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Car Forum / Ford / Ford Trucks / August 2007

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Ford F150 Sparkplug nightmare? Or someone should have made a phone call!

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Gary Ober - 29 Jul 2007 22:29 GMT
Has anyone had to remove their truck cab to replace the spark plugs?

This is the strangest way I have ever seen to replace spark plugs.
If it is this bad...just bite the bullet and take it to the dealer.

If my local mechanic was to tell me he had to do this I would RUN!

Had it not been on my local news channel I would have thought it a joke.

http://www.wgal.com/news/13763192/detail.html
CJB - 29 Jul 2007 23:50 GMT
> Has anyone had to remove their truck cab to replace the spark plugs?
>
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>
> http://www.wgal.com/news/13763192/detail.html

Removing the cab is easier than removing the engine?  Hard to believe...

One noteworthy thing is that the report claims that the problem is that the
ceramic top breaks off the plug upon removal.  That happens all the time
taking out plugs and doesn't prevent them from being extracted.  There's no
real explanation as to why they still couldn't use the special Ford socket
to get the plugs out.  Something smells funny.

CJB
Big Al - 30 Jul 2007 00:34 GMT
> > Has anyone had to remove their truck cab to replace the spark plugs?
> >
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
>
> CJB

If a plug breaks there a chance a chip of porcelain will end up in the
cylinder.

Al
aarcuda69062 - 30 Jul 2007 00:35 GMT
> > Has anyone had to remove their truck cab to replace the spark plugs?
> >
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>
> Removing the cab is easier than removing the engine?  Hard to believe...

You have to remove the cab to remove the engine to begin with.

> One noteworthy thing is that the report claims that the problem is that the
> ceramic top breaks off the plug upon removal.  That happens all the time
> taking out plugs and doesn't prevent them from being extracted.  

Have you seen these plugs?

> There's no
> real explanation as to why they still couldn't use the special Ford socket
> to get the plugs out.  Something smells funny.

He may not have known about the special tool, or the tool didn't
work in this instance.  The tool is not always 100% effective.
Rudy - 30 Jul 2007 08:47 GMT
I read that to get the plugs out of a Ford Escape 3.0L engine  (Taurus ?
engine) it requires the removal of the entire intake manifold...new gasket
on reinstall etc.  WHAT THE HELL IS FORD THINKING ?.....I heard they charge
over $ 200 at the dealer to re&re 6 plugs.

>> Has anyone had to remove their truck cab to replace the spark plugs?
>> This is the strangest way I have ever seen to replace spark plugs.
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
>
> CJB
CJB - 30 Jul 2007 18:40 GMT
>I read that to get the plugs out of a Ford Escape 3.0L engine  (Taurus ?
>engine) it requires the removal of the entire intake manifold...new gasket
>on reinstall etc.  WHAT THE HELL IS FORD THINKING ?.....I heard they charge
>over $ 200 at the dealer to re&re 6 plugs.

That's not totally true.  What has to be removed is the upper intake plenum,
which is only plastic of some sort.  The gasket is like an o ring and is
reusable.  I've done it and it's actually easier than a lot of other
engines.

CJB
Rudy - 31 Jul 2007 04:08 GMT
.  WHAT THE HELL IS FORD THINKING ?.....I heard they charge
>>over $ 200 at the dealer to re&re 6 plugs.
>
> That's not totally true.  What has to be removed is the upper intake
> plenum, which is only plastic of some sort.  The gasket is like an o ring
> and is reusable.  I've done it and it's actually easier than a lot of
> other engines.

That sounds more like it CJB.  Did you just "jump in" and start to "UNDO"
or did you have some instructions to follow ?  That was an Escape V-6 right
?

R
CJB - 31 Jul 2007 15:38 GMT
> .  WHAT THE HELL IS FORD THINKING ?.....I heard they charge
>>>over $ 200 at the dealer to re&re 6 plugs.
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>
> R

Mine was a Taurus, but it's the same Duratec V-6.  Yeah, I just started
turning the wrench.  It was pretty simple.  If you have any questions tho,
you should be able to find pictorals on some Escape or Taurus owner's site.

You really won't have any trouble.

CJB
SC Tom - 31 Jul 2007 21:34 GMT
>> .  WHAT THE HELL IS FORD THINKING ?.....I heard they charge
>>>>over $ 200 at the dealer to re&re 6 plugs.
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
>
> CJB

Check on www.escape-central.com; there are a few articles with pictures and
explicit instructions. Doesn't look too daunting, but I think I'll make sure
my day is free before starting in on my '02 Escape.

SC Tom
Rudy - 02 Aug 2007 05:51 GMT
Thanx guys

>> Mine was a Taurus, but it's the same Duratec V-6.  Yeah, I just started
>> turning the wrench.  It was pretty simple.  If you have any questions
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> and explicit instructions. Doesn't look too daunting, but I think I'll
> make sure my day is free before starting in on my '02 Escape.
C. E. White - 31 Jul 2007 17:56 GMT
>> Has anyone had to remove their truck cab to replace the spark
>> plugs?
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
> couldn't use the special Ford socket to get the plugs out.
> Something smells funny.

It is not the ceramic that breaks. You need to look at the plugs, and
you'll understand the problem. It is a weird design. See
http://info.rockauto.com/Honeywell/AutoliteDetail.html?HT1_012406.jpg
.

What breaks off is the lower extended metal shield. It get stuck in
the bore. Ford released a service bulletin that included a recommended
removal process, and a method for removing the shield if comes loose
from the plug. If the shield is stuck, you go in with a special tap,
and tap the inside, and then screw in an extractor to pull it out.

If I had a 2004 with the 3 valve engine, I'd either change the plugs
at 30k intervals, or not at all. My last Ford Modular engine went 100K
miles before I changed the plugs, and the plugs I removed were almost
as good as new ones.

Ed
Marlin Singer - 30 Jul 2007 00:08 GMT
> Has anyone had to remove their truck cab to replace the spark plugs?
>
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>
> http://www.wgal.com/news/13763192/detail.html
Well I can honestly say that is a mechanic I would not go to. There is
absolutely no need to remove the cab or pull the engine to replace the
plugs.
He also did not check for TSB's on how to remove the plug. Yes there was
a problem with breaking them off, which is why they created the TSB and
the procedure to remove them. They also have a tool to remove the plug
if it does break.
If you are going to work on newer vehicles, you have to keep up with the
technology and documentation on how to do it. A 2 minute search of any
Ford truck forum would have told him what to look for.
 
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