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I repaired my own blown #3 with a TimeSert kit.
If you take it to a shop do not let them use a helicoil for the repair.
TimeSert has a repair insert for blown helicoils.
Checkout the TimeSert website, good info.
What cylinder blew on yours and how many miles since the plug was last changed?
Was the plug OEM Ford installed?
Be sure to torque your plugs to 20-25 ft-lbs and don't let them go 100k without retorquing them.
I change plugs and boots at 50k.
Motorcraft SP479 plugs 10/$29.30 and Denso 671-0001 boots 10/$29.95 can be purchased on ebay or Rock Auto.
Ended up driving it home after disconnecting the injector.
About 200 miles with wife, 5 kids, dog, and a 7,500 lb camper.
Time-Sert kit is on order.
I bought the vehicle a few months ago and changed the plugs and boots then.
#10 had an oddball plug so I assumed it had some kind of insert.
I put the old oddball plug back in as I couldn't find one locally.
Figured I would get to it later. Had trouble finding a match online as well.
One guess on which one blew. Looks like it melted before coming out as well.
Hopefully that ground strap broke during the launch/landing of the plug and not before. To be sure, I would look down in that hole with a borescope and make sure you dont have damaged piston/bore/valve.
I repaired my own blown #3 with a TimeSert kit.
If you take it to a shop do not let them use a helicoil for the repair.
TimeSert has a repair insert for blown helicoils.
Checkout the TimeSert website, good info.
What cylinder blew on yours and how many miles since the plug was last changed?
Was the plug OEM Ford installed?
Be sure to torque your plugs to 20-25 ft-lbs and don't let them go 100k without retorquing them.
I change plugs and boots at 50k.
Motorcraft SP479 plugs 10/$29.30 and Denso 671-0001 boots 10/$29.95 can be purchased on ebay or Rock Auto.
what about anti-seize? Use a little on the threads or no?
Everything is good from what I can see with the borescope.
I did use anti seize.
Don't remember what I torqued them to but it was an amount decided on after several hours of reading/searching, mostly on this forum.
Now need to decide if I should put inserts in the others.
I was thinking I wouldn't need to since it is an 03. Maybe I will just throw the kit in with my onboard tools.
I wouldnt bother doing an insert on one that isn't blown. I would verify they are torqued again though while you have it down. It's always a good idea after a few hundred miles anyway on these.
... Now need to decide if I should put inserts in the others.
I was thinking I wouldn't need to since it is an 03. Maybe I will just throw the kit in with my onboard tools.
Our Excur and Exped have the 4 thread heads and I have not felt like inserting the others.
The long thread heads were started in Nov. 2002 so early 2003s may have 4 thread heads.
I do carry the kit on long trips, did my repair (#3) in a campground with minimal tools.
Plugs and boots get changed at 50k, antiseize and 25 ft-lbs.
I check the torque after another 10k and they are tight.
Have not had any more problems or misfires.
When the Excur OEM plug blew at 108k I checked the torque on the remaining plugs.
The driver's side was fine and the entire passenger side was just a tad loose.
I had just bought the car with 104k and was going the change the plugs when we got home after the trip, didn't know they were OEM.
Be sure the valves are closed and out of the way so they don't get damaged.
