5.4 triton spark plug poll - Ford Forums

Boscat · 07-28-2009, 21:30

I was talking to a ford mechanic today and he told me to really watch out for the spark plugs breaking off, or stripping the threads when you try to remove the old one to install new ones.

My question is, how many people have had trouble, or no trouble replacing there spark plugs. Please put your milage as well

Thanx

**360ci** · 07-30-2009, 21:16

There have been a few incidents. I think the main reason they break is the fact that Ford, and other manufacturers recommend not having to change the plugs for 100K! That's a LOT of miles to go on stock plugs. A lot of folks assume that driving the way they do (speeding for red lights, braking for green lights, etc) is considered 'normal' driving. So, they wait until the ODO reaches 100K to change plugs, only to find that they're stuck, and extremely past their replacement date. Best bet is to swap out plugs every 40-45K with standard copper core for optimal performance. I wouldn't exceed 60K on a set of plugs, no matter what metal they're made with. If the plugs are still good at 60K, put some anti-seize on them and reinstall, then check every 10K thereafter for any further wear, and if anything else, adding more anti-seize on frequent intervals should allow you not to have any problems with plugs getting seized into the head.

As I don't own a 5.4L, I can't say anything, but removing the OE plugs at 55K from my Taurus years ago, was a bit of a chore. It almost seemed as if they were over-torqued from the factory. When I torqued down the new plugs and replaced them at 100K, they came out much easier even though I followed the proper torque specs for the plugs!

acalvert · 08-18-2009, 12:38

Have had nothing but problems, blowing out plugs, stripping threads, burning up coil packs......