COP Install on #8 Cyl, Tips & Tricks Learned

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KB1LTG

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Hi Guys,

First foray into engine compartment of my wifes 2002 Eddie Bauer Expedition. A "Service Engine Soon" light prompted me to connect my ODB II reader and it returned a "Misfire on Cyl #8". Browsing around here showed that it was most likely the coil;

I first deflated the two front tires to lower the vehicle a few inches, this and standing on a Black & Decker Workmate allowed me good access to the #8 cylinder. I also laid an old moving blanket over the fender to lay on and prevent scratches. After looking at the 7MM hold down bolt and its location I settled on a box end wrench to "Crack" the bolt loose and the found no combination of extensions, wobble heads, etc. would fit in between the fuel rails. However, sliding a 7MM nut driver between the rails allowed me a perfect purchase on the bolt and it easily came out.

The bad COP pulled right out underneath the fuel rails and a quick multimeter test (Connector to spark plug spring) showed zero contuinity (Open) on both pins. The new COP showed 5.5Kohms between each pin and the spark plug spring so I knew for a fact it had opened up inside the casting.

The one tricky part after gettin the new COP in place was getting the little 7MM bolt back into the hole. I found a piece of clear fuel line that fit over the top of the bolt tightly enough to grip it while I guided it into the hole. I also used this piece of tubing from above to "Start" the bolt and pretty much guarantee that I could not place enough torque on it to cross thread it. This worked perfectly and allowed me to screw the bolt nearly all the way in. I have used this same technique to start spark plugs that were in a tight spot and required a nice "Feel" to get started without cross threading.

I finished up with the nut driver and then final tightening was done with the box end 7MM. All in all the process took about 30 minutes. There were a couple of hoses in the way so I gently moved them aside and wired them there with a piece of coat hanger until I was finished.

Hope this helps, I was kind of leery after hearing all of the horror stories about access and problems with these swaps, I found it to be not very bad at all and thought I would share my experience with forum members. Thanks for all of the info I got, by the way. The vehicle runs great now and I am sure the gas mileage will improve! Best Regards,

Jerry
 
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Bedrck47

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some things to also consider Loosen the fuel rail use dielectric grease on the connector contact points and also on the spring wire in the boot
 

thenaaks

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A friend of mine says always replace spark plug while you've got the coil off, especially #8!
 
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KB1LTG

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some things to also consider Loosen the fuel rail use dielectric grease on the connector contact points and also on the spring wire in the boot

Excellent points, thanks. Maybe some will need to loosen the fuel rail but I did not, the 7MM Nut Driver fit right between the two rails perfectly and left enough room to quickly unscrew the rather long winded bolt.

In addition to Roxy's addition (I did grease the spark plug spring hoping it would not only improve the conductivity but aid in slipping over the end of the plug". I did neglect to put some of the dielectric on the 2 prong COP connector, thanks for the reminder!

The kind and obviously knowledgable of the Expedition folks at the parts store recommended putting a generous smattering of dielectric grease around the top of the COP, the portion of the rubber casting that "Seals" the spark plug hole. They said it will help keep moisture and dirt out , made perfect sense to me seeing the poor debris and water catching design of the "Spark plug "HOLE"" :Violin: Man...He went down that hole like a freaking gopher :favorites37:
 
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KB1LTG

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A friend of mine says always replace spark plug while you've got the coil off, especially #8!


There was a complete tune-up done less than 30K ago, given the horror stories about broken plugs ad nauseum I thought I would make it easy on myself and let the current plug continue its duty :)
 
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