Ford f150 truck question

JayinNY · Jun 14, 2015

This past January I bought a used 99 Ford F150XLT four-wheel-drive 5.4 L Triton engine etc. I know it's due for spark plugs but when I was driving it the other day when it shifted from first gear second gear, it had a shutter never had that happen before the truck has 108,000 miles on it could something be wrong with the transmission? Every time I come to a stop and then give it the gas to go when it goes from 1st to 2nd gear it shutters or vibrates never had that happen in the truck before? I check the driveshaft to see if you joints were loose but they didn't seem to be. My friend across the street who's a mechanic is out of town right now so I haven't been able to ask him about it. Any ideas why the shuttering like that? Thanks

GordoSD · Jun 14, 2015

That spark plug change could cost you $5000 if not done right. Take it to a Ford dealer, insure they have the kit for the replacements.
Plugs aren't your problem . U joints should have been replaced. Do them trgardless.

JayinNY · Jun 14, 2015

My friend said he did them on his truck he soaked the plugs overnight and used an impact wrench to get them out wasn't any big deal don't know if mine will go is easy but I will try.

VicS · Jun 14, 2015

Just use a 3/8 butterfly impact and a extension. Its not the threads its the part below the threads.

jon f mn · Jun 14, 2015

My 99 f150 did that when the trany oil got tired. Flush the trany and do a filter change and I'll bet the shutter goes away. With that many miles it's probly original oil in it.

BT73000 · Jun 14, 2015

Hard to say about the shuttering. May be the torque converter; may not. Before I went and cast blame on the transmission having a problem, make sure you don't have any check engine lights on indicating a misfire condition from a bad coil pack or spark plug. If you do have the spark plugs changed, be warned that they're is a special procedure for changing them to help eliminate the possibility of them blowing out in the future. This procedure can be found on the internet and was an actual Ford Technical Service Bulletin years ago, but it goes somewhat like this. First the truck engine needs to be at ambient temperature (cold). After removing the coil packs, the holes that the plugs are down in need to be blown out with compressed air. After removing the plugs, gap and install new OEM Motorcraft plugs with anti-seize on the treads and torque them to 13 to 17 INCH POUNDS. The torque on these plugs is very critical. If you don't believe in the use of a torque wrench this is not the job for you and you will be asking for possible problems later. Reinstall coil packs and hope for another 100K worry free miles!!

Sprint 6 · Jun 14, 2015

99 does not have the plugs that break. Just do not use any anti-seize on the new plugs and do not overtighten them. Even the three valve breaking plugs are not that big of a deal, I have the tool to get the broken pieces out. No need for a high price dealer.

The shudder is probably worn trans fluid. 99 may still have a torque converter drain plug. Change the fluid and filter and upgrade to Mercon V fluid.

BT73000 · Jun 14, 2015

Also forgot to mention that the torque converter should have a drain plug in it. Remove the black plug from the bottom of the bellhousing and turn the engine by the front crankshaft nut until the plug can be seen in the hole. This may take a friends help. If you get the oil out of the pan and the torque converter, there will only be about 1 quart left in the system. Should be able to drain around 14 quarts out. Also, if you remove the trans oil pan and there is a yellow plastic part that comes down with the pan,(looks like a Dum-Dum sucker) don't worry. That is a plug that is installed in the dip stick tube when the trans is installed in the truck at the factory, and when it comes down the assembly line, they just push the plug into the oil pan with the dipstick tube assembly and it is removed the first time the oil is changed by the customer. I found this out from the ford dealer after I removed my pan and spent an hour trying to figure out where this piece of plastic fell out of the valve body of my transmission.

JayinNY · Jun 14, 2015

Thanks Jon, I'm going to have that done first, and see if that helps, my 2000 f250 with 7.3 diesel iv only changed the tranny fluid 1 time in 199000 miles! And no problems. I hope that will fix this truck as I'm not in the position to spend a lot of money on it.

JayinNY · Jun 14, 2015

Thanks for the info, when my friend gets back I will have him look at it he's got a lift and works as a mechanic so he probably can figure it out I just thought I would ask on here ahead of time.

Russ from MN · Jun 14, 2015

We had a similar problem with a T-bird and it was the torque converter, changed it ourselves for about $200. But I would change the plugs first, they'r due.

ShadetreeRet · Jun 14, 2015

Jay, I have seen this problem caused by both. Since you know it is time for plugs, go ahead and change the plugs, if that doesn't cure the problem then change fluid and filter. A man brought an LTD into the dealership one day, said the car suddenly would not accelerate well and would misfire on a hill under a load. Had just over a hundred thousand with original plugs and wires. A new set of plugs and wires and he was a happy traveler!

farmallmaniac · Jun 14, 2015

My grandpa's truck did the same kind of thing. His truck is a 2001 ford f-150. It turned out to be a few bad coil packs.

Allan in NE · Jun 15, 2015

Change the transmission oil and filter. Oftentimes, that will clear it up.

Allan

UncleTom · Jun 15, 2015

A guy at work had trans problems he thought on a 2004 f150. It was the plugs.

TWheat · Jun 15, 2015

What farmallmaniac said. At least that is what was wrong with mine with the same symptoms.

dhermesc · Jun 15, 2015

With 108K and you suspect original plugs and transmission oil I'd change both - its due. I believe the 1999 5.4 has the coil on plug set up - old worn out plugs make the COPs work harder and burns them out faster too - and they are expensive to replace. As mentioned by another you can drain the converter on those transmissions without too much extra work - pull the black plastic plug and rotate the engine until you see the drain plug. Read up on changing the spark plugs - its real easy to strip the threads on those aluminum heads and you want to use copper plugs as replacements - platinum plugs for some reason just don't do well in the Triton engines.

jon f mn · Jun 15, 2015

I had to do mine about every 50,000 miles to stop that shuttering. Mine started it when I first bought it at about 30,000 miles and a trany machanic said it was likely bad but if I changed the oil I might get some time out of it. Every time it did that I did a flush and change and the same trany was still in it at over 200,000 when I got my new truck.

merlynr · Jun 15, 2015

(quoted from post at 19:00:52 06/14/15) this. First the truck engine needs to be at ambient temperature (cold). After removing the coil packs, the holes that the plugs are down in need to be blown out with compressed air. After removing the plugs, gap and install new OEM Motorcraft plugs with anti-seize on the treads and torque them to 13 to 17 INCH POUNDS. The torque on these plugs is very critical. If you don't believe in the use of a torque wrench this is not the job for you and you will be asking for possible problems later. Reinstall coil packs and hope for another 100K worry free miles!!

13 to 17 INCH POUNDS!!!!

Michael Soldan · Jun 15, 2015

Exactly! It is almost assured that he has a bad coil pack,my '97 F150 drops a coil pack evry once in a while,usually in years but the Ford dealer puts it on the scantool and knows exactly which cylinder the coil faled on, a simple fix but I usually let the dealer do it.

Kenneth Ronald Ohnstad · Jun 15, 2015

There are some really interesting videos on Youtube about both the spark plugs and the transmission shuddering.
I can't wait to find one with one or both problems.
Three different companies make removal tools for the plugs. OTC and Lisle(sp?) are two of them.
The shuddering might be caused by retaining ring parts that broke off and fell into the valve body.

Now, I'm not the greatest mechanic, but I KNOW I could do both those jobs after watching the videos.
Look for mustie1 under f150 transmission shudder. (youtube)
good luck
Kenny

Ford f150 truck question

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