A dirty K&N is a good K&N

Unless performance is falling off, leave it alone, the dirt helps it filter better.

 

IMO...just leave the stock filter until it needs replacing. Once it does...you should have already cleaned your K&N...and back on goes the K&N.

Personally...I am NOT a big fan of K&N etc. filters. Unless you are making other mods to the overall V10, then it really does not help. Just my .02


biz

 

You can let the K&N filter get a little dirty. If it isn't really caked up just clean out any large debris or bugs stuck in the pleats and put it back on.

K&N makes a mesh pre-filter I'm going to get for mine to help keep out the big stuff.

I'd rather clean my filter than go buy a new filter, but thats just me.

 

Got a phonecall from the dealer today. Apparently, one of the plugs had part of the insert come out when they changed them, and now they want me to come in so they can have a look at it.
The very reason I went to a Ford dealership to have the plugs changed was to ensure I'd have someone intimately familiar with these engines do it, and now it seems even they can't do a proper job. Needless to say I'm a bit steamed about this. Any chance they messed the head up even more by not catching this right away? If so, anything I can do, being a layman and all?

 

You mean an insert in the head? Was the head repaired once already?

If they are talking about a plug hole that was already repaired once, I think the insert makers do make oversized ones, just in case the insert comes out. Or, if the insert is put back and staked right, it won't come back out.

Or, there was a Helicoil put in, and they are known to come out with the plug the next time.

I'd investigate the Timesert inserts... And I'd certainly NOT take a Ford dealer's line that the entire head has to be replaced - unless it's under an extended warranty?

 

Well, it turns out the truck probably spit a plug at some point (#9, they say), because there was an insert there. However, part of the insert broke off when they did the tune-up last thursday (could it be they used lock-tite on the plug when whoever put the insert in, I wonder?). Dealer told me the only Ford-authorized fix is to replace the head, but a temporary fix would be to lock-tite the broken off piece back in there.
A new head is about $3,000 per half, so I opted for the temporary fix. They seem to think it should last until next plug change, however, no guarantee on that one.
I guess my question for you guys is as follows: Do you concur with their assessment? Also, if I want to put the Timesert inserts in, will that work with that insert that's already in there (they said the piece that was left in there is pretty much impossible to get out without pulling the head)?
And, if the Timesert is the obvious solution, anyone in the Portland, OR area who wants to make some extra money?

 

The broken off Helicoil HAS to come out of there. If there is only a piece of the helicoil left it is not being held in with a lot of force.

Get the old insert out of there put a new one in and your set.

This whole "Plug Spitting" thing is something Ford should stick by for at least 100k. It is the fault of their engineers.

 

There is an outfit that does mobile spark plug repairs, can't remember the name right now.

Guys?

And, dkf, the real fault is with whoever wrote the maintenance manuals and devised the "100K tuneup" BS. I hear there is a TSB out that says to go over the plugs ever 30K miles. Which is what we've been saying here all along on FTE - the plugs need to be removed, cleaned, anti-siezed, and torqued... every 25-30K or every 2 years or so.

 

http://www.blownoutsparkplug.com/

 

I agree, but someone had to come up with the specs...and then relayed that info to the folks that wrote the manual. IMO...engineers are at fault on this one.

In today’s world...every 25-30K checking the plugs is ridiculous. A lot of people do not have the ability to check plugs...and to ask them to pay...Is just too much. If advertising 100k plugs, then the customer should feel comfortable in that claim. After all...if FORD doesn't know there own product...who does?...


biz

 

The "100K tuneup" was a marketing thing. Nothing less.

Probably because some other manufacturer did it first. Solution? Put platinum plugs in.

Which don't last 100K anyway before they run like crap.

It's been said before, I'll say it again.

ANY mechanic with any experience KNOWS not to leave plugs in an aluminum head for more than 2-3 years and 20-30K miles. If you do, it's asking for trouble.

Before I ever knew about plug blowouts, it's the reason I did the first plug change on my '96 t-bird 4.6L - because it had been 3 years and 30K miles ...

Common sense is not an engineering pre-requisite

 

This keeps on getting better. Yesterday, on the way to work, while sitting at a light, the engine all of a sudden starts "shuddering" (for lack of a better word). It almost felt like it was about to die. However, rpm stayed steady.
Closer to work, the "Service Engine Soon" light comes on. Nice.
So I call the dealership up again. Bring it in, they say.
I'm starting to think this truck is going to be a money pit
It ran good until I decided to get a tune-up at Ford (simply wanting a "reset" on the plugs, since I didn't know when they were changed last), and specifically going to Ford since I (foolishly, apparently) assumed they'd be intimately familiar with these engines and sparkplug issues. Now, after the tuneup, I have a broken insert (an insert they didn't even discover was broken off until 3 full days after the tune-up) that's temporarily fixed (should last until next tune-up they said), followed by a service engine light the very next day...
So now I'm sitting at home waiting for Ford to tell me what's the matter (charging $120 for a diagnostic on the service engine light). I guess if it's "related" to the tune-up, they'll rescind that charge. I told them if the truck would have ran better, I would have stopped at Baxter's Auto Parts and gotten the codes read for free. "Yeah, but that doesn't necessarily tell you what's wrong" he says "The $120 includes the troubleshooting necessary to pinpoint the problem". I guess he's right, but this is turning into a big pita.

 

That broken insert HAS to be replaced. The threads may not be sealing around the plug right and you'll spit a plug or possibly lose compression.

Were the COP boots replaced?

 

Agreed!



mrnolmts -- If you can...please post the codes your V10 was diagnosed with. Really interested in what is going on.

I also agree...that the dealership "should" know our V10's better than anyone, but sometimes they just don't!


biz

 

3 boots replaced. I would have had them do all, but they wanted $24 per boot, so I told them no to all, and only replace the ones that needed replacing. Regarding the broken insert: I asked if this is a helicoil, and he said no. Maybe he doesn't know what he's talking about. I don't know. I will try and figure out what to do about this. The problem is that the part that didn't break off is stuck in the head (they couldn't get it out), and I'm concerned that trying to remove it might do more harm than good. Also, with an insert already in that hole, will another insert (like timesert) be big enough to get a "hold"? I'm assuming with the "re-threading" that's already done, a timesert insert might not be big enough to allow an additional rethread? They seemed to be quite confident (don't ask me why I even consider believing them) that it'd be fine until the next tune-up. We drive about 5k miles a year, so that'll be a while...
Anyhow, the reason it was running rough, you ask? From the work order:
"Codes P0301 (Cylinder 1 misfire), P0171 (Bank 1 Lean).
Found Injector 1 connector partially mated. Reset connector and clear codes."
So it seems the guy who did the tune-up didn't do that great of a job. Truck runs clean now. Question is, though: I drove about 10 miles or so with this problem. Any chance my 168k miles engine got messed up by this?