2001 5.4L spark plug socket (repaired head)
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Trailering
Joined: Mar 2017
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2001 5.4L spark plug socket (repaired head)
Hello guys.
My father recently passed and I have his 2001 F250 4X with a 5.4L. I'm having a problem getting 3 spark plugs out. Seems no socket I have (I have every size deep, metric and SAE) will grab the nut. I remember sometime back changing some for him and he had a socket for one of them that had been repaired. Seems like it was unusually small but I've tried everything from 3/8 up (metric as well) and have yet to get anything to grab. I have the usual 5/8 and 13/16 actual spark plug sockets but the 13/16 is too big for the deep hole. I don't know who he had do the repair or what was used to repair the head. I've searched through his tools and didn't come across anything unusual. I have a bore scope and looked in one cylinder, looked like a regular hex head, looked in another hole and it looked like 2 flat sides and rounded on the ends. I'm having a time with these 3. If he was still alive it'd be no problem but..... Anyone have ANY idea what I need to get these 3 out? I really appreciate any ideas.
Dave
My father recently passed and I have his 2001 F250 4X with a 5.4L. I'm having a problem getting 3 spark plugs out. Seems no socket I have (I have every size deep, metric and SAE) will grab the nut. I remember sometime back changing some for him and he had a socket for one of them that had been repaired. Seems like it was unusually small but I've tried everything from 3/8 up (metric as well) and have yet to get anything to grab. I have the usual 5/8 and 13/16 actual spark plug sockets but the 13/16 is too big for the deep hole. I don't know who he had do the repair or what was used to repair the head. I've searched through his tools and didn't come across anything unusual. I have a bore scope and looked in one cylinder, looked like a regular hex head, looked in another hole and it looked like 2 flat sides and rounded on the ends. I'm having a time with these 3. If he was still alive it'd be no problem but..... Anyone have ANY idea what I need to get these 3 out? I really appreciate any ideas.
Dave
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Trailering
Joined: Mar 2017
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I know the plugs weren't the standard plug. He had a different socket for one cylinder, 3rd back passenger side. Don't know if that's 5 or 6. But I've ran into the same problem on the back 2 on the drivers side. 5/8 doesn't do it. It worked on the other cylinders as they had the regular motorcraft plugs in them. I know he said it was a different plug and I kind of remember it being really a small size best I can remember (It's been a couple years). I've blown out the holes, nothing in there. I know it's a different size but suspect my regular deep sockets need to be thin wall probably. I don't know. Tried everything I have in metric and SAE but haven't got a bite on any of the 3 yet. I'm presuming as well that he had the same shop do all 3 and it's the same plug but even that I'm not sure of.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 965
Likes: 355
From: Newton Illinois
A common way to repair these is with a Dorman 42025 repair kit.
It is basically a self taping insert, I have used these and never had a problem bud I did eventually use the calvan repair.
The Insert takes a 11/16" Socket then it comes with a Autolite HT2 Plug that is 9/16".
It is basically a self taping insert, I have used these and never had a problem bud I did eventually use the calvan repair.
The Insert takes a 11/16" Socket then it comes with a Autolite HT2 Plug that is 9/16".
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Trailering
Joined: Mar 2017
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I was looking around and saw the Dorman kit, suspect that might be what was used. I have tried 9/16 with no luck. Do you think a thin wall socket is required?
One thing though, the plug hex head is all the way down in the cylinder head, it's not raised to where the coil would need a short boot.
One thing though, the plug hex head is all the way down in the cylinder head, it's not raised to where the coil would need a short boot.
Cargo Master
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 2,920
Likes: 515
I know you said you looked but I had a problem on an '03 5.4. Finally used my borescope and saw plastic pieces of the coil clips down next to the hex. Air wouldn't blow it out because it was wedged tightly. Finally managed to dislodge physically with a long something-I-don't-remember
Don't some of the extraction kits literally grab the ceramic to get the plug out? Worst case you might try that....but your problem seems odd for sure
Don't some of the extraction kits literally grab the ceramic to get the plug out? Worst case you might try that....but your problem seems odd for sure
More Turbo
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 533
Likes: 78
Any socket inside of the glove box? I know when i have something special done to my vehicles i leave the special tool in the vehicle (if it fits)...
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Trailering
Joined: Mar 2017
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I looked in the glove box and bed tool box. Figured I'd find what I needed but didn't. Dad usually kept things like that with the vehicle or maybe top drawer in his garage toolbox. Sadly nothing. I'm starting to think my sockets aren't deep enough. Took a flashlight, squeezed my head back in there and could see fully down the hole if one cylinder. Nothing in there, it's clean. Plug is in normal shape, nothing there. I think it's socket depth. Plug tip is hitting extension and not allowing the socket to get down to the hex. sockets I found of dads are shorter than mine but I took an old plug and it goes fully into the socket but if it's a longer plug then we'll have a problem. Going to try and find deeper sockets at maybe the parts store.
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Trailering
Joined: Mar 2017
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I got the back 2 on the drivers side, 7 & 8 I think they are. Pattern goes front to back instead of crossways. Still have cylinder 3 to try, already had put the coil on it and moved on to the others. I'll go back and try it when I get time. I don't know what the deal was but I put a 5/8 new socket on them and they came out. I think I had already loosened them, don't know. That one is on me, duh moment. But they are normal plugs. Looks like cylinder 3 is the only one he had repaired. I'll see soon what else it needs, I know a transmission line down near to bottom of the radiator is leaking, Rubber line goes on to a metal line and I can see a spray coming out of it and the mess on my driveway. That just started today. Could be lots of little fixes to get this thing going like I want it. It's going to be a backup to my 7.3 350. Diesel is so expensive I'm hoping this thing will get the same or better mileage and save me a little in fuel costs as a daily driver.
More Turbo
Joined: Aug 2021
Posts: 718
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Hope your results are different. My 99 5.4 4x4 ccsb got 12.5 hgwy and 8.5 towing a pop up camper. My 01 7.3 4x4 eclb gets 17.5 and 10.5 dragging a travel trailer that is 4 times the size and weighs twice as much as the pop up. My 5.4 was a gutless wonder compared to the 7.3.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 868
Likes: 84
From: Florida
For what it's worth, I had to repair a blown plug in #7. It appears that some mechanic used the plug repair kit and that loosened itself over time. In order to seat the "plug-fix" you need an 11/16 deep socket. The repair piece gets fitted into the head AND THEN you seat the spark plug. The problem was the 11/16 needs to be thin walled, couldn't find one. So I took the sacrificial socket and used a grinder on the outer walls to "thin" it down. It worked!!
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