I saw a recent post about yet another plug blowing out of their "Built Ford Tough" vehicle so I got the urge to vent a little and hopefully offer a "little" assitance (advice) to anyone that might find themselves sitting at home with their vehicle in the driveway and holding a brand spanking new blown spark plug in their hands while reading this maybe not knowing too much about this common issue with Ford engines. If you're really lucky you might be holding a coil to! Some people have all the luck.
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My personal thoughts on the issue:
I do agree with MANY other Ford owners that Ford should be taking full (or at least some) responsibility for this obvious design issue by (at the very least) offering a FREE repair kit (a time-sert kit or a heli-coil kit) to customers who own affected vehicles. They clearly dropped the ball on this one showing/proving they don't really care about loyal Ford owners as much as they say they do. Sure it may not be a serious safety issue for the most part (that was part of their out!), but a plug could blow at a very bad time while someone is driving the back roads or stuck in serious bad weather hundreds of miles away from help. Yes the vehicle can generally limp to safety but you never know when lightning might strike twice!
(Ford lost a lot of respect points to me because of this)

My fault the plug blew?:
I do not believe that torque specs are the problem. I'll bet you'll find many blown plugs that were installed by seasoned professional mechanics (including Ford Dealer Service Techs) that torqued them to perfection. And don't forget,,, even factory installed plugs have blown with various mileage on them throughout many years of factory OEM engine upgrades and models!!! The heads are aluminum and they (Ford) did not take care to upgrade (maybe at least harden with moulded sleeves) the plug areas on the heads to handle the heat and pressure the engines produce. Seems like basic grade 7 elementary school thinking to me.
Edit: (June/17/2010): To be fair I should add that it seems eventually Ford got this problem sorted out. I'm just not sure exactly what year this issue was fixed. I have heard about 1999 through 2005 plugs blowing out in various Ford trucks and cars. (information from Consumer Affairs web site "Ford Engines - Spark Plug Defect"). There are new posts almost daily at the site from folks telling their stories about this problem. Then there is the problem with plugs breaking off while attempting to remove them on heads/plugs that were upgraded to remedy the blowing plug problem? "sigh"

If your vehicle blows a plug:
Besides it being a hassle when it happens to you (it cost me more than the repair because of missing some work),,, It's not really too big of of a deal to get a blown plug repaired and be on your way again. Remember it's generally ok to limp home or to a repair facility with a blown plug. It's very loud (almost sounds like a bad muffler) but if you take it easy on the throttle you can at least minimize the noise. When mine blew I had a large load of wet pressure treated lumber in the box but after disconnecting the fuel injector and removing the coil (more on this below) I was able to limp all the way to the shop for the repair which was approx: 15kms away. I did not drive over 30kmh all the way.

Signs & sounds of impending failure and the plug blowing out:
Sometimes if you're lucky (if you're lucky? Sheesh!) you can actually hear signs of the plug getting ready to blow. It's easy to confuse the sound of a slight exaust manifold leak for the head threads actually allowing pressure (air) escaping from the cylinder. It can also be mistaken for a ticking valve. I suggest that if you hear any of the tell tale signs that you use a cheap automotive stethoscope to listen to each plug area to confirm it is a plug about to blow. If you are able to confirm it's a plug you can get the vehicle into the shop for repair before the plug actually blows.
You will know when a plug blows. The sound it makes has been referred to as a POP! or BANG! I refer to it as more of a "FUNKING FORD!!!" kinda sound.

Safety precautions:
When a plug blows,,, immediately pull over as soon as you can safely and unplug the fuel injector and also remove the coil of the blown plugs cylinder for the limp home. Chances are the coil will also be damaged because it is directly over the plug and attached to the head with a single bolt. Normally the plug blows with enough force to break the coil near where it is bolted to the head. Sometimes the coil does stay in place hiding the blown plug. If this happens all you need to do is take each coil off one at a time until you find the bad plug (I recommend starting with #10 on a V10 or #4 on 5.4. Both are on the passenger side nearest the firewall). DO NOT start the engine to track down the bad plug! There could be fuel in the cylinder and the plug could still be hooked up to the coil which will cause an electrical arc (or spark) and can easily cause a fire. Even if the plug is not still attached to the coil the spring on the coil can cause an electrical arc to the head. Don't be a moron. Just remove the coils one at a time until you find the bad plug.
Note:
I thought my Truck would automatically switch to and run in "limp mode" once a plug blew shutting down any power to the affected cylinder? But apparently it does not. I did not notice any warning lights on the dash and others have confirmed the same.

The repair:
Of course if you've got some mechanical experience you can do the repair yourself with not too much trouble (depending on which cylinder blows). There are many write ups on the repair here on FTE and internet. A few minutes of searching will offer loads of material to help you repair your blown plug in your driveway.
I do recommend finding a reputable mechanic that has done a few of these repairs in the past even if only for piece of mind knowing it was done properly.

When I had mine done the actual repair time at the shop was maybe 30minutes. He had done several blown FORD plugs in the past so it was a snap for him and I could see he felt 100% comfortable doing the repair.

If you can I do recommend phoning a few shops around your area and ask if they've done the repair before. Also ask them which kit they use for the repair just to confirm they actually know what they're talking about. If you get any humming or hawing,,, pass on them and call the next shop on your list unless you trust them from past experience with them.
(Option 1-TimeCert) <--- My preferred repair (specially designed kit for Ford heads)
(Option 2-Heli-Coil) <---- My second choice, but acceptable repair option.

Also it's worth phoning around even if only to get a reasonable price on the repair. I simply went to my semi regular mechanic with no hessitation for my blown plug because I already knew he had dealt with the issue in the past. I did however (only out of curiousity) phone a few places after the fact and I was very surprised how much difference there was between pricing for the repair. Some places were very reasonable and some places were insanely over charging using the same or similar repair kit that did not call for the head to be removed. Don't just go for cheap. You still need to confirm that even the mechanics offering a reasonable price are going to know what they're doing.

My blown plug repair cost me $160.00 CDN including a new COP (coil including a new boot). It was very reasonable and he did make me feel confident that it (#10 cylinder. Which is one of harder cylinders to get at) will not blow again. He bet me that if another plug blows on my Truck it will be #5 cylinder. I guess we'll see.

Rick...

 

LOLOLOLOLOLOL.
Yes, I can laugh...its better than crying.
You hit it perfectly on the head the first time.

Oh yeah, it happened to me.........three times.
The third time, I finally had it...tore it down and replaced the
heads with performance heads from Trick Flow Specialties.
Complete heads, RV cams, complete timing kit, ARP bolts.
Couldnt afford to be broke down again, use it for business.

No limp mode on mine that I could tell.
I disconnected that injector and coil wires.
But when I tried to drive it, it kept dying, wouldnt stay running.
Many types of inserts, but only the ones with full thread count,
both all the way on the inside and outside will work.
Otherwise, it will blow right out again in the near future.

 

I've often wondered why you couldn't get a set of 3V heads, remove or disable the cam phaser and install them on a 2V engine (with the 2V PCM).

 

I'm curious about that myself now? I can't say I knew about the 3V head cam phaser compatibility issue with the 2V heads, but it seems it might be a good option if it would actually work somehow.
If it could work somehow at least it might open up the door for a few 2V owners that might find a wrecked 3V truck and want to upgrade their heads.

Rick...

 

There is no cam phaser on a 3-valve V10. However, the intake is completely different. Instead of a cam phaser, the V10 uses a variable plenum intake that needs to be controlled by a 3-valve PCM.

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TO _Rick_:

If you've ever read anything in the V10 forum, you know we advise everyone to "do their plugs" way WAY before the 100K mile interval. Around the 2-3 years mark (yes, for a 2002, that means back around 2004), you should have removed them, replaced them with the zinc-plated Motorcraft version, used anti-seize and torqued to 14 ft/lbs.

I did them way back on my '01, haven't touched them since. Just last year, I went over them, they are still tight, and most importantly, come out easily.

Yes, it was STUPID for Ford to say "100K mile plug change interval" in the owner's manual.

However, anyone who has ever EVER worked around aluminum heads w/steel spark plugs KNOWS that you have to remove the plugs, clean them up, and reinstall with anti-sieze AND keep an eye on them.

Again, of course, Ford should have said that somewhere.

And, of course, Ford has done things over the years to try to alleviate the issue. Here's a list of what was changed over the years:

December 1996 - 4.6L 4V alignment feature added
February 1997 - 4.6L 2V head alignment feature added
September 2000 - WEP (Windsor Engine Plant) 2V head alignment feature modified (4.6/5.4/6.8)
November 2002 - WEP introduced long thread heads on 2V (all)
May 2003 - REP (Romeo Engine Plant) introduced long-thread heads on 4V 4.6 and 5.4
November 2003 - REP introduced long-thread heads on 2V and modified alignment feature

In 1999, and 2001, an interim fix was done for a cross-threading issue.
Original process:

Step 1 - Zero torque spark plug (air tool)
Step 2 - Torque to 16-20Nm final torque (DC Run down), monitor at 6-12Nm, and final torque must be reached within 0-360 degrees.

New process (addressed the possibility of applying installation torque for more than 25 degrees of rotation)
Step 1 - Zero torque spark plug (air tool)
Step 2 - Torque to 16-20Nm final torque (DC Run down) start monitor at 6-12Nm, and final torque must be reached within 3-25 degrees.

Another action to address cross-threading was the addition of an alignment feature to lead the plug into the hole.

 

Art,

My #10 blow early last year. It happened a few weeks after having all the plugs replaced during the regular (2 year) maintinence of the blower. I also have the service records for the truck since the previous owner purchased it new. From those records,,, the plugs (NGK BP7EFS w/.035gap as required for the blower) were replaced approx: every two years since the blower was installed. I pretty much continued with that regular maintenance myself.

I'm no mechanical engineer or scientist, but it was pretty clear that the plug blew straight out of the head stripping the threads clean. It wasn't like it was slowly coming un-threaded and loose to cause it to blow. It simply blew. When it blew on me I did have big load of wood in the box, but I wasn't pushing it.

But in anycase I got it repaired and I'm pretty confident it will hold for me. I now carry a Heli-Coil kit and a couple of plugs with me when in the mountains as a "just in case".

I just wanted to point the above out to you since you might have thought the plugs were the originals since new. There's been a few sets of new plugs installed in this truck over it's life.

???
I wonder why REP took a full year longer to introduce long thread heads and the 2V head alignment feature? Or am I reading that incorrectly?


Rick...

 

Ah, a blower. EHem... maybe you should have disclosed that on the first line of your "rant"?

As for the Romeo versus Windsor timing, I can only speculate. Maybe to see if it helped the situation in the first place? Or that the Romeo plant is mostly 4.6's and they didn't see as many failures on the 4.6?

I dunno.

 

I used to state the fact that I had a whimple blower installed in my truck but decided they (Whimple Industries sales) weren't worthy of me even mentioning they're name anymore.

The Romeo versus Windsor failure theory makes perfect sense. That would have been the "blind customers tests phase" beta2 or 3 stage of the Ford aluminum head manufacturing.

I'm not hating Ford. I like my truck and can't imagine driving anything else. I've always got my trusty '01 Montana to fall back on when needed or I don't want to use $10 worth of fuel to drive to the corner store..

Rick...

 

When my '02 2V 5.4 spit its factory installed spark plug, my son had the truck and he was very near a Ford dealer. I absolutely need my truck that afternoon to pick up my most important clients at the airport and go to a muddy construction site.

I paid the Ford dealer to install a rebuilt head he had in stock. I'm not going to say how much it cost me. So, these spitting spark plugs hold a special place in my heart. Lol. I really try not to think about it.

(isn't LimpMode activated by high temperature only? It worked great for me .. when I needed it one night)

 

Just had the #9 blow out of my new to me '00 F350. Previous owner had followed the plug procedure when the plugs were changed. My '98 4.6 with 212k on it has not had that problem. My turn to do the fix.

 

Mine just blew out last thursday while I was doing about 40mph and scared the crap out of me. I had it towed back home and I will be taking it to the shop later today to have it fixed. Mine is a 99 F350 that has been a great truck not giving me any major problems so far but this sure put me in the dumps finding out that Ford knew about this and didn't issue a recall on it.
BTW my truck has 348,000+ on it right now.

James

 

Welcome to FTE James,

Sorry your first post here is about your blown spark plug. It's generally not too big of a deal getting it repaired by an experienced mechanic. You should be up and running pretty quick.

Let us know how it turns out for you.

Rick...

 

Did Ford ever fix this problem? I have an 05 with the v8 and wondering if this is something I should be looking out for.

 

Which V8? If it's the 5.4 they won't pop out. As a matter of fact, they fixed the problem SO WELL, they're a huge PITA to get out at all...Mine were.

 

yeah, I heard they like to break, but hey they make a tool for that and I loooove tools