4th Gen 4.6 V-8 Spark Plug Questions

[94Eddie]

I believe you said that your did not replace the coils? Correct? If you went to the effort to change out those plugs (which you'll break one at a 98% rate), I would have replaced the coils. Weak and/or bad coils give cause bad Juju.

This video discusses the issues bad coils can have on adjacent wiring.

 

[Steven G Webb]

I believe you said that your did not replace the coils? Correct? If you went to the effort to change out those plugs (which you'll break one at a 98% rate), I would have replaced the coils. Weak and/or bad coils give cause bad Juju.

It's not the effort it's the money. I'll have to budget the $400ish and work towards an end goal.

 

[Steven G Webb]

You must not have looked very hard. Less than a minute on google and I found a dozen 9/16 plug sockets, including local auto stores and Amazon.

Thanks for that. I could have found several hits in a Google search in less than a minute, that would not have put one in my hand. I live in rural Midlands South Carolina so resources are thin. Staying within an hour drive I had one option, Advance Auto Parts. As I previously mentioned, I was able to get the plugs out with a deep socket, just without the padding and a pocket magnet got them all out the the wells.

 

[Mbrooks420]

Which is why I also mentioned Amazon. I’d assume they’d deliver one right into your mailbox. Had you not complained about it, I wouldn’t have brought it up.

I’d suspect the coils as mentioned above. When my Escape had a miss be COPs fixed it.

 

[94Eddie]

Thanks for that. I could have found several hits in a Google search in less than a minute, that would not have put one in my hand. I live in rural Midlands South Carolina so resources are thin. Staying within an hour drive I had one option, Advance Auto Parts. As I previously mentioned, I was able to get the plugs out with a deep socket, just without the padding and a pocket magnet got them all out the the wells.

In my younger days I MacGyvered any number of repairs to keep my butt rolling down the road. I had to since I owned a Triumph Spitfire in the rural Midwest in the early 1980s. A lot of people don't realize how isolated many people living in rural areas are even today. Many places don't have internet service or even cell service.

 

[RichnMo]

I bought the one linked below and it works like a champ in deeper spark plug wells.
Amazon product ASIN B0074HNK9A

Except on #4 where you have minimal clearance.

 

[94Eddie]

Except on #4 where you have minimal clearance.

Not sure what you are talking about. It worked fine on all eight plugs.

 

[Bazz270]

Even with large size torque wrench no any problem with clearance on the #4th

 

[94Eddie]

Even with large size torque wrench no any problem with clearance on the #4th

IMO, it really doesn't get much easier to change plugs than it is with the 3V 4.6L as it sits in the Mountaineers and Explorers. Even with having to pull the coils.

 

[ThunderbirdSport]

Cheap coils (non Motorcraft) will fail....the ones I had on did so in less than a year.
In all fairness, plugs on these aren't a real big deal to replace provided you've done a little work and got yourself a set of 1 piece units. There's an updated set (Motorcraft, again) I put em on mine....think they are SP509?

This past late winter/early spring I put on 8 new Motorcraft coils...new plugs. Ran great until a phaser went bad, but since I bought an Expedition the Explorer sat more than it was driven.

To the guy asking about new battery having a bearing on misfire issues....it may not have helped, it also could've. Insufficient voltage plays hell on pretty much any car with the amount of electronics that have been common for the past 20, 25 years.

Also, when I did mine, I discoed the battery while I was changing plugs, it "cleared" the codes that were active..

If you still have voltage issues, as mentioned, have it tested. And as well, in years past, bad alternators would allow the battery to discharge back through it. There's a diode in the alt that prevents this...eventually it goes bad. Had to have several alts rebuilt on my older Fords. 92 F truck, Tbirds, Mustangs, etc etc. I'd expect the same design is still used, probably..