what you have 8 plugs there and none of them broke wow, and how many miles did you change them at, people kill me that change them twice before the 100,000 change interval,

nothing against the op, I remember him in another post but it proves that changing early doesn't help,

and the rust color from what I've read is from the type of fuel being used different brands have different additives

 

These are from the 5.4 3v engine, the plugs that are giving everyone problems. It is suppose to be carbon build up and may have discolored due to the carburetor cleaner that I used as a cold soak... The long extended pieces that are down into the cylinder are what breaks off.

 

So what from I've read, there is no "clear cut" solution to the issue of the plugs breaking off in the head? The Motorcraft plugs break off and the Champions don't have very good quality control. I'm getting worried because my truck just broke 55k miles the other day.... The plug change is always in the back of my mind. But for all intensive purposes, the Champions will work OK? I don't like hassle so I shouldn't have any problems with the Champions after I get the stock plugs out, right?

 

The Champions will work just fine. I just don't know why there are people out there trying their level best to scare the s*** out of anyone even thinking about using Champions. Mine have been in for 6 months and the truck runs well, very well. Many others on this and other sites have had longer, trouble free service from the Champions. At least if you decide they don't perform to your expectations, you simply unscrew the Champion plug and replace it with a two piece, break in the middle, high quality, factory recommended, POS plug which only requires an off size plug socket, some special carburator cleaner, nickel antiseize, and a special ritual(AKA TSB) to remove.... At least none of the Champions will break when you remove them!

HYPO

 

I've yet to find anyone that has had a problem with champions.....and welded is one piece.....thats like saying our truck frames aren't one piece......if they're not...i'd like to see someone take it apart and put it back together without a welder.....

 

These both look like welded plugs, guess they're both one peice.

 

The Motorcraft seperate, not break off. You can find the Champion video on youtube.

The pictures on the first page look like Chinese knockoffs from ebay. My Champions were perfect condition, all the same length, no gap issues, no quality isses and it runs great.

You can see where the Champions are one peice and the Motorcraft are two with the picture above. Look at the left 1/3 on the Champion plug you can see a non seperated transition where it gets wider just before the section with all the lines. Now look at the same point on the Motorcraft, you can clearly see the seperation! This is where they seperate. Carbon will stick the bottom peice. That is why the TSB says to use nickel anti seize on that section and not the threads.

 

Can I ask "What is the difference"? Your splitting hairs here, break-off or separate.
The AC plug is NOT suppose to come apart, hence I use the term break off. Also, sometimes the porcelain center piece will again "break off" and remain in the head.

 

YouTube - Champion 7989

Breaking the porcelain is another issue. What you want to do to prevent that is use an extension with a wobble end. The passenger rear would have the most angle since it's tucked so far back. So you are forcing pressure on the porcelain instead of the metal nut shaped piece designed to take the torque.

I did a write up on this but can't remember what forum I posted it on. Anyhow, you can get wobble end extension but my solution was a set of swivel and wobble sockets from Harbor Freight (has 5/8 & 9/16). A locking extension from Sears. Some synthetic liquid wrench. The wobble socket allowed me to angle the long strait extension without putting too much pressure on the porcelain. When I hear the crackling noise I stopped, squirted the plug hole with lubricant, re-tightened the plug, waited at least 5 min, started the truck back up to make sure it was warm (need at 1/4, not at full temp), then proceeded to remove again which is explained in the TSB (except for starting engine, it just says make sure engine is not cold).

 

Nice little vid: Spells out plainly the problem...
I am concerned about the Champion plugs that I saw somewhere about the poor quality of the Champion plug. I currently have the second set of the pos AC's but I will change after 25,000 or so, again using the TSP procedures, and the 3rd set will be Champion plugs.
Thanks for your writeup.

 

That is a great video. It clearly explains the Ford design problem, explains the failure mechanism, demonstrates the failure with a very simple - yet accurate mockup, and demonstrates the improved performance of their plug design. I now have greater confidence that the company (Champion) that designed the plug in the video, is not likely the same company that produced the poor quality knock-off plugs shown in the previous postings. I will be buying Champions from a reputible vendor.

I asked SVT2205 where he bought those poor quality plugs that he demonstrated above but he has not responded.

 

SVT2205: Some things to respectfully point out about your Champion plug observations that may make you change your mind. Nice macro photography, by the way!

1) It takes about 35 lbs-ft to break the tip off an Autolite. Since you won't be using the Champs, clamp the base of one into a vice, attach a torque wrench and see how much torque it takes to break.

2) The Champion plug is not two-piece. The groove you see on the plug is called a hot lock ring. The body is one piece, though that groove is machined into it. After the porcelain is installed, the body goes into a roller device and about 10,000 psi is applied along with high current to heat it and that slightly compresses the body around the porcelain to hold it place. Yeah, that might be a weaker spot than the rest of the body but it's still as thick as the tube around the around the porcelain near the center electrode. It will take a lot more than 35 lbs-ft to break.

3) The "crack" you pointed out near the electrode is not a crack, but the mark where the electrode is welded to the body.

4) Though spark plug companies all claim to deliver "pregapped plugs," boxes get dropped, yada, yada. So you have to regap the plug! At least you CAN regap it. Look at a batch of new Autolites and you'll see the same variances in gaps. Look at them on a scope with the engine running and you'll see firing voltage all over the place as a result. Problem is, you can't easily regap them. You can buy a $70 tool to do it (that's what the supercharger guys do) or you can put them into a vice and use a hammer.

4) As to the platinum tip on the ground electrode being placed inconsistently, yeah, I saw that too. Not sure it matters but at least the Champion HAS platinum on the ground electrode, unlike all but the premium Autolites. Also, the U-gap ground electrode on the Autolite tends to shroud the spark a bit vs a J-gap plug like the Champ. Note that the 3V plug upgrade is a J-gap type. J-gaps with small diameter center electrodes have generally proven to be most effective in todays lean running engines.

5) There are hardly any other choices in spark plugs for the '04-08 3V, but I certainly wouldn't hold up the Autolites as paragons of quality technology. After all, the guy who invented that spark plug for Allied Signal, Matthew B. Below, apparently lost his job over the plug debacle and Ford has dropped the design like a hot rivet.

6) There may be nicer-made plugs than the Champs, but I don't see any available for the 3V just yet. The Autolites certainly aren't it... especially if they are going to break the second time around.

7) My opinion is that the anti-sieze idea was something Ford came up with to make people forget that the plug design hasn't changed... until they actually break them the second time. Does anybody really expect anti-sieze to last inside a combustion chamber for 60 to 100K miles?

8) Me, I'll run the Champs until something better comes along.

9) Want some tips to help avoid the problem? or make it easier when you go to remove Autolites? Run high detergent, Top Tier gasoline (google "Top Tier Gasoline"). When I pulled my plugs two weeks ago, ALL EIGHT CAME OUT IN ONE PIECE! Very little carbon on the plugs, meaning the gas was keeping the carbon from playing "Loctite" and locking the plug in place. By running a couple of tanks of gas through before the change with a high concentration of a CC deposit remover additive like Chevron Techron or Shell V-Power might do the same thing for you.I didn't do that by the way and I only soaked the plugs for 15 min w/PB Blaster. Here are the plugs.

 

My thoughts on this is we've found a number of people that have broken motorcrafts on second changes....we've NEVER found anyone that broke a champion......

And i've yet to ever hear anyone that had a truck that wouldn't run on champions....


I think that alone makes it a pretty clear cut choice

 

Would the dealer put in Champions if I have them do the change? Has anyone done that?

 

When I started this thread a week and a half ago I never imagined it would create so much discussion. Thats why this forum is the best. Just for an update, I did get the two broken plugs out ( Lisle tool worked great ). You read all the posts on plug problems but it never really sinks in until it happens to you. I was a pretty angry camper for a couple of days. Truck is back running and so far runs great. I love Ford trucks and would never own anything else. One thing I don't understand is why Motorcraft hasn't "redesigned" their plugs ( similar to Champion one piece). Its now been 5-6 years and they continue to make plugs that create major problems for these engines and their owners. Please don't think that just because you anti-seized a set of Motorcraft plugs that all is well. They will still come apart as mine did with only 34,000 miles. Good luck to everyone out there and enjoy the best trucks made.