Help with spark plugs
 

I have a 2003 Explorer with the SOHC V6 (K). The owners manual calls for a AGSF-22PP plug. Where is the best place to get a replacement? I have found online AGSF-22FMF6. Is this the same plug? It sounds like it might after looking up on motorcraft.com. Also is this a better plug than the Autolite APP103?

Thanks

The Motorcraft plugs or the Autolite APP103 are fine choices.

I use either brand in my trucks and they work fine. I know Checkers carries the Autolites for around 3.00 each.

General rule of thumb. Motorcraft or Autolite sparkplugs in your Ford truck.

I just bought Motorcraft replacement plugs and wires for my 05 4.0 Exp from RockAuto. They were the cheapest and were delivered very quickly.

Can you give me the product numbers of your purchase and I looked at their site but I couldnt tell if it was the correct plug? thanks

New wires after just three short years?

I dont like to leave wires on past 40k. I dont have it in front of me, I just used their online catalog to find the parts.

I'd just go to wally world and pick up a set of single platinum Autolites that are listed in the book as a direct replacement. I just changed plugs and wires in my moms 03' 4.0l SOHC last fall. I got 6 plugs for around $10, it had a bad wire and upon removal it broke so I had to get a new set of wires. No need to buy double platinums in my book, single platinums seem to run better for me and will easily last 40k-50k miles. Make shure to use some nickel anti-seize on the plug threads and change the plugs with a cold engine.(Alum heads)

i just went to the auto store and they looked it up. i think i got the bosch platnum

oh i forgot now i dont have spark plugs hahahaha DIESEL

Yea that's that $5 stuff.

Bosch plugs are garbage anyway and tend not to run great in Fords. I'm shure there glowplugs are OK though.:-X17

The correct part # is
Autolite # APP103
If you use single Platinums, they will wear down rapidly on one side. The single platinums will only get about 20-30 K miles before the gap exceeds specs.

The double platinums will last 50-80K miles or more.

Single plainums are whats in from factory. They will Easily last 50k. Double platinums are far from necessary and tend to wear stupid in my experience with the spark sometimes just bypassing the platinum altogether. Gap the plug on the low side of the recommend spec to compensate for some wear. The COP ignitions have plenty of power to create a spark when the plugs are even .070" or more.

Last fall I changed the plugs in an 03' 4.0l and replaced the original plugs with over 60k miles on them, the gap may have opened up .010" and those were single platinums.

Ordered
 

I havent removed the old ones yet but I find it strange that the replacement called for in the owners manual is a double platinum and the factory original is single platinum. I ended up ordering the Motorcraft AGSF-22FM from AutoParts Giant for a very reasonable price as well as the Motorcraft wireset. Hopefully this will workout. Thanks for all the input.

Different sets of single platinums are what is from the factory. The plugs on one side have platinum plated electrodes, while the other side has platinum plated tips. The single platinums you buy in stores are all the same. also Ford saves money by buying hundreds of thousands of single platinum plugs. After retail markups, those savings to the consumer would be almost nothing.

I have never had the alleged problems with double platinums that you describe. The extra stress from excessive gaps is what takes down coil packs.

As mentioned and backed up by several people on this forum with experience, use the Autolite Double Platinums, that way you don't have to figure out or worry which plugs go on which side.

BTW, the double platinums in my Dad's Dakota lasted over 200,000 miles. The single platinums that were used as replacements lasted 15,000 miles. Both plug sets were Autolite.

Also, if you would read the original post, you would see that the owners manual calls for a double platinum plug. For the record, Autolite is a Ford company, and manufactures the Motorcraft brand plugs.

I'm still running the original plat plugs and wires in my 2000 after 130,000 miles, no degradation in startup, running, or gas mileage (20). If it ain't broke, don't fix it!