New Plugs and Coil Packs!!

[Essex4x4]

WOOOOHOOOO!!! I finally did it folks. I changed all of the plugs and coil packs. I was terrified of doing it myself but a buddy of mine who knows how to change out the high thread plugs on the 4.6 helped me out. HOLY HELL it is once again love at the turn of a key. I almost forgot what it was like to have 292hp. Yea, yea it is at the crank but come on give a guy a break! I knew there was a reason I bought a FORD!!:exp: I have heard good and bad stories here some of which are my own. I look forward to my new regained power and with out a doubt after a full fuel system flush, new plugs and new coil packs I will be getting better mileage. Hey even if I get 1 mpg better you can bet your socks I'll throw a party. I hear guys on here getting crazy high numbers in their 4.6l's and well for me it has averaged low low low. I am so excited I had to contain myself for fear of burning through all 22.5 gallons in a test drive.

plugs $21.00 x 8 = $168.00
coil packs $92.00 x 8 = 736.00
$168.00 + $736.00 - 15% (Ford gave me a discount for buying all the plugs and coil packs at once) is a grand total of $768.40 Oh and to top it off and add sprinkles to that cake, there was no labor cost except for a project well done beer celebration between the two of us.

 

[Explorer_PL]

Thats what I am planning to do soon, replace coils. I am on my 3rd set of plugs, with original coils. The engine runs well overall, but has small misses, and does not have that power like it used to. Mine has 145k miles. Report back if you feel the engine running better/stronger.

Also, did you consider some aftermarket coils to save $$$ ?
Thanks

 

[BootyDo]

Glad to hear you had success! My truck was throwing a misfire on the 8th cylinder and when I removed the engine coil, (was very intimidated at first), I found rust. I bought an Accel replacement and it was ridiculously noticeable. Having done that coil, I also have confidence in replacing the rest. BUT, as much as I want to swap the plugs, I'm intimidated.

Mind me asking if you researched any how-to's or have tips? I know I need to buy one of those universal spark plug sockets and I've already picked up anti-seize on sale. Just a bit scared to mess it up by forgetting a stop, eg proper torque, gap, etc

 

[banditxp]

Really need to get stuff from http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/catalog.php
So much cheaper. thats where im going to get all my stuff when i do it. well plugs, got 62K miles now. need to do them soon before they get to hard to take out

 

[Essex4x4]

my buddy said right before we even did anything that the first step was a cold engine. Second we pulled out the coils and shot some carburetor cleaner down there and then as he put it "cracked" the plugs. We just wiggled them a little to let the carburetor cleaner get in. Let it soak for 3-4hrs and they should break free. If you have a torque wrench use it to make sure you don't exceed 25ft lbs. If you start going over 25 stop and shoot more carburetor cleaner in. The coil packs are the easiest part second to closing the hood and cracking a beer. They basically are just pushed onto the top of the spark plug. Just give them a little tug and they will come off.

I found this video you can watch. it is basically what we did.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsUdMbT0_oA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8WmdEhrLSg&feature=related

 

[Essex4x4]

he called it carburetor cleaner but I Googled it and this is what we were using http://www.pbblaster.com/

 

[BigNutz]

Awesome!! I'm glad to see I can at least wait until 60,000-90,000 miles. I had an 08 Charger 5.7L Semi-Hemi. Had to change the damned plugs every 30,000 miles AND there were 2 per cylinder!!!

So what is the advantage of thee individual coils, I've never seen that before. $800-$900 seems kinda steep for an ignition system swap.

 

[Essex4x4]

Awesome!! I'm glad to see I can at least wait until 60,000-90,000 miles. I had an 08 Charger 5.7L Semi-Hemi. Had to change the damned plugs every 30,000 miles AND there were 2 per cylinder!!!

So what is the advantage of thee individual coils, I've never seen that before. $800-$900 seems kinda steep for an ignition system swap.

Yes your correct about the mileage. I currently have 86,000 on the odometer. Basically in a nut shell a coil pack is the modern version of a carburetor. The only difference between the 8 and the 6 is that on the V8 the coil pack is separate for each cylinder and on the V6 it is all combined into one. Anyone else want to chime in on this question please do I am no mechanic and don't really understand how to explain this.

As for the price I wanted OEM Ford parts and I bought them directly from a dealer. It would have been more if Ford did the install and regardless of how much it was I paid it and had fun learning how to do them. It was a rockin weekend of dirt grime and grease.

 

[swshawaii]

Basically in a nut shell a coil pack is the modern version of a carburetor.

Apples http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carburetor
Oranges http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignition_coil

Sorry, Wikipedia was just too easy.

 

[thebrakeman]

Coil-on-plug is nothing new.

 

[Essex4x4]

ok let me say it once again I am not a mechanic by any means. I work in the photography industry and what I know is not spark plugs. I am however going to state that after a week of driving my normal 22 mile drive to work (one way...) I am actually getting 2mpg better! HELL YEA! Plus my baby purrs like a newborn kitten

 

[BigNutz]

Coil-on-plug is nothing new.

I figured it had been around, I was just trying to figure out the benefit of that system vs a traditional single coil ignition system. Seems like your just adding more potential points of failure into the system and lots of cost. I've gotta think there is an advantage.

 

[WaltZ]

I had my plugs changed out and the performance difference was night and day. I had the dealer do it. They charged an extra $60 if the plug broke. They ended up only breaking 4. They cut me a break on the plugs and charged me their cost at $9 instead of the $19.

 

[white_shadow]

WOOOOHOOOO!!! I finally did it folks. I changed all of the plugs and coil packs. I was terrified of doing it myself but a buddy of mine who knows how to change out the high thread plugs on the 4.6 helped me out. HOLY HELL it is once again love at the turn of a key. I almost forgot what it was like to have 292hp. Yea, yea it is at the crank but come on give a guy a break! I knew there was a reason I bought a FORD!!:exp: I have heard good and bad stories here some of which are my own. I look forward to my new regained power and with out a doubt after a full fuel system flush, new plugs and new coil packs I will be getting better mileage. Hey even if I get 1 mpg better you can bet your socks I'll throw a party. I hear guys on here getting crazy high numbers in their 4.6l's and well for me it has averaged low low low. I am so excited I had to contain myself for fear of burning through all 22.5 gallons in a test drive.

plugs $21.00 x 8 = $168.00
coil packs $92.00 x 8 = 736.00
$168.00 + $736.00 - 15% (Ford gave me a discount for buying all the plugs and coil packs at once) is a grand total of $768.40 Oh and to top it off and add sprinkles to that cake, there was no labor cost except for a project well done beer celebration between the two of us.

21$ EACH for a damn spark plug? fvck that!!

 

[Ornery]

For Gawd's sake, nobody with access to the Internet, and a mailing address has to pay retail!

 

[Explorer_PL]

I second what Ornery wrote.

I am glad Essex4x4 is happy, and I hate when people do what I am doing here now writing this, but $ 800 for those parts is way too much in my opinion.

For other who need to do that, $ 70 for sparkplugs, and about $ 250 for Accell coils.

Car runs great.

 

[Essex4x4]

eh you know I figure if I spend the money on the right parts the first time they will last. I have seen members here reach way over 200k and I intend on being one of them. She growls at me sometimes and flashes her lights too but I am a Ford guy and I will only buy parts that make my Ford happy.

 

[white_shadow]

i just did the plugs in my 98 yesterday...24$ out the door for platinums. ill do it again in 50k miles.

 

[Essex4x4]

correct me if I am wrong but that is $24 per plug right?

 

[Explorer_PL]

I think White Shadow meant $24 for all plugs, but he's got the old good 5.0 so there is no comparison between our plugs and his.

I think he is just rubbing it in our face