What is the problem I am seeing on the Ford F150 04, what do I have to do to change plugs? Do they brake? are they two part? Whats going on?
Ditto on what is the TSB, is it on these plugs?
Bob

 

Just replaced my plugs with the champions at 29,000 miles. Followed the TSB and did not have any break. Most of the plugs were beginning to get carbon build-up.

During removal, I also noticed screaching and popping. When one became too tight, I just stopped my progress and took a 1-5 min break. This time apparently allowed the cleaner to wick down further because when I resumed work the plugs were easier to remove. This 1-5 min break is in addition to the initial 15 min soak time as stated in the TSB.

Now I just have to find someone who wants to buy my unused Lisle plug remover tool!

 

Hi all
I guess I should have been looking at the FTE a lot sooner because I didn't know anything about the plug problem. I now have 55k on the scrw 04 truck and am a little worried about changing plugs. I finally found the plug tsb at the ford tsb sight # 06-5-9. I also ran on to a old thread about spark plug removal which helps. I guess I need to try to change my own plugs since the dealer is quite expensive per hour and they allow 2.5 for this task. Retired person not costly unless somthing breaks. My only recourse now is to change now or wait until 100k, will they be harder then?
Bob

 

For those that asked......the plugs in the 04-07's tend to break off half in the head when you go to change them......Champion makes a one piece plug that won't break that alot of guys are switching to.......Its alot of peoples opinions that its better to change them early before they get carboned in and break....than to wait and know you'll have a problem....


55,000 is hard....there is a good chance you'll break a few....although theres some good tools available now to get those out....

 

Ryan thanks for the info and warning on the plugs,
Bob

 

hey 70f what's a lisle tool 65600

 

Looking at mine, I'd say 2.5 hours is pretty fast. Anybody else have a time estimate who has done it themselves?

 

Someone asked what the Lisle 65600 is, just google "Lisle 65600" and you'll see it's one of the many aftermarket extraction tools. If you buy a tool, make sure it's one that has capabilities of pushing down the porcelin. You'll need this if your plugs break and leave the procelin in the metal sleeve. You'll also need a different plug socket, Ford has a non-standard size plug in these motors.

As for how long it takes, it all depends on what path you take. If following the latest TSB to the T you turn each plug 1/8 to 1/4 turn, pour in some carb tune up solvent and let soak a min of 15 minutes. Others let it soak for hours. I did this, using Kroil and still broke 3 plugs. My plug change was a weekend in overall time, but actual touch time on the truck was probably 3 hours. It would have taken me less time if I had a tool that pushed the porcelin down.

I did mine at 64K. My plugs were garbage. Plug gaps were huge. No way would these have run 100K without issue.

Lastly, I didn't install Champions for a few reasons. One and this is not to create another debate, they are not 1 peice. They are a 2 peice welded plug, with a design that differs from Fords, so there shouldn't be any future issues. Two, the set I purchased visually are total crap. They have poor manufacturing controls and equally poor quality control (I'm a manufacturing engineer, so I'm very familiar with this sort of thing). Last, I've heard from a number of Ford people, some engineers and some techs, that the Champions are actually the wrong heat range. But for me, the poor quality is what drove me to install Motorcraft plugs.

If you've not seen photo's of these plugs in the 3 common broken conditions, go to brokensparkplug.com