Sorry if I didn't search enough, but I'm goin' blind trying to find this..

2003 Explorer overhead-cam 4-liter V6
We got this vehicle earlier this year- had no problems till past few weeks. Sometimes it stalls, usually before full warmup. Wife drives less than a mile to work, which I feel is cause for concern. I try to give it a good workout at least once week. We also try to give it lots of time to warm up before she leaves, but I wonder if thats good or bad.
So, I'm starting with plug change- car has about 150 K on originals.<!--StartFragment-->
Manual calls for AGSF-22PP (I take it this is dual platinum?)

Ford parts man sold me AGSF-22FM. I didn't even pay attention till we got back home (about a 90 mile round trip).
So- can someone tell me what the FM suffix is, and should I go back for the PP plugs or not?

 

single plats should be ok too, but sometimes the names and numbers change by ford, and they are the same thing...

Also, I would get a set of MotorCraft Wires too - I bet it's a bad wire, more than a plug - usually if a plug is bad, it will miss all the time, but I guess it's possible.

Autolites are also good plugs for ford cars/trucks - Ford makes them :-)

Try cleaning all the parts from the air box to the TB too... (carefully) - makes a huge difference, esp if it's never been done before with 150K on her

 

Get the dual plat or nothing....

 

Thanks for the reply mediaman67 (thought I wouldn't get one!)

I found that the FM indicates a Platinum-Iridium electrode. I guess as you say- its the flavor of the month for 4 Liter Explorer.
I had a hard time breaking the old plugs loose (cracked one porcelain section, but no problem). I'm an old guy with some bad vertabrea, so younger dudes in better shape would have no problem.
Some things to note:
1- Just 'cause you can see a plug don't mean it's going to be easy to work on. I started with what I thought was hardest- passenger side against firewall. I could only see the very tip, but there was room to get a long extension out to where I could use a ratchet with 14" cheater.
2- The toughest ones for me where on the driver side, in (almost) plain view. Trouble here is lack of swinging room for the tools. But I managed.
3- I did all 6 plugs from above- I didn't want to mess with the mud guards under fenderwells.
4- With Just under 150K miles, the gaps were all very wide- over 1/8 inch- a long way past .047 as recommended. But they were still working, and burning clean. The plugs on drivers side had some white ash deposts, those on passenger side where a little cleaner.
The motor seems to be idling much better, has not killed on us since the plug swap, so we'll hold off the other work you suggested for a while.

The final insult:
I dropped a 3/8" extension, about 8 inches long- while working on the driver side. It banged and bounced and came to rest in a place where I can't find it. Definitely not on the ground. So far I don't think it's causing trouble, but it drives me crazy knowing it's down there and I can't find it!
It's 45 miles to the nearest lift, so we'll have to live with it till the next trip to civilization.

 

Thanks for advice. The Ford guy (Harvey, LA shop) said he didn't stock them, and the FM's where rated same as PP.

 

you can run either plug in that engine, but the Doubles will last longer - Fords do like MC plugs and wires for sure... it's all most people will use...

Glad you were able to get on them with your extensions... swivels are nice to have on hand too... and a nice full set of different extensions...

if you think that was hard, try tuning up an Aerostar :-) - there is where a Double Plat is a must, since you don't want to do that job more than once every 3-4 years max

I would get a new set of wires too next time you are at the dealership - I think you'd be amazed at what they'd do for you. - assuming these are the original OEM wires, like your plugs were...

 

If the FM does indeed mean platinum-to-iridium, they will last longer than the double platinums. Iridium is more durable - and more expensive

 

is that considered a single plat plug then? or Plat to iridium plug? I never used those -

But, my point was that you could use either plug in theory, with the same performance result in that 4.0L

 

Platinum to iridium is like platinum to platinum on steriods. Iridium is a better conductor than platinum, has greater heat tolerance, better thermal conductor, and wears less. So it will actually work better than standard double platinums. You could also use double irifium, if one is offered in the correct heat range and gap. Since Ford doesn't endorse any double iridiums, I would assume that none are made with the correct heat range.

 

hey bear!

I'm gonna try some of that AutoRX I think - in my Aerostar, and see if it takes care of the cold start noisy ticking lifter... it only lasts for 1 minute or so, but I guess what I have found out is that the product will not harm anything, worse case.

I also changed back to 5w30 in the Exp - seems to like it much better so far... gonna be taking up to VT for the holidays - hope she makes it ok (fingers crossed)

do they list or make an FM (plat to iridium) MC plug for a 96 Explorer? (the older 4L) I know the newer 4's used them, didn't know if it was ok for the older ones...