What year did ford fix the heads?

[tuthshutr762]

I just had to repair my 02's spark plug hole because #7 blew and stripped all the threads. the mechanic had several kits on hand because it happens often. Ok, so I figure at $300 a pop i can afford $2100 worth of new heads! but i would rather spend say $800 before my next plug pops. My main question is what year did Ford fix the thread problem or did they? are all 4.6 SOHC heads the same, or do they differ between years. What little pitfalls are along the way? I want nothing to exotic, no DOHC or racing valve jobs etc. just a stronger than stock alterative

 

[Art91]

Mechanic charged you 300 bux to rethread a spark plug hole?
Dude, find another mechanic, you got screwed and he didn't even use lube.
rethreading a spark plug hole doesn't even take an hour.
wish I could help on the year of heads they fixed it in, but that I don't know

 

[tuthshutr762]

Sorry I over simplified . He had to bore out the plug socket and then press in the Ford supplied insert. there was nothing to re-thread he looked at that option first. that would have been less than $90

 

[Art91]

well we used a threadsert, too, though obtained through our parts supplier, not Ford, and the same procedure, so unless the Ford part is sky high I still say 300 is too high, our threadsert (also designed for this particular job) cost I think $50 or so, and the job itself was an hour and a half IIRC, so that would be $150 at most shops at today's labor rates in my area, so 200 would seem more in line.
of course labor may be higher in your area, and like I said we didn't use the Ford part

 

[jrford]

plugs,. . .

I thought the spitting plugs was fixed in late '03 or at least by the '04's when they added a steel insert to the heads.

Then in '06 or 3V 4.6L it had another problem, snapping plugs, very long insulator that would develop a lot of carbon and you couldn't get them out. This was fixed late '08? My '10s' have the new head design that eliminated the long insulator.