Anyone have this tool that I could borrow??

[PaxtonShelby]

Hi folks,

I'm going to be changing the spark plugs on my 2005 F250 with the 5.4L 3-valve motor. The truck has about 91,000 miles on it and the plugs are original. The '04-'08 3-valve 5.4's are famous for having the spark plugs come apart, as threads extend into the combustion chamber and get carboned up. When you try to remove the plug, the carbon prevents the plug from threading out and the plug breaks into two pieces, leaving the threaded part in the head. Given my luck in general, I'm expecting 6 to 8 of the plugs to break on me.

The answer to this problem is a special tool - but the dang thing is $90 and while I love buying tools, I hate to have to spend almost $100 on a tool that I will probably only use one day.

So...do any of you have one of these that I could borrow? The parts store has loaner tools...but not this particular tool. If you're local and have one handy I'd be glad to meet somewhere and buy you lunch. I'm in the Moon Twp area, about 3 minutes from Robert Morris University.

Here's the part - from the Advance Auto website...

Thanks guys!

Ron

[scorpio333]

Check the F150 forums if you haven't already. I remember when I used to browse them this tool would pop up a bunch. Not sure what the resale value of it is. Tough to shell out $90 for a one and done tool. Or it could be a great investment to start a 5.4 plug change service business.

[PaxtonShelby]

Bunch of them on eBay. Some used are going for less than half price. That looks like the way to go.

[somethingclever]

2005 f150??????

[Terminated]

There's a trick on those if you have air, hit them with a 1/4" gun after spraying them down... I could ask my buddy who is a Ford tech and does em all the time.

[PaxtonShelby]

2005 f150??????

Sorry - I fat-fingered it... I have a 2005 F250 ( not F150 ).

[PaxtonShelby]

There's a trick on those if you have air, hit them with a 1/4" gun after spraying them down... I could ask my buddy who is a Ford tech and does em all the time.

Thanks Dan - I appreciate it. Only thing is certain years of these trucks have different problems. The 3-valve 5.4's in F250's from 2005-mid 2008 have this problem where the plugs will break into two pieces when trying to remove them. In mid-2008 Ford fixed the problem. Then...the 2004's had too few threads in the head so people were stripping out the head threads when they removed the plugs.

Mine is a 2005 F250 so I'm anticipating I'll have the problem of breaking the plugs. Carbon builds up on the plug threads that extend into the combustion chamber...and that makes it really tough to back out the plug. Some folks say a few tanks of fuel system cleaner can help clean the plug threads exposed in the combustion chamber. The way to avoid it in the future is to use some copper anti-seize on the new plug threads...and the replacement Motorcraft plugs are designed so that they don't self-destruct when you remove them. Some folks also squirt carb cleaner on the top of the plugs, hoping that some of it will creep down the plug threads and help the plug come out.

Thanks again for the help guys. I'd just like to have the tool handy in case I get a warm day where I can work on the truck ( although it won't be in the next week - damn the forecast SUCKS!! ).

[cwh19]

I am fairly certain that you can rent that tool from Advance Auto as well.

[Tom]

it could be a great investment to start a 5.4 plug change service business.

This would have a higher suicide rate than dentists.

[PaxtonShelby]

I am fairly certain that you can rent that tool from Advance Auto as well.

Read your avatar photo...

[PaxtonShelby]

This would have a higher suicide rate than dentists.

You're probably right on that.