Just finished my 97 F-250 5.4L plug job. 6 hours, 3 of them on #4. Everything seemed to go back together okay but now it's missing. I did 5,6,7,8 first and cranked the truck up and notice a little miss but really didn't pursue it, then did 1,2,3,4 and when i was all done i started it up and it was missing, stuttering when rev'ing the engine. So I backed it out of the shop and shut down for the night.

My question is, is there any easy, safe, quick way to tell which one isn't firing so I can go back and make sure everything is kosher?

ONe other quick note, I did de-pressurize the fuel system and move the fuel rails out of the way, made things MUCH easier. There again everything seemed to go back together right. Also this forum was a great help, all the tips and tricks were worth a mint!

 

Hi and welcome to the forum

With the engine idling remove the electrical connector from 1 COP at a time. When you remove them the engine RPM should drop and the engine should idle worse. When you find one that doesn't make any difference you've found the cylinder that's misfiring.

 

My day just got bad..... Anyone have any suggestions on retrieving a COP bolt from a cylinder?????

My recommendation if you are changing your plugs.... when you pull the old one, install the new one before moving to your next plug.....

 

ouch!

a flexible magnetic pickup tool and some time?!?!?! that's what i'd be trying, not a lot of experience there. good luck

 

Racerguy=da bomb

Got all prepped up and settled in for a long night of pulling things apart, had kindof figured it would be #4 stripped out and i'd have to tow it to the real mechanics after 2 or 3 hours of gas, sweat. and grease tonight, $400 repair bill tomorrow...... nope #7 cop wasn't plugged in good. Barely got my hands dirty and she's running like a champ.

Thanks everybody!

 

Hi guys,

Me, being a girl, though one that wears steel-toed workboots for my job and gets to boss alot of men around, decided after a code of cylinder 3 misfiring, that I'd have to take my 97 (4.6)F-150 in to get worked on. I have 161000 mi. on it. Original plugs. They replaced the plugs and that took care of the code. Now I have a code that says the oxygen sensor is malfunctioning. What would cause that? Also, the guy who worked on my truck, who I trust, as he's my kid's godfather, says the intake manifold gasket is leaking oil onto some of the plug wires. He recommends getting those wires replaced and having the gasket replaced too. Around $400. What do you think?
The oxygen sensor code went out a day later. Does that mean there is still a problem? The truck is running great, by the way.

 

Ignore the O2 sensor code if it is gone. With 161k miles, if you still have the original wires, replace 'em. OEM wires traditionally have sucked anyway - some vehicles needing them changed out by 60k miles. If you trust him, and see the oil leak (oil leak = pain in the **** if you're going to keep the truck), get it fixed. If the truck is running great, it should see 210k or 220k like my uncle's '97 4.6 Lariat is doing, so it will be worth the small investment.

 

ive been thinking on doing new plugs to my f150 but im very scared on doing it by myself..it may just take me a few days to do it...i dont have the money to take it somewhere id like to try and learn how to work on my own truck with out taking it in...

 

Thanks, Gammadriver. I am planning on keeping my truck. I love it! So I'll get the wires replaced and do the gasket, too. I want it to last a long time.

 

to those of you who are scared of doing your own spark plug replacement, i tell you this site has just as much knowledge as your local Ford dealership- with one benefit-- you will always get the answers here without having to deal with an overworked and underpaid tech- go ahead and do the work--you won't know if you can unless you try- Have Patience and the right tools

 

what brand of plugs should i put in Platinum or double platinum..i tryed to call the parts store and they started asking me wich ones..thought i better ask first before i do it..

 

Sorry on the sig, I was mad at Ford the day I signed up.... ;=)

The trick with #4 COP and plug access on my 1998:

remove the plastic fuse cover (lifts off) on firewall, passenger side.
disconnect the two large red wires that go to the solenoid
unbolt fuse assembly front metal frame (one bolt/screw sticks up, the other forward)
This allows the plate and components (fuses) to swing out.

Then remove lower electrical module by pressing middle tang in rear and sliding the module towards you.

Now you can completely move all this out of the way and reach under to get to the #4 cop and plug. You can easily see and access the COP bolt once you unplug the #4 injector, just squeeze on each side. From there a 7mm socket with wobbly and extenders and you are golden.

#4 is not bad at all with this technique.

 

The problem is knowing what the right tools are if you have never changed spark plugs, not even on, say, a classic Chevy 350 c.i. V-8. The questions, and frustrations, here don't come entirely from 'new' shade-tree mechanics, it's also coming from people who know what changing plugs out means.

Those few plugs at the back of the engine bay, hidden up under there, require more than just the standard selection of tools. They require an assortment of extensions, and most probably a universal joint extension. Many new plug-changers aren't going to realize when they don't have the right tool, don't have the right angle, or aren't being as careful as they could to prevent either breaking a plug off, or screwing up the threads going back in.

As a teacher, I normally promote self-sufficiency and a never-say-can't attitude, but only after learning the ground rules first - and many times that's going to happen either after a teacher helps a student through a process, or after they work with a partner who knows the ropes. I hate to say it, but I don't believe these Ford, especially as they get older - if they have the original plugs in them - aren't a vehicle to learn plug-changing on without a trusty mechanically-oriented friend alongside.

That I thanked God it all came out alright, and a plug didn't seize, strip or break in that small space we all have to work under, tells me it ain't the best job for a newbie mech.

Flame away, ladies and gentlemen.

 

I completed sparkplug replacement on my 2002 F150 7700 with 110,000 KM. Number 2 was loose, number 3 was so loose the boot was heat damaged and number 7 was loose. The rest of them were tight. I completed the job in 3 hours and was able to torque all plugs. This site gave me the confidence and information to try it at all. Thanks to all contributors !

 

RacerGuy (super mod) Thanks for the tutorial, I was able to change my plugs for the first time on my Crown Vic, in 30 min. I didnt have to remove the throttle body or any brackets. I was able to get to the plugs with a narrow 3/8 extension and a universal , along with a bit of finger power. So thanks for the great tutorial, I wouldnt have been able to do it without it. I have never seen COPs before, and I was initially confused when I couldnt find plug wires.. lol
I ended up using Champion Iridium plugs, the old Motorcrafts were showing wear. I was going to go with Denso, as they have been recommended by a professional Crown Vic racer. Champion said they gapped the plugs at .052 from the factory and there is no need to gap them lol hahaaaa! They were like .040 if that, and I had to gap everyone of them. Ford recommends that you gap the plugs to .054-.055 for my engine, so I went with .055. The iridium electrode is soo much smaller than the normal double platinum ones, so I can see why they recommend .052 at Champion, but none the less I want more gap. It fired up, sounds great, and I noticed a big difference on the top end with regular unleaded petro. With the high gas prices i'm setting it up to burn the lowest octane I can buy, and with my ECU configuration it goes faster! My belt usually chirps for a second at 80mph, but the Champion Iridiums at .055 have enough spark to keep the fuel ignited and the entire system doesnt skip a beat. I noticed a difference in acceleration, mostly smoother, more consistent. The top end was the real benfactor, from the Champs, as the top end came quicker and I actually let off the WOT before I stopped acceleration, at that speed I needed to pay attention to the road, so to be honest I was too excited in the acceleration to pay attention to the speedo (130 ish). Tks for the help and I hope those of you who like Champion plugs put these in your 4.6L Modular.