Gene in NE
Omaha
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sealevel ram wrote:Maybe I'm the last to know, but what spark plug issue? Clickable Link
2002 Trail-Lite Model 211-S w/5.7 Chevy
Gene
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sealevel ram
San Mateo, Florida
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wolfe10 wrote:sealevel ram wrote:sealevel ram wrote:Maybe I'm the last to know, but what spark plug issue?
Could someone enlighten me on what the issue is please?
See T18skyguy's post above.
Thanks, I found it.
Sorry, I didn't see the reference above.
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427435
Rochester, Mn
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Having a dealer change the plugs is not necessarily a good idea. Their mechanics are working against the flat rate. The general concensus on the Ford V10 forum is to soak the plugs with WD40 (or similar) overnight, turn the plugs loose by no more than a 1/4 turn and soak them some more (several hours at least). That allows the WD40 to get to the threads themselves and avoids tearing the aluminum threads out of the head with the steel spark plugs.
I did carefully change the plugs on my 2000 MH before heading to Alaska in May. I also spent $400 on a time-sert kit to replace the threads if a plug did blow out. The plugs are still in the heads and I can always sell my "insurance policy" on e-bay if I ever get rid of this MH.
Mark
2000 Itasca Suncruiser 35U on a Ford chassis
2003 Ford Explorer toad with US Gear brakes,
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jspringator
Versailles, KY 40383
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I would get a motivated private shop change the plugs. Pay them straight time. There is an established procedure on the FTE forum. I would use PB blaster instead of WD-40. First, you have to blow out the plug holes with air.
Jim & Sherri
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JimInMA
Littleton, MA
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sealevel ram wrote:sealevel ram wrote:Maybe I'm the last to know, but what spark plug issue?
Could someone enlighten me on what the issue is please?
The issue, as described in brief earlier, is that the Triton heads were originally designed with only 4 threads to hold the spark plugs in place. Because the heads are made of aluminum (which is a fairly soft metal) and they expand and contract as the heads heat up and cool off the proper torque is difficult to maintain on the plugs.
The end result is that while driving merrily along a spark plug will randomly fly out of the hole in the head. As it does do it destroys the threads in the head (and often on the plug but that isn't a big deal) and you find yourself running on one less cylinder than you should be as well as making one heck of a lot of noise. This happens entirely randomly. There are no symptoms or indicators that would alert anyone that it is about to happen.
I've seen some people express concerns about "fumes" after this happens and how this could all cause the engine compartment to explode but I doubt that it a plausible problem.
The original solution was that you had to replace the head. That got you back on the road (after spending $2K!) but the replacement heads still had the same problem so it could easily happen again.
In 2003 Ford figured out a "solution" and later relased a Technical Service Bulletin alerting dealers to the problem. Their "fix" was to have the spark plug hole drilled out and have a helicoil put in so a new spark plug could be screwed back into the old head. (The kits to do all of this are only available from Ford to Authorized Ford Dealers so your local garage won't have one and they'd still have to replace the head.)
That's a cheaper fix (mine cost $720) but it is still something that most feel that Ford should be repairing (correctly!) for free. The problem isn't "minor", hundreds of thousands of people have had it happen to them - many of them have had it happen several times. But Ford still claims that the entire problem is that the spark plugs are torqued properly when plugs are replaced.
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T18skyguy
Eugene, OR
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In addition to dealers there are private mechanics that just do the spark plug repair and make a good living at it. Here's one with a very good web site with pictures of the problem and the repair. One of our members named oldusedbear has a nice write up on the procedure on this forum cause he did all 10 of his at once.
Retired Anesthetist. Pilot with mechanic/inspection ratings.1996 Jayco C 22 foot with 460/Banks Powerpak/Bilsteins.Wife and daughter. Two cats which control my life. 1975 Ford F-250, 84 Coupe Deville, Thorp T18, tons of tools and tons of junk.
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sealevel ram
San Mateo, Florida
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Is this a possible problem on the 5.4 L engine only, or is the 6.8 L engine also susceptible.
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JimInMA
Littleton, MA
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sealevel ram wrote:Is this a possible problem on the 5.4 L engine only, or is the 6.8 L engine also susceptible.
It is a problem for ALL of the Triton Engines.
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