My E 350 W/ V-10 Is About Due For Spark Plug Change. I Am Looking For
Thoughts As To What Brand To Use. I Have Had Good Performance With Bosch Plugs In Other Vehicles But I Have Had No Problems With The Original Autolite Plugs That Are In The Van Now. I Have Also Heard Of
People Getting Better Mileage With Nkg Plugs.

 

I would only use the motorcraft, it is a good plug and supposedly has a coating on it to stop corrosion that would weld the plug in the head. But you better check the torque on them every year and torque them to 30lbs instead of the 14 recommended.
Andrew.

 

I refuse to endorse this, because Ford's service specs are 14, not 30.

I will not condone anything that could invalidate anyone's warranty or extended service plan.

Until Ford says it, anyway ...

 

I have never heard of anyone torquing the plugs to 30lbs, but will check the Ford service dept next time I can get by there.

 

Motorcraft is the only plugs I use. Nickel anti-seize on the threads, don't overtorque or the threads will start to stip weaken and are more likly to blow out. Alum is fickle and does not take much to strip threads or bring the threads out with the old plug. A little too much pressure and the alum. will cold weld to the threads.

 

I agree with the brand: Motorcraft

I disagree with the 30 ft/lbs. IMO...that is just to much for the alum head to take.


biz

 

If you don't torque them to 30lbs you will have to check the torque on them every 30,000 miles. My origional plugs went 65,000 and I decided to check them they were tight. I replaced all the plugs and set them to 14ftlbs. 50,000 miles later I got concerned and found one out of the 10 was loose, quite loose and it was the #4 on passenger side which is the one that seems to always go first. I torqued them all to 30lbs. the threads felt fine at that torque and even the loose one was not complaining at that torque. I believe there is no problem with 14 or 30, but you will still have to torque them annually if you want to avoid the problem. Ford issued a tsb that said to have the plugs torqued every 30,000. I do my own, but try telling that to the public at $150 per torquing. Especially when Ford advertised 100,000 miles tune up.
With 5 threads there is no way that 14lbs is going to stay tight. I have dealt with Volkswagen, Toyota and motorcycle alloy heads and they will all come loose, they just have ten threads in their heads like Ford should have put there instead of the 5
Hope it helps someone not loose a plug.
Andrew.

 

Do you have a copy of this TSB or a number?

 

If your going to go to all the trouble of pulling off the coils/boots to torque the plugs I would just change them while I'm at it.

Too much wrenching on the fragile alum threads just weakens them further. I'll just replace plugs every 50-60k and done with.

 

i use ngk #7164 if you want to spend more money then use ngk# 6579 you want a finewire precius metal plug.

 

I don't have a number for the TSB sorry. I travel a lot and have owned several Ford Vans. I have talked with a lot of mechanics and have had 3 different service managers tell me that Ford sent them information recommending the 30,000 mile torque check.
I don't know how they received the information. I am sure it was given in a way that would not incriminate Ford in this spark plug issue as an admission that there is a very real problem.
DKF the problem is that if you wait to 50-60k to check them after the initial plug change and set them to 14 I would be surprised if you didn't have one loose by that mileage. I don't believe they had 14 on them from the factory, mine were tighter than that when I took them out. More like 20. I am going to put new plugs in and check them every 30,000 and replace them every 60 or 90k.
Andrew.

 

Uh, it usually takes more torque to remove the plug after it's rotted itself to the aluminum