This spring break im prolly going to change my plugs on my 1998 F-150 5.4l with 202000+ miles (first im checking with my friend who i bought it from, and see when the last time they were changed)

But my main question is that when i change my plugs , i was wondering if it was safe to degrease/clean the engine if the coils are out(plugs still in),
I didnt want to spray it off with the coils on cause i might ruin a coil.

I was going to go to AutoZone and get some sort of cleaner like maybe some of that industrial purple clean stuff that you mix with water i think , spray it with the cleaner then rinse it off with a hose, then spray out with compressed air to dry out a bit. Could this mess up any other electronics as long as i dont spray directly on certain components?

I read some where in my searching on this website that AutoZone should have the motocraft plugs, if not where could i get them.
id rather not go to a dealer to get them, they would prolly charge too much.

 

auto zone sucks. if you have o'reilly's nearby, go there. shoot even walmart is better than auto zone. i haven't met one half intelligent person??? at autozone. at least at walmart, you have "some" reference books and better prices.

 

...Thread moved to the 1997-2003 F-150 Forum

 

what forum did i post in? i thought i posted there

 

First of all, yea get outta the zone...I wish I had an O'reilly's however my local redneck napa is just as good...secondly.....if there is no avoidable way to keep water off electronics I usaully unhook my battery let the compartment dry and immediately pull EVERY plug connection(wiring harness) and spray with wd-40....ie WATER DISPLACEMENT-40....let that dry hook it all back up and you should be good to go.....

 

I blow the plug holes out on every modular I do, every engine in fact, before I pull the plugs. That gets all the loose crap out of the hole.

 

all right thanks you guys
I know you guys dont really like Autozone but they havent messed up any of my parts yet, so if i got the plugs at Autozone and checked to see if they are the right ones going to the motorcraft website, or where else should i go to get them, i dont think i have an oreilys anywhere close to me.
Will wally world have the motorcraft plugs?

 

i checked Autozones website and the plug they have is SP479

 

That's the correct Motorcraft part number. You get AGSF22WM spark plugs which supercede the old plug number listing. The only difference I can see in the new plugs versus the old factory installed is the new plugs are plated on the body to prevent rust and the old plugs were steel body. I changed my plugs for the first time 3 weeks ago and thanks to the posts here the job was not as difficult as I had thought. It took 5.5 hours to do the job, I didn't rush and left no blood on the motor (grin). I did not have to pull the fuel rails and only had a problem pulling #3 cop off the plug which was resolved by the tie wrap trick posted here in the forum. I used the following to do the job: 5/8" 6 point deep socket 3/8 drive (no rubber insert inside the socket), 3/8 drive swivel head ratchet, 3/8 drive 8" and 10" extensions, 1/4 drive 7MM swivel socket with ratchet and 6 inch extension, 1/4 drive inch pound torque wrench with 1/4 to 3/8 drive adapter. The smaller body size of the torque wrench allowed me to negotiate the tight areas on top of the motor. Antiseize and dielectric grease are a must. I had to pull off the throttle body cowling and the power steering to thermostat housing bracket plate. I blew out all the plug wells with lots of compressed air. I was amazed at how much dirt and sand was in the holes, but I live in a dusty area. All of my old plugs were over .060 on the gap from wear and I am at 81K on miles and 6 years on the truck. I don't think the plugs would have made it to 100K miles.

I would not recommend degreasing your motor unless its really bad. I use an old sock over the hand with elbow power to remove build up on the motor. A little high strength alcohol works well with this method and is safe for your motor when used sparingly. The down side is it takes some time using this method. Some chemicals can attack the aluminum parts of your motor and spraying your motor down with water or a liquid is an invitation to electrical troubles. I think the purple stuff you mentioned is not recommended for use on aluminum parts.

 

thanks, I dont think ill spray down the motor,just to be on the safe side.
I think im gona go to Autozone and get the plugs sum time this week that way i can get it done during spring break.
Everybody keeps refering to "7mm swivel" is that a 7mm socket with 1/4" swivel , or is it that 7mm socket swivel thing from sears?
At least one of my coils have a small crack on top i think, should i use some type of epoxy plastic stuff to cover it.

 

Use only motorcraft plugs don't use bosch platinum...take if from someone who put in bosch and had to change back to motorcraft platinum....

 

Its the 7MM socket with the swivel built in. Sears was the quickest place to get it, haven't had any luck at the auto parts stores.

 

Alright ill have my dad pick up that swivel at sears, and some wobble extensions
Thanks everyone