Has anyone had to remove their truck cab to replace the spark plugs?
This is the strangest way I have ever seen to replace spark plugs. If it is this bad...just bite the bullet and take it to the dealer.
If my local mechanic was to tell me he had to do this I would RUN!
Had it not been on my local news channel I would have thought it a joke.
Removing the cab is easier than removing the engine? Hard to believe...
One noteworthy thing is that the report claims that the problem is that the ceramic top breaks off the plug upon removal. That happens all the time taking out plugs and doesn't prevent them from being extracted. There's no real explanation as to why they still couldn't use the special Ford socket to get the plugs out. Something smells funny.
CJB
He also did not check for TSB's on how to remove the plug. Yes there was a problem with breaking them off, which is why they created the TSB and the procedure to remove them. They also have a tool to remove the plug if it does break. If you are going to work on newer vehicles, you have to keep up with the technology and documentation on how to do it. A 2 minute search of any Ford truck forum would have told him what to look for.
If a plug breaks there a chance a chip of porcelain will end up in the cylinder.
Al
You have to remove the cab to remove the engine to begin with.
Have you seen these plugs?
He may not have known about the special tool, or the tool didn't work in this instance. The tool is not always 100% effective.
I read that to get the plugs out of a Ford Escape 3.0L engine (Taurus ? engine) it requires the removal of the entire intake manifold...new gasket on reinstall etc. WHAT THE HELL IS FORD THINKING ?.....I heard they charge over $ 200 at the dealer to re&re 6 plugs.
That's not totally true. What has to be removed is the upper intake plenum, which is only plastic of some sort. The gasket is like an o ring and is reusable. I've done it and it's actually easier than a lot of other engines.
CJB
. WHAT THE HELL IS FORD THINKING ?.....I heard they charge
That sounds more like it CJB. Did you just "jump in" and start to "UNDO" or did you have some instructions to follow ? That was an Escape V-6 right ?
R
Mine was a Taurus, but it's the same Duratec V-6. Yeah, I just started turning the wrench. It was pretty simple. If you have any questions tho, you should be able to find pictorals on some Escape or Taurus owner's site.
You really won't have any trouble.
CJB
It is not the ceramic that breaks. You need to look at the plugs, and you'll understand the problem. It is a weird design. See
What breaks off is the lower extended metal shield. It get stuck in the bore. Ford released a service bulletin that included a recommended removal process, and a method for removing the shield if comes loose from the plug. If the shield is stuck, you go in with a special tap, and tap the inside, and then screw in an extractor to pull it out.
If I had a 2004 with the 3 valve engine, I'd either change the plugs at 30k intervals, or not at all. My last Ford Modular engine went 100K miles before I changed the plugs, and the plugs I removed were almost as good as new ones.
Ed
Check on
SC Tom
Thanx guys
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