Great job, Meg! For easier spark plug removal, on Ford engines, try loosening each spark plug 1/4 of a turn, pour a cap full of decarbonizer into the spark plug well, and wait 15 minutes before removing them. They turn so easily after that.
Meg, again another outstanding video. You did your homework. Great the way you show the real challenge in all your projects. We can all learn together. Tutorial and camera placement is incredible. Can't wait till you can expand the operation.👍. .
Thank you so much, Curtis! I'm really glad you enjoyed this one! And thank you for the feedback, that's great to hear! My goal with this channel is to share the reality of what learning looks like, as well as the reality of what these projects/tasks are really like. I also personally learn so much better with visual explanations so I want to continue sharing the bits of information I learn along the way through my research and struggles in hopes that it can be helpful to others. I also can't wait until I expand into a bigger shop and take on bigger projects - It's honestly been so much fun sharing this journey with all of you! Hoping I can make that happen this summer! Have a great week! 😊
Another great episode. Using a piece of 3/8" hose to putt the plugs after they're loose and to start a new plug might be something you want to try next time. It works great for those hard to reach plugs.
The symptoms described at the beginning suggested to me that it might be caused by the coil (if it has one) or the distributor cap.. But, it seems the major wear on the spark plug anodes was probably the problem. As usual, the videography was excellent and the very well given narration and explanations!
Hi meg, I grew pre youtube when if you wanted a ride you out and bought an old chevy or ford for under $200.00 bucks drove it or towed it home w/a chain and went to work on it, tune up motor swap etc.I give you credit for taking on projects like this one, vehicles are so complex nowadays I buy nothing but older trucks and cars. You`d be great at restoring a classic vehicle and looking great doing it!
These videos are getting better. Meg, you stated about not being sure if putting things in order as you take them off was necessary. Some would say no, but if it works for you that’s all that matters, and it has always seemed to me best practice to keep things orderly. Keep it up Meg! I ve commented before you are a breath of fresh air in the TH-cam world!👍😀😀😀😀😀❤️❤️
Never hurts, specially if you’re tracking a problem like she is for example of a misfire without a scan tool to know which cylinder the misfire is in. Can also pull the connector off of each ignition coil ONE at a time while running to see if there’s a change in the engine idle and if it changes keep going but if it doesn’t then that was the culprit because that means it wasn’t doing work to keep the engine running and all the others affecting the idle were… If that makes sense.
On plug coils were introduced in the 90's as a maintenance improvement. An Ignition coil is basically a transformer of the same function as one that works on the power grid and you can probably find on the power pole outside your home. The grid ones reduce the voltage, but automotive ones boosts the voltage from 12 volts, to a higher voltage that can actually arc across that gap and make a spark to ignite the fuel/air mixture in the combustion chamber. In ye-olden cars, like my '85 MR2 I have 1 coil that runs all 4 cylinders. The challenge there is that everything is high voltage and means they wear out easier and are part of your replacement regimen as part of a normal tune-up. So that means I have to replace my coil, distributor, 5 wires, and spark plugs as part of that maintenance. On newer cars with a coil on each plug, the coil does so much less work, that they really never need too be replaced. Now a tune-up is just spark plugs.
Thanks so much! I hope it helps others as well, if not just for a good laugh haha! The Bobcat was so cool!!! I may share more of my wildlife encounters in future videos, we see quite a few bears every year out here!
It's Saturday and you know what that means. Time to see what Meg's up to and as usual she comes in clutch. I know you said you put out these videos to show how you learn different tasks but if we're being honest you are teaching at the same time. It's whats so amazing about this TH-cam venue. If there is something we have questions about as in how to do something chances are you will find it here. Thanks for sharing Meg, see you next week
Thanks Rob! It's so amazing to have this wealth of knowledge at our fingertips, it really is so helpful to learn from others (successes and failures alike). I'm so happy to be able to share what I'm learning from my own struggles, adventures, and projects, it really is such a wonderful opportunity. Thanks for being here and for coming along for the ride! Have a wonderful week!
I suspected a bad coil on my truck. The engine had a rough idle and poorer performance. At idle, the engine wasn't smooth. It had little shake. While the engine was running, I disconnected and reconnected the wires to each individual coil pack. If the coil is working, disconnecting it will make a sudden change and the engine will run rougher. If a coil pack is not working at all, disconnecting it won't make a difference to the rough running engine because it's already running without a spark to that cylinder. However, the the coil pack is working most of the time (an intermittent issue), it may not be as noticeable. Great job on plug change!
Another great video! Auto repair and wildlife! So good that you showed the carbon tracking. A lot of people talk about carbon tracking but do not clearly show what it looks like.
fordtechmakuloko is a wonderful mechanic to follow for tutorials on fords! excellent work as usual, keep up the great videos, I always find them entertaining
Who have we got here with another DIY car repair video? Yes it is the MEGnificent Meg!! Another success which you can check off in the “how do stuff myself” book. Nicely done! Now I know how to exchange a spark plug from my scooter 😉. Oh and by the way. The bumper you did a couple of videos back didn’t survived the winter that well. 😢. Anyway. Nice to see you as always. And …. That countryside is just awesome. Nature is full of surprises. Your videos may take a bit longer like an hour or so. Have a nice weekend Meg.
Aw thanks Roy! I'm loving all these new skills I'm learning, it's definitely a great feeling looking back on all these projects and honestly my vehicles are running better than ever lol!! Although you're totally right the bumper is not looking good at all!! I'm definitely bummed that I didn't prep it or prime it well enough, but I learned a valuable lesson in that prep is #1 importance! So will have to do a re-refinish in the summer I think! Have a great week, Roy! See you next weekend.
Excellent result! Shame about the retaining clip on the coil, but there is a trick with a zip tie to replace it. Rainman Ray finds that Toyotas are particularly brittle and always break, and the zip tie fix seems to work really well, and the Ford connector looks similar. It involves snipping the end off the zip tie and using it as a replacement clip! I'll try to find a video where he does it and post the link here... there's a different type of feeler guage that is tapered, and gives a more visual measurement of the gap. If I can find one one eBay or Amazon I'll post a link to it, but you'll probably find one easily enough in your favourite store!!
Here's the coil connector zip tie trick... almost at the end of the video (52m42s -ish), took a bit of finding! I guarantee that, if you watch enough of these videos, you'll end up saying 'click' each time you torque up a fastener, and shouting 'GRAVITY' each time you drop something!! It's contagious! th-cam.com/video/YrPLIxnX-ZI/w-d-xo.htmlsi=S8_E7OLK6FjvWJVm&t=3162
@@Meg.AugustMeg. I am a relatively new subscriber and I don't usually comment but I do wanna say, I really enjoy your videos and and and it's not just that you're such a cutie but you are awesome, you are fearless and I wish more chics were willing to go for it like you do. You have truly amazed me lol. I spent a lot of my life wrenching and you are just gutsy. Good job 🎉😊
I wanted to give a little bit more info on gapping spark plugs. Usually if they come with a protective sleeve, they do not need to be gapped. Just careful check the gap to make sure the plugs haven't been dropped or something. The sleeve can be clear plastic like in this video or cardboard. They are meant to protect the delicate tip of the iridium spark plugs. As far as tightening the gap, I tap the actual plug in the radiator support. The quickest way I have found. Maybe do it the correct way if you don't work on cars for a living. Good luck everyone! Nice work on this job Meg!
That's great information, Colin, thank you! For this particular engine, it did call for gapping it to the 0.028, but I didn't know about those sleeves actually meaning anything, so thanks for the info, I figured it was just to protect it in the packaging! Hope you have a great week!
Meg. After watching the video to the end, I will write about what I felt from my maintenance experience. First of all, if you find it difficult to remove the plug or connector, spraying it with lubricating spray will make it easier to remove, so we recommend using it frequently. As your car gets older, be careful not to forcefully remove the coupler with a screwdriver or the like, as it will break. Also, when installing the plug, it's best not to get too much oil on it. Sparks may also escape.
Well , you've it done again, Mechanic Meg!!! You traveled outside your comfort zone and did something that didn't know you could!!!(We all knew you could though!) I am truly grateful that each week you take us along with you to test yourself and try bigger and brighter things! Never stop challenging yourself or your limitations! Motivation and perspiration get things done! Also some automotive misfires are caused by the fuel side of the equation.... like a dirty or defective fuel injector or malfunctioning fuel pump...just a little insight for the future? Anyways, have a blessed day and upcoming week!!!
Thank you Terry! I appreciate that and I'm really glad you're enjoying coming along for the journey! I'm so happy to have you along! Hope you have a great week and see you next time!
Nice job, Meg! The center electrode of the spark plug is supposed to look like a cylinder. Yours were burnt down to points. It was definitely time to change those spark plugs!
Meg.... Honey.... I'm sorry nobody ever suggested that you should take a foot long piece of gas line and put the plug into it and use to start your threads into the head. Fuel line onto the head of the plug will give u maximum feel for starting the threads!!!
I appreciate your content Meg. Hopefully if I ever have a daughter she turns out like you so we can enjoy working on vehicles together. Good role model to look up too. Love the hair at the end. The extra effort put in this videos editing is noticed keep it up have a great weekend
A bad PCV valve can also cause the same issues you described and is supposedly is on par with ease to changing spark plugs. I've heard it is recommended to change the PCV valve every 50,000-80,000 km, but people often don't do it (myself included) and it can cause some issues like you described. I think they usually cost around $10-$50. Ignition coils step up voltage from 12v to ~10,000's so the spark can jump the gap. I was advised to never gap modern, iridium spark plugs because it can damage the very sensitive tip and coating, I believe. If you still have issues with misfires, this may be the cause and the new spark plugs would just have to be replaced again with new ones, not gap checked. I doubt it will be an issue though. The rubber boots inside spark plug sockets will often pop out so that you can check if the new spark plugs are the same size as the old ones, in terms of socket size, before pressing them into the rubber section because often times stores will sell the wrong plugs. People are going to blast the comment section about the use of antiseize on the threads. I'm just going to add before that happens, my factory shop manuals state to do this, so in truth it is most likely dependent on the specific vehicle, but not everyone buys the official shop manuals, so there might be some misinformation pop-up about that. Google will convert in-lbs to NM or ft-lbs for you if you would like. The torque specs for my plugs were 18 ft-lbs (Honda), so I suspect it would be about that for an F-150, but I had a very difficult time when using my torque wrench because it didn't click when it was supposed to and I nearly overtightened one or all of them, so imo your tight+1/8 turn method was probably the safest without a high precision torque wrench. Not only do the j-hooks on the spark plugs expand over time due to fatigue from thermal cycling, but the actual metal on the electrode tip and j-hook disintegrate which widens the gap. Dielectric grease doesn't conduct electricity, but it does keep water and dirt and other things from accumulating inside the spark plug booth that would cause ignition issues. Basically the dirt gets stuck to the outside layer of grease and water and oil don't mix so the grease fills the gap between the plug and boot to ensure nothing gets in inside. It gets pushed out of the way when the spark plug connects to the terminal in the spark plug boot so a good connection is made. I've never heard of carbon tracking before, only blow by. Seems like an interesting topic to look into - thanks for mentioning! Breaking those little locking tabs has always been one of my worst nightmares when changing spark plugs - sorry to see that it happened to you! I guess, unlike irl, in the TH-cam sphere it is positive because it produces content for more videos. Thanks for reading my novel (comments help to bump the video in the algorithm, right?), and more importantly, thanks to Meg for posting!
Thank you for the detailed comment! I appreciate the insight! You're right there can be multiple causes of this, thankfully the new spark plugs did resolve the issue and the truck is running perfect! Have a great week!
Just found your channel and this is the second video I’ve watched. Loving your content so far and who you are as a person! My kinda people! Not afraid to try and learn and get dirty! Recommendation for you or others learning from this some newer style spark plugs you “shouldn’t have to” gap. Because they could be platinum or titanium tipped etc. and that very small fine tip could be damaged or even removed accidentally while you are trying to gap them or checking the gap distance and then they are ruined… Just be careful.
Also through the course of a career working on cars and motors I loved how in one video you did what we all have done at some point AND DIDN’T edit it out. Like dropping the light, ratchet, “Mother fucker” to the ignition coil connector, “how do I reach that back there”, “I just broke the locking tab!” I loved it and been there before! Plastic under the hood gets very brittle from heat, surprisingly a little WD-40 on a connector first or in/on a plastic pop in rivet etc goes a long way to not break it when you don’t have a replacement there right away. 😉
Just in case you want to know more about what you were doing from a 30+ year experienced auto technician. 1) Spark plugs are actually nothing but engineered resistors with a specified resistance value to produce a spark within a heat range that will optimize the chance of having a complete burn, or "burn time", with the air/fuel mixture present in the cylinder. The misfire you were experiencing was most likely due to slight increase in the resistance value of the overall plug. Replacing them got the plugs back into spec., therefore eliminating the misfire. For removal of spark plugs, if you ever do it again, to ease the removal process, please get yourself a rachet with a longer handle and lower TPI (tooth per inch) number. The longer handle will allow you to have more leverage and the lower TPI will make the job quicker. Tip: when breaking a plug loose with a long handle rachet, I usually a quick snapping pull on the rachet to break them loose. Don't worry, spark plugs are pretty tough things, they do not snap off. 2) Ignition coils are actually noting but small transforms. The coil part are contained in the large part of the ignition coil assembly at the top (next to the bolt that retains it to the valve cover). The vehicle battery is a 12 volt battery, but that is no where enough energy to cause combustion. So, what the ignition coil does, it transforms the 12 volts supplied to it into anywhere between 10,000 to 40,000 volts depending on the load on the engine. The amount of current generated by the coils (or transformers) is determined by the amount of milliseconds the coil is allow to power up and saturated the secondary windings inside it (I am sure you can find a technical video on how a coil works if you are interested in knowing exactly how they function). Looking at the plugs you removed, they looked normal and as I expected them to look for the mileage that they had on them. No evidence of oil consumption or incorrect air/fuel mixture (meaning the engine running "rich" or "lean"). You did a good job. BTW, don't worry about that red locking tab that broke or disappeared on you on that one cylinder. It happens all the time, and I do not remember diagnosing an electrical problem that was caused by a missing connector lock.
Wow this is really great information, thank you!! I appreciate the clear and detailed explanation and the analysis on the plugs I removed. Also very good to know I don't need to worry about that missing locking tab either lol! I haven't replaced it yet so may just leave it in the end! Truck is running perfectly!!
@@Meg.August Glad to be of service. It really seemed you are really trying to learn how to do things to your truck and honestly attempting to do them in the correct way. I was trying to demystify the components you were handling. Again, I would not worry about those locking inserts in electrical connectors. Chrysler started doing it in the late 90's and it just seemed to catch on across the market. The only locking inserts that are really important are associated with the air bag system (SRS). SRS wiring is easily identifiable. All SRS wiring is coated with a bright yellow coating and the connectors are yellow. They are mostly under the dash and the seats, which you most likely will ever have to touch. Happy wrenching!
Making you into a mechanic before it’s over 😂 Ford does not recommend anti seize on plugs by the way, but I put a dap on them myself 🥴 Keep the videos coming ! Great job Meg .
When dealing with dissimilar metals, anti-seize is always important. Ford doesn't recommend it to avoid people just slathering a big glob on the plugs and hurting the grounding connection on the head. (or to sell more heads when the threads get ripped out on a plug change)
Mini 90 degree pick and use that under the clips if they are hard to push down and come up. My favorite way to do it is. And spark plugs now days you do not want to gap. Most boxes say do not gap them
Good to know about the 90 degree pick, I actually have one of those. This truck in particular did need the spark plugs gapped to 0.028 but I have heard from others saying that the modern plugs don't need gapping for other vehicles. I think these ecoboosts are just an anomaly.
First, let me say I love your channel Meg and you really inspire me to try things myself. I do have a question. What does your significant other think about all your projects?
Thank you! He thinks it's great! I've shadowed/helped hold tools and flashlights many a time on his projects over the years, so he's pretty stoked that I'm taking on projects of my own these days!
Just wanted to add a little bit to the spark plug wisdom. The reason your plugs wear out and start to cause missing is because the iridium gradually wears away and increases your gap distance, that's why you want to start close to the minimum gap distance. Like others have said, if your plugs have a protector around them you shouldn't have to adjust gap. It's easy to over think gapping and spend a huge amount of time trying to get it perfect, it's not that vital as long as they are within spec. Also the reason they aren't supposed to need gapping is because the iridium tip is fragile and you can easily damage it, even just checking the gap with your feeler gauge. General rule of thumb is visually inspect, holding the feeler gauge beside the tip with a light behind it and only adjust gap if after install you are getting a misfire. Additionally you can spray a little bit of penatrant oil into the spark plug housing and let it sit for an hour or so, it will make breaking them lose a lot easier. Don't worry, the tiny amount won't hurt the engine and will be burned off within a few seconds of it being turned on. Great job! These can really be a pain, especially with all the weathered plastic that likes to break on you.
earlier fords was notorious for plugs seizing in the head. but i dont think the later ones have that issue, try not to use anti seize on the threads as they will get hot and creep down into the tip of the plug and short out the most id do is a little bit of wd40 on the thread.
Great job on the spark plug replacement. 🎉😊❤ I think that women that do automotive work gives them more knowledge and a better understand of how their vehicle works. Keep up the good work and knowledge.
If your in Canada go to you nearest princess auto and find the magnetic spark plug sockets with extensions. Works like a charm and please put grippier footwear on please
Those red locking tabs are pita locking tabs,I remove them and toss them in the trash,not needed.The ignition coils,OEM.Those Motorcraft plugs are rebranded NGKs made for Motorcraft.There is an episode of Engine Masters,they tested spark plug gaps effecting horse power and does not
Sometimes it is the plugs but on older engines it is likely the coils if the ignition coil boot is hard, cracked and brittle.😁😁 You can change just a bad coil on some models but others you have to change all of them because you will get a fault code.😁😁 The dielectric grease goes on the spark plug on the opposite end of the electrode.
Hi Meg, I keep my backup PC on my garage workbench so I can watch TH-cam videos without leaving my garage. My garage small refrigerator is also lovely to have.
Advice. Take that plastic engine cover off of that engine and leave it off. The only thing it does is hold in heat. My other advice is before removing plug spray wd40 in over the old plug and when removing them it helps after the first turn and helps for the top of the plug to slide into the rubber inside your socket. My last advice here is what I tell everyone and that is stop putting anti seize on the plug threads. Somehow you did that job better than most guys. I took those plastic covers off of my lincoln and my ford truck, because it is able to throw off engine heat better and keep your wiring cooler and its just in the way
Thank you! I wish it was my slipping! It's unfortunately the turbo manifold/exhaust manifold, but to repair it I would need to pull the cab which I can't do with my current set up but hopefully will be able to do that in the future. Thankfully it's not negatively impacting the truck, just sounds bad on start up, and does go away once it's warm.
Brilliant video Meg!! Really enjoyed everything about it :) If possible in the future, could you do a video revving up your car? So we can hear how it sounds! 😅
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed the video. And absolutely! Although, being a V6 twin turbo it's honestly very quiet but it is nice for those longer drives. I'll do a video revving up both vehicles so you guys can hear them 😁
Amazing stuff Meg! That would be really good if you could do such a video. Would be brilliant to see you Rev your cars up whilst they are static. Sure they sound very nice 😀 If you could show a pedal shot whilst you Rev your cars up that would be much appreciated too!! Keep up the great videos 😀
definitely need to get a battery powered ratchet. will make life much more easier and faster. also a long handle, flex head ratchet will make things easier. leverage is your friend. gear wrench makes good ratchets of all sorts. personally, i like snap on ratchets. good job.
@@Meg.August if you have them in your area, check out the local pawn shops. theyre a great place to find tools of all sorts. thats how i built half of my tool collection and got most of my small equipment from. most pawn shops will haggle with with prices and have layaway. theyre not the pawn shops we see in the movies ran by a guy names "lou" with gold chains and a hairy chest. my favorite pawn shop is no different than a store. we've gotten dyson cordless vacs, garden tools, bose earbuds and anything you can think of in some cases for half the price of retail if not more. if i need/want something i check the pawn shops first. also check your local buy/sell websites for things you need. hope this helps.
Safety slides are the best garage shoes....until you drop something on your foot/toe! I used to wear them too but one drop of a rotor on my foot changed that!
And here goes toony Meg, with some aahh, uuhhh, rraaahh and some other improvised sound effects, but yet another success story. The most important thing is that you solve the problem and experience smooth working condition, which is the main point. I can't wait to begin my restoration projects and repairs on my "boxy"-es (I have 3) since all need some degree of TLC and some new parts like gaskets, regulation, reconditioning, bearings change and so on.. It's looking promising towards very, very soon beginning of those projects.. =) My fingers are already itchey.. Hopefully Meg will be able to see the toony Slavic descendent working on something interesting also with improvised sound effects, but slightly different. ( and occasional cussin' in slavic peculiarni style ) 😅Keep on the good work, cheers!
I should have waited to comment as I have another tip. The plugs on Meg's truck don't have a crush washer. She is correct in the plugs not needing to be very tight. When tightening plugs with a crush washer, you should be able to feel the washer crushing. Its really hard to describe the feeling. Just go slow.
Good to know, thank you! To be honest, I watched 4 @FordTechMakuloco videos before this (as he definitely seems to know what he's talking about on these Ford trucks) so I just followed exactly what he shared to do! So happy there is a wealth of information out here on this platform! Thanks again for the tips!
they look like Iridium plugs dont really try to open the gap up as that electrode can bend i dont even bother touching the gap, normally plugs are good enough gapped dont worry about the gap to be honest it will still fire the fuel air mix pretty well as the coils do generate quite a lot of voltage.
These trucks are notorious for breaking exhaust manifold studs i thought i heard it in the video i would advise to take a look at the furthest back against back of the block see if they are missing or there and you can get a mirror and see if black sutt is escaping!
100%!! That's exactly what this is. Lots of people have been commenting asking me if it's belt noise, which I wish it were lol because the exhaust manifold is going to be much more of a pain to fix.
Honestly, I like her DIY videos for the DIY. She isn’t a trained mechanic. She is like the rest of us, doing jobs not knowing exactly what’s going to happen, feeling nervous, problem solving on the go, dealing with unexpected complications…etc. Her videos are a lot more realistic than the ones where every job goes smoothly and you are done in 10 minutes and no bolt strips or snaps. I feel like her videos prepare me way more for what problems can happen even during something routine, things a lot of other DIYers don’t even think to warn you about. Her reactions are genuine and I find her relatable.
I commend her for doing this for the first time ever on her own, then posting it on YT knowing some nit wit who probably can’t change their own oil is going to criticize her. A large portion of the population doesn’t even know how many cylinders their engines has, never mind where to find the spark plugs.
If you get a misfire code ie.: P0301, that's a misfire on cylinder #1, you can swap that coil to another, clear the code and see if it sets a code for the cylinder you swapped it over to. Then you know the coil is bad. ie.: P0302, P303, etc... If you can replace them during the tune up and save the old "good" ones as spares that is great. Else, you just replace the coil & plug on the hole that's misfiring.
Hi Vaughan! You're right, I did refinish those bumpers not long ago! Sadly, I did not prep them well enough and the rust has eaten through the paint already. I'm going to re-refinish them at another time and will do much better prep and primer next time
That did indeed appear to be a bobcat, way too big for a household cat. Looked like a tricky job with those clips but all turned out fine in the end. Also noticed you appear to have replaced your indicator bulb as it’s no longer doing the super speed tick tock sound indicating a bulb is dead. 😊👍🏻
That thing must have been 40 lbs or so, it was very big! And yes, those clips were super annoying lol! I actually haven't replaced the indicator bulb! It appears to be an intermittent issue I'm suspecting some wiring is not making a good connection somewhere so I'll have to look into that!
@Meg.August oooh an intermittent issue, just the kind of thing that causes car owners to tear their hair out. It's like hearing a rattle in your car that never stops. Then you bring it to the dealership or mechanic to get fixed, and it never manifests, then as soon as you drive home, it's rattling again. 😤😤
Yeah no need for a swivel unless you don't have a straight shot at what you are losening. that tool to read your codes, you can get an obd2 connector that will link to an app in your phone that you can get for free. You can set it up and monitor important stuff to see why your truck is acting like that.
This truck in particular is an anomaly apparently, it does need them gapped to 0.028, but I've heard that from others that the modern plugs don't need to be gapped for other vehicles.
On those trucks it's usually the coil that's gone bad and is causing the misfire. Yes changing the plugs isn't a bad idea provided you install the correct replacement plugs but really if you get a check engine code that says which cylinder is misfiring you'd be wise to swap that coil with another cylinder and see if the code stays the same or changes.
Adjusting new sparkplugs isn't really needed, the standard spark gap is good for 99% of the standard (not modified engines). The old sparkplugs have a bigger gap due the wear of the central electrode, not due heat cycles, but even a 0,1 or 0,2 mm gap difference doesn't do much, but if the spark coil is going bad, a bigger spark gap results in more misfires. Replacing the sparkplugs will temporary hide that issue, because the new ones have a smaller spark gap, and the spark coil doesn't have to create that much voltage then with a bigger gap. But with a healty sparkcoil, this doesn't make a difference, this is been tested on the dyno many times. The copper antiseeze on the threads is a good practice, but any gel or paste on the rubber boots is not needed because there is a rubber seal arround the spark coil that blocks dust and direct water etc.... and if moisture gets arround the rubber boot, this will evaporate after a few minutes when the engine is running.
Great job with the spark plug replacement at least you didn't have to do 16 like on my truck it's a V8 engine with two spark plugs per cylinder kind of weird
Kudos to whoever donated the mirror! I can imagine the buying dialog: Buyer: "I need a mirror for a gift to a really beautiful woman" Seller: "Here you are" Buyer: "No, you didn't understand, not that type of mirror"
lol! there were actually some donations made to my "tool fund/project fund" paypal link. But honestly I wish that's how it went down, that's way funnier!
@@Meg.August wow the coincidence, just when I finished watching your laptop battery replacement video, and checked if I had any answers here, I got "1 minute ago". Thanks for doing the things I wouldn't dare, and making it enjoyable to watch!
Just replace all six and save your money for something else. Get rid of that socket and get the one with the extension already attached. It's magnetic😊.
Great job, Meg! For easier spark plug removal, on Ford engines, try loosening each spark plug 1/4 of a turn, pour a cap full of decarbonizer into the spark plug well, and wait 15 minutes before removing them. They turn so easily after that.
Thank you!
I just love how I keep gathering new name for car parts from all these videos you’ve put out Meg!!! Thanks for explaining my vocabulary
Meg, again another outstanding video. You did your homework. Great the way you show the real challenge in all your projects. We can all learn together. Tutorial and camera placement is incredible. Can't wait till you can expand the operation.👍.
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Thank you so much, Curtis! I'm really glad you enjoyed this one! And thank you for the feedback, that's great to hear! My goal with this channel is to share the reality of what learning looks like, as well as the reality of what these projects/tasks are really like. I also personally learn so much better with visual explanations so I want to continue sharing the bits of information I learn along the way through my research and struggles in hopes that it can be helpful to others. I also can't wait until I expand into a bigger shop and take on bigger projects - It's honestly been so much fun sharing this journey with all of you! Hoping I can make that happen this summer! Have a great week! 😊
@@Meg.Augusthi
Another great episode. Using a piece of 3/8" hose to putt the plugs after they're loose and to start a new plug might be something you want to try next time. It works great for those hard to reach plugs.
Thanks for the tip Victor! Glad you liked this episode!
As with all of Meg's projects, she hopes there will never be a next time. I'll drink to that.
The symptoms described at the beginning suggested to me that it might be caused by the coil (if it has one) or the distributor cap.. But, it seems the major wear on the spark plug anodes was probably the problem.
As usual, the videography was excellent and the very well given narration and explanations!
Hi meg, I grew pre youtube when if you wanted a ride you out and bought an old chevy or ford for under $200.00 bucks drove it or towed it home w/a chain and went to work on it, tune up motor swap etc.I give you credit for taking on projects like this one, vehicles are so complex nowadays I buy nothing but older trucks and cars. You`d be great at restoring a classic vehicle and looking great doing it!
Thank you! I hope to have a project vehicle in the near future - that would be amazing!
These videos are getting better. Meg, you stated about not being sure if putting things in order as you take them off was necessary. Some would say no, but if it works for you that’s all that matters, and it has always seemed to me best practice to keep things orderly. Keep it up Meg! I ve commented before you are a breath of fresh air in the TH-cam world!👍😀😀😀😀😀❤️❤️
Thank you so much Joseph! I really appreciate that!
Never hurts, specially if you’re tracking a problem like she is for example of a misfire without a scan tool to know which cylinder the misfire is in. Can also pull the connector off of each ignition coil ONE at a time while running to see if there’s a change in the engine idle and if it changes keep going but if it doesn’t then that was the culprit because that means it wasn’t doing work to keep the engine running and all the others affecting the idle were… If that makes sense.
On plug coils were introduced in the 90's as a maintenance improvement. An Ignition coil is basically a transformer of the same function as one that works on the power grid and you can probably find on the power pole outside your home. The grid ones reduce the voltage, but automotive ones boosts the voltage from 12 volts, to a higher voltage that can actually arc across that gap and make a spark to ignite the fuel/air mixture in the combustion chamber.
In ye-olden cars, like my '85 MR2 I have 1 coil that runs all 4 cylinders. The challenge there is that everything is high voltage and means they wear out easier and are part of your replacement regimen as part of a normal tune-up. So that means I have to replace my coil, distributor, 5 wires, and spark plugs as part of that maintenance. On newer cars with a coil on each plug, the coil does so much less work, that they really never need too be replaced. Now a tune-up is just spark plugs.
Nailed it again Meg! I hope your channel is inspiring other people to try fixing their own cars. Awesome Bobcat sighting!
Thanks so much! I hope it helps others as well, if not just for a good laugh haha! The Bobcat was so cool!!! I may share more of my wildlife encounters in future videos, we see quite a few bears every year out here!
It's Saturday and you know what that means. Time to see what Meg's up to and as usual she comes in clutch. I know you said you put out these videos to show how you learn different tasks but if we're being honest you are teaching at the same time. It's whats so amazing about this TH-cam venue. If there is something we have questions about as in how to do something chances are you will find it here. Thanks for sharing Meg, see you next week
Thanks Rob! It's so amazing to have this wealth of knowledge at our fingertips, it really is so helpful to learn from others (successes and failures alike). I'm so happy to be able to share what I'm learning from my own struggles, adventures, and projects, it really is such a wonderful opportunity. Thanks for being here and for coming along for the ride! Have a wonderful week!
Omg your beautiful
Always nice to see the safety flipflops in use. 😂👍
I suspected a bad coil on my truck. The engine had a rough idle and poorer performance. At idle, the engine wasn't smooth. It had little shake.
While the engine was running, I disconnected and reconnected the wires to each individual coil pack. If the coil is working, disconnecting it will make a sudden change and the engine will run rougher. If a coil pack is not working at all, disconnecting it won't make a difference to the rough running engine because it's already running without a spark to that cylinder.
However, the the coil pack is working most of the time (an intermittent issue), it may not be as noticeable.
Great job on plug change!
Intermittent issues are quite frustrating! Hopefully you will find the issue with your truck. Thank you for watching!
Another great video! Auto repair and wildlife! So good that you showed the carbon tracking. A lot of people talk about carbon tracking but do not clearly show what it looks like.
Thank you! And thanks for the feedback! I'm happy to have found the carbon tracking too because I hadn't come across a lot of information on it either
fordtechmakuloko is a wonderful mechanic to follow for tutorials on fords! excellent work as usual, keep up the great videos, I always find them entertaining
He's a wealth of information for sure! And thank you! I'm so glad you're enjoying the videos!
Who have we got here with another DIY car repair video? Yes it is the MEGnificent Meg!! Another success which you can check off in the “how do stuff myself” book. Nicely done! Now I know how to exchange a spark plug from my scooter 😉. Oh and by the way. The bumper you did a couple of videos back didn’t survived the winter that well. 😢. Anyway. Nice to see you as always. And …. That countryside is just awesome. Nature is full of surprises. Your videos may take a bit longer like an hour or so. Have a nice weekend Meg.
Aw thanks Roy! I'm loving all these new skills I'm learning, it's definitely a great feeling looking back on all these projects and honestly my vehicles are running better than ever lol!! Although you're totally right the bumper is not looking good at all!! I'm definitely bummed that I didn't prep it or prime it well enough, but I learned a valuable lesson in that prep is #1 importance! So will have to do a re-refinish in the summer I think! Have a great week, Roy! See you next weekend.
Another Fantastic Video, solved the shutter, and increased the Fuel mileage amd reliability! Beautiful Drive! Cheers from South Texas.
Thanks so much! Truck is running perfectly!
@@Meg.August Same Situation with My Tundra 2 weeks ago! Operating like Toyota again! Cheers!
@@paulzale7429 Woohoo! That's great!
Excellent result! Shame about the retaining clip on the coil, but there is a trick with a zip tie to replace it. Rainman Ray finds that Toyotas are particularly brittle and always break, and the zip tie fix seems to work really well, and the Ford connector looks similar. It involves snipping the end off the zip tie and using it as a replacement clip! I'll try to find a video where he does it and post the link here... there's a different type of feeler guage that is tapered, and gives a more visual measurement of the gap. If I can find one one eBay or Amazon I'll post a link to it, but you'll probably find one easily enough in your favourite store!!
Here's the coil connector zip tie trick... almost at the end of the video (52m42s -ish), took a bit of finding! I guarantee that, if you watch enough of these videos, you'll end up saying 'click' each time you torque up a fastener, and shouting 'GRAVITY' each time you drop something!! It's contagious!
th-cam.com/video/YrPLIxnX-ZI/w-d-xo.htmlsi=S8_E7OLK6FjvWJVm&t=3162
Thank you Bernard! Great tips and thanks for the references too, I'll check those out!!
When I was a Ford tech, they advised us to put dielectric grease in all of our connectors to promote good pin fit and keep them from corroding.
Meg, great job replacing your Sparkplugs on your pickup truck! I am glad that it fixed your acceleration issue!
Well done, Meg!
Thanks so much! The truck is running perfectly!!
@@Meg.AugustMeg. I am a relatively new subscriber and I don't usually comment but I do wanna say, I really enjoy your videos and and and it's not just that you're such a cutie but you are awesome, you are fearless and I wish more chics were willing to go for it like you do. You have truly amazed me lol. I spent a lot of my life wrenching and you are just gutsy. Good job 🎉😊
I wanted to give a little bit more info on gapping spark plugs. Usually if they come with a protective sleeve, they do not need to be gapped. Just careful check the gap to make sure the plugs haven't been dropped or something. The sleeve can be clear plastic like in this video or cardboard. They are meant to protect the delicate tip of the iridium spark plugs. As far as tightening the gap, I tap the actual plug in the radiator support. The quickest way I have found. Maybe do it the correct way if you don't work on cars for a living.
Good luck everyone!
Nice work on this job Meg!
That's great information, Colin, thank you! For this particular engine, it did call for gapping it to the 0.028, but I didn't know about those sleeves actually meaning anything, so thanks for the info, I figured it was just to protect it in the packaging! Hope you have a great week!
Nicely done - dielectric grease is good stuff for all your electrical connectors too 😎
Thanks Kev! Yes, it seems like a great product, will have to use that more often now! Have a great week!
Meg. After watching the video to the end, I will write about what I felt from my maintenance experience. First of all, if you find it difficult to remove the plug or connector, spraying it with lubricating spray will make it easier to remove, so we recommend using it frequently. As your car gets older, be careful not to forcefully remove the coupler with a screwdriver or the like, as it will break. Also, when installing the plug, it's best not to get too much oil on it. Sparks may also escape.
Thanks for the tips!
So cool to see a bobcat, we actually had one walking around in our backyard, only once and never saw it again
That's so cool! They are super rare. I've lived near the forest my entire life and have never seen one, it was such a cool sight!!
Great vid. Seeing Bobcats is so freaking cool! Keep the vids coming!
Well , you've it done again, Mechanic Meg!!! You traveled outside your comfort zone and did something that didn't know you could!!!(We all knew you could though!) I am truly grateful that each week you take us along with you to test yourself and try bigger and brighter things! Never stop challenging yourself or your limitations! Motivation and perspiration get things done! Also some automotive misfires are caused by the fuel side of the equation.... like a dirty or defective fuel injector or malfunctioning fuel pump...just a little insight for the future? Anyways, have a blessed day and upcoming week!!!
Thank you Terry! I appreciate that and I'm really glad you're enjoying coming along for the journey! I'm so happy to have you along! Hope you have a great week and see you next time!
Nice job, Meg! The center electrode of the spark plug is supposed to look like a cylinder. Yours were burnt down to points. It was definitely time to change those spark plugs!
Meg.... Honey.... I'm sorry nobody ever suggested that you should take a foot long piece of gas line and put the plug into it and use to start your threads into the head. Fuel line onto the head of the plug will give u maximum feel for starting the threads!!!
Thank you! Yes, definitely time to change them for sure! and the truck is running perfectly now!
Thanks for this tip Christopher! Lots of people have since suggested that as well, it's a good tip to know!
I appreciate your content Meg. Hopefully if I ever have a daughter she turns out like you so we can enjoy working on vehicles together. Good role model to look up too. Love the hair at the end. The extra effort put in this videos editing is noticed keep it up have a great weekend
Aw thanks so much, I really appreciate that!! Hope you had a nice weekend and have a great week! See you next time!
A bad PCV valve can also cause the same issues you described and is supposedly is on par with ease to changing spark plugs. I've heard it is recommended to change the PCV valve every 50,000-80,000 km, but people often don't do it (myself included) and it can cause some issues like you described. I think they usually cost around $10-$50. Ignition coils step up voltage from 12v to ~10,000's so the spark can jump the gap. I was advised to never gap modern, iridium spark plugs because it can damage the very sensitive tip and coating, I believe. If you still have issues with misfires, this may be the cause and the new spark plugs would just have to be replaced again with new ones, not gap checked. I doubt it will be an issue though. The rubber boots inside spark plug sockets will often pop out so that you can check if the new spark plugs are the same size as the old ones, in terms of socket size, before pressing them into the rubber section because often times stores will sell the wrong plugs. People are going to blast the comment section about the use of antiseize on the threads. I'm just going to add before that happens, my factory shop manuals state to do this, so in truth it is most likely dependent on the specific vehicle, but not everyone buys the official shop manuals, so there might be some misinformation pop-up about that. Google will convert in-lbs to NM or ft-lbs for you if you would like. The torque specs for my plugs were 18 ft-lbs (Honda), so I suspect it would be about that for an F-150, but I had a very difficult time when using my torque wrench because it didn't click when it was supposed to and I nearly overtightened one or all of them, so imo your tight+1/8 turn method was probably the safest without a high precision torque wrench. Not only do the j-hooks on the spark plugs expand over time due to fatigue from thermal cycling, but the actual metal on the electrode tip and j-hook disintegrate which widens the gap. Dielectric grease doesn't conduct electricity, but it does keep water and dirt and other things from accumulating inside the spark plug booth that would cause ignition issues. Basically the dirt gets stuck to the outside layer of grease and water and oil don't mix so the grease fills the gap between the plug and boot to ensure nothing gets in inside. It gets pushed out of the way when the spark plug connects to the terminal in the spark plug boot so a good connection is made. I've never heard of carbon tracking before, only blow by. Seems like an interesting topic to look into - thanks for mentioning! Breaking those little locking tabs has always been one of my worst nightmares when changing spark plugs - sorry to see that it happened to you! I guess, unlike irl, in the TH-cam sphere it is positive because it produces content for more videos. Thanks for reading my novel (comments help to bump the video in the algorithm, right?), and more importantly, thanks to Meg for posting!
Thank you for the detailed comment! I appreciate the insight! You're right there can be multiple causes of this, thankfully the new spark plugs did resolve the issue and the truck is running perfect! Have a great week!
Darlin you swear more than this old man, love it.👍👍🇨🇦
Another awesome video, Meg. Great job changing the spark plugs. I am looking forward to next week's video. Peace!
Thank you! So glad you're enjoying the videos, thanks for the support! Have a great week!
Another brilliant video, thank you Meg. Have a great weekend.
Thank you Anthony! Have a great week!
Great video Meg, thank you for sharing and very proud of you!!👍❤️
Thanks so much! Appreciate that!
Just found your channel and this is the second video I’ve watched. Loving your content so far and who you are as a person! My kinda people! Not afraid to try and learn and get dirty! Recommendation for you or others learning from this some newer style spark plugs you “shouldn’t have to” gap. Because they could be platinum or titanium tipped etc. and that very small fine tip could be damaged or even removed accidentally while you are trying to gap them or checking the gap distance and then they are ruined… Just be careful.
Also through the course of a career working on cars and motors I loved how in one video you did what we all have done at some point AND DIDN’T edit it out. Like dropping the light, ratchet, “Mother fucker” to the ignition coil connector, “how do I reach that back there”, “I just broke the locking tab!” I loved it and been there before! Plastic under the hood gets very brittle from heat, surprisingly a little WD-40 on a connector first or in/on a plastic pop in rivet etc goes a long way to not break it when you don’t have a replacement there right away. 😉
Just in case you want to know more about what you were doing from a 30+ year experienced auto technician.
1) Spark plugs are actually nothing but engineered resistors with a specified resistance value to produce a spark within a heat range that will optimize the chance of having a complete burn, or "burn time", with the air/fuel mixture present in the cylinder. The misfire you were experiencing was most likely due to slight increase in the resistance value of the overall plug. Replacing them got the plugs back into spec., therefore eliminating the misfire. For removal of spark plugs, if you ever do it again, to ease the removal process, please get yourself a rachet with a longer handle and lower TPI (tooth per inch) number. The longer handle will allow you to have more leverage and the lower TPI will make the job quicker. Tip: when breaking a plug loose with a long handle rachet, I usually a quick snapping pull on the rachet to break them loose. Don't worry, spark plugs are pretty tough things, they do not snap off.
2) Ignition coils are actually noting but small transforms. The coil part are contained in the large part of the ignition coil assembly at the top (next to the bolt that retains it to the valve cover). The vehicle battery is a 12 volt battery, but that is no where enough energy to cause combustion. So, what the ignition coil does, it transforms the 12 volts supplied to it into anywhere between 10,000 to 40,000 volts depending on the load on the engine. The amount of current generated by the coils (or transformers) is determined by the amount of milliseconds the coil is allow to power up and saturated the secondary windings inside it (I am sure you can find a technical video on how a coil works if you are interested in knowing exactly how they function).
Looking at the plugs you removed, they looked normal and as I expected them to look for the mileage that they had on them. No evidence of oil consumption or incorrect air/fuel mixture (meaning the engine running "rich" or "lean"). You did a good job. BTW, don't worry about that red locking tab that broke or disappeared on you on that one cylinder. It happens all the time, and I do not remember diagnosing an electrical problem that was caused by a missing connector lock.
Wow this is really great information, thank you!! I appreciate the clear and detailed explanation and the analysis on the plugs I removed. Also very good to know I don't need to worry about that missing locking tab either lol! I haven't replaced it yet so may just leave it in the end! Truck is running perfectly!!
@@Meg.August Glad to be of service. It really seemed you are really trying to learn how to do things to your truck and honestly attempting to do them in the correct way. I was trying to demystify the components you were handling. Again, I would not worry about those locking inserts in electrical connectors. Chrysler started doing it in the late 90's and it just seemed to catch on across the market. The only locking inserts that are really important are associated with the air bag system (SRS). SRS wiring is easily identifiable. All SRS wiring is coated with a bright yellow coating and the connectors are yellow. They are mostly under the dash and the seats, which you most likely will ever have to touch. Happy wrenching!
@@ChristopherHylton-pm5hv Thanks so much! This is all great information, I appreciate it!
Ow! My brain is a pretzel now!
Wow! Good job I told my daughter she needed to watch your vids.
Thank you so much!
Making you into a mechanic before it’s over 😂 Ford does not recommend anti seize on plugs by the way, but I put a dap on them myself 🥴
Keep the videos coming ! Great job Meg .
When dealing with dissimilar metals, anti-seize is always important.
Ford doesn't recommend it to avoid people just slathering a big glob on the plugs and hurting the grounding connection on the head. (or to sell more heads when the threads get ripped out on a plug change)
Thanks for the explanation, I’ve always used a dab of anti seize on dissimilar metals even on plugs, but as you said
Just a small dab !
Thank you @danvan5426 !
Thanks for this information @earlbrown!
Mini 90 degree pick and use that under the clips if they are hard to push down and come up. My favorite way to do it is. And spark plugs now days you do not want to gap. Most boxes say do not gap them
Good to know about the 90 degree pick, I actually have one of those. This truck in particular did need the spark plugs gapped to 0.028 but I have heard from others saying that the modern plugs don't need gapping for other vehicles. I think these ecoboosts are just an anomaly.
First, let me say I love your channel Meg and you really inspire me to try things myself. I do have a question. What does your significant other think about all your projects?
Thank you! He thinks it's great! I've shadowed/helped hold tools and flashlights many a time on his projects over the years, so he's pretty stoked that I'm taking on projects of my own these days!
Just wanted to add a little bit to the spark plug wisdom. The reason your plugs wear out and start to cause missing is because the iridium gradually wears away and increases your gap distance, that's why you want to start close to the minimum gap distance.
Like others have said, if your plugs have a protector around them you shouldn't have to adjust gap. It's easy to over think gapping and spend a huge amount of time trying to get it perfect, it's not that vital as long as they are within spec.
Also the reason they aren't supposed to need gapping is because the iridium tip is fragile and you can easily damage it, even just checking the gap with your feeler gauge. General rule of thumb is visually inspect, holding the feeler gauge beside the tip with a light behind it and only adjust gap if after install you are getting a misfire.
Additionally you can spray a little bit of penatrant oil into the spark plug housing and let it sit for an hour or so, it will make breaking them lose a lot easier. Don't worry, the tiny amount won't hurt the engine and will be burned off within a few seconds of it being turned on.
Great job! These can really be a pain, especially with all the weathered plastic that likes to break on you.
earlier fords was notorious for plugs seizing in the head. but i dont think the later ones have that issue, try not to use anti seize on the threads as they will get hot and creep down into the tip of the plug and short out the most id do is a little bit of wd40 on the thread.
Great job on the spark plug replacement. 🎉😊❤
I think that women that do automotive work gives them more knowledge and a better understand of how their vehicle works.
Keep up the good work and knowledge.
Thank you! Yes, I think it's great and very helpful to know and understand your vehicle (for men or women)!
If your in Canada go to you nearest princess auto and find the magnetic spark plug sockets with extensions. Works like a charm and please put grippier footwear on please
I do love princess auto!
Great job 💪 a quick tip: try to learn all parts names that you’re working on while doing a project, keep the good work up
Thank you! And yes, trying to familiarize myself with the part names and how things work with each project!
Just love watching your videos. Glad you got them loosened. Make sure not to unloosen them too tight. 😊
Thank you! So glad you're enjoying the videos! It definitely was scary getting those loosened up!!
Those red locking tabs are pita locking tabs,I remove them and toss them in the trash,not needed.The ignition coils,OEM.Those Motorcraft plugs are rebranded NGKs made for Motorcraft.There is an episode of Engine Masters,they tested spark plug gaps effecting horse power and does not
Those locking tabs are definitely a PITA!
Sometimes it is the plugs but on older engines it is likely the coils if the ignition coil boot is hard, cracked and brittle.😁😁 You can change just a bad coil on some models but others you have to change all of them because you will get a fault code.😁😁 The dielectric grease goes on the spark plug on the opposite end of the electrode.
Hi Meg, I keep my backup PC on my garage workbench so I can watch TH-cam videos without leaving my garage. My garage small refrigerator is also lovely to have.
Advice. Take that plastic engine cover off of that engine and leave it off. The only thing it does is hold in heat. My other advice is before removing plug spray wd40 in over the old plug and when removing them it helps after the first turn and helps for the top of the plug to slide into the rubber inside your socket. My last advice here is what I tell everyone and that is stop putting anti seize on the plug threads. Somehow you did that job better than most guys. I took those plastic covers off of my lincoln and my ford truck, because it is able to throw off engine heat better and keep your wiring cooler and its just in the way
I never knew engine bays and yoga pants were such a great combo
i think a little grease would be better for the spark plug socket than the drill. works really well.
Great video, Love watching all of your videos. Great job !
Thanks so much! So glad to hear you're enjoying the videos!
Sounds like you need a new serpentine belt. Great video!
Thank you! I wish it was my slipping! It's unfortunately the turbo manifold/exhaust manifold, but to repair it I would need to pull the cab which I can't do with my current set up but hopefully will be able to do that in the future. Thankfully it's not negatively impacting the truck, just sounds bad on start up, and does go away once it's warm.
Brilliant video Meg!! Really enjoyed everything about it :) If possible in the future, could you do a video revving up your car? So we can hear how it sounds! 😅
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed the video. And absolutely! Although, being a V6 twin turbo it's honestly very quiet but it is nice for those longer drives. I'll do a video revving up both vehicles so you guys can hear them 😁
Amazing stuff Meg! That would be really good if you could do such a video. Would be brilliant to see you Rev your cars up whilst they are static. Sure they sound very nice 😀
If you could show a pedal shot whilst you Rev your cars up that would be much appreciated too!!
Keep up the great videos 😀
@@Johnjones45689 Will do! thank you for the suggestion!
definitely need to get a battery powered ratchet. will make life much more easier and faster. also a long handle, flex head ratchet will make things easier. leverage is your friend. gear wrench makes good ratchets of all sorts. personally, i like snap on ratchets.
good job.
Definitely need a battery powered ratchet 100%!! Saving up for it!
@@Meg.August if you have them in your area, check out the local pawn shops. theyre a great place to find tools of all sorts. thats how i built half of my tool collection and got most of my small equipment from. most pawn shops will haggle with with prices and have layaway. theyre not the pawn shops we see in the movies ran by a guy names "lou" with gold chains and a hairy chest. my favorite pawn shop is no different than a store. we've gotten dyson cordless vacs, garden tools, bose earbuds and anything you can think of in some cases for half the price of retail if not more. if i need/want something i check the pawn shops first. also check your local buy/sell websites for things you need. hope this helps.
Safety slides are the best garage shoes....until you drop something on your foot/toe!
I used to wear them too but one drop of a rotor on my foot changed that!
Great job Meg. I love cats, I have 5. I would love to see a Bobcat in person.
I love cats too, but I'd keep my distance from a bobcat!
It was such a cool thing to see - such a rare sight!
You have motivated me to work on my truck today!
That's amazing!! I hope it went well!
@@Meg.August Got 4 spark plugs done lol. 4 more to go next weekend.
@@egcempire Nice work!! Best of luck on the rest of them
And here goes toony Meg, with some aahh, uuhhh, rraaahh and some other improvised sound effects, but yet another success story. The most important thing is that you solve the problem and experience smooth working condition, which is the main point. I can't wait to begin my restoration projects and repairs on my "boxy"-es (I have 3) since all need some degree of TLC and some new parts like gaskets, regulation, reconditioning, bearings change and so on.. It's looking promising towards very, very soon beginning of those projects.. =) My fingers are already itchey.. Hopefully Meg will be able to see the toony Slavic descendent working on something interesting also with improvised sound effects, but slightly different. ( and occasional
cussin' in slavic peculiarni style ) 😅Keep on the good work, cheers!
Lol thank you @darkfactory8082 ! I hope your restoration projects go well, keep me posted on how they go when you get started!
Thats a BadAss Rig! The truck is nice too!
Great job changing your spark plugs Meg
Thanks very much!
You are very good at this great camera work
You need to spray down in the hold and take a air hose and blow out the holds. If you are going to take out the plug
I should have waited to comment as I have another tip. The plugs on Meg's truck don't have a crush washer. She is correct in the plugs not needing to be very tight. When tightening plugs with a crush washer, you should be able to feel the washer crushing. Its really hard to describe the feeling. Just go slow.
Good to know, thank you! To be honest, I watched 4 @FordTechMakuloco videos before this (as he definitely seems to know what he's talking about on these Ford trucks) so I just followed exactly what he shared to do! So happy there is a wealth of information out here on this platform! Thanks again for the tips!
Sometimes no matter how hard you try lock tabs brake but you did great meg
They are a bit freaky to be honest! I don't like them lol! Thanks so much, though, I'm really happy, the truck is running perfectly!
@@Meg.August was it miss fireing
@@artguzman9916 It was, yes!
@Meg.August awesome that you fixed it I just did eco boost I had to replace the turbos it was such a pain to do
@@artguzman9916 I've heard that about these trucks having PITA turbos to replace! ...
they look like Iridium plugs dont really try to open the gap up as that electrode can bend i dont even bother touching the gap, normally plugs are good enough gapped dont worry about the gap to be honest it will still fire the fuel air mix pretty well as the coils do generate quite a lot of voltage.
Good for you! tried to get my daughter to help me work on her car with no luck so happy for you! Oh ya and fords not easy to work on
Seeing a Bobcat is good luck. You will be happy and enjoy a long wonderful prosperous life. I just made that up.
Haha! I'll take it! Thank you!!
These trucks are notorious for breaking exhaust manifold studs i thought i heard it in the video i would advise to take a look at the furthest back against back of the block see if they are missing or there and you can get a mirror and see if black sutt is escaping!
100%!! That's exactly what this is. Lots of people have been commenting asking me if it's belt noise, which I wish it were lol because the exhaust manifold is going to be much more of a pain to fix.
Who’s clicked on this video to learn how to change spark plugs? Didn’t think so 😆
Honestly, I like her DIY videos for the DIY. She isn’t a trained mechanic. She is like the rest of us, doing jobs not knowing exactly what’s going to happen, feeling nervous, problem solving on the go, dealing with unexpected complications…etc. Her videos are a lot more realistic than the ones where every job goes smoothly and you are done in 10 minutes and no bolt strips or snaps. I feel like her videos prepare me way more for what problems can happen even during something routine, things a lot of other DIYers don’t even think to warn you about. Her reactions are genuine and I find her relatable.
I commend her for doing this for the first time ever on her own, then posting it on YT knowing some nit wit who probably can’t change their own oil is going to criticize her. A large portion of the population doesn’t even know how many cylinders their engines has, never mind where to find the spark plugs.
😂 obviously not.
I came to watch her struggle😅. This is what happens when you learn from people on TH-cam. Some give you enough information to screw it up😅.
@@Xi-op7ggshe needs to find reputable people to follow.
it's so funny to see a slim woman jumping around on the engine of a Ford pickup truck and working on it! You're amazing, I love your style haha
Great job! I've only saw one bobcat in the wild here in Montana.
They're super rare! I'm so happy I was filming at the time!! I had just pulled my camera out to film the pretty road and there it was!
awesome job girl you rocked it as always
Thank you so much!
Hi Meg 👋🏻 Thank you 🙂 Always great to hear from you, hope you're doing well my friend 👍🏻God Bless 🙏🏻 Appreciate you 🫶🏻
Thank you!! Great to hear from you too. Have a great week!
If you get a misfire code ie.: P0301, that's a misfire on cylinder #1, you can swap that coil to another, clear the code and see if it sets a code for the cylinder you swapped it over to. Then you know the coil is bad. ie.: P0302, P303, etc... If you can replace them during the tune up and save the old "good" ones as spares that is great. Else, you just replace the coil & plug on the hole that's misfiring.
Hi meg it's Vaughan from Australia thought you sprayed the bumper on that truck don't matter love your videos keep it up
Hi Vaughan! You're right, I did refinish those bumpers not long ago! Sadly, I did not prep them well enough and the rust has eaten through the paint already. I'm going to re-refinish them at another time and will do much better prep and primer next time
@Meg.August hi meg you learn by your mistakes but I love watching your videos your amazing
@@VaughanKoch-yb9wd Totally! Honestly one of the best ways to learn. It definitely sticks when you have to redo your own work lol!
@@Meg.August I look forward to seeing the results meg
Love your channel ! You're amazing. Do you have a companion on your endeavors and how do you fund your adventure ?
That did indeed appear to be a bobcat, way too big for a household cat. Looked like a tricky job with those clips but all turned out fine in the end. Also noticed you appear to have replaced your indicator bulb as it’s no longer doing the super speed tick tock sound indicating a bulb is dead. 😊👍🏻
That thing must have been 40 lbs or so, it was very big! And yes, those clips were super annoying lol! I actually haven't replaced the indicator bulb! It appears to be an intermittent issue I'm suspecting some wiring is not making a good connection somewhere so I'll have to look into that!
@Meg.August oooh an intermittent issue, just the kind of thing that causes car owners to tear their hair out. It's like hearing a rattle in your car that never stops. Then you bring it to the dealership or mechanic to get fixed, and it never manifests, then as soon as you drive home, it's rattling again. 😤😤
All your work is amazing meg
Thanks so much!
If you ever come across my dead body in woods like those,
Just know that I too saw a bobcat and said “pspspspsps” to it 😂
Lol, I love our wildlife here! Maybe I'll share some of my bear videos next time 😂
I wish my mechanic looked like you 😂
Because Saturday, because projects, because MEG!
😁😁😁
...And Meg did a swear...! 🤬 2:39
🤣🤣🤣
nope that was a permitted f-bomb, have you ever messed with those clips?
@@agentjwa Yep, and I've had a hand in worse - try removing a 00-07 Subaru Impreza fog light switches!
😠😡🤬🤬🤬
lol! those clips are the absolute worst!!!
Yeah no need for a swivel unless you don't have a straight shot at what you are losening. that tool to read your codes, you can get an obd2 connector that will link to an app in your phone that you can get for free. You can set it up and monitor important stuff to see why your truck is acting like that.
If those are iridium you shouldn't be gapping them. But checking them like you did is good practice.
This truck in particular is an anomaly apparently, it does need them gapped to 0.028, but I've heard that from others that the modern plugs don't need to be gapped for other vehicles.
Another Fantastic job, congratulations !
Thank you very much!
The problem you described is referred to as "fish biting", Meg. Happens when the engine is under load.
LOVE the video, from Anchorage, Alaska
thanks so much!
I think you found the missing lynx at 22:50! 8^) Nice job on the plug change.
lol! and thank you!
😂😂“Come on M’fer”…..hate those connectors
Lol!! I also hate those connectors
On those trucks it's usually the coil that's gone bad and is causing the misfire. Yes changing the plugs isn't a bad idea provided you install the correct replacement plugs but really if you get a check engine code that says which cylinder is misfiring you'd be wise to swap that coil with another cylinder and see if the code stays the same or changes.
Thankfully it was just the plugs! Truck is running perfectly and no code for misfiring 😊
Adjusting new sparkplugs isn't really needed, the standard spark gap is good for 99% of the standard (not modified engines).
The old sparkplugs have a bigger gap due the wear of the central electrode, not due heat cycles, but even a 0,1 or 0,2 mm gap difference doesn't do much, but if the spark coil is going bad, a bigger spark gap results in more misfires. Replacing the sparkplugs will temporary hide that issue, because the new ones have a smaller spark gap,
and the spark coil doesn't have to create that much voltage then with a bigger gap. But with a healty sparkcoil, this doesn't make a difference, this is been tested on the dyno many times.
The copper antiseeze on the threads is a good practice, but any gel or paste on the rubber boots is not needed because there is a rubber seal arround the spark coil that blocks dust and direct water etc.... and if moisture gets arround the rubber boot, this will evaporate after a few minutes when the engine is running.
A common issue on 11-14 f150 with the gen 1 coyote is cylinder 8 misfire caused by a burned valve. New driver side head is $1400 from ford.
oof, that is pricey!
Great job with the spark plug replacement at least you didn't have to do 16 like on my truck it's a V8 engine with two spark plugs per cylinder kind of weird
Thank you! Wow yes, that is a lot!
Good on you maintaining your own vehicle 👍
Thanks! 👍
It's always good time to clean your throttle body when you do this maintenance.
The best tool to get spark plugs in and out of tight spots is a short piece of air hose.
Thanks for the tip!
Loved the golluming in the engine bay 😂
Lol! Honestly the positions I get myself into are so ridiculous sometimes, but you just gotta do what you gotta do haha!
very well done. also burst out laughing with the Pumphrey 'mo powa baby' clip
lol! he's hilarious!
Really good pull-out technique
Kudos to whoever donated the mirror! I can imagine the buying dialog:
Buyer: "I need a mirror for a gift to a really beautiful woman"
Seller: "Here you are"
Buyer: "No, you didn't understand, not that type of mirror"
lol! there were actually some donations made to my "tool fund/project fund" paypal link. But honestly I wish that's how it went down, that's way funnier!
@@Meg.August wow the coincidence, just when I finished watching your laptop battery replacement video, and checked if I had any answers here, I got "1 minute ago". Thanks for doing the things I wouldn't dare, and making it enjoyable to watch!
@@paranoidios4449 Thank you! I'm so glad you're enjoying the videos! 😊
Just replace all six and save your money for something else. Get rid of that socket and get the one with the extension already attached. It's magnetic😊.