Why Do Spark Plugs Get Stuck in Ford’s Triton Engine? August 23, 2017Replacing spark plugs in cars has been a relatively simple task since Henry Ford mastered the assembly line, that is unless you have a Ford V8 engine from 2004-2008. Those 3-valve engines hold on to their spark plugs like an anaconda choking its prey.Trying to remove spark plugs from Ford’s 3-valve 4.6L, 5.4L and 6.8L 2004-2008 engines can cause part of the plug to break off and get stuck in the cylinder head.The spark plugs were designed to need their first service at 100,000 miles which sounds great on paper, until you realize that:. It’s far outside of the vehicle’s basic warranty. The long service interval is actually one of the reasons the plugs break apartFord’s New Plug Design. You see Ford came up with a unique plug design that has a 2-piece shell.
At the end of the plug an electrode extends a bit beyond the threads and creates a gap between the plug and the cylinder head which gets filled with carbon deposits. The problem isn’t bad if treated at 30,000 miles, but over 100,000 miles – Ford’s recommended interval – it cakes the electrode in a concrete-like grip. Because the elctrode is welded to the bottom part of the shell, it creates a natural breaking point.Of course that’s if it doesn’t. An Issue Even for MechanicsEven qualified mechanics with the proper tools can have issues removing spark plugs, making their jobs of estimates – both how long and how much – very difficult.“Get a call from the dealer stating that the #3 plug broke off in the head and none of their extraction tools will remove it. They say the head will have to be removed and possibly replaced and could cost up to $4500 dollars!!!!
The V10 is a part of Ford’s modular family, and is actually identical to the 5.4-liter SOHC with a 3.552˝ bore and 4.165˝ stroke with the addition of two cylinders. Prior to this that would blow the spark plugs out. The problem was that there were not enough threads holding the spark plugs in the cylinder heads. Over a period of time.
I picked my jaw up off the floor and went and complained to the service manager. He said he can get ford to help with the repair (which they initially rejected) and after 8 days and a final bill of $1193.”- of Boerne, TXFord ackowledges some of these issues in TSB 08-7-6. Vehicle’s Most Likely to Have a Spark Plug StuckThe TSB covers the following models and model years, bolded years have the most complaints on:. Ford Mustang:,. Ford F-150:,. Ford Expedition:,.
Ford Explorer:,. Lincoln Navigator:,. Lincoln Mark LT:,.
Mercury Mountaineer:,What to DoThe TSB provides a special procedure for spark plug removal on these engines. For situations where the spark plug has broken in the head, Ford distributes multiple special tools for removing the seized portion of the plug. This repair is covered for vehicles under warranty – which is doubtful.Some tips from the TSB:. Ford recommends you do not try to remove the plugs from a warm or hot engine. Do not use air or power tools to remove plugs, use hand tools only.
Use specialized tools optimized to remove these specific plugs from the engineHow Long Does it Take?Both owners and mechanics have a hard time estimating how long swapping out the plugs will take. That’s because maybe none of the plugs will get stuck, maybe a couple, or maybe all eight. With each broken plug the repair bill – and frustration level – goes up. If things go really wrong it could mean replacing the entire cylinder head.Motorcraft has since designed a one-piece spark plug that’s less likely to fall apart. File Your ComplaintCarComplaints.com is a free site dedicated to uncovering problem trends and informing owners about potential issues with their cars. Major class action law firms use this data when researching cases.
Notify CASThe Center for Auto Safety (CAS) is a pro-consumer organization that researches auto safety issues & often compels the US government to do the right thing through lobbying & lawsuits. Report a Safety ConcernThe National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is the US agency with the authority to conduct vehicle defect investigations & force recalls. Their focus is on safety-related issues.
Contact Ford.
This engine represents large evolution of designFords V10 6.8 litre (413 cubic inch) engine used with the F53 motorhome chassis (‘A ‘class), and the E450 chassis (‘C ‘class), is part of the company’s “Modular” engine family. The Triton V10 was introduced in 1991 and is still being used today.This engine represents large evolution of design. One way is to think of the V10 is a 4.0 litre V6 engine with four extra cylinders, or as a 5.4 litre V8 with two extra cylinders, this was something that was used many years ago with motorbikes, for instance ‘Beneli the Italian’. Motorbike manufacturers of the late 1970s took a four cylinder Honda 500cc engine and added two cylinders to it, in fact it was half of another Honda 500 to make the 750cc straight 6 engine.
Spark plug fitted into cylinder headOne of the main faults with the early V10 engines (1999 – 2005) was that the spark plugs could blow out of the cylinder head. Ford use a cast iron engine block with an overhead cam aluminium cylinder head design, that uses centrally mounted spark plugs and waste spark ignition.The aluminium cylinder heads on the two valve per cylinder engines built in the companies Windsor Ontario plant, have a fatal floor in the spark plug threads. The cylinder head being of soft aluminium does not have much inherent strength in the first place, and also expands at a different rate to the steel spark plug threaded into it.
Damaged cylinder head threadsAfter repeated heat cycling the spark plug welds itself to the threads weakening the material. The end result of this design flow is that the rear most sparks shoot out of the cylinder head while driving or get stuck while trying to remove them, and when hard steel sticks to soft aluminium, the aluminium will initially give way first. This makes the cylinder heads spark plugs strip clean out, leaving a small hole and no way to re-install a new spark plug.
Also this failure can occur when removing the spark plugs for renewal.