I am changing the plugs in my 5.4 today and I was thinking the gap was .54 and 13 fl/lbs was how tight to tighten them. Does that sound right? I have always used anti seize on aluminum heads, but was told not to on the 5.4. Suggestions?

 

Hey Josh:
Lots of opinions on this. Your gap is correct; here's a thread on torque:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...999-5-4-a.html

I'd have a quandry about anti-seize or not myself, so good luck however you choose...

George

 

Here's what I've done since first owning a Modular Motor:

-Used nothing but Motor Craft plugs! While Autolite makes a perfectly acceptable alternative MC are close by, cheap enough to buy locally.

-NEVER let them run longer than 50-60K miles--EVER! Regardless the BS spread how they're good for 100K miles as consumable items they have a finite life.

-Use nickel-based anti-seize on plug threads---there is no down side.

-Torque with a known good wrench set to 21-23 ft/lbs. At first click or indication torque is reached STOP! FWIW advice about the torque wrench itself: range is important. I use a 5-75 ft/lbs Wright Tool so at 21-23 ft/lbs it will work well given the standard tolerances of the click type torque wrenches.

The issue of spitting or blown plugs seems to originate more from improper installation rather than any huge defect in the head or its design. Yes it seems as though the puny 3 threads per hole contacting the plug body is the real problem and while its highly inconvenient when it happens to one of us its just not that common when measured against the number of Modular Motors in use.

It happens, it sucks (or "blows" in this case ) but with a bit of caution and care you're not likely to be the root cause of subsequent incidents, if they ever occur.

HTH

PS: This thread tends to shred a lot of thoughts about torque and anti-seize---enjoy: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...ead-heads.html