"Don't try to replace spark plugs!" 2008 Why not?

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Robert Gift

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Fellow volunteer medical courier says to take it to the Ford dealer.

I have always changed my own spark plugs in all of my vehicles.
Why not now? Can't get access to some?

Thank you
 

rburch

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They have a tendency to brake because they were a 2 piece plug and the ground strap section would get carbon built up around it and seize that part in the plug well causing it to break. Best advice i can give you is to watch the video and make sure you have a whole day do do the job! The longer you let the PB Blaster/Carb cleanersit and do its job the easier it will be!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Gz5Pd-hrWQ
 

hovocop

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dont try changing plugs....... GREAT ADVICE................ plugs are buried (not like a normal trucks). You will be bending over your hood for 3 to 4 hours....... assuming you have all the necessary tools......... and dont get me started on the horror stories about plugs shooting out of the coil (costing much more than cost of changing plug by pro)........... make sure to use genuine parts
 
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Robert Gift

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They have a tendency to brake because they were a 2 piece plug and the ground strap section would get carbon built up around it and seize that part in the plug well causing it to break. Best advice i can give you is to watch the video and make sure you have a whole day do do the job! The longer you let the PB Blaster/Carb cleanersit and do its job the easier it will be!
Thank you so much, R.
I'll get the proper tools and carbon cleaner and do this. (Gives me an excuse to buy more tools with the money I would otherwise give to a dealer!)

What do I do about pressure in a compression stroke?
Can I bleed that off?

I can let the vehicle soak overnight or 24 hours or more.
Is there too long a period of time where the liquid dissipates and the carbon re-hardens?
And if I do get too much liquid in the cylinders can I wick it out with cloth rope or cloth?
Or better to just turn the engine over and blow it out?

How does one knowhatemperature range to get?
(This emergencyehicle gets pushed on emergency transports. It has transported blood at 95 to 100 mph for an hour to a distant hospital.)
But that abuse is rare. [Always watching temperature gauge.]
(When it arrives at a hospital, the engine is left running in park.)

Thank you.
 
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2000GM

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Even when that procedure is followed to a T, plugs can and do still break. It has been a well known problem on the 3V 5.4 since 2004. I just had mine done on my 2007 F150. Killed me to take it to the dealer for it but for $350 after the truck not costing me a dime for 100K miles, I just said the hell with it. Sure enough, 2 of them broke, so I'm glad I didn't try it myself. Absolutely ridiculous plug design, and even more ridiculous for Ford to not have corrected it by now. I assume the new 5.0 and 6.2 V8s don't have the same type of spark plug, so in a way maybe they have corrected it, lol. With the hundreds and hundreds of thousands of trucks out there since 2004, it's amazing Ford was never really called to the carpet over this.
 
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Robert Gift

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..one broke in mine and the dealership did it
If the dealership breaks it, do we get charged more?

If I let it set overnight with much liquid, then apply again, will that lessen chance of anything breaking?
I'd rather do that than the dealer, which would be more quick about it, breaking it off.

So Ford causes yet another design in spark plugs to be manufactured?
Being specialized, are they more expen$ive than typical spark plugs?

Thank you.
 
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hovocop

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genuine parts were no more expensive than the quad platinum bosch that I had originally bought, but my mechanic said he would not warranty aftermarket parts,,,,,,,,,,, read a post on similar issue last month, his mechanic charged extra for each broken plug............. if you still intend on doing it yourself, would be curious to hear how you fared
 

Dib52

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If you are doing it yourself, get this http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00267PZUK

You can do it yourself, just take your time. PB blaster the night before and another thing I have heard is to treat the gas with a good quality fuel injector cleaner/decarbonizer prior to the job. For me, too paranoid of the horror stories, dealer getting mine.
 
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