These are the Tools and Parts I Recommend: 5.4L Plugs- (**LATEST PLUGS SP546**) amzn.to/2KvN5CI 4.6L Plugs (** LATEST PLUGS SP547**) amzn.to/2KuWevk High Temp Nickel Anti Seize- amzn.to/1YQHx5p Aircat Stubby Impact- amzn.to/1Qxv6p7 Lisle Tool just in case you break one- amzn.to/1NulQaG How to use the Lisle Tool- th-cam.com/video/BSY9iBheBXI/w-d-xo.html
To remove the carbon before removing the plugs, use to treatments of Techron by Chevron. That will even clean up the exhaust valves on a Windsor with three hundred thousand miles on it, so it should help with the carbon around the plugs... Techron & Royal Purple is my pre-smog test chemicals to avoid having to re-smog test after a fail and even my 1984 Audi 4000 Quattro with over 350K on the original engine passes...
I use a similar method as this. I loosen all the coil bolts but make sure the coils remain on the plugs. Then I let the vehicle run until it is hot. Once it is hot I turn off the vehicle and remove all the coils and blow everything out real well. I then use an Ingersoll Rand Hammerhead air ratchet and break them all loose one after another. As soon as I have broke them all loose I go one by one and blow out the hole again before taking out the plug from each hole. Never had a problem with this method and the Hammerhead is a great tool for this. I am a Ford tech in California and like your channel bud keep up the good work.
Hello Coyote. I got a 05 F150 5.4 motor. If you get the motor hot before extracting the plugs, how d you let the Motorcraft Carb cleaner down the hole soak overnite? That was Brien's Fordtechmakuloco recommendation on a previous video. Is he or you not recommending soaking the plugs any longer? I am now confused. I have the newer one part plug in the truck currently, so there should not be an issue about breaking due to that crazy plug design. I have 323,000 miles on the motor and it runs great. About 90,000 miles on the latest plugs.
I am a 22 year master tech and was working for Ford when this design came to the market. We tried many different methods to successfully remove these plugs before actually finding this method purely by accident and out of frustration. I've done literally thousands of these plugs this way using an ingersoll hammerhead and have never broken one since. Heat and vibration=quickly removed,unbroken 3v spark plugs.
Removed the spark plugs on my 2005 F-150 5.4L today. Got all eight out without breaking one. Couldn't get the impact on the rear two but they came out by hand ok. Ran a tank full of fuel with a couple of cans of Seafoam in it before doing the job. Figured it couldn't hurt. Had two tiny pieces of ceramic come off two plugs. Blew the cylinders out well but don't know if they came out or not. A big thank you to FordTechMakuloco!! Had one of the new plugs fail after driving the truck for about 15 miles or so. It was #7. It ran fine right after we finished the job but started misfiring after restarting the truck after the 15 mile drive. Replaced it with a new plug and the truck runs fine now. Bill Smith
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I removed and replaced all 8 plugs and coil packs with no breaks and no problems, following your method. Saved myself over $800!! Plus, now I've got a great new impact for my tool box! Thanks again!
Awesome vid. I'm also Ford certified. I'd started doing it that way only a month after the Bulletin was put out to soak them with penetrating oil and wait an hour then use a regular ratchet for removal. I found out most of the time this did not work I let it soak overnight and tried to remove spark plugs next day and I still had 5 out of 8 break off. I do recommend this guy's method. One other Tech I worked with at Ford did the same thing. He wouldn't always get them out but for the most part he got more of them out without having to use the extractor.
Thanks to this video, i just changed out the plugs in my 07 F150 5.4L (110K miles) with the original plugs. Drove the truck for about an hour and then used my 18V Impact on the plugs. No breaks, no complications! Thanks!
Followed your instructions and removed all 8 spark plugs without breakage. I'm the original owner of this 2004 f150 xlt supercrew with 101,000 miles and original spark plugs. I ran two 16 Oz cans of Sea Foam to full tank of fuel before spark plug removal. Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge.
I cannot thank you enough! I have a 2010 Ford F-150 Platinum that needed all of the plugs and coils changed. Called my local Ford Dealer and they wanted nearly $1300! Bought the parts (Motorcraft on the plugs), bought a $99 stubby impact gun from HF and followed your instructions step by step. Even cranked it back up once I finished one side to re-heat the motor. NO B R O K E N PLUGS! Runs like new and I save about $700. If I had to do it over again, I could probably knock out the entire job in 30 mins. Thanks again, very helpful.
I just finished this job using this method 10 minutes ago. 2005 F150 5.4 3v with 84477 miles. Went 8 for 8. I purchased the stubby impact from harbor freight and set my compressor at 80 psi. Thanks for the video.
You need a stubby impact or hammerhead impact. The Ford procedure is to use a 3/8 impact on them. Run the car till its hot. Do one side. Run it again till it warms up again and then do the other side.
2007 Ford Expedition XLT, followed your instructions, sprayed penetrating oil into the sparkplug holes and reinstalled cop, did the plugs next day, both banks hot running in between changing plugs to keep them hot, all 8 plugs came out without issue, all 8 plugs were motor craft originals to the car, over .120 thou gap on them, symptoms were misfiring under load and rough starts. 173k miles on original coils and sparkplugs (bought used) Thank you, it really worked! I did use a Milwaukee 3/8 Right angle impact instead of an air impact as I don't have a compressor, worked just fine. Thank you again.
Just finished removing all 8 plugs using this method. 179,000 miles on 2004 5.4. Drove truck for about 5 miles before removal to get engine warm. I could not believe it....Truck purrs like a kitten now.
Hey I just wanted to say thank you for showing this to others . I am not a mechanic and after hearing many nightmares and going to the ford dealership and they said $400.00 to start if none break and then it would be a hourly rate i decided to look on youtube and I found a video from a guy that I will not mention his name for respect of your channel , but after reading thousands of comments over six months I decided I could do this my self and save a lot of money. I followed his instructions and without a problem was done in a couple of hours . Now when I tell others of how I did it they think it's crazy to use a impact wrench so thank you for showing that this method does work very well and probably better than any other .
When i bought my f150 used at 90k I had the ford dealer do plugs the second I bought It I paid about $550 ish. Reason I decided to do it was because if they fucked up I knew I could hold them accountable
Alright. 7 Years on and this (among others) video is still coming through to help! I used this exact method. Fired up the Mustang and got it as hot as I could. Shut it off and used a Milwaukee M12 with a BIG battery and they ALL zipped out with no issue!
Just did a 2005 ford f150 3v 5.4L today at work! Had a touch over 93k miles on it with the original plugs! Tip came off on one but the rest all came out and thankfully I was able to get the broken tip out with the extraction tool. Runs much better now. Tip that broke was the passenger rear most plug. Drivers rear most plug was barely hand tight ironically lol
I have 3 vehicles with the 3 valve engine that had over 100K miles on each one. They all had the original OEM plugs installed. I knew that the job wasn't going to be easy so I got fully prepared and bought the spark plug extractor tool and the Ford recommended de-carb fluid ahead of time. I decided to use the Ford published procedure to get them out, I just kept working each plug back and forth and soaking them with the de-carb fluid. The whole process for all 3 vehicles ate up a whole weekend but I did not break a single plug. I have an unused spark plug extraction tool for sale if anyone is interested.
Just want to thank you for all the help you have given to me. Just finished full timing replace ,followers,lash adjusters,oil pump and last purchasing lisle 65700 to aid in replacing sparkplugs .I only had one plug which came apart no porcelain brakeage, lisle tool pulled shell right out. Now my 2005 ford 5.4 , 3 valve purrs like a kitten. Thanks again for all you give to us shade tree mechanics HenryL802/Carthage,Mo.
Great video! However when I did mine, I did them like you said with the engine warm. I also hit them with a little carb cleaner. I was so worried about them breaking so I used my 1/4 inch ratchet. It turns out they were not tight at all! just a few foot pounds and they came right out! Because of time constraints, I did them in groups of 2 or 3 over the course of a week. The one on the drivers side in the back is the hardest but if you have the right extensions for your socket set it wasn't too bad at all. Your videos are great! The one on 'Ball Joints' saved me a ton of money!!
I tried a hybrid method. On a warm engine, I cracked each plug 1/8 turn, sprayed with Motorcraft carb cleaner, waited 15 minutes, then extracted the plugs with the impact wrench. All 8 came out no problem. 3 showed clear evidence of blow by. 2007 Mountaineer Premier with 4.6. I dreaded doing this job due to the horror stories, but the job itself was almost anticlimactic. Truck ran much better afterwards. Cured the misfire problem (with new NGK coils to go with the plugs) and also solved what I thought was a transmission problem with a shudder in overdrive. This channel is the best!
@@51gofish So far, so perfect. They have a 3 year warranty, which was longer than the Motorcraft ones. I'm also running an NGK Direct Ignition Cartridge in my Saab 9-3 and that's fine, too. I trust NGK products.
You confirmed the hot method was good for me so I did it today in 1.25 hours, none broke. 8 plugs with new boots on my 2006 Mustang GT with 115,000 miles on the original plugs! Last winter I attempted it and broke a plug. After using the Lisle tool to get the plug out I was frustrated and waited a year to try again. I had previously put one Champion in but replaced it also with the new Motorcrafts. THANKS BRO!!
We just used this impact method on a COLD engine and got all the plugs out successfully. The shaft part was quite rusty and there was squealing and protesting, but they came out complete. Of course we would have warmed up the engine but during a timing chain job we noticed a thrown rocker and damaged camshaft, so we decided on the spot to do a leak down test. We chose to risk it rather than reassemble everything just to warm up the engine. Also, unrelated but FYI you CAN get the oil pan off a 5th gen mustang GT without removing the engine or dropping the subframe. You still need an engine hoist and you have to remove the oil pickup tube while the pan is unbolted but still on top of the crossmember, but we did it with relatively little trouble.
Thanks! Did this today. 8 for 8 . Uses my Milwaukee impact driver with 166 pounds of torque and the first 6 came out. Didn't fit on the back ones so I got the Milwaukee right angle impact . They were the most stubborn.
I'm a little nervous about using this method. After reading Fords TSB08-7-06 I have been doing it as per their instructions. Cold engine, break the plug about 1/8 to 1/4 turn then put some carburetor on the plug and let it sit a few hours. Carburetor cleaner seems to breaks up crud that's fuses the plug to the head. Then gently try to remove the plug. Do it a second time if you need to. It's been working for me so far with no problems. Just very time consuming.
I wish I knew about running the engine before removing the plugs. I have a 2004 F150, it took me 6 hours to change out the plugs. I soaked the plugs the night before and used your method. Slow turns back and forth and they all came out without breaking.
Change the right side than run the engine to warm it up than change the left side. I worked for an airline that's how they would do it on their 6.8 water truck. It had 100,000 and never left the airport. The gap was over .100
FordTechMakuloco getting ready to do this job on a 2005 5.4l with 200,000 miles on it an extra tips or the gym to watch out for. I just feel like there's so many things that can go wrong
Just did this technique on a 2005 F-150 with 143,000 miles on it(had 118,000 when i bought it). Went 4 of 8! 4 broke and 4 came out. They looked like original plugs too! The gap was gigantic on them! For those curious, broke plugs on cylinders 1, 4, 5 & 6. Cylinders 2, 3, 7 & 8 popped right out! Updated the plugs to the new SP546's and 8 brand new DG511 coils! Before i couldn't run it over 4,000rpms without it going into limp mode immediately. Now she roars without a single misfire! 👍
I don’t have an impact, fought with my plugs for days even with soaking and heating engine several times, only easy ones (thank god) were the rear 2 plugs, the last one out was 3rd one on passenger side, I had to sit on the engine with my foot holding the tool straight, put a pipe on the end of my wrench and pull with both hands to get it to budge. I’m 250 pound 6ft tall, thought for sure it was going to break but got lucky and got them all out, I couldn’t believe how tough they were. I think If I had a half inch adapter like he mentioned in the video I would have had a better time, I was even checking my tools looking for one, definitely need to pick one up, should have done that instead.
This job is such a pain but I finally got it done. No breaks thank the Good Lord! pro tip: not every hose should be disconnected or else you might get coolant in your spark plug holes like I did.
Just replaced the original plugs on a 2005 F150 with just over 60k, the method that worked the best for me was to bring the engine up to operating temperature. Loosen the plugs about 1/8th of a turn and the spray a good amount of Gumout carb cleaner in each plug hole on one cylinder bank, then let it sit for 15 minutes. Then I tightened the plug, then loosened about half a turn, tightened it back down again, then loosened until the plug came out. Before using this sequence of steps, I broke a couple plugs and the Lisle tool worked like a charm to extract the end of the plug. Thanks for the video!
This was the way i was thinkng of doing it.. first run 4 tanks of fuel with seafoam, fuel cleaners. Then pour seafoam in,l holes, soak for an hour, loosen plugs 1/8 turn, spray carb cleaner in, wait 20 minutes, spray in wd-40, wait over night and try to wiggle them out.
The plugs on the truck that the South Main Auto guy did were already replaced. You can tell by the longer insulators (hotter plugs). Originals are colder plugs.
Nice. Too bad I didnt see this a month ago. I removed the coils. Squirted wd40 in the holes. Loosened and tightened each plug until they came out. Still didnt take too long to do the job.
Another great video Brian. A warm engine is definitely key here. I did my plugs last August on a cold engine and broke 7 of 8. Of course the only one that came out in one piece was #1
@@FordTechMakuloco ..How do you know if there original plugs. Doing mine this weekend. Thanks. Right after I pull my valve covers and drop the pan for inspection. Think either my phasers are going , or a broken guide or worst-case stretched my chain! Yea Fun!
Thanks for the video, I'm going to try this on my Explorer, I got the plug extractor just in case the plugs see me coming with the impact and decide to hold on for dear life.
good video brian..makes sense when its hot..carbon is loose and the the head is expanded from the heat..that shock of the impact gun does the trick. ive seen other guys do it this way with good results.
You nailed it! The thermal coefficient of expansion is significantly greater for alumimum than for steel/iron. What this means is the hole in the head grows larger faster than the body of the sparkplug expands. Net effect is the plug is looser when the engine is hot.
Just did this with a 12v dewalt 3/8” impact worked great. Just took time easing it out. Didn’t want to go full bore at once. I let the vibrations help loosen it.
5:16 For anyone who thinks this step is controversial Brian, I run a strong vacuum right next to where the debris is blown out, to help prevent it from going back down into the combustion chamber. But as you say...It shouldn't be a problem. Thanks for another great video.
+matt8863 The way I do it there is so much garbage blown off the engine before I ever open it up and when I blow that hole out after the plug is out I do it over an over again not just one shot this way its ultra clean till no debri is flying about it has worked out for me over the years.
+GDWS81 Cool man, I have 36,000 on a '08 4.6, and I'm taking those bastards out ASAP after I run a couple of cans of sea foam with a half tank of gas. That's the strategy anyway. Good to hear people are having luck getting these out without problems. Saw too many videos with that crunching sound of porcelain.
Bro. I'm waiting for my motocraft replacements to arrive so I can change them. They are original factory spark plugs never been changed, it's 2005 f150 5.4 and about 126k 😱 you're scaring me with that opening statement hah
I've heard of this trick. Just a risk of pulling the threads out of the head doing them hot. But as much trouble as it is to get the broken plug out it's worth the risk. Who ever it was at Ford that came up with that plug I hope they have been fired.
I use high temp Aluminum anti seize. It is an aluminum head after all.... why use nickel? Just got mine done. Bought truck used 5 months ago (put 5,000 miles on it) and carfax said truck just had plugs done. I had a stutter (no check engine light) and figured Id just change them since I was under the impression that I would have the 14F plugs. NOPE. 2F for 7 plugs and ONE Champion plug in driver rear bank. So I guess they had a misfire, was told by shop the cost to do the job, and just changed the one plug. So here I am 5 days later I got the job done. Had issues with hose clips attacked to plug and socket would fit on one (no idea how they did that)... one broke oddly, jam nut came off but everything else stayed in there... in total I ended up breaking 6 of 8.... thank God the 4 and 8 cyls both came out in 1 piece. The Lisle tool is easy to use but Its like changing the plug 3 times... lol. Good freakin luck to anyone that messes with the 5.4 or 4.6 3V engine.
have a Cornwell stubby impact that I have used for this and broke 3 plugs but with my ir titanium hot or cold with an impact swivel when needed have really good results
Great video...I always take a look at your lectures before I do any work on my F-150 and find them to be one of the best. Also, I like the orderly and cleanliness of you shop. Keep up the good work.
thats the idea , thats how i learned , also working with the extractor kit for these as well , that way when i need to preform this job when some body calls because they broke it trying to replace its a nice ticket $
Don't forget the different coefficients of expansion between the spark plug steel and the aluminum heads. The aluminum expands at twice the rate of the spark plugs, so, since the long extension on the plugs fitting into that long hole in the head supposedly fills with carbon deposits while it is running, thus hot, if you remove them cold, all that has been compressed into half the space when it is running. I'm amazed it doesn't turn into diamond! Hot's the way.
If the plug is steel and the hole aluminum, then when the engine is hot the hole will be SMALLER not bigger... thus the hole will have a tighter grip on the plug. What helps is the heating of the carbon, which softens the carbon.
Big thank you for your videos man! I recently got an '06 F150 with the 5.4L 3V that has 200k on the odometer. Only reason I bought it was because it was a great price and I know all the service history. But the last spark plug change was 67k ago, so I was dreading it big time. Following the steps in your video, I got 8 for 8 out with no breaks. Big time happy dance! Now on to lower ball joints tomorrow. Thanks again and sub'd so I don't miss any new tips.
I have a quick question. The SP515 spark plug looks like it was superseded to a SP546. My truck is a 08 f250, and I have a high rpm misfire. The code is p0300 like normal. Should I go with the updated SP546, or go with the SP515 like you have in the video.
Have you read fords recommendation on how do do this properly? They say to do it when the engine is cold and to only start with 1/4 turn on the spark plug, spray some carb cleaner and wait at least 15 mins( if not more) so the carb cleaner eats at the carbon.
I did my first 2 plugs by fords method both plugs broke.i immediately used my 3/8 blue point impact on the rest of the plugs and they all came out perfect.the truck is an 07 and first plug change .had 150k.
After running into a wall trying to tackle this project, and screaming at the top of my lungs. Thank You for putting this video. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!!!
My shop started using a 3/8" electric impact for these a couple years ago. Cold or hot engine doesn't seem to make a difference. We haven't had to use our broken plug tool since.
I have a 3V 6.8L V10 in our RV and will be trying this method. Hopefully it works out!! Has 126k on the engine and have no clue if the previous owner ever change out the plugs. Pray for me. haha
Just read your BSG info. Hell yeah man I'm in the same boat as you. Started mechanics at 16 with vehicles/motorcycles. Joined the Corp as a 3521. Now running a mobile mechanic business. Errrrah
I've got a 2005 Ford Expedition 5.4L 3V, not original spark plugs. I was getting a misfire on #1, so I thought change the coil pack and spark plug. Since these are the new spark plugs I wasn't afraid of breaking it off. I get the coil pack off, and start turning the spark plug. Nothing special happens, just keep turning the plug. And turning and turning. So I think I've broke something. Try to tighten it back down, and it does tighten back down. I put on the coil pack and fire it up. All is well. But I can't leave it alone, I want to change that spark plug now. So another day I let it get hot and give it a go. Again, I just get the spark plug to spin and spin and spin... I tried grabbing it with plies and pulling, it didn't move. I've shot different chemicals at it and let is soak. still can't get it out. So I tightened it back down, and it runs fine. I've left it alone for a while now, but it bugs me I couldn't get it out. Any ideas? Carbon build up?
I poured carb cleaner onto the plug, let it sit overnight, then cracked the plugs an 1/8th turn and let it soak a few more hours, then cracked a 1/4 turn and finally removed them. Soak, crack, soak, crack, soak and remove.
@@FordTechMakuloco I switched to a one piece plug at 120K miles, now at 290K still working fine, maybe time to change. Motor purrs at 290K but thinking maybe high volume oil pump. Another note, I ran Marvels in the engine a number of times, also wasn't great about oil changes just every 7K-8K mile but synthetic. Lucky maybe. Thanks for all your vids!! Awesome stuff!
changed out plugs last year on my 06 f150 118,000 mi original plugs. Added 1 can to 3 gallons of fuel let truck idle for bout 30 minutes used 9/16 socket with my makita 18v impact no problem
I always use a short piece of vacuum line to start all my spark plugs Just stick it to the end of the plug that way your vacuum line will not let you cross threaded been doing it for 45 years works every time
My 5.4L #1 plug is severely stuck and rounded off the nut. Can I break the porcelain and remove, then use the plug extractor kit? Ever encountered this? Thanks for all your videos!
Replaced plugs on my ‘05 expedition using this method. 5 plugs where original (223,000 miles) 1 newer one and 2 with 170k+ miles. Out of the 8 only 1 broke. I idled for about 20 minutes then ran it on the highway. Electric impact and stubby impact wouldn’t take them out. I had to use my ingersol titanium 1/2 inch and they still barely came out. If I broke 1 of the original 16 year old plugs then you should be fine if you do this correct.
Since you have done both cold engine and a hot engine spark plug removal, which is your preferred method? And which do you think has the potential for more repeatable favorable results?
I have no idea how these plugs last so long. I have a 2000 F150 with the 4.6L, it has 315,000 km with original plugs. In fact its original everything aside from brakes, shocks, battery and alternator. I know i really should pull the plugs, but its still running strong.
I agree with what you should do, however that is still cool. When little has been needed on a vehicle over a long time it has made me hold on to a car for too long. While it still has golden years maybe it's time to sale. Our only differences in our stories is my vehicle had new plugs every 12 thousands miles. I love how good new plugs feel. When I switched to Iridiums, what my "Corolla" should have had the whole time, now I run plugs maybe 50k miles.
I think you're truck has plenty of life left, but things start to get more expensive soon on most vehicles. You're choice. Financially, I made the wrong choice on the surface, but the constant repairs made me a tech and a video maker after that. Lol
I have a 2004 F150 FX4 extended cab with the 5.4 3v Triton that I bought used". I changed the spark plugs at 100,000 miles after running tanks of gas with sea foam. I got all 8 plugs out with no breakage, but now after a few weeks I have a fuel smell in the cab of my truck. I'm being told I shouldn't have put anti seize on the spark plug threads, or that I just need to re-torque the plugs to 25 ft. Lbs. What do you think the problem is?
I haven't heard anyone else mention this, but our mechanic at work (big trucks) mentioned the possibility of stripping out cylinder head plug threads. is that a concern here? thank you for the informative video here as well as the lisle tool vid!
my brother has a 99 Expedition with a 5.4 Triton not sure if it has the 3 valve but the worst he has had so far was a blown plug. I am so glad I have the 5.0 LOL
+FordTechMakuloco I see, thank you good to know. And I will say that when one blows and you're standing next to it it does scare the crap out of you LOL
I replaced my plugs 06 Expedition 133K miles by first running 3 tank fulls of Seafoam and let the engine sit for a day to be absolute cold. Then after blowing out the plug wells I put a very small amount of Chemtool in the well to let it wick down the threads as I extracted the plug using a ratchet with an extension. All 8 came out free of breakage and with hardly any carbon build up on the tip. I used Hi-temp Anti-seize and Dielectric grease and a new set of coil packs, also I went with an Autolite one piece design base instead of the Motorcraft to minimize any issues should I need to change them again if I happened to keep it that long.
I have an 05 v10 with original plugs guess I will leave it alone unless necessary for fear of broken plugs or threads coming out and maybe even trading it in to avoid the nightmare.
I recently bought a 2000 ford expedition for a real good price it is in pristine condition but I have recently started hearing a ticking noise that will last for about a minute or so as I pull away from where I parked. I checked the noise in the morning to see if I could hear what it was but did not hear anything so away I go... then I heard it again. It only does it as I drive away then it stops for the rest of the time I drive. I wonder if it could be a bad spark plug or a bad solenoid. What do you think I have done a lot of research but have so far found nothing.
I'm curious how it turned out. I don't see any comments afterwards. I just had a phaser fail and I'm looking at an old one to see if I can reuse it. I am seeing the same thing you're talking about here. Trying to figure it out. This pin on a new phaser is out, against the spring. It may pop out at certain times depending what phase it's in, idle, gear etc. Still searching. Let me know. Thanks!
Thanks Brian. A few years ago I was going to change the plugs on my 05 Expy but saw a post from you on Automotive Forums that stopped me from probably breaking all of them trying the normal way. I've been holding off, since at the time extractors were snapping and unless they weren't firing, I decided to take the wait and see approach. Now It looks like they have perfected the extractors and lots of experience by you and others has shown the best removal with minimal breakage. The appreciation from all of us is immense.Randy (automotive forums handle 65Comet)
Got my aircat impact finally yesterday after it was back ordered for awhile. Just did the drivers side. Number 5 broke. 6 and 7 came out looking very clean. 8 broke. So I guess it is time to get a Lisle extractor. Dang, I had such high hopes to not break any. I'll update how the other side goes when I get to it.
Thank you for this video! My 2005 F150 has 106,000 miles and original plugs, so I decided it was about time to swap them and the coil packs out. I have been able to change six of the eight plugs without breaking them. For a non-mechanic, I'm pretty happy with that and I owe a large part of it to your videos. What I can't figure out is this: how the heck do you get the impact wrench on the plugs for cylinders 3 and 4? I can't even get my Aircat Stubby back in there... Do you have to remove a bunch of stuff? Between some rigid hoses, a board that contains what looks like three big relays, I cannot figure out how to pop out those last two plugs. I'm guessing those hoses aren't supposed to be removed... how do you get at those last two plugs? Thanks again for the videos. They have enabled me to change my shocks and struts, ball joints, tie-rod ends, etc., all stuff I would never have thought of trying. Thanks!
I actually figured it out: to reach the #3 and #4 cylinders, the PCM panel and mounting bracket have to be removed. Getting to cylinder #4 with the stubby impact was still a bit tricky, but it fit. In the end, I was able to get all 8 plugs out intact. Mine did not have a lot of carbon, mostly rust, but I've been running Techron in the gas most of the summer to clean out the carbon. It seems to have worked. Thanks again for the great video. It gave me the info I needed to get this done!
Just bought a 2007 F-150 Super Cab XLT 4wd 5.4 3v 09/13/19 didn't know at the time about the issues with the 5.4, any way I had seen a video where the guy ran a can of Seafoam in half tank of gas to eat up the carbon on the plugs then changed them while engine was hot, would you recommend this method or not?
you should allow the new spark plug to warm up to engine temperature before torqueing it down. if you dont the plug will expandand become way to tight and tear up the threads.
+smoke skull I have never heard of that but following this method it will allow for that as we are tightening them by hand then moving onto the next plug by the time you go back to torque them they will be the same temp for sure.
Correct me if I’m wrong but if u change the plugs in a hot engine doesn’t the cylinder threading part stripped cause I never do tht until the engine cools down at least half an hour to and hour I never like doing this method it seems to dangerous for me
Correct and this is the only engine this method should ever be used on because of it's unique problem. Even so with as many as I have done this way there has never been any issue with the threads after.
Hey man! Really helpful video. I Just bought a 2005 Mustang Gt with 80k miles, it runs great but I’m worried about the spark plug issue. Do you recommend I go to a mechanic to change them now or leave as is? I’m the 3rd owner but the previous owner doesn’t know if the plugs have been already changed. How can I tell if they
@FordTechMakuloco Did you use the same "OTC 6900 Ford F-150 Spark Plug Socket" you used that you recommended from Amazon when using this stubby impact? You suggested that tool in an older video, but that was way back when you were doing them with regular tools.
Nice video! I have learned something today. Gonna check and see if my mechanic have the Aircat tool. If not, I plan on investing in that tool. Thanks for sharing what you use in fixing the truck.
I have a 2010 XLT with a 4.6 3v and have searched several forums to see if mine has the dreaded spark spark plug problem. Some posters say plugs in my 2010 are no problem while others claim they are still prone to braking and to expect a $700 tune up at the shop. I've only got 28K miles on mine so I don't need to change them out right away but I'm hoping you can give me an idea of when they should be replaced and what to expect when I finally do need to have to replace them. 100K seems a bit much so I take Ford's recommendations with a grain of salt. Thanks!
The 09-2010 5.4 , 4.6 3v and some late engine build date 5.4's in 08' have the "standard" plug design. So you're safe my friend. But you like me still the all to common phaser issue. All I can say is be aggressive with oil changes. As you may of read these engines always love clean oil. I recently did a complete timing kit over haul. New oem Ford parts for everything. Now I run Penzoil Platinum 5w20 (full synthetic) and a MC FL820 filter every 5k miles. Now this 5.4 is quieter and runs better then it ever has. Good luck
These are the Tools and Parts I Recommend:
5.4L Plugs- (**LATEST PLUGS SP546**)
amzn.to/2KvN5CI
4.6L Plugs (** LATEST PLUGS SP547**)
amzn.to/2KuWevk
High Temp Nickel Anti Seize-
amzn.to/1YQHx5p
Aircat Stubby Impact-
amzn.to/1Qxv6p7
Lisle Tool just in case you break one-
amzn.to/1NulQaG
How to use the Lisle Tool-
th-cam.com/video/BSY9iBheBXI/w-d-xo.html
Quick question how do you remove the visor light bulb from a 2005 Ford Expedition
Rr
How did the impact work on the back I know I’m late and you probably don’t remember?
@@jamesgrawey2079 77
....nn.m by 6th uuu7yyhyyyyyyyy u 6y
B byyyy
........ u 1:57 1:58 1:58 1:58 1:59 1:59 😊😊😊😅😅
To remove the carbon before removing the plugs, use to treatments of Techron by Chevron. That will even clean up the exhaust valves on a Windsor with three hundred thousand miles on it, so it should help with the carbon around the plugs...
Techron & Royal Purple is my pre-smog test chemicals to avoid having to re-smog test after a fail and even my 1984 Audi 4000 Quattro with over 350K on the original engine passes...
I use a similar method as this. I loosen all the coil bolts but make sure the coils remain on the plugs. Then I let the vehicle run until it is hot. Once it is hot I turn off the vehicle and remove all the coils and blow everything out real well. I then use an Ingersoll Rand Hammerhead air ratchet and break them all loose one after another. As soon as I have broke them all loose I go one by one and blow out the hole again before taking out the plug from each hole. Never had a problem with this method and the Hammerhead is a great tool for this. I am a Ford tech in California and like your channel bud keep up the good work.
Hello Coyote. I got a 05 F150 5.4 motor. If you get the motor hot before extracting the plugs, how d you let the Motorcraft Carb cleaner down the hole soak overnite? That was Brien's Fordtechmakuloco recommendation on a previous video. Is he or you not recommending soaking the plugs any longer? I am now confused. I have the newer one part plug in the truck currently, so there should not be an issue about breaking due to that crazy plug design. I have 323,000 miles on the motor and it runs great. About 90,000 miles on the latest plugs.
@@lostinmyspace4910 I have soaked them and also done it without soaking them.
this guy has a bible for ford trucks
Hi
grease the treads next time.
I am a 22 year master tech and was working for Ford when this design came to the market. We tried many different methods to successfully remove these plugs before actually finding this method purely by accident and out of frustration. I've done literally thousands of these plugs this way using an ingersoll hammerhead and have never broken one since. Heat and vibration=quickly removed,unbroken 3v spark plugs.
At 22 years old you are nowhere near a master mechanic.
He said 22 year master tech not 22 years old
Did this happen in the 2006 year or older?
Good info. Thanks.
@@AP-xq3jm reading is hard
Removed the spark plugs on my 2005 F-150 5.4L today. Got all eight out without breaking one. Couldn't get the impact on the rear two but they came out by hand ok. Ran a tank full of fuel with a couple of cans of Seafoam in it before doing the job. Figured it couldn't hurt. Had two tiny pieces of ceramic come off two plugs. Blew the cylinders out well but don't know if they came out or not. A big thank you to FordTechMakuloco!!
Had one of the new plugs fail after driving the truck for about 15 miles or so. It was #7. It ran fine right after we finished the job but started misfiring after restarting the truck after the 15 mile drive. Replaced it with a new plug and the truck runs fine now.
Bill Smith
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I removed and replaced all 8 plugs and coil packs with no breaks and no problems, following your method. Saved myself over $800!! Plus, now I've got a great new impact for my tool box! Thanks again!
Awesome vid. I'm also Ford certified. I'd started doing it that way only a month after the Bulletin was put out to soak them with penetrating oil and wait an hour then use a regular ratchet for removal. I found out most of the time this did not work I let it soak overnight and tried to remove spark plugs next day and I still had 5 out of 8 break off. I do recommend this guy's method. One other Tech I worked with at Ford did the same thing. He wouldn't always get them out but for the most part he got more of them out without having to use the extractor.
Thanks to this video, i just changed out the plugs in my 07 F150 5.4L (110K miles) with the original plugs. Drove the truck for about an hour and then used my 18V Impact on the plugs. No breaks, no complications! Thanks!
Never thought of that. I have a 20 volt dewalt is that the same?
Followed your instructions and removed all 8 spark plugs without breakage. I'm the original owner of this 2004 f150 xlt supercrew with 101,000 miles and original spark plugs. I ran two 16 Oz cans of Sea Foam to full tank of fuel before spark plug removal. Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge.
Did you use ratchet or impact?
I worked at the Ford dealer in 09-11 and that's exactly how I did it works great good video
I cannot thank you enough! I have a 2010 Ford F-150 Platinum that needed all of the plugs and coils changed. Called my local Ford Dealer and they wanted nearly $1300! Bought the parts (Motorcraft on the plugs), bought a $99 stubby impact gun from HF and followed your instructions step by step. Even cranked it back up once I finished one side to re-heat the motor. NO B R O K E N PLUGS! Runs like new and I save about $700. If I had to do it over again, I could probably knock out the entire job in 30 mins. Thanks again, very helpful.
Wow !! I'll try that
I just finished this job using this method 10 minutes ago. 2005 F150 5.4 3v with 84477 miles. Went 8 for 8. I purchased the stubby impact from harbor freight and set my compressor at 80 psi. Thanks for the video.
What must be removed to get to these rear cylinders with an impact?
You need a stubby impact or hammerhead impact. The Ford procedure is to use a 3/8 impact on them. Run the car till its hot. Do one side. Run it again till it warms up again and then do the other side.
You are a PRO, nice work
Were you able to stubby impact the rear plugs without extensions and u-joints?
2007 Ford Expedition XLT, followed your instructions, sprayed penetrating oil into the sparkplug holes and reinstalled cop, did the plugs next day, both banks hot running in between changing plugs to keep them hot, all 8 plugs came out without issue, all 8 plugs were motor craft originals to the car, over .120 thou gap on them, symptoms were misfiring under load and rough starts. 173k miles on original coils and sparkplugs (bought used)
Thank you, it really worked!
I did use a Milwaukee 3/8 Right angle impact instead of an air impact as I don't have a compressor, worked just fine.
Thank you again.
Just finished removing all 8 plugs using this method. 179,000 miles on 2004 5.4. Drove truck for about 5 miles before removal to get engine warm. I could not believe it....Truck purrs like a kitten now.
Hey I just wanted to say thank you for showing this to others . I am not a mechanic and after hearing many nightmares and going to the ford dealership and they said $400.00 to start if none break and then it would be a hourly rate i decided to look on youtube and I found a video from a guy that I will not mention his name for respect of your channel , but after reading thousands of comments over six months I decided I could do this my self and save a lot of money. I followed his instructions and without a problem was done in a couple of hours . Now when I tell others of how I did it they think it's crazy to use a impact wrench so thank you for showing that this method does work very well and probably better than any other .
Before trying talking out spraying w40 & after 10 minutes trying talking out slowly, if you do this never have that problem.
Im not mecanic but i doing in my trucks.
I have 3 trucks 5.4 engine
When i bought my f150 used at 90k I had the ford dealer do plugs the second I bought It I paid about $550 ish. Reason I decided to do it was because if they fucked up I knew I could hold them accountable
Alright. 7 Years on and this (among others) video is still coming through to help! I used this exact method. Fired up the Mustang and got it as hot as I could. Shut it off and used a Milwaukee M12 with a BIG battery and they ALL zipped out with no issue!
Im about to do this with the same impact. However it's cold going to be cold due to not being able to run the engine in it's current condition. 😅
@@j0hnathan196did it work ?
Just used this method on a 2005 5.4 F150 with 117K miles on the original plugs. 8 of 8 came out intact. Thank You!
Kevin Braby how did the plugs look and how was the engine running ? I have a 82k on a 2006 I bought and thinking I should change mine
Just did a 2005 ford f150 3v 5.4L today at work! Had a touch over 93k miles on it with the original plugs! Tip came off on one but the rest all came out and thankfully I was able to get the broken tip out with the extraction tool. Runs much better now. Tip that broke was the passenger rear most plug. Drivers rear most plug was barely hand tight ironically lol
Sounds like you narrowly avoided a plug blowout! I just had this happen on my 2010 - 4.6 in cyl 3.
I have 3 vehicles with the 3 valve engine that had over 100K miles on each one. They all had the original OEM plugs installed. I knew that the job wasn't going to be easy so I got fully prepared and bought the spark plug extractor tool and the Ford recommended de-carb fluid ahead of time. I decided to use the Ford published procedure to get them out, I just kept working each plug back and forth and soaking them with the de-carb fluid. The whole process for all 3 vehicles ate up a whole weekend but I did not break a single plug. I have an unused spark plug extraction tool for sale if anyone is interested.
Removed and replaced all 8 plugs (no breaks) and coil packs in 3 hours, thanks for the video!
Randall Carlisle was anything in the way of removing the coil?
Misty Carlisle 4.6 or 5.4
@Ron Gillespie and coil packs
This worked perfectly. I have 104k and original plugs on my 04. Just started having a misfire in cylinder 1.
Just want to thank you for all the help you have given to me. Just finished full timing replace ,followers,lash adjusters,oil pump and last purchasing lisle 65700 to aid in replacing sparkplugs .I only had one plug which came apart no porcelain brakeage, lisle tool pulled shell right out. Now my 2005 ford 5.4 , 3 valve purrs like a kitten. Thanks again for all you give to us shade tree mechanics HenryL802/Carthage,Mo.
Great video! However when I did mine, I did them like you said with the engine warm. I also hit them with a little carb cleaner. I was so worried about them breaking so I used my 1/4 inch ratchet. It turns out they were not tight at all! just a few foot pounds and they came right out! Because of time constraints, I did them in groups of 2 or 3 over the course of a week. The one on the drivers side in the back is the hardest but if you have the right extensions for your socket set it wasn't too bad at all.
Your videos are great! The one on 'Ball Joints' saved me a ton of money!!
I tried a hybrid method. On a warm engine, I cracked each plug 1/8 turn, sprayed with Motorcraft carb cleaner, waited 15 minutes, then extracted the plugs with the impact wrench. All 8 came out no problem. 3 showed clear evidence of blow by. 2007 Mountaineer Premier with 4.6.
I dreaded doing this job due to the horror stories, but the job itself was almost anticlimactic. Truck ran much better afterwards. Cured the misfire problem (with new NGK coils to go with the plugs) and also solved what I thought was a transmission problem with a shudder in overdrive.
This channel is the best!
How are the NGK coils holding up???
@@51gofish So far, so perfect. They have a 3 year warranty, which was longer than the Motorcraft ones. I'm also running an NGK Direct Ignition Cartridge in my Saab 9-3 and that's fine, too. I trust NGK products.
You confirmed the hot method was good for me so I did it today in 1.25 hours, none broke. 8 plugs with new boots on my 2006 Mustang GT with 115,000 miles on the original plugs! Last winter I attempted it and broke a plug. After using the Lisle tool to get the plug out I was frustrated and waited a year to try again. I had previously put one Champion in but replaced it also with the new Motorcrafts. THANKS BRO!!
g
We just used this impact method on a COLD engine and got all the plugs out successfully. The shaft part was quite rusty and there was squealing and protesting, but they came out complete.
Of course we would have warmed up the engine but during a timing chain job we noticed a thrown rocker and damaged camshaft, so we decided on the spot to do a leak down test. We chose to risk it rather than reassemble everything just to warm up the engine.
Also, unrelated but FYI you CAN get the oil pan off a 5th gen mustang GT without removing the engine or dropping the subframe. You still need an engine hoist and you have to remove the oil pickup tube while the pan is unbolted but still on top of the crossmember, but we did it with relatively little trouble.
Thanks! Did this today. 8 for 8 . Uses my Milwaukee impact driver with 166 pounds of torque and the first 6 came out. Didn't fit on the back ones so I got the Milwaukee right angle impact . They were the most stubborn.
Thanks for this comment. Was searching to see if anyone had luck with the 166ft lb milwaukee driver. Gonna try soon
I've used this way for years, havent broken one since I changed from carb cleaner and patience
I'm a little nervous about using this method. After reading Fords TSB08-7-06 I have been doing it as per their instructions. Cold engine, break the plug about 1/8 to 1/4 turn then put some carburetor on the plug and let it sit a few hours. Carburetor cleaner seems to breaks up crud that's fuses the plug to the head. Then gently try to remove the plug. Do it a second time if you need to. It's been working for me so far with no problems. Just very time consuming.
Joe SC yeah each plug use carb cleaner 1/4 turn engine hot let set do it for every cylinder run engine to get hot
I wish I knew about running the engine before removing the plugs. I have a 2004 F150, it took me 6 hours to change out the plugs. I soaked the plugs the night before and used your method. Slow turns back and forth and they all came out without breaking.
Change the right side than run the engine to warm it up than change the left side. I worked for an airline that's how they would do it on their 6.8 water truck. It had 100,000 and never left the airport. The gap was over .100
+Geno Fuller Wow!
FordTechMakuloco getting ready to do this job on a 2005 5.4l with 200,000 miles on it an extra tips or the gym to watch out for. I just feel like there's so many things that can go wrong
@@davidmark4211 if it's got the original plugs still at 200k your gonna need a BUNCH of hail mary's.
Just did this technique on a 2005 F-150 with 143,000 miles on it(had 118,000 when i bought it). Went 4 of 8! 4 broke and 4 came out. They looked like original plugs too! The gap was gigantic on them!
For those curious, broke plugs on cylinders 1, 4, 5 & 6. Cylinders 2, 3, 7 & 8 popped right out!
Updated the plugs to the new SP546's and 8 brand new DG511 coils! Before i couldn't run it over 4,000rpms without it going into limp mode immediately. Now she roars without a single misfire! 👍
Did you use ratchet or impact?
Used this method for my 2008 Ford Explorer 4.6 V8 at 100K miles and did not break one plug. Thank you for your great video!
I don’t have an impact, fought with my plugs for days even with soaking and heating engine several times, only easy ones (thank god) were the rear 2 plugs, the last one out was 3rd one on passenger side, I had to sit on the engine with my foot holding the tool straight, put a pipe on the end of my wrench and pull with both hands to get it to budge. I’m 250 pound 6ft tall, thought for sure it was going to break but got lucky and got them all out, I couldn’t believe how tough they were. I think If I had a half inch adapter like he mentioned in the video I would have had a better time, I was even checking my tools looking for one, definitely need to pick one up, should have done that instead.
This job is such a pain but I finally got it done. No breaks thank the Good Lord! pro tip: not every hose should be disconnected or else you might get coolant in your spark plug holes like I did.
Just replaced the original plugs on a 2005 F150 with just over 60k, the method that worked the best for me was to bring the engine up to operating temperature. Loosen the plugs about 1/8th of a turn and the spray a good amount of Gumout carb cleaner in each plug hole on one cylinder bank, then let it sit for 15 minutes. Then I tightened the plug, then loosened about half a turn, tightened it back down again, then loosened until the plug came out. Before using this sequence of steps, I broke a couple plugs and the Lisle tool worked like a charm to extract the end of the plug. Thanks for the video!
This was the way i was thinkng of doing it.. first run 4 tanks of fuel with seafoam, fuel cleaners.
Then pour seafoam in,l holes, soak for an hour, loosen plugs 1/8 turn, spray carb cleaner in, wait 20 minutes, spray in wd-40, wait over night and try to wiggle them out.
Thanks for posting these videos. Very informative. Took all 8 plugs out of my 07 F150 5.4 without any breaks.
Caleb Melancon ...please install brakes or you wont be able to stop
Hot plugs with impact seems to be a common theme for this issue. South Main Auto has a video of this too.
Yeah. He's damn good too.
The plugs on the truck that the South Main Auto guy did were already replaced. You can tell by the longer insulators (hotter plugs). Originals are colder plugs.
Nice. Too bad I didnt see this a month ago. I removed the coils. Squirted wd40 in the holes. Loosened and tightened each plug until they came out. Still didnt take too long to do the job.
Another great video Brian. A warm engine is definitely key here. I did my plugs last August on a cold engine and broke 7 of 8. Of course the only one that came out in one piece was #1
+THETOPGLOCK Of course!
@@FordTechMakuloco ..How do you know if there original plugs. Doing mine this weekend. Thanks. Right after I pull my valve covers and drop the pan for inspection. Think either my phasers are going , or a broken guide or worst-case stretched my chain! Yea Fun!
Excellent method, did my plugs in 2 hours start to finish. No more messing around with penetrating oil. Thanks
@@locknload9143 how did your spark plug job go?
Thanks for the video, I'm going to try this on my Explorer, I got the plug extractor just in case the plugs see me coming with the impact and decide to hold on for dear life.
Boostang I was just wondering how you made out changing the plugs on your explorer. Was it a 4.6 and what year if you don't mind me asking?
good video brian..makes sense when its hot..carbon is loose and the the head is expanded from the heat..that shock of the impact gun does the trick. ive seen other guys do it this way with good results.
You nailed it! The thermal coefficient of expansion is significantly greater for alumimum than for steel/iron. What this means is the hole in the head grows larger faster than the body of the sparkplug expands. Net effect is the plug is looser when the engine is hot.
I had to change one plug on a recent trip. But glad I'm watching this now before I do the rest.
Just did this with a 12v dewalt 3/8” impact worked great. Just took time easing it out. Didn’t want to go full bore at once. I let the vibrations help loosen it.
5:16 For anyone who thinks this step is controversial Brian, I run a strong vacuum right next to where the debris is blown out, to help prevent it from going back down into the combustion chamber. But as you say...It shouldn't be a problem. Thanks for another great video.
+matt8863 The way I do it there is so much garbage blown off the engine before I ever open it up and when I blow that hole out after the plug is out I do it over an over again not just one shot this way its ultra clean till no debri is flying about it has worked out for me over the years.
I did this a month ago on my 07 Expedition with a cold engine... all came out with no problem.
+GDWS81 Cool man, I have 36,000 on a '08 4.6, and I'm taking those bastards out ASAP after I run a couple of cans of sea foam with a half tank of gas. That's the strategy anyway. Good to hear people are having luck getting these out without problems. Saw too many videos with that crunching sound of porcelain.
I have a a 07 Expedition too, and I will be doing changing the plugs any tips? Thanks
Got the Aircat stubby today. I must say that it's very impressive for the size.
Bro. I'm waiting for my motocraft replacements to arrive so I can change them. They are original factory spark plugs never been changed, it's 2005 f150 5.4 and about 126k 😱 you're scaring me with that opening statement hah
I've heard of this trick. Just a risk of pulling the threads out of the head doing them hot. But as much trouble as it is to get the broken plug out it's worth the risk.
Who ever it was at Ford that came up with that plug I hope they have been fired.
+CamperMike yup you must be careful and have the gun as straight as possible.
Joe Biden invented it.
@@FordTechMakuloco Build Back Better Joe Biden designed them
I use high temp Aluminum anti seize. It is an aluminum head after all.... why use nickel? Just got mine done. Bought truck used 5 months ago (put 5,000 miles on it) and carfax said truck just had plugs done. I had a stutter (no check engine light) and figured Id just change them since I was under the impression that I would have the 14F plugs. NOPE. 2F for 7 plugs and ONE Champion plug in driver rear bank. So I guess they had a misfire, was told by shop the cost to do the job, and just changed the one plug. So here I am 5 days later I got the job done. Had issues with hose clips attacked to plug and socket would fit on one (no idea how they did that)... one broke oddly, jam nut came off but everything else stayed in there... in total I ended up breaking 6 of 8.... thank God the 4 and 8 cyls both came out in 1 piece. The Lisle tool is easy to use but Its like changing the plug 3 times... lol. Good freakin luck to anyone that messes with the 5.4 or 4.6 3V engine.
have a Cornwell stubby impact that I have used for this and broke 3 plugs but with my ir titanium hot or cold with an impact swivel when needed have really good results
Great video...I always take a look at your lectures before I do any work on my F-150 and find them to be one of the best. Also, I like the orderly and cleanliness of you shop. Keep up the good work.
Think I'm gone go practice in the junkyard first lol
thats the idea , thats how i learned , also working with the extractor kit for these as well , that way when i need to preform this job when some body calls because they broke it trying to replace its a nice ticket $
Pretty sure theres plenty off them there
how are you running a 5.4 3v that's 1/2 torn down in a junkyard to get it hot
😂😂😂
Don't forget the different coefficients of expansion between the spark plug steel and the aluminum heads. The aluminum expands at twice the rate of the spark plugs, so, since the long extension on the plugs fitting into that long hole in the head supposedly fills with carbon deposits while it is running, thus hot, if you remove them cold, all that has been compressed into half the space when it is running.
I'm amazed it doesn't turn into diamond!
Hot's the way.
If the plug is steel and the hole aluminum, then when the engine is hot the hole will be SMALLER not bigger... thus the hole will have a tighter grip on the plug.
What helps is the heating of the carbon, which softens the carbon.
Big thank you for your videos man!
I recently got an '06 F150 with the 5.4L 3V that has 200k on the odometer. Only reason I bought it was because it was a great price and I know all the service history. But the last spark plug change was 67k ago, so I was dreading it big time. Following the steps in your video, I got 8 for 8 out with no breaks. Big time happy dance!
Now on to lower ball joints tomorrow.
Thanks again and sub'd so I don't miss any new tips.
Johnny Vegas how did they look ?
I have a quick question. The SP515 spark plug looks like it was superseded to a SP546. My truck is a 08 f250, and I have a high rpm misfire. The code is p0300 like normal. Should I go with the updated SP546, or go with the SP515 like you have in the video.
The 515 was that three piece Crap that was prone to breaking. I believe the SP547 is the best one now.
The Milwaukee right angle impact wrench works amazing for doing these plugs. Low enough profile to get into the rear cylinders too
Have you read fords recommendation on how do do this properly? They say to do it when the engine is cold and to only start with 1/4 turn on the spark plug, spray some carb cleaner and wait at least 15 mins( if not more) so the carb cleaner eats at the carbon.
+Cody None ya yes I used to work for Ford during this entire fiasco.
I did my first 2 plugs by fords method both plugs broke.i immediately used my 3/8 blue point impact on the rest of the plugs and they all came out perfect.the truck is an 07 and first plug change .had 150k.
That is how I did mine and they all came out without breaking.
After running into a wall trying to tackle this project, and screaming at the top of my lungs. Thank You for putting this video. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!!!
My shop started using a 3/8" electric impact for these a couple years ago. Cold or hot engine doesn't seem to make a difference. We haven't had to use our broken plug tool since.
I have a 3V 6.8L V10 in our RV and will be trying this method. Hopefully it works out!! Has 126k on the engine and have no clue if the previous owner ever change out the plugs. Pray for me. haha
10 for 10. no broken plugs. Took about 2 hours for the whole job. So relieved.
@@WanderToGetLostdid you do it like the video? I have the same motor in my motorhome. We’re you able to get the impact on every cylinder?
This is exactly why I stick to pushrods!
Just read your BSG info. Hell yeah man I'm in the same boat as you. Started mechanics at 16 with vehicles/motorcycles. Joined the Corp as a 3521. Now running a mobile mechanic business. Errrrah
That's the way I've always done it. It seems counterintuitive but it works great.
I've got a 2005 Ford Expedition 5.4L 3V, not original spark plugs. I was getting a misfire on #1, so I thought change the coil pack and spark plug. Since these are the new spark plugs I wasn't afraid of breaking it off. I get the coil pack off, and start turning the spark plug. Nothing special happens, just keep turning the plug. And turning and turning. So I think I've broke something. Try to tighten it back down, and it does tighten back down. I put on the coil pack and fire it up. All is well.
But I can't leave it alone, I want to change that spark plug now. So another day I let it get hot and give it a go. Again, I just get the spark plug to spin and spin and spin... I tried grabbing it with plies and pulling, it didn't move. I've shot different chemicals at it and let is soak. still can't get it out. So I tightened it back down, and it runs fine.
I've left it alone for a while now, but it bugs me I couldn't get it out. Any ideas? Carbon build up?
I poured carb cleaner onto the plug, let it sit overnight, then cracked the plugs an 1/8th turn and let it soak a few more hours, then cracked a 1/4 turn and finally removed them. Soak, crack, soak, crack, soak and remove.
That’s the official Ford method this is much faster
@@FordTechMakuloco I switched to a one piece plug at 120K miles, now at 290K still working fine, maybe time to change. Motor purrs at 290K but thinking maybe high volume oil pump. Another note, I ran Marvels in the engine a number of times, also wasn't great about oil changes just every 7K-8K mile but synthetic. Lucky maybe.
Thanks for all your vids!! Awesome stuff!
changed out plugs last year on my 06 f150 118,000 mi original plugs. Added 1 can to 3 gallons of fuel let truck idle for bout 30 minutes used 9/16 socket with my makita 18v impact no problem
I always use a short piece of vacuum line to start all my spark plugs Just stick it to the end of the plug that way your vacuum line will not let you cross threaded been doing it for 45 years works every time
Sweet , my dad taught me that when I was just a pup . I'm 54 now .
Ford manual says change when engine is cold. I tried it and broke the first spark plug immediately. Did it warm and had success.
Thank Gawd Mine were done at the dealership before I bought it, sometime I'll have to do them, hours of fun! 🤬🤬
My 5.4L #1 plug is severely stuck and rounded off the nut. Can I break the porcelain and remove, then use the plug extractor kit? Ever encountered this? Thanks for all your videos!
if I bought new plugs here in 2018 for a 2008 truck, are the plugs completely redesigned to avoid this problem?
Replaced plugs on my ‘05 expedition using this method. 5 plugs where original (223,000 miles) 1 newer one and 2 with 170k+ miles. Out of the 8 only 1 broke. I idled for about 20 minutes then ran it on the highway. Electric impact and stubby impact wouldn’t take them out. I had to use my ingersol titanium 1/2 inch and they still barely came out. If I broke 1 of the original 16 year old plugs then you should be fine if you do this correct.
Leave it to ford to over engineer a damn spark plug lol
Nice brother, can you use the inpact drill to extract the spark plug instead the air gun,?thanks
Since you have done both cold engine and a hot engine spark plug removal, which is your preferred method?
And which do you think has the potential for more repeatable favorable results?
nopi98
Michael Loren yes?
I have no idea how these plugs last so long. I have a 2000 F150 with the 4.6L, it has 315,000 km with original plugs. In fact its original everything aside from brakes, shocks, battery and alternator. I know i really should pull the plugs, but its still running strong.
I agree with what you should do, however that is still cool.
When little has been needed on a vehicle over a long time it has made me hold on to a car for too long.
While it still has golden years maybe it's time to sale.
Our only differences in our stories is my vehicle had new plugs every 12 thousands miles. I love how good new plugs feel.
When I switched to Iridiums, what my "Corolla" should have had the whole time, now I run plugs maybe 50k miles.
I think you're truck has plenty of life left, but things start to get more expensive soon on most vehicles. You're choice. Financially, I made the wrong choice on the surface, but the constant repairs made me a tech and a video maker after that. Lol
I have a 2004 F150 FX4 extended cab with the 5.4 3v Triton that I bought used". I changed the spark plugs at 100,000 miles after running tanks of gas with sea foam. I got all 8 plugs out with no breakage, but now after a few weeks I have a fuel smell in the cab of my truck. I'm being told I shouldn't have put anti seize on the spark plug threads, or that I just need to re-torque the plugs to 25 ft. Lbs. What do you think the problem is?
I haven't heard anyone else mention this, but our mechanic at work (big trucks) mentioned the possibility of stripping out cylinder head plug threads. is that a concern here? thank you for the informative video here as well as the lisle tool vid!
my brother has a 99 Expedition with a 5.4 Triton not sure if it has the 3 valve but the worst he has had so far was a blown plug. I am so glad I have the 5.0 LOL
+Brandon Beard No he has the 2v engine which as you have stated have an issue with ejecting plugs where as these it just the opposite.
+FordTechMakuloco I see, thank you good to know. And I will say that when one blows and you're standing next to it it does scare the crap out of you LOL
So much I've learned thanks to the Ford professor 😃
I replaced my plugs 06 Expedition 133K miles by first running 3 tank fulls of Seafoam and let the engine sit for a day to be absolute cold. Then after blowing out the plug wells I put a very small amount of Chemtool in the well to let it wick down the threads as I extracted the plug using a ratchet with an extension. All 8 came out free of breakage and with hardly any carbon build up on the tip. I used Hi-temp Anti-seize and Dielectric grease and a new set of coil packs, also I went with an Autolite one piece design base instead of the Motorcraft to minimize any issues should I need to change them again if I happened to keep it that long.
Do they still use the two piece design today? Does any other brand make a one piece for these models to prevent any of these issues?
I have an 05 v10 with original plugs guess I will leave it alone unless necessary for fear of broken plugs or threads coming out and maybe even trading it in to avoid the nightmare.
I recently bought a 2000 ford expedition for a real good price it is in pristine condition but I have recently started hearing a ticking noise that will last for about a minute or so as I pull away from where I parked. I checked the noise in the morning to see if I could hear what it was but did not hear anything so away I go... then I heard it again. It only does it as I drive away then it stops for the rest of the time I drive. I wonder if it could be a bad spark plug or a bad solenoid. What do you think I have done a lot of research but have so far found nothing.
I'm curious how it turned out. I don't see any comments afterwards. I just had a phaser fail and I'm looking at an old one to see if I can reuse it. I am seeing the same thing you're talking about here. Trying to figure it out. This pin on a new phaser is out, against the spring. It may pop out at certain times depending what phase it's in, idle, gear etc. Still searching. Let me know. Thanks!
Thanks Brian. A few years ago I was going to change the plugs on my 05 Expy but saw a post from you on Automotive Forums that stopped me from probably breaking all of them trying the normal way. I've been holding off, since at the time extractors were snapping and unless they weren't firing, I decided to take the wait and see approach. Now It looks like they have perfected the extractors and lots of experience by you and others has shown the best removal with minimal breakage. The appreciation from all of us is immense.Randy (automotive forums handle 65Comet)
Got my aircat impact finally yesterday after it was back ordered for awhile. Just did the drivers side. Number 5 broke. 6 and 7 came out looking very clean. 8 broke. So I guess it is time to get a Lisle extractor. Dang, I had such high hopes to not break any. I'll update how the other side goes when I get to it.
Good video sir .
Question does that will not affect the cylinder thread since it is way hot ?
Thank you sir
Thank you for this video! My 2005 F150 has 106,000 miles and original plugs, so I decided it was about time to swap them and the coil packs out. I have been able to change six of the eight plugs without breaking them. For a non-mechanic, I'm pretty happy with that and I owe a large part of it to your videos.
What I can't figure out is this: how the heck do you get the impact wrench on the plugs for cylinders 3 and 4? I can't even get my Aircat Stubby back in there... Do you have to remove a bunch of stuff? Between some rigid hoses, a board that contains what looks like three big relays, I cannot figure out how to pop out those last two plugs. I'm guessing those hoses aren't supposed to be removed... how do you get at those last two plugs?
Thanks again for the videos. They have enabled me to change my shocks and struts, ball joints, tie-rod ends, etc., all stuff I would never have thought of trying. Thanks!
I actually figured it out: to reach the #3 and #4 cylinders, the PCM panel and mounting bracket have to be removed. Getting to cylinder #4 with the stubby impact was still a bit tricky, but it fit. In the end, I was able to get all 8 plugs out intact. Mine did not have a lot of carbon, mostly rust, but I've been running Techron in the gas most of the summer to clean out the carbon. It seems to have worked. Thanks again for the great video. It gave me the info I needed to get this done!
Awesome video like always getting ready to try this on my 08 with 150 on it wish me luck hope they come out
Just bought a 2007 F-150 Super Cab XLT 4wd 5.4 3v 09/13/19 didn't know at the time about the issues with the 5.4, any way I had seen a video where the guy ran a can of Seafoam in half tank of gas to eat up the carbon on the plugs then changed them while engine was hot, would you recommend this method or not?
2007 Mustang
113650 miles
2 hours start to finish
No broken plugs
$700 saved
Thanks FordTechMakuloco!!!!!
Would a cordless 20v impact driver enough to get plugs out?
Answer is yes! Replaced all 8 , #3 n #4 need u joint and extension without removing anything else. Only unclipping fuel intake plugs.
you should allow the new spark plug to warm up to engine temperature before torqueing it down. if you dont the plug will expandand become way to tight and tear up the threads.
+smoke skull I have never heard of that but following this method it will allow for that as we are tightening them by hand then moving onto the next plug by the time you go back to torque them they will be the same temp for sure.
they remove themselves when they tear out of the head
Correct me if I’m wrong but if u change the plugs in a hot engine doesn’t the cylinder threading part stripped cause I never do tht until the engine cools down at least half an hour to and hour I never like doing this method it seems to dangerous for me
Correct and this is the only engine this method should ever be used on because of it's unique problem. Even so with as many as I have done this way there has never been any issue with the threads after.
If its not your car or truck, who cars if you fuck up you can always say it was the trucks fault
Hey man! Really helpful video. I Just bought a 2005 Mustang Gt with 80k miles, it runs great but I’m worried about the spark plug issue. Do you recommend I go to a mechanic to change them now or leave as is? I’m the 3rd owner but the previous owner doesn’t know if the plugs have been already changed. How can I tell if they
@FordTechMakuloco Did you use the same "OTC 6900 Ford F-150 Spark Plug Socket" you used that you recommended from Amazon when using this stubby impact? You suggested that tool in an older video, but that was way back when you were doing them with regular tools.
Nice video! I have learned something today. Gonna check and see if my mechanic have the Aircat tool. If not, I plan on investing in that tool. Thanks for sharing what you use in fixing the truck.
10 minutes for cylinder 5,6. another hour or so for 3 and 4.
I have a 2010 XLT with a 4.6 3v and have searched several forums to see if mine has the dreaded spark spark plug problem. Some posters say plugs in my 2010 are no problem while others claim they are still prone to braking and to expect a $700 tune up at the shop.
I've only got 28K miles on mine so I don't need to change them out right away but I'm hoping you can give me an idea of when they should be replaced and what to expect when I finally do need to have to replace them. 100K seems a bit much so I take Ford's recommendations with a grain of salt.
Thanks!
The 09-2010 5.4 , 4.6 3v and some late engine build date 5.4's in 08' have the "standard" plug design. So you're safe my friend. But you like me still the all to common phaser issue. All I can say is be aggressive with oil changes. As you may of read these engines always love clean oil.
I recently did a complete timing kit over haul. New oem Ford parts for everything. Now I run Penzoil Platinum 5w20 (full synthetic) and a MC FL820 filter every 5k miles. Now this 5.4 is quieter and runs better then it ever has. Good luck
Great video , going to tackle this job on an 02 superduty 250 5.4l 🙏 good stuff