Ssssooo... apparently, a ford triton 4.6L CAN spit out a spark plug and it's NOT just an urban legend or people who actually believe in gremlins. Cruising down the highway and ppwwosshhh dagggaaadaaggadaagga etc. There was #6 just hanging in it's boot above the head. Unfortunately, I had no socket to try to put it back in. Fortunately, my wife was in our car behind me. The threads looked pretty good on the old plug so I was hopeful that the head might be OK. Went to the Ford dealership and the parts guy said there is NNNOOOO way that the threads in the aluminum head would be OK.
"But the threads don't look bad at all."

"Yeah well that's really common and you have bigger issues than that. The threads in the head are toast for sure. Was it just sitting in the Coil?"

"As I said, it's a 97 4.6L so it doesn't have a COP, it has a plug wire."

"Oh yeah I know that, but you are wasting your time. I've never seen a head make it through the plug coming out on it's own."

"One spark plug please, and I'll see if I need to get more later, but now I just want to see if it can get it off the road."

"I might as well call you a tow truck."

Anyway, let's just say that I drove her home-50 miles on all 8 cylinders. Don't think I don't know how lucky I was that it didn't strip and chew the head threads all to hell. But that parts guy is my Newman (from Seinfeld) and I have dealt with him before.

Now a question. Do you think a little of that new high temp locktite would help these things from backing out? I changed the plugs 15K ago and if I may say, I got the torque just right on install. I think I used anti-seize though, so that may have been one of my gremlins...

P.S. I can't wait to drive the truck to the dealership and order the new plugs!

 

IF indeed you got the plug to thread back in the hole that ejected it earlier....then you were VERY fortunate...typically I don't think the threads in the head tend to fair very well after such a event, as your parts fellow indicated.

Yeah the rule is NO anti-seize on the plug threads and torque to 28ft/lbs.

If you did the plugs earlier...it might be that that one may have been missed to getting proper toruqe?? IDK

If you don't ever intend to remove the spark plug again....try the lock-tite.....other wise I would steer clear of the stuff on a spark plug application. It would definitely make it difficult for the next poor soul.

kudos for getting it to work....but i would always be leery of the cylinder and plug from hear on out.

 

Not sure where the only 5.4L's spit plugs myth is coming from. The 4.6 and 5.4L have the exact same heads and the V10 just has the same head with an extra cylinder.

You were lucky on a couple fronts, #6 usually isn't the one that spits and as said it is very rare to be able to thread it back in.

 

No loctite period... How do you think the plug got out of the head ? Unless it unscrewed itself, the threads are bad.

 

I wouldn't use Loctite. It's basically plastic. The plug needs metal to metal/aluminium contact for the ground. As stated before plugs should be installed dry without anti-seize to correct torque spec. If that fails a threaded insert may need to be installed into the cylinder head.

 

....28ft lbs? Isn't that a bit much?

 

http://ca.autolite.com/sites/default...orquespecs.pdf

 

Well, just an update in case anyone is interested. Yes you were all right (and that dang parts guy was right too NEWMAN!). Long story short, I got about 1k miles and then the plug came out again. Put her back in to get home and 30 miles later, threads were toast of course. I used the Denlor tools kit and have had no problems for about 3k miles. It was quite easy to use and I would recommend it. I have no experience with other kits, but I was happy with the ease and quality of this kit. If you use it I have a little advice from my experience:
1. You don't need a remote starter. Just take the fuel pump relay out and slowly crank the engine until you hear the pressurized rubber plug insert thing pop out. Check the depth to make sure the piston is at the bottom of the stroke and not at the top (you are looking to have both valves closed and the piston at the bottom of the stroke so you don't drill into your piston).

2. The video suggests using some kind of spray lube for the drill bit, die tap, and to spray the spark plug hole with some as well. The written instructions make no mention of this. I recommend NOT using much, if any, lube. The lube makes the shavings hard to get out. I am confident I got the shavings out, but it would have been much easier without the lube making them "wet." If you do use any lube, DON'T spray the spark plug hole as well.

3. Use a decent air ratchet. I had a POS husky model that I started with. I bought an Ingersol/Rand model ($150 with an impact wrench combo). Well worth it. I felt like I had a lot more control.

4. Use an air nozzle and plastic tube to get the shavings out (I used a tube from one of my wife's old breast pumps ). I wasted a lot of time using a modified brake line=and you have to be extra careful not to scratch anything down in there. With the plastic tube you can just shove it around and let it rip!

Other than that, the instructions were spot on. Good kit, but I have nothing else to compare to.