QbanCgar
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gonna be changing my plugs this weekend w/ a little help...well A LOT of help from 1 of my buddies. w/o spending a ton of money on plugs, what plugs would you you'll recommend at a good price? thanks in advanc.
Spark Plugs
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FordandPolaris
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Motorcraft. Everyone seems to agree that staying OEM is best in these motors. And they are only about 5 bucks a plug. I just did this a couple of weekends ago. It's a pain, but its doable. I do recommend WD-40'ing the plugs and soaking them. I did that to some and not to others and there was a difference.
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QbanCgar
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cool thanks. i have a buddy of mine who worked on planes in the Air Force & he said it shouldn't take him long, & to bring him a 30-pak & he'll get it done. talk about some cheap labor. i wonder if i should replace the coil pack while he's in there?! is there any other tips we should look for?
FordandPolaris
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I had to purchase a 7mm universal socket combo to get the COP bolt off of cylinder 7. Fuel pressure regulator was directly over the top. I would replace the COP's personally since its either do it now, or do it down the road.
Oh and I needed two standard universal joints and various length extensions. Each cylinder takes a slightly different combo to get to the plug. A magnetic grabber is helpful too in case the plug does not stick into the socket. Magnet will lift the plug right out of the well.
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superexpy
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motorcraft or NGK! In my experience it seems that most of the plug blow out issues on every f150 or expy that I repaired were always something other then motorcraft. I also say NGK because thats what I have used for 10 years due to my supercharger and never had a problem.
Must not have ever worked with these mod motors.... lol.
They can be a pain to get to, particularly the ones near the firewall and under the fuel pressure regulator.
It's even worse in an expy/ lightning conversion but I have gotten to where I can get them done in less than an hour. (Fair amount of practice) Have to have multiple extensions (recommend locking type), universal joints, magnet (for when you drop the cop retaining screw) and some patience.
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QbanCgar
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well hopefully w/ his experience w/ planes, not to mention changing the plug on his wife's Escape & his cars it won't take him long either. i'm pretty sure he's got all the tools, but i will advise him ahead of time just to be prepared. thanks Toms.
1997SCEBFEX
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also recommend a vacuum with a small hose attach to get out the years of built up crud that will fall down into the cylinder.
++ on motorcraft plugs & proper gap.
agree on replacing COPs. You can ohm them out, suggest doing that, but you'll [most=-ikely] find disparity in them.
++ on multiple length extension/swivels etc as the pass side is time consuming. if you have rear heat/air, be careful around the pass side #'s 3 & 4 as to not damage the hoses. check to ensure that there isn't any discoloration on top of the cop as this could be a sign of coolant leak(s) which can lead to a misfire.
Torque. Ensure you torque to proper specs upon putting the plugs back in. These are prone to blow-outs/ejection/distruction contingent upon what's left of your threads on gen 1 heads.
PanHandler.
++ on motorcraft plugs & proper gap.
agree on replacing COPs. You can ohm them out, suggest doing that, but you'll [most=-ikely] find disparity in them.
++ on multiple length extension/swivels etc as the pass side is time consuming. if you have rear heat/air, be careful around the pass side #'s 3 & 4 as to not damage the hoses. check to ensure that there isn't any discoloration on top of the cop as this could be a sign of coolant leak(s) which can lead to a misfire.
Torque. Ensure you torque to proper specs upon putting the plugs back in. These are prone to blow-outs/ejection/distruction contingent upon what's left of your threads on gen 1 heads.
PanHandler.
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QbanCgar
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cool, i appreciate all the input from everybody. weather permitting hopefully, i'll have all this done this weekend. one other question about the coil packs, which do you'll recommend if going w/ the Motocraft plugs (i'm assuming these plugs Motorcraft Original Equipment Nickel Spark Plug-SP413 - Advance Auto Parts )?.
FordandPolaris
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I did Accel supercoils just cause they were only about 30 a COP. Getting the coils from O'Reilly was about twice the price. Only have a couple weeks on the Accel's but they seem to be doing fine.
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QbanCgar
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ok, this is a dumb question, but what is a COP? is that the coil pack itself?
B
bedrck46
Coil Over Plug or Coil On Plug yes its the coil pack
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QbanCgar
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many thanks!
IMINYOURCHAIR
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I pulled my plugs the other day on my 97 expy xlt, they were all autolite platinum. I didn't have any problem getting them out other than one having some crud on the bolt. The PO said he had them in there for at least three years, and by the looks I agree...seeing as they lasted that long that's what I bought. What is the proper torque spec in inch lbs for the 4.6 with the coils that drive four plugs? how about the gap?
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QbanCgar
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where did you find them for $30 a pack? i just ebay & they had 1 for $65.
FordandPolaris
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The motorcrafts that were in my truck before were in there for 10. Not trying to dispute you cause I run autolite's in our 460 jet boat, but plugs should go by mileage more than years. They're good for about 90,000 miles.
Gap should be either listed on a sticker under the hood or on the door jamb. I would think it would be the same .052-.056 that is recommended by the 5.4's since it is the same block, just lower deck height.
Summit racing had all 8 for $185 shipped about 3 weeks ago. Looking at it now they are more expensive for some reason. Maybe they were running a sale at the time. Sorry about that.
Here is an option:
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-850592/overview/year/1997/make/ford/model/expedition
These were the ones I did:
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/acc-140032-8/overview/year/1997/make/ford/model/expedition
Again sorry for the false info. Double check that the above are compatible with your year motor. Those were both done searching under a 1997. I imagine they are all the same but you never know.
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Sometimes crud gets stuck in the spark plug wells. It either has to be blown out with air or sucked out by vac as stated earlier. If the socket won't go on, I've used (someone else's suggestion) a piece of 3/4" copper pipe and notched one end crudely all around and formed it kind of snugly around one of the plugs that will come out. It will look like a crappy hole-saw, but will save LOTS of aggravation. The passenger side rear plug seems to be the worst offender for this. (You may not need it at all, but I thought it's more helpful to have a solution to a somewhat common issue). The Motorcrafts I used most recently were also pre-gapped as an unexpected bonus.
Lightnig
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What P/N were the ones you got?
My local speed shop has Accel COPS on sale for $30 ea (Canuck Bucks), which is about half the price for local jobber parts prices. They only have 140032 in stock, which seems right but they tell me is only for 98+ 2V 5.4's (and me with a 97)...
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