Looking for advice.... Champion vs. Autolite
 

hi all, im about to change my plugs in my 06 5.4, 38000 miles.

im not trying to start another plug issue thread, we all know there are enough as it is. what im looking for is advice from those that have done it..... which plugs did you go with, and are you glad you did?

i do plan to keep this truck for a long time, so i will be changing plugs again, which based on my average driving of 6000 miles per year, will be 5-6 years from now.

i can get the oem plugs for 7.00 each at tascaford, autolite for 8.00 each, and champions for 17.00 each from rock auto.

im just trying to figure out which route is best.

thanks in advance !!!

I haven't done the switch, yet. But, for what it's worth, I plan on using a one-piece plug. We won't know for some time if coating a two-piece plug REALLY keeps the plug from getting glued in there.

When you're done please report back and let us all know if you ran into any problems. My truck has a little less mileage then yours so I'd be real interested to hear how it goes, good luck!

yeah, i will post back... but it will be a couple months before i do the job. im about to get underway for patrol, and plan on doing this when i get home.

Summit has the Champion 7989 for $12.95 each, which is where I got mine. Put them in my '06 FX4 when it had 49,000 miles. None broke but I took my sweet time and followed the latest TSB using the Motorcraft carb fluid plus a little Kroil for good measure. I have several thousand miles on it since then and it's running fine.

Here's the old ones after 49,000 miles and it pained me to toss them in the trash when they looked so good, but there's no way I'll ever put another two piece plug in one of these engines.

http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/3318/img3132ns5.jpg

remove the PCM

make sure to clean out the holes the plugs are hidden in with air or vacuum.

all my plugs came out great but i accidentally broke off a piece of the tip of the plug and it fell into the cylinder.

if you cant see that its clear make damn sure if it before you remove the plug all the way.

good luck!

I put in champions about 20,000 miles ago....and can't tell the difference over stock

thanks for all of your input guys..... looks like ill be going with the champion plugs as well. i was worried about going with non-oem just for the fact that my 5.4 in my old 99 f250 was real particular about running motorcraft plugs. but, all now seems like ill be better off with the 1 piece plugs. thanks again.

60k on mine and i need to do this sooner then later..... I'm going to go with the champs as well.

Mark

Just Changed my original plugs at 78k to champion 7989's and I noticed my MPG went down 1-2mpg... It could be me but as soon as i ran 91 oct in it im noticing Way more improvement.... I only have 2 maybe 3 tanks since the change I will see when im on my way back to work if it was just a fluke or what. BTW after 78k i had all come out no broken ones and i never soaked them i had the tool in hand waiting for it to be used and didnt need it..

I have never been satisfied with the Champion or the Autolite plugs. I have always returned to the Motorcraft after the experiments with other brands.

If you go with the Champion plug, I wish you luck.