Hey Ford Techs! 2005 5.4L Ford striped spark plug

[Jeff Lee]

Somebody was just asking about this problem. I just had the plugs replaced about 15,000 - 20,000 miles ago.
I could tell yesterday something was wrong as it developed a mis.
Today the check engine came on. Went to the same shop and it coded bad #7 coil. Then they noticed the spark plug was loose. Since it would not tighten, it's stripped. That's all I know so far, have to wait until Monday now.
I know the "help" section at Checker & AutoZone sells an "on head heli-coil" insert for this. I guess the theory is any particles will be blown out the exhaust. Being that it is #7 on this Expedition, I can't imagine it's easy to vacuum it out.
And of course I can't imagine the labor in pulling the head off and doing it the right way.
Any ideas?
And I've had the famous tappet noise for quite awhile also. Is that most likely in the head assembly or cam adjuster. No fault codes and TSM's seem to indicate this is normal.
Truck is too nice to get rid of (and I just spent $1500 on all new air-ride parts) and a new vehicle is just not in the budget.
I even looked at the 2011 GT 5.0L at $6999 retail and boy, that sure would be cool and cost effective but I can't imagine it's an easy swap. Or is it?
Thanks for the input!

[Peter Ash]

If you go with the helicoil, fill the flukes of the drill and tap with grease before use, and most if not all the cuttings will stick in the grease.

[7423]

I posted a similar thread about these a month ago. I was interested in buying a 5.4 Ford van.
Ford sells a kit to repair these issues. You are first I have of with this problem in something newer than a 1998. I was under the impression that the problem was solved (new head design). I guess it is also possible that your shop stripped it miles ago and it is just now working itself out.
Very sorry about the problem but I am very interested in how you fix it.

[1299]

just use the sleave kit that ford sell. i do them at work all the time and none have come back yet. the tap nose is normal for that motor.

[Sean Marconette]

Jeff,

Our company has hundreds of vehicles with the 5.4, I know of several over the last 5 years that have spit out spark plugs. Once they helicoil the head, all is good.

Good luck

Sean

[Rob Petrie E395]

X3 on the Helicoil. I have done a few and have not had one come back.

[Jeff Lee]

Thanks...I can sleep better tonight!

[BlueOval Ralph]

You must be very carefull doing this as there is NOT alot of material for the Helicoil to "bite into"

Originally Posted by Rob Petrie E395

X3 on the Helicoil. I have done a few and have not had one come back.

[njk53]

As I recall there is a tool available to tap and heli-coil the spark plug hole and captures all of the tapping debris. I think it was sold through Eastwood.

[Tod Lane]

Originally Posted by Jeff Lee

Somebody was just asking about this problem. I just had the plugs replaced about 15,000 - 20,000 miles ago.
I could tell yesterday something was wrong as it developed a mis.
Today the check engine came on. Went to the same shop and it coded bad #7 coil. Then they noticed the spark plug was loose. Since it would not tighten, it's stripped. That's all I know so far, have to wait until Monday now.
I know the "help" section at Checker & AutoZone sells an "on head heli-coil" insert for this. I guess the theory is any particles will be blown out the exhaust. Being that it is #7 on this Expedition, I can't imagine it's easy to vacuum it out.
And of course I can't imagine the labor in pulling the head off and doing it the right way.
Any ideas?
And I've had the famous tappet noise for quite awhile also. Is that most likely in the head assembly or cam adjuster. No fault codes and TSM's seem to indicate this is normal.
Truck is too nice to get rid of (and I just spent $1500 on all new air-ride parts) and a new vehicle is just not in the budget.
I even looked at the 2011 GT 5.0L at $6999 retail and boy, that sure would be cool and cost effective but I can't imagine it's an easy swap. Or is it?
Thanks for the input!

May not have been stripped when the plugs were changed, Ford has/had a problem with those motors.Research it...
This is the reason I won't buy new Ford, or ANY Ford. I had an Eddie Bauer model Expedition that did the exact same thing in 2006 . Since I traveled a lot for business I bought the extended warranty from Ford because my wife is handicaped and if I was out of town I wanted her to be able to call someone to come and get her and get it fixed.

Loved the truck other than its propensity to suck gas, but one day, right in front of a Ford dealer a plug blew out on the ground. She literaly turned off the street and went to the service department.

The Service manager showed her a repair order for one the just finished that morning, 4100.00 to fix it, but it should be covered under warranty.... he said. There was no Helicoil kit available for it then, you had to replace the heads

Long story short, or at least shorter, in the end it took four months and a law suit to get them to pay half. Their rational, "it was not a lubricated recipocating part and therefore not covered"
THEY BLAMED THE SPARK PLUG! The fact is the machine that cut the threads had the occasional off day, it didn't always cut them deep enough. Its like a lottery, get a bad one you're screwed

First call to Ford Customer service got "We don't have a problem"

Several rungs up Ford's Customer Service Ladder all answered the same way,...

Really, the local delaership had done three, and that was a small town dealer. Another nearby dealer had done several... Whats more there was a class action law suit involving some 30,000 cases... But Ford had never heard of the problem... BS !!!

Original plugs never changed, under the mileage for the warranty... Took it all the way to a V.P of Customer relations who told me in these exact word "Sorry you feel that way, maybe you SHOULD buy a Toyota"

They finally settled and paid about half...

This was after I had a crap load of trouble with a 7.3 and its POS trans in an F350 and I let a car salesman talk me into trying another Ford.

And by the way, the V10 does it too.

F... Ford