallel design has the motor under the bore parallel to the plate shaft. The motor housing is integrated into the main housing. The in-series design has a seperate motor housing. If you have the parallel design you must change the entire throttle body. I don't know what decides why some have the parallel and some have the in-series design. From what you've said, you have the in-series design just like mine. To answer your question, I don't believe the throttle body is your problem. I had a dual problem on my truck. I had a bad plug and COP (that the Ford Dealer replaced) and a worn throttle plate shaft in the throttle body that was causing the throttle plate to get stuck on the throttle bore (which was causing it to stall). It runs good now and I am planning on changing those plugs soon.

 

I just replaced my plugs recently and posted my experience in response to this post:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...re-i-used.html

Truck cranks and starts much more easily now, and it idles a tad smoother. It's still early to see if my mpgs went back up. There's no way the original plugs would have lasted until 100K from the look of mine when they came out at 68K. I'll probably swap these out in another 40-50K at most.

The SP515's went in a lot easier than the original stock plugs came out. I could screw them in by hand until they seated. I wonder if they made the threaded diameter smaller in response to all of the earlier problems as well.

 

Thanks, Aquaman, sounds like some good advice! Five hours is a long time to change plugs, but as I recall, it took me eight hours the first time I changed them in my Ford Aerostar mini-van many years ago. In comparrison, five hours isn't so bad. lol

 

Thanks for your help mtnlovrs! Good luck with your plug change...still debating to do it myself or not. I'm at 67k-68k and am going to do it soon because of all the issues plus taking it to Guam in few months for 3yrs and don't want any issues out there. Let me know how yours goes if ya don't mind!
Thanks Aquaman too for your response!

 

I did mine in 8 hours, watching 2 football games, eating dinner and 3 beers. I am not a mechanic but I can turn a wrench. I guess I am a backyard wrench puller, but anyhow I followed the 3rd TSB to the letter. I got the special spark plug socket, soaked the plugs after cracking them a quarter turn and prayed like hell. Remember half turn out, quarter turn in... again, again and again.
I just want to say don't get in a hurry: Don't think that "I gotta get this done" or "I need the truck to get to work tomorrow". Take your time...
One more word of note, don't overload the plugs with the carb cleaner so you end up with vapor lock. You'll save yourself some cash...
Besides why would you pay a mechanic to break the plugs when you can break them for free.
The 2 closest to the firewall really made a godawful noise coming out. Good Luck!

 

USMCAIRF18: Your welcome. By the way, you have a really nice truck... mine is just like yours, but without the nice rims and pretty blue paint job. Where did you find those 7-lug rims, and how much?
No-Tyme: Thanks, excellent advice. I will put my Explorer back into use while I work on the pick-up, but the dog-gone thing won't fit in the garage and blocks the darn drive-way! lol!

 

Thanks Mtnlovrs! Yea I've put a great deal of time and a bit of $$ too getting it a bit personalized but I'm quite happy with it now. It was used as quite a work truck before I bought it 2.5yrs ago and so it shows some wear but indeed it's the only one (F150 Scab w/ Long Bed) I could find not completely bare and only white haha. I am actually about to get Cover King neoprene custom fitted seat covers for the front and back and than soon will be a bull bar. Been looking at the Westin brand with some additional lights up front probably but I'm not sure...any opinions?

The wheels though had to be replaced for sure! I could only find 3-4 wheel options for the 7-lug wheels since I have the 4.10 gears (I think that's why Ford put 7-lug wheels on...) and they were all chrome with no black like I wanted. I found a guy on Ebay that had a C&C machine and would get blank wheels from Fuel Offroad and cut any lug pattern you needed. The price wasn't bad for the wheels or the custom cutting. I have 35" tires on 18" wheels with a bit more offset than stock and I think whole setup was around $1500 all said and done. I can try and find my paperwork if you want more specifics. Let me know!

btw, looks like an awesome truck with the cap off but it does help too haha

 

Sorry, I haven't looked at bull bars or lights since mine is just a 2WD. Maybe in the future, though, because I do plan on doing a 4WD conversion someday. As far as the rims go, Thanks for the offer, but I think I will stick with 17's for now. There are some 17" 7-lug rims I like at Centerline Wheels website. I haven't decided which I like more, maybe the "Wilderness Grizzlies".