Agreed. Aftermarket "replacement" plugs are very often just "close enough" on heat range, with one part number covering multiple OEM plugs that have different heat ranges.
JL

 

JL;
Now you tell me :-)!

I have learned my lesson about spark plugs.
Michael

 

I think part of your problem may have very well have been E10 fuel too.
That crap is causing all kinds of leaning damage problems with outboards, and other 2 cycle engines too.
JL

 

Don't know exactly what happened something in the bottom end went away. If you have ever heard a motor that has a major problem in the bottom end you never forget that sound. The repair shop would have charged me by the hour to diagnose the problem then the cost to make the repair. I chose just to bite the bullet and replace the motor I thought that would be best in the long run. I bought the truck a year and a half ago with 67,000 miles on it and had no problems what so ever with the truck until the motor let go at 81,000 miles. Changed the oil on a regular basis with 5W20 royal purple and used motorcraft oil filters.
Don't know if I'll ever let this new motor ever see 4000rpms because I too always read that the V10 was suppose to run all day long at 4000-4500rpm all day long. Maybe that's not true!!

 

With this post being about spark plugs I just installed autolites think sp103 double plat in my v10 i hear this plug is also motorcraft plugs

 

I just lost #4 cylinder exhaust valve on my 83,000 mile pampered V10 also. It did have a insert in that cylinder, but it has been in for 18,000 miles. I to was into it and noticed some pinging. I am on the verge of getting rid of this thing as it has costed me more to own in three years than any vehicle I have ever owned. Alot of the money has been upgrades but more than I would like to admit has been nickle, dime problems.
To the OP, good luck trying to pull your 10,000lb trailer with out going over 4,000rpms.

 

Mine was totally stock except for the Bosch +4 plugs. No Air filter, cat back, or anything else. I planned on this being my last truck and wanted it to last a long time. I felt that Ford knew best for longevity, even if I had to sacrifice the power of a tuner. You can bet it will have a 5 start tuner on it before it tows again.

Michael

 

That sounds like my deal, hard on it, heard a little pinging and it was over. I agree, it isn't possible to stay under 4000 rpm with a 10,000 lb trailer in So Cal! If money was no object I would get a 5th wheel trailer and one of those Volvo semis that have been re-configured for the job! Something like this Jack and Danielle Mayer No issues pulling a toy hauler!
Michael

 

CA requires a label if the gas has ANY Ethanol. I am very careful about not using it. Ethanol Labeling Laws - State by State Guide.

Don't even get me started on the ills of E10. I have a 2010 Ducati Hyper. Read this thread to see what E10 does to it
Tank spreading in Europe / Germany - Ducati.ms - The Ultimate Ducati Forum
Michael

 

Requiring the label, and the station actually having the label on the dispenser are 2 different things. It's darn near impossible to find a station here anywhere that does not have ethanol in it, and we're in a more rural area which has been the last to get the rollout of the ethanol "enriched" fuels.
JL

 

I agree.

I can tell they upped the ethanol content in the fuel in my area. Started to get some some slight detonation and mileage went down slightly. (On two trucks) Mike fixed the detonation issues on both trucks with a tune. My outboards get pure gas, thankfully I can still get it.

Detonation kills, if you have it fix it.

 

Good luck getting your truck taken care of!

 

Having some experience in the marine industry (I sell parts wholesale), I can tell you that has more to do with lazy people leaving gas in their tanks forever, collecting water (ethanol loves water), not changing their water separators, and a whole host of other "shoddy" maintenance issues.

However, (not so) funny story to share: A few years back, brand-new Evinrude and Mercury engines here on Long Island started to show a HUGE increase in warranty claims to the point where they started sending engineers to the area to inspect engines that had failed. After looking into every aspect of maintenance, the mechanics that worked on them, etc, they did a smart thing. They took samples of the gasoline available here which at the time was already going to E10 all over the place.

Turns out, of all the samples they took, from dockside pumps, to the local automotive gas stations, most samples had much more then 10% Ethanol in them. 15-20% was more the norm, and even 25% to all the way to 30%.

I don't know what the engineers finally did in the long run, but they did change SOMETHING in the fuel/oiling system and they took care of the problem without having the ethanol percentage changed.

I personally believe the ethanol has a deleterious effect on the 2-cycle oil, and a certain brand/formulation of oil did the trick. At some point shortly after all of this, my brother-in-law (who owns the warehouse I buy parts from) started to carry a newer brand/type of 2-cycle oil.

 

Ford actually changed the OEM programming in reference to the fuel's stoich value. It was at one time 14.64, but my Excursion's stock file has it setup at 14.29. I don't think they did this across the board in a certain year-my F250 was still 14.64. I've seen issues with the ethanol causing problems with detonation due to the leaner mixture, drops of fuel economy (1-2 mpg in most every case), and just overall poor performance from that crap. There are several 2 cycle chainsaw owners that are pissed about their $700-up tools failing due to E10 fuel. These are not weekend warriors, these are guys that make a living everyday with these tools, and they know how to care for what puts food on the table. There is absolutely nothing good about E10 fuel-Unless you're a government subsidized farmer. And even for those guys, it's an altered reality that's going to damage their livelihood in the long term.
JL

 

Krewat I think it's 2 stroke oil that has tcw-3 on the bottle.Not sure. But when I remember I throw a ounce to every 6 gallons of gas and notice a difference in how smooth the engine runs.

Ethanol wrecks snow blower carbs too.Every year I have 1 or more family members with carb problems.