Champion 7989 Spark Plug

[mseymour]

I have an 06 Explorer with the 4.6L V-8 with the three piece plugs that like to break off in the heads. As far as I know the plugs have never been changed. I have only put 10,000 miles on since I bought it. I have a couple of questions about changing the plugs.

One of my questions is about the Champion 7989 spark plugs. I know they are one piece plugs from what I have read but there is not a lot of information regarding whether or not these plugs are any good. I'm wondering if anyone on this forum has used these plugs in a 4.6L and what kind of luck you have had with them.

My second question is about the Chevron with Techron concentrated fuel system cleaner. I know the reason the plugs like to break off in the heads on the 4.6L motors is due to carbon building up on the ground electrode. I've been told that the Chevron with Techron concentrated fuel system cleaner is a good way to help make the plugs easier to change. I'm wondering if anyone has had experience with this.

Thanks all!

 

[Explorer_PL]

I have lots of experience with the ignition system on the 4.6

My OEM HT1's lasted until 101k miles. I replaced them with Champions 7989, but they lasted only up to about 132k miles I believe. I replaced them back with new HT1's, and then I replaced the OEM coils with Accel coils. The Accels lasted about 20k miles and then the first one went dead. Once that happened I replaced all of them with new Motorcraft coils so now I am running everything OEM.

Just once every 15-20k miles I loosen all the plugs so they do not "carbonate".

The moral of the story is stick with OEM ignition parts on the Tritons.

 

[thebrakeman]

OH, that's a great idea about loosening periodically.
Unless the heads are aluminum. Anyone know?

 

[thebrakeman]

Sorry for that hijack.
I have the Champion plugs in my '06 Mounty 4.6L. The previous owner put them in at around 60,000miles. I had 1 of the plugs go bad at around 80,000 miles. Replaced just that 1 plug with the same and have had no problems since. I know you are supposed to change all plugs at the same time, but at $20 a piece, I wasn't going to do that wiht only 20,000 miles on them.

 

[Explorer_PL]

The heads are aluminum. And even after 10-15k, some of them are tight to the point I sweat from fear of breaking them in half - not just the electrode, that's minor issue actually, but snapping the hex part away from the tread below. That's what #8 did to me at 101k miles.

 

[mseymour]

Thanks for the info! Does anyone know if there are iridium plugs out there for an 06 4.6L?

 

[thebrakeman]

I've heard that you should stick with the double-platinum plugs. Not sure why, but going to iridium did not work out so well for some.

 

[mseymour]

Ok, thanks. I haven't been able to find any iridium plugs for it anyway.

 

[mseymour]

Does anyone know if the OEM Motorcraft/Autolite plugs are double platinum or single platinum? From what I can gather, I'm thinking they are single platinum.

 

[swshawaii]

Autolite HT1 (FineWire Platinum)
http://www.autolitecatalog.com/PartDetail.aspx?b=A&pn=HT1
http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=538559&cc=1432151

Mototcraft SP514 (FineWire Playinum)
http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=3588486&cc=1432151

Spark Plug Types
http://www.autolite.com/media/11850/sparkplugtypes_0.pdf

 

[pjw73nh]

When I did mine, Ford said the PZT plug was replaced by the PZH... Note the difference in the ground shield. I think they realized that if they made the ground shield with less surface area, there would be less chance of "carbon-welding" the plug to the head.

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/EMCiNP-t6jSZewFAZsNG4GUA7zWj8_yC1oWszFK-8I4?feat=directlink

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/EHdWQzSjjnRX-bNuh9blgmUA7zWj8_yC1oWszFK-8I4?feat=directlink


See my spark plug change here: Hope it helps someone.

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3132912&postcount=5

 

[mseymour]

Are the champions as hit and miss as the reviews and forums say they are or do they have a fairly decent longevity now? I know the Tritons don't like anything but Motorcraft plugs, but I'm willing to take a chance and order an extra couple champion plugs in case they are bad out of the box. Also, do the champions fair well under load such as pulling a trailer or hauling cargo with the seats down?

 

[mseymour]

I know it seems like I'm not able to make up my mind, but I'm just trying to figure out in the long run which is a better plug, either the Champion 7989 or the Motorcraft SP-514.

 

[Boomyal]

When I did mine, Ford said the PZT plug was replaced by the PZH... Note the difference in the ground shield. I think they realized that if they made the ground shield with less surface area, there would be less chance of "carbon-welding" the plug to the head.

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/EMCiNP-t6jSZewFAZsNG4GUA7zWj8_yC1oWszFK-8I4?feat=directlink

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/EHdWQzSjjnRX-bNuh9blgmUA7zWj8_yC1oWszFK-8I4?feat=directlink


See my spark plug change here: Hope it helps someone.

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3132912&postcount=5

Being new to the 4.6 explorer scene, I have not seen any used plugs, but I have gleaned that it is carbon build up on the long shield that causes the plugs to break.

Looking at your pictures, I do not see any significant deposits that would have made it difficult to remove the plugs. Also your plug threads all look virgin.

btw, next time you remove them, coat the threads with the nickle anti-seize.

 

[pjw73nh]

Boom, tnx for the input. Already coated them when I replaced them. See full album here:

https://picasaweb.google.com/pjw73nh/2008ExplorerSparkPlugChange?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCJuj3eXpm_ji5AE&feat=directlink

Note photo #12 ...

 

[Boomyal]

Boom, tnx for the input. Already coated them when I replaced them. See full album here:

https://picasaweb.google.com/pjw73nh/2008ExplorerSparkPlugChange?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCJuj3eXpm_ji5AE&feat=directlink

Note photo [URL=http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/usertag.php?do=list&action=hash&hash=12]#12 [/URL] ...

pjw, I did see pic #12 , but could not see any anti-seize on the threads.

 

[pjw73nh]

Do you see it now? Have a look-see at the caption on the photo.

 

[pjw73nh]

Oh, I see what you're getting at. Nothing on the actual THREADS... Yes, the TSB that Ford sent out about the plugs and their removal / replacement specifically mentions NOT to put it on the threads, Just the ground shield (being careful to NOT get any on the electrode itself).

 

[Boomyal]

Oh, I see what you're getting at. Nothing on the actual THREADS... Yes, the TSB that Ford sent out about the plugs and their removal / replacement specifically mentions NOT to put it on the threads, Just the ground shield (being careful to NOT get any on the electrode itself).

Hmmm, I'll have to re-read the TSB. I am sure that I read to to coat the threads. What I do know that it said was NOT to get any on the electrodes.

 

[pjw73nh]

Boom. Take a look here. I just uploaded it.

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ECgujAhq43RIjoSv0OOku2UA7zWj8_yC1oWszFK-8I4?feat=directlink