I changed my plugs today on my 5.4 F250 LD 4X4. The total time was closer to 3 hours after I put all the tools away. All in all I didn't think it was that bad. A couple of pointers:

Remove the front tires - this lowers the vehicle and makes it easier to get back into the engine compartment (I'm 6'3 and with the tires out of the way I thought it was easier)

Have a magnet stick handy. It is very easy to drop a bolt or a tool underneath the intake manifold. This is a must unless you never drop a bolt.

Take your time and move as much stuff out of the way. The dreaded change underneath the fuel rails on the driver side was not impossible at all. In fact it wasn't that bad. I would recommend having a 7 mm wrench handy to losen the bolt for the coil on the third cylinder.

Pull the wiring harness away on the driver side. It is sitting on 2 bolts and is not bolted or clipped down.

Remove the power steering oil container brackets and the intake assembly for the air filter.

Use anti-size stuff on the plugs threads and dielectric goo on all electrial connections.

A air compresser is a must to blow out the sprark plugs holes. They are deep and I did find a rock in one and a lot of sand in the others.

If you start it and you have a miss, you most likely didn't get a coil pack plugged into the wires correctly.

That's the way Dan did it. Not that hard of a job at all.

 

97f150 4x4 4.6 auto 130k miles:
Good ideal...removing the tires, I'll try that next time. Number four was the bear for me to get loose and I did have a magnet handy and needed it because number four fell back into the pocket.
I live in phoenix so everything seems to want to dry out (wonder why?) and had to contend with that but it took a couple of hours also.

 

Dan,

Thanks for the plug update. Two questions:

First, what method did you use to tighten your plugs. Torque wrench or feel?

I am also a believer of using anti-seize coumpond on plugs and many other places. But, I talked to a Ford tech on a board and he says that Ford says do not use anti-seize on the plugs. I'm not sure what to do. My truck is still new, but I grearing up for the plug changing fun

Whould be nice if Ford raised the fuel rails.

Thanks
Pete

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 16-Oct-02 AT 10:36 AM (EST)]I do appreciate your taking the time to describe your results. I will print out these comments for future use.

My truck is less than a year old, but already has 33K. I figure 50K is about where I want to change the plugs. What's the consensus here?


I have always used anti-seize on spark plugs, especially with aluminum heads. I know that it has the effect of lubricating the threads, so I go to the low side of recommended torque (where I can torque 'em--other places by equivalent feel). I wonder what the tech's thinking was. I really would dread the next change without the anti-seize!

MrBSS

 

I used feel to torque them in. 17 lbs is not much and as was posted earlier the anti-size stuff will probably throw off your wrench. I just torqued them to gentle firmness and that was it. I went back and undid a few and they broke free right away. So I felt fairly safe doing it the way I did. You will also have a difficult time with some torque wrenches getting them in the back cylinders. I probably should've torqued the front ones, but I didn't.

I talked to another mechanic and he really recommended the compound on the threads. After pulling my plugs and noting the amount of rust present I agree. Not using it is at your peril. A Ford dealership may not be concerned if they strip out a head (it's your dollars to fix it) but I was.

MrBSS: You have plenty of time to change your plugs. It seems that they don't start causing a problem until high 70's or +80K. I replaced mine at 73K and they were not that bad. Some looked very good, a few looked a little worn on both the tip and the electrode. I think they could have easily gone 10K more, but I didn't want to do the job during a snow storm or some other nonsense.

 

Thanks for the reply Dan. I feel the same way about putting in dry steel plugs in aluminum. It makes me very nervous.

Pete

 

thanks