Any tips on changing my spark plugs on the f150 2005 Texas Edition 8 cylinder. I have about 100k and truck starts and seems to run fine, except i have noticed lately that my idle is around 5 to 6 where it use to idle around 8? This is more so when I am in traffic and come to a stop in gear and it seems to lower to 5. It has only stalled on me once when I came to a sudden stop in a turn ? Any help would be great! Thanks for having me as a member! PS, I always said I would never join a club that would have me as a member, lol...

 

welcome......check out the forums and you'll probably find more help in the 2004-2008 forum. You'll also find out that spark plugs can be a real nightmare on here.....alot of people have them break off in the heads....

 

Thanks Ryan! Yea, I am starting to have a Malox Moment reading about this nightmare! Thinkingabout not even changing them now. Truck is running good enough for now, lol..

 

better to do it now though and not wait for it to get worse......

 

sounds like your plugs need some TLC...best of luck

 

most Texas Editions, like mine, have the 4.6 and won't have any real issues with the spark plugs. It was a 5.4 issue and has been, as some of the actual Ford employees around here have stated, addressed.

All you should do is to take care to A) don't be too rough with the COP's and B) make sure not to knock anything off into the cylinder chambers.


Mind you, there ARE some TE's running around with 5.4's and all you really need to do is just look under the hood. Is the air-cleaner ON the engine or by the drivers side fender? By the fender? 4.6 On the engine? 5.4

Hope this helps!

D

 

Thanks! Are you talking about the air filter ? Mine is a rounded one that is in a tubular thing coming across the top of the engine but kinda towards the drivers side.

 

It's not too bad of a job, should be well under 2 hours. Here's a couple tips - change the wires too. The Ford wires start to arc by the time they have around 75,000 miles on them. You can use a short section of fuel line tubing to make this job easier. Once the plugs are loose, you can push the fuel line down over the plug to make getting ot out of the hole easily. Use the tubing to put the new plug in and to start it threading as well. I always use dielectric grease on both ends of the wires as well. The back couple are tough, but if you have a range of extensions, breaker bars, and knuckle joints for your socket set it's not really that bad. If you lack the proper tools, you'll have a bear of a time. Good luck!

 

Thanks d.g.!

 

A friend of mind had the broken plug problem at 100000 mile. Took his truck to a local mechanic shop for tune-up. They were not aware of the plug problem and broke two plugs. Had to wrecker truck to Ford dealer to fix problem. $1000 to get broken plugs out.

 

what you describe is the 4.6 air filter.

And these engines use COP's. Coil on Plug ignition systems.

Still might want to use a bit of dielectric grease on the tips of the plugs that go into the COP's.


to be honest, when you get your plugs from the parts house, get you a chilton's manual. that way you can have a decent enough reference there at your fingers when you are doing it.

D

 

if you're not mechanically inclined, I vote that you just pay a shop to do it...if you have the 4.6, the plug change is extremely easy for any shop to do in under 1 hour.

better safe than sorry IMO

 

Thanks guys! I never thought I would have to join a online forum to change dang spark plugs!, lol...I may give this a try, will keep you posted! Crossing my fingers!