Well, Got my plugs done today. My initial intent was to tackle them myself. I purchased 8 of the PZT1F's (SP-462, Qty.-2) for $76, correct for the 05-06 SD 5.4L/3V at:
Silver State Ford Parts Genuine Ford Truck Parts Lincoln Mercury Parts OEM Ford Parts and Accessories saving about that much from the dealer price of $140.

I recently recieved a 15% service coupon and figuring i bought the plugs and with the coupon, having Ford do it would cut down the final cost a bit, save me some headaches and have the truck back quickly.

I received a phone call from the dealer early in the morning before they started service. (i had dropped the truck of the previous evening with the plugs and a copy of TSB 08-7-6 which describes the proper removal/installation and a couple of possible breakage senarios) The service clerck wanted to confirm that i was aware of the possible plug breakage. I assured him i was aware of the problem. He continued to go on and inform me that if plugs were to break there would be an additional 1 hour labor cost per plug to remove. I kind of saw this coming but didn't want to admitt it to myself, anyway that runs about $100 bucks a plug. He assured me they would do their best and follow the TSB procedures as they would normally do. They have done previous work on the truck and i have been very satisfied with their quality of work.

So the intial cost of doing the plugs (with me supplying) and without breaking any was about $230. Well, they broke 4, so now i'm at $630. My 15% coupon and my $15 worth of reward points brings me to a total cost of $528.

They gave me the old plugs which i inspected carefully and yes 4 were broken. Now the plugs that i bought i had also inspected carefully. Although they both bear the p/n- PZT1F they are not the same plug. I know they made a couple of variations on heat ranges but the plugs i purchased looked like a better design in one respect but not in another. The ones i purchased have a one piece shell with a very small weld at the thread base compared to the old ones that have a two piece shell design with a larger weld at the plug base. I cant confirm weather one weld is better than the other but the one piece shell has to be a much better design as the ones that broke all broke at the shell break. When i was inspecting the new plugs i thought the breakage problem would have been at the thread end.

The broken plugs seemed to be the only ones that had a little more corrosion or slight rust on the shell compared to the ones that didn't break. The threads on all plugs as well as the outer insulator and contact tip looked relatively clean and in good condition. The electrode tip had some light carbon build up which is to be expected.

The dealer did install the nickle anti-seize on the shells as i had made comment to before the work began just to cover my azz.

Although the cost was considerable for "just a plug change" I am sure i would have broken some doing it myself as many others have.

And although the truck has 65k, is fed quality fuel cleaner and is mainly a highway and back roads truck with no heavy stop and go traffic i figured the carbon build up would be at a minimum, i still had the breakage problem. I think this was more of a moisture problem than carbon. I maybe wrong of course as this is only a result of my observations.

Well, sorry i ranted for so long. Just wanted to share my experience for those of you have not done them or have not yet had them done. At least buy the plugs for $7-8 ea (or cheaper if you can find them.) I know i will be doing the next set.

 

Those 3 V motors were surely a pain when it came to plugs. The trick is to run a LOT of gas additive like Marvel Mystery oil for the whole tank of driving, get the engine lukewarm, then soak the plugs with penetrating products for a few hours, back them out a few threads and soak them again a little, etc. Kind of late now but they should know this. Sorry about the misfortune.

The problem is; they extend too far into the chamber and bind up on the way out because of deposits on the exposed threads. It could have been worse. there are cases where they had to use drills and special tools to get them out. There are certain brands of plugs that "hold up" better when being forced out. There is a post somewhere here that addresses that.

 

EXv10 is right...I also bought my plugs at Autozone where I could put my hands on them, But was for my Crown Vic.

I warmed the motor, blew the holes out and then used some WD-40 and crossed my toes and fingers and didn't break any.

 

how many days did the dealership have it? they really should have it for the minimum of 3 days. $100 labor per hour is nuts! we charge $75 at my dad's shop and we have 10% off any bill over $100 discount going on. The ford dealership by us once broke all 8. we have done 2 of these. broke 3 on a f150 and 2 on my sd. what broke? the sleeve at the bottom or did the end of the porcelain stay in the head?

 

Now, remember, DO THEM AGAIN in two years

 

Art,
Yes my plan is to do them again in another 40k or so but because of the newer shell design and having the ant-seize makes it much more unlikely that they will break.

Why would Ford need it for a minimum of 3 days? The truck was cold when they started the job. Your dads shop charges $75 hr, thats expensive for a local shop. My standard guy i go to is about $65 hr. Typical dealer rates are at about $90-$100 hr. Is the 3 day minimum you commented on means they should have taken more time to do it? They worked on it for a full 8 hrs. If a proffesional dealership can't do it in that time then you have more problems.

The plugs broke midway down on the "shell" where there looks to be a seam. The new plugs that were installed don't have this. Half of the outer shell was broken off. The shell also contains the porcelin insulator. The plugs typicaly don't break specifically on removal. The shell sits in a "well" and carbon or moisture builds up on the shell. When unscrewing the plug the shell tends to stay frozen in the well and breaks the weld between the shell halves and leaves the small end behind. At least that is what happened in my case. The threaded portion of the plug or the head was not an issue whatsoever.

I had researched the plug issue for quite some time as well as current and past TSB's. I also spent alot of time post reading all the different senarios that have happened with the 3V head in both the 5.4 and the 4.6 motors. I have changed 100's of plugs in my life but felt more comfortable with letting Ford do this the first time. Of coarse i didn't like the cost but i am also not complaining about it.

I think i made the right decision to have Ford do this work because for one i need my Truck and can't afford to have it out of service as if i had broken them it would have taken up alot more of my time than i could allow.

I learned from the result and thats good enough for me.
Thanks for all the comments
Dave

 

So it looks using sturdy plugs and maybe coating the metal part with dielectric grease or some other corrosion preventative, and using anti-seize on the threads might be the solution.
I would also run a lot of gas additive before the job, get the motor warm, blow out around plug, apply WD40, back out a couple threads, more WD40, and work it out.

 

Yes, the Nickle anti-seize is required on the plug "shell" only. Anti-seize should not be applied to the plug thread. This can cause vulcanization because of the disimilar metals. There maybe a specific type for the threads but is generally a no-no.

You are better off using carb cleaner. This cleans the well first. Back out the plug a bit and more carb cleaner. This will allow the carb cleaner to seep past the threads and attack the carbon or rust deposit's.

The engine must be completely cool (room temp) for better chances of proper plug removal. Heat will cause the metals to expand creating tighter clearances and will hamper proper plug removal.

 

Anti-seize will keep any problem with dissimilar metals to a minimum.

And, I believe, aluminum expands more than steel/iron, so they would get looser if the engine was somewhat warm. Putting them back IN, is when you want the engine cold.

 

Regardless of whether the plug expands or the head expands the result is the same. If it contracts yes removal would be easier but metal doesnt contract with heat. Installation shouldn't be as much of a problem compared to removal. The procedure only comments on a cool engine on removal.

Aluminum has a high galvanic rate (high on the Anodic index). Also can be called "purple plauge". Being in the electrical/mechanical industry and dealing with many different types of metal and alloys we always use jointing compound for mating of aluminum and copper conductors. Similar paste's or compounds may be available to use in the auto industry but again per fords specific TSB instructions it advises against using on the threads. I am not saying using anti-seize on the threads would necessarilly be a bad thing but im sure they have specific reasons why not to use it.

 

ok, to clarify we don't charge more because we have it longer. our local ford dealership recommended that we do it in a 3 step/day process. Day 1= run an intake and crankcase cleaner through it. Day 2= remove the coil packs and turn the plugs a 1/4 turn and put a tsp of carb clean on each plug. Day 3= get the old plugs and the new ones in. When it comes to the breaking, if the end shell and porcelin insulated stay in, then yes it takes an extra hour per plug. we use a glue kit to extract each piece. But if just the shell portion is left, then with the proper kit ( which a dealership has to have ) it only takes about 15 minutes to get that piece out. we use a program in our computer called ShopKey. this program tells us how many hours to charge for every type of mechanical work on different vehicles. we go by this to see what to charge. we're not out to screw anyone. oh and $75 an hour labor is not expensive compared to other local shops in the area.

 

I don't think expansion and contraction play a role here. Aluminum does expand more the steel or iron but we are only talking about a 1/2" +- hole here. The whole head probably grows 1/8"-1/4" when it is hot. It is the heat of the threaded hole that matters. The co-efficient of friction changes with temperature on many surfaces.

 

FX4,
Your shop process sounds like a good one. I would have no problem taking it to a shop with similar techniques. Unfortunately the ford dealership here is a high end dealership that see's a lot of daily service. I have no doubt that if the dealership used similar techniques they may have possibly reduced or eliminated the plug breakage. As you mentioned you have a specific process in place that determines how long a particular job takes. All dealerships have similar programs in place that requires them to charge a specific amount for that job whether it takes 20 min or an hour. As you know this will determine how well that technician can do the job. It may take one tech 15 min where another tech is not as familiar or has the experience and will take him 45 min. In addition it's how they make most of the money unfortunately.

The local shop i deal with will only charge the amount of actual time spent on it. I chose only to have the dealer do it because i felt that if any major issues occurred, with the truck still under warranty it might help save my a**.

EXv10,
The only element that exists that's relative here is the act of expansion. Expansion plays a huge role in the proper removal of the plugs in the 3V head. Could some of the plugs break when it's cold? absolutely as they did in my case. I can bet that many more would have broken if the engine was hot. I'm not quite sure what the "coefficient" of friction has to do with any of this as were not discussing the lateral movements of the head vs the plug, seeing as they are both fixed objects.

 

A few of you are referencing to expansion, expansion of what? How much can a little hole expand in a big head? I'm just saying I think the heat has more to do with the friction between the plug and the hole.

 

EXv10,
I think your missing the point. With the plug in the head and the engine at full operating temperature the tolerance between the plug and head is at it's tightest thus making the already bad plug design (in a bad head design) more likely to have problems on removal.
This is why Ford specifically states not to remove the plugs from a hot engine.
Here is the TSB. See the first "Caution" note on the first page. This is the same procedure Ford follows on removal.

http://www.wfservices.biz/TSB%20Ford...%20removal.pdf