OT Ford 5.4 L spark plug issue

flembo · Feb 28, 2015

There was a discussion about the Ford 5.4 L. engine and spark plug problems a short while ago on this sight I believe. Last week the check engine light came on and no power in our 05 expedition. This is one of the spark plugs that came out, the electrode came loose. This is the third time we have had coil and spark plug problems with this car and now on the 4th. set of plugs with 137K. I don't even want to get into the discussions I have had with the dealer. If you have this engine you should read the tech. service bulletin 06-15-2 I found it to be a scary read. The first 2 pictures show the electrode right side up then upside down. I am at least thankful that all the plugs came out in 1 piece and not as described in the TSB.

hd6gtom · Feb 28, 2015

That's why we wont take 1 in on trade anymore. We have other dealers calling us wanting to sell them to us just to get them off their lots. Ford needs to man up and recall every 1 of these and fix the problem correctly.

dennis a · Feb 28, 2015

I'v changed a lot of these plugs there a pain there is a set torque to break them loose then you spray them up real good let sit over night and pray they don't break comeing out I have a kit from snap on to extract them I think I had about 4 or 5 break so far ford said to change every 50k eventhough they are 100k plugs

robgIN · Feb 28, 2015

Ya bunch of babies , lol just kidding but I have changed a few hundred of these and probably average 40% of them break but with the extract tool I have gotten all but 1 out without a lot of trouble . Only had to pull 1 head . A little patience and common sense is all it takes they really aren't much different than changing any other spark plugs pain in the butt wise to me . People make a big deal out of simple things . The valve train is a bigger worry .

Animal · Feb 28, 2015

I have been a Ford man all of my life, I started with flatheads, then with Y blocks and so on. I was told by my better half that she was ashamed of my 94 "Exploder" and she wanted me to get something decent to drive. After a year of looking at the big three pickup trucks, I decided I did not want any of them. I hate all the wiring and computers, and any truck you have to pull the cab off of to change valve cover gaskets is not my thing. Still driving the exploder with 300K miles and am in the process of building my new truck.

John730D · Feb 28, 2015

Must have gotten a bad one. I have an 05 5.4 with 237 K with original plugs. My other 05 5.4 went 150k before changing plugs. But then again my wife's Ford has 180k with original plugs in it. It has the 3.0 V6 I am a firm believer of if it is not broke, don't fix it.

I also love the way people just "pile on" when someone brings up a subject. Just went through this with Power Service last week. I've never had any problems with it, but everybody on here had nothing good to say about it.

tedregentin · Feb 28, 2015

We change those plugs without any problems. Here is how we do it.
1. Do a really good fuel injection service.
2. Remove coils and spray plugs with PB Blaster.
3. Let set at least over night.
4. Remove plugs.
Works every time.

4play · Feb 28, 2015

I consider myself very lucky to have one where all plugs come out in one piece. I even had a truck with 40 miles on it break 4 or 5 of them, but I have also had one with 100k miles not break any. The ones that suck are when all 8 break, especially on the Navigators.

Between the spark plug design and cam phasers I would not recommend this junk setup to anybody. Its not just the phasers, its the tensioners and guides that fail too. If you have one that has not caused any problems, consider yourself lucky and hope the luck stays going. I've seen way too many of these fail, even taking the engine out too.

Brian806 · Feb 28, 2015

Those plugs make me mad! Got a f250 5.4 sitten in my drive way for over a year now! The garage broke the stinking tap off in the head of course the back one on the driver side! Ford says cab has to come off to take the head off everyone else says they wont touch it with a ten foot poll! ford wants 3k would have made the garage eat it but I know him well and he really didn't like doing them but ah long story! Just one of those deals! Anybody want a job????

Gambles · Feb 28, 2015

I've found that the best odds to remove the spark plug without it breaking is to do it with an impact. You also need your rabbits foot and a four-leaf clover. The replacement plugs have been revised to come out easier, should you ever need to do it again.

JML755 · Feb 28, 2015

(quoted from post at 16:03:32 02/28/15) ....... I have changed a few hundred of these and probably average 40% of them break but with the extract tool I have gotten all but 1 out without a lot of trouble . Only had to pull 1 head . A little patience and common sense is all it takes they really aren't much different than changing any other spark plugs pain in the butt wise to me . [b:3fba7acfa6]People make a big deal out of simple things . [/b:3fba7acfa6]The valve train is a bigger worry .

Are you kidding me? Pulling a spark plug should be one of the easiest task on an engine. Stick a socket on it and turn! If 40% break, that's unbelievable and any Ford engineer that worked on that design should be fired.

GM & Chrysler are no better, though. They've got their share of design fiascos. (Just changed the manifold gaskets on my Silverado 4.3L V6. Common problem that they erode away and can let coolant into the oil passages. )

robgIN · Feb 28, 2015

the cab does not have to come off to remove a head or an engine unless it is a Super Duty with a diesel . However it is a lot easier to work on the engine with the cab off. Either way it does eat up some labor time.

Old weldor · Feb 28, 2015

I own an 03 with the 5.4, it has 145000 miles on it. Changed plugs around 100,000. Never had a problem with plugs although I have heard some have blown out. I understand ford fixed that problem by adding more threads in the head. I'm just lucky I guess.

jon f mn · Feb 28, 2015

Where do you live? If these junkers are rust free southern trucks I could peddle them for you, maybe cut your losses a bit. My local dodge dealer has been bringing those very trucks in, a few a month, and they sell right away. Bought mine there last summer. The cost savings over a deisel is what does it.

Mike(NEOhio) · Feb 28, 2015

220K on my '99. I bought it used with 93K. Original plugs came out at 120K with no problems. Put in the second set at less than 100,000 just because I had the manifold off to replace the gaskets. While doing the gasket job we had a hard rain overnight. The hood was closed but somehow it got full of water. I used a siphon spray gun to empty it and drained the oil. It was a little hard to start the first time but it's been good ever since. Still no noise from the timing chain either.

JMOR · Feb 28, 2015

(quoted from post at 19:07:59 02/28/15) 220K on my '99. I bought it used with 93K. Original plugs came out at 120K with no problems. Put in the second set at less than 100,000 just because I had the manifold off to replace the gaskets. While doing the gasket job we had a hard rain overnight. The hood was closed but somehow it got full of water. I used a siphon spray gun to empty it and drained the oil. It was a little hard to start the first time but it's been good ever since. Still no noise from the timing chain either.

an't paint with a broad brush. V6 isn't a V8. Two valve engines and three valve engines have completely different plugs and problems. Ford stopped making both.

Bryan inIowa · Feb 28, 2015

We never pull cab to r&r just one head . Can be done , it's tight ,but doable.

RandyB(MI) · Feb 28, 2015

Animal, post back on with pics/specs when you are done. I almost think a good 4 man shop could make a good living "custom building" pre 2000 (maybe even pre-1990) trucks using replacement sheet metal and southern frames and crate engines. People are going broke on this post 2000 stuff.

vtjoe · Mar 1, 2015

the dumbest part about this thing is that they stopped using crush rings on the plugs causing the mechanic to torque steel plug INTO alum head.....something has to give

JMOR · Mar 1, 2015

(quoted from post at 10:26:43 03/01/15) the dumbest part about this thing is that they stopped using crush rings on the plugs causing the mechanic to torque steel plug INTO alum head.....something has to give

ike I said, can't paint with a broad brush........different problems/different engines, some are thread problems, some are two part plug separation problem. 2 valve or 3 valve?

OT Ford 5.4 L spark plug issue

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