Just wondering who has replaced their 3V 5.4 spark plugs AFTER around 30k miles or so. Were they seized? Break anything? Just curious. Thanks

Ronnie

 

i've changed some plugs and had no problems removing them, most were low milage, but had 1 or 2 around 30,000

 

ive had mine replaced 2 times none were broken 17000mi sorry cant help u
that 150 site never can answer a question except with another question thats why im here and not there

 

Yes, I just posted the same question. The dealership is changing motors in my truck. I don't know which arm or leg they will be wanting yet...

my truck's an '04 with the 5.4, the factory plugs are different than the replacements. I looked into this and I don't think ford is even selling the 5.4 anymore.

 

the plugs were updated but i think u only got them if yours were bad i killed mine my self where did u hear that about the 5.4 not being sold anymore? i think the 3v will be around for a while

 

one of the mechanics I tried to have do the work was telling me that the '06s do not offer the 5.4 any more. He was one of the ones that said there were several problems with the pluggs. Not so much that the pluggs failed but they had a hard time getting them out. Aluminum heads- steel pluggs that are supposed to be stainless but really aren't. when ever aluminum touches steel it has to be stainless or it will degrade to each other, I remember that from my days as a welder. You said you changed yours out early that might have saved you some headaches.

 

Does anyone know if the 4.6 has problems with seized spark plugs like the 5.4?

 

I suggest you find another mechanic and dealership. The Triton 5.4 will be around for many, many years to come. Any Ford mechanic that told you that must have just crawled out from under a rock, and the person in that dealership that hired him is a total idiot for doing so.......Trust me I know these things....

 

To quik truk you are right I thought they were off their rocker but no other mechanic would touch it and they are the closest dealership. as for the 5.4 you are right it is one of the best performing motors it is basically just a bigger 4.6 which is what I have in my work car and it takes a beating every time I get in it. That is why I bought one.

As far as I know, my problem is specific to this variant of the 5.4 with the longer plugs and coil packs on every cylinder. I have also found out that it was just the first so many that came from the factory because the root problem is the should-be stainless plugs and they have since changed to a different type of plug.

 

On of you replied to my post and sent me to the f150 web page…

Thanks, I checked it out and it looks like there are more than a few like me. Some believe that it is carbon buildup on the electrode end of the spark plug.

One guy pointed out the chemical reaction between unlike metals and how they seize together. He called it a Galvanic Reaction, this would happen whenever aluminum contacts steel, they basically corrode together. That is why our spark plugs were supposed to be stainless steel I think the hang-up is they are not stainless steel or not good enough quality.

 

Uh guys, remember that the 5.4's and 4.6's from 1997 have ALUMINUM heads and STEEL sparkplugs. The same metallic combo as the new 3V 5.4's. While the new plugs are longer appearing they still are the same material. If you leave your plugs in for 100,000 miles then you could "weld" to the head. That's why I feel that even though the plugs themselves are not worn it's a good idea to remove them at 50,000 miles and put new plugs in with antisieze on the threads and dielectric grease on the COP/plug end and connection plug also. Though these new plugs are a new design totally and maybe that's why there is problems. As suggested previously maybe with the long plug design the end threads are exposed and getting carboned up making removal difficult.

Whimsey

 

checkout my gallery if u want to see what a bad plug looks like if u use a higher octane than what roush says to use i put in a 1/2 can of 104 in two days it did all that. got them replaced for free roush has a 3 year 36000mi
warranty on the supercharger.( i think the 3v 5.4 is a great engine)

 

I work at a ford dealer and have never heard the 5.4 is going away. The 6.0L yes (hmmm 6.4l twin turbo). We've got about a dozen 2006 F-150's and 8 of them have the 5.4. Anyway I had to do a plug in a 5.4 that had a skip. Your dealer should have changed all 8 plugs, they'res a tsb out on them because ford chnaged the resistoer values and you can't mix and match plugs. Mixing them will mess the motor up. Is that why your getting a motor? Or was it a injector problem cause wherever ford gets they' re injectors blow. I had one die at 4200 miles in a expo. Ford Kuality is JB #1

 

So far from what I have been told is that part of the plug broke off in my truck's eng. That is what caused more problems. The service manager told me today that "ford" called him and wanted pictures of the damage.

On more thing I talked to customer service after I complained at their web page. She told me that the plugs are to be changed at 60,xxx. Mine failed at 51,xxx and just because they failed at what she called " a little early" she said its my problem. So everybody waiting till 100,xxx might want to have a look sooner.

I think they/ford is getting plugs from a different manufacture than the factory plugs that were put in in '04 and that should fix the trouble. But I am not a mechanic anymore and that is just my un-educated guess.

As far as my truck goes, I think it being fixed and my headache is far from over.

 

<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>

Today I spoke to the mechanics and the service manager. They showed me the plugs that came out of my truck. Two broke off ones, and at least two missing the should be stainless shank on the bottom. The ones that were intact had rust on them like a motor that has sat for years. He explained it as both the rusty metal and the carbon build-up around that bottom part that causes this problem. The good news was they were installing the new motor and my truck should be road ready Monday.