Glad to hear you're going to do it. It's really not as bad as it looks. That being said... I started on the passenger side of the block. I did remove the fuel rails for better access to the plug boots. Getting the boots out is something. You may want to try getting some wd-40 sprayed on the head at the boot. Maybe that will help with it being released...

If you have any questions, please list them here so everyone can learn how to save at least $100 by doing this on their own.

Good luck,

Kelly :-)

 

Replaced 6 plugs yesterday , still need to do #3 & 4 .I was too weak from the loss of blood to finish !! I did not remove the fuel rails but I did make three trips to the parts house for socket , extensions , etc. I never knew a 7 mm socket or wrench was so rare . Maybe my arms will heal in a few days and I will tackle the other two .

 

Is that the boot between the COP and plug, and is it replaceable?

 

Yes that's the boot and it's replaceable.

 

After reading this you all must think I'm a moron, I knom the boots are on the ends of the wires, I just thought that I should clarify if that was a boot in the diagram, I knew it was hence the dumb question. There will probably be more, maybe not so dumb.

 

We've had dumber questions

 

There is no dumb question, Some just know more than others, because they have been there at one time or another. Maybe it was wrong but I used a air rachet to get them plugs out (only) It worked realy good, no problems.

 

Hello

I am French and, sorry, my English is not good.

Can use NGK or Denso Iridium spark plugs in my 5.4l (LPG) 2000 Navigator ?

Thank You

 

Hi Denis

You can use NGK or Denso spark plugs if you can't find Motorcraft.
Make sure they are the correct ones specified for your engine.
Also be aware that they may not last as long as Motorcraft spark plugs.

 

Thank you all for your great tips. After spending 45 minutes just trying to get the first boot out on my '97 4.6, I found this site and used the wire tie trick and the boot came right out.

For novice mechanics like me, this is a pretty time consuming job but not very difficult... just make sure your patience level is high and allow 3 hours. Also, I used some latex gloves (about 6 pair due to tearing) so that my hands wouldn't be covered in grease for a week and I also wore a long sleeve shirt to minimize bruising and lacerations.

My question: None of my boots want to stay attached to the spark plugs. After about 1/4 mile of driving, I'm suddenly driving on 4 cylinders because the boots have shot off of the spark plugs. I was hoping that I didn't have to replace the spark wires/boots to keep costs down; so I'm using the original wires. Any suggestions for keeping the boots attached to the spark plugs?

 

I've had some problems as of late, so I've become an unwilling 'expert' at getting the plugs and boots out and back in. I'm sure you can appreciate how much blood loss, and skin loss, that entails...

The boots require an undue amount of pressure on the top of the boot (some you will only be pushing with the tips of your fingers due to access problems). They also require being lined up, perfectly, to even allow the contact to snap over the plug - which may or may not happen anyway.

You've got to feel for it. As always, there seems to be better and worse plug-wire manufacturers for getting a tactile feel of the contacts' "click" over the plugs. Some wire manufacturers even have a click that is audible, but I haven't found who that may be for these Fords. All I know is that I believe it's Auto-Zone's black wires that I refuse to buy again - while ALL the makes of plug wires I've tried are difficult to get to snap on, the Auto-Zone inexpensive ones were terrible at giving me feedback as to the contact's click.

I may try Taylor spark plug wires next.

So, anyway, what you want to do is align the boot correctly after looking down at the plug to ensure alignment (it’s easy to be a little off-angle if you don’t get a look at the plug), then push it down with a lot of constant force, while maybe swirling the top of the plug-boot around a little to find the sweet spot. It sucks, I know, but that’s what I have to do with my current make of wires.

 

Don't they recommend changing at 100K ? I have 72,000 on my '97 F150 with the 4.6 and don't want to mess with it, it's running fine.

 

I had problems with mine before then, than had problems with what were supposed to be the 8mm "high performance" ones I bought (one wore through its insulation to leak spark in the middle of the wire - I guess it should have been due to it rubbing against something, but for the life of me I couldn't figure out what it would have rubbed against at that point on the wire).

If yours are ok, then by all means keep 'em until 100k. Like some have posted, maybe the OEM Ford ones are the best replacements when that time comes, but I've got another brand I want to try before the OEM's.

 

Thanks for the responses.

The boots are "clicking" into place on the spark plug and stay put for about 1/4 mile, than they undo themselves. I'll check to see if there's any grease causing slippage problems. I'm almost at 100,000 so maybe I'll just replace the spark wires too.

 

You may not actually be getting a full "click". Too, you may be able to slightly crimp the inner contact to allow it to stay. I can't imagine the contact tips of your new sparkplugs are any smaller, even if they sold you the wrong ones.

Last ditch effort if you're having trouble, if you're not driving through tons of water, AND if your damned heater-core hose isn't leaking radiator fluid into the #8 spark plug hole (Arrgh! second time that's happened to me - new clamp came loose somehow...): Cut off about 1/2 inch of the bottom of every spark plug boot. This allows you to get a way easier "click" without ALSO fighting the rubber at the bottom of the boot push back against you.

Honest, it works. It'll get you by for a good while.