I got about 60,000 miles on are 2002 Escape and I wanta do a tune up on it. Does anyone know how hard it is to replace the spark plugs in the back by the firewall. and does anyone know and tip or tricks to make the job any easier?

 

Changing all 6 takes about 1.5 hours if you've never done it before and take your time. You must pull the intake manifold to replace the rear bank and I suggest buying a new set of intake gaskets (~$6 from a non-Ford source). Take a look at the plastic intake, there are several items attached to it so you've got to remove them or their hoses. Easiest way is to mark them when you remove them. Don't forget the anti-seize lube for the new plugs.

 

Do you know what to torque the manifold bolts down too? And should I stick with motorcraft plugs and wires?

 

89 in-lbs in the following order:
7135
8426

I went with Champion double platinums which were slightly more expensive than MC. At 75k miles, the electrodes were worn a little but I didn't notice any real difference in power or mpgs after the changing them. I just changed them since I don't like the idea of leaving them in 100k miles (per Ford) dry. Plus my F150 Triton COP V8 had fouled out the plugs by 80k miles. Whatever your choice, go with platinums since you don't want to be doing this every 30k miles or so.

Wires? This isn't a standard spark plug wire setup with the COP system. It's a wiring harness that runs to the coil that sets on the plug. Mine were fine and I haven't heard of anyone changing them. Your main concern is to look at each COP when you pull it. Make sure it doesn't have any cracks and it's sealing good so no moisture is getting in the hole. I know of individual COPs being replaced due to them being crack or moisture causing problems. When I changed mine, the #4 had a tiny bit of moisture in the bottom of the hole but the COP looked okay. I switched it with #5 and was going to verify whether the moisture was due to the seal or whether #4 being close to an open area was causing the problem. But, I totaled my 02 a several weeks ago so now I get to start over with an 05 Escape.

 

Sorry to hear about the accident, But glad to see your sticking with the same SUV. Would it be ok to put Diolacite grease on the tip of the spark plug? and would it be a good time to change the fuel filter too?

 

Yes, dielectric grease can be applied around the insulator. 60k is a good time to change the fuel filter, I haven't looked at the manual but I believe it's due every 30k miles. The fuel filter is fun since it will dump anything in the lines on you unless you clamp off the lines.

Yes the 02 is toast due to livestock running across a road but since Ford finally put a decent 4-banger in the 05 and I have a long commute, I went with the 4-banger. Much easier to work on than the V6, it has enough HPs for my purpose and a few more mpgs.

 

Did you get the hybird? I think that will be the next SUV if we ever get rid of this one.

 

Nope. The hybrid is great in-town but it doesn't do much better than the I4 (26-27mpg) on the highway. Plus the hybrid is basically a loaded XLS at $28k with no rebates and mine was just over $21k before the $2k rebate. Interesting concept but hard to justify at that price. Also, if you're serious about the hybrid then look at the real world mpgs that owners get. 32-33mpg in-town but that's in climates where you don't run the A/C or defrost since their usage will cause the gas engine to run.