These are the replacement non-breakable plugs.

 

I am referring to cracking them loose, letting them sit with carb clean for over an hour or so...impact gun snap, all 8 of em broke. We even ran seafoam through 3 tanks of fuel and tried injecting water (old timers steam clean trick) no deal....

 

Congrats.....I broke all 8....then went thru 3 removal tools.....Next time will try the "kroil oil"

 

I'd probably bring it to a shop next time.

 

I am at 106k and my mileage went south this weekend so I decided it was time to replace the plugs. After reading extensively here, and my thanks to all who posted helpful tips, I decided to take the plunge myself instead of giving more of my money to a Ford Dealer.
Today I removed the four easiest plugs and will give the last four a go over the next few days.
Knock on wood, the first four all came out. The first one did break at the threads all the way around, however it broke in an omega shape that allowed the threads on top to keep turning the lower threads. whew!
After much deliberation I decided to go with the Leverage Buffer Tube method.
I have nothing to do with the company so this is totally unbiased.
First, I went with the Seafoam in the brake vacuum line. And if I posted an image of the plugs you can see that they are fairly clean for 106k miles.
Then I pulled the first coil and inserted the tube and squirted both lube and cleaner in it and let it sit for about 20 minutes.
Slowly started to torque the plug out going forward and backward making sure there was lube and cleaner in the threads.
Like I say, knock on wood, the first four came out and the new ones back in.
I will give an update of the last four.

 

I'm just the opposite. I like to start with the hardest ones so the job gets easier as I go.

 

Yea, normally I would do that but with the breakage issue I wanted to try the leverage tube method on the easier ones to see if it really worked

 

Okay that explains the first one, but what about the other 3?

 

The first one cracked so it needed further testing

 

Gotcha, LOL

 

Hi, I don't intend to hijack this thread, but as this is a related question I did not want to start yet another Spark Plug Issue thread. I have been looking into Timesert installation on the remaining plugs of my '98. I have looked around quite a bit and notice the repair threads are getting a bit dated and would like to ask if there is a sticky somewhere that compiles/ summarizes the procedure, tool suggestions and best considered insert manufacturers parts to do this. I've read enough to get dizzy, and since these problems have been plaguing owners for many years now I would appreciate assistance navigating thru the different threads to distill it all down to do the job.


I have approx. 185K on my '98, XLT, 4x4, and the plugs have all been changed, along with 3 repairs on the blown plugs in the past 10K miles. I recently lost my job, and would like to do the remaining cylinders while I have the time and finances are of importance. I also have a 600 mile trip planned thru the Sierra Nevada mountains in about a month, and am guessing it's more economical to do the repairs then to rent something else to tow my 4000lb. travel trailer.
Oh, and my past repairs were done to the tough ones - #3,4 and 7 which is another reason I'm considering the repairs myself.


Again, I apologize if I hijacked the "Plug Change" thread.


Mitch

 

Okay, I need to revise my opinion of the leverage tube.
Since I did the easy ones first I assumed the leverage tube was working great since they all came out.
I used it on the third one back on drivers side and it was a breeze (well kind of).
Then I put the tube in the 4th one back on drivers side (had to move a hose). Put the penetrating oil in and carb cleaner. Put my socket down the tube but I couldn't seem to get onto the plug. There is very little clearance with the leverage tube being used so it difficult to tell what was going on.
The plug was not turning because the socket would not go down all the way and the socket would not come back up so it was stuck over the plug.
There was not room to get a roach clip or needle nose down to retrieve the socket.
The tube would not budge either.
Ended up cutting the tube with a piano wire type pvc cutter as far down as I could and finally wiggled the socket back out.
With a lot of effort the tube finally let loose and came out.
The end of it had mushroomed and is now like rubber. Literally it acts like rubber. At first I thought the engine had melted it but the engine was cool.
So it must have been the repeated use of the penetrating oil and carb cleaner.
The "rubberized" end was acting like a suction.
It now lays cut in half on work bench. The end did not solidify so apparently the molecular structure has changed.
Of course it happened on one of the hardest plugs.
So I ended up pulling the 4th plug on the drivers side without the leverage tube and it was actually easier because I had more room without the tube.
.
If the chemicals are changing the tube then the manufacture should send two to use on 8 plugs. It was fine on the first 5 and this happened on the 6th.
.
The tube is of no use to me now on the last two plugs, and actually cost me about 2.5 hours on just one plug.
I had to remove all the pvc shavings after cutting the tube and before pulling the plug. I had to make sure there was were no stray shavings so it wouldn't stink from melting.
.
So with just one tube I have to give the leverage tube a bad review.
If they sent two with instructions to discard after the 4th plug I would give it a good review.
.
6 plugs down and the two hardest left to go! Tomorrow, maybe. ;-)

 

Dang, I just used the socket from OTC and a 3/8" ratchet. Loosened them 1/8 of a turn, sprayed carb cleaner, and then took them out 30 mins later. No hassle, none broke.


I did mine at 55000 km though, not sure what that is in miles.. probably 30-some thousand. Gonna be changing mine every 20.000 km, I don't care what the maintenance sched says. I'd rather spend a few extra bucks on plugs than dealing with broken ones later.

 

I would definitely return it along with giving them a lot of bitching and moaning.

 

Yeah, I would give them a piece of my mind but I cannot afford to lose anymore.
The last two came out okay.
The engineer(s) that designed this probably got promoted, but they should be made to change all 8 plugs on at least 10 trucks so they can learn what not to do!
.
Just got through fixing my power rear slider.