Changed Radiator....Now Sparks Plugs

[Leon Webb]

I just finished replacing my 04 radiator. After reading this board and talking to a few friends that have replaced their radiator I decided what the heck. Let me say to anyone contemplating replacing their own radiator.... go for it. It was one of the easiest thing I have done on my Sport Trac. I'm in a large metro area (Miami) so finding a good deal on a radiator was not a problem. I was a little worried about removing the fan, but it turned out I did not have to, I just slide the fan shroud back and the radiator lifted right out. The best part is I saved myself hundreds of dollars.



Now at 145k miles I think I need to change out my spark plugs. For an amateur mechanic this one might be a little outside my expertise, but then again with this board maybe not. Lol

 

[swshawaii]

Unless you've already replaced it, surprised the lower thermostat housing outlasted the radiator. Besides the thermostat it's by far the most commonly failed cooling system part. Hopefully you used Zerex G-05 or Motorcraft gold coolant. Spark plug replacement isn't nearly as difficult as many make it. Patience and the proper tools are all you need. Remove the right tire for easy access to #3 and use the recommended OEM Motorcraft SP500 FineWire Platinum , Autolite APP103 Double Platinum or XP103 Iridium's for time proven results. Someone's always here to help if you get in a bind. Go for it! :supercool:

 

[Vic Sorlie]

Changing spark plugs won't be any harder than what you just did. But on psgr side I've found it easiest to go through wheel well to get at them. Pull the rubber shielding loose and you'll have plenty of access. At 145K I think most on this forum would recommend changing the spark plug wires too.

 

[Leon Webb]

Actually the thermostat did not outlast the radiator. It was replaced along with the water pumper about a two years ago by FORD. I learned my lesson, will not go back to a dealer without a warranty $$$$$. As for my radiator the whole process took less than one hour. I can see someone with experience knocking it out in about 30 mins.



As for the spark plugs I will do this project next weekend. The truck really needs it. The misfires, low gas mileage and lack of acceleration is really taking a toll on the performance. I think I can pull this off just worried about breaking one of the plugs, that would be disastrous. Plugs 6, 5, 4 and 1 looks doable. plug 2 I don't know. Plug 3 I don't even see it. Lol!



Well I have a week to read up and get the right tools...and find Plug 3.



p.s. any tips are more than welcome

 

[swshawaii]

If you're the original owner in Florida the plug corrosion shouldn't be too bad. As a precaution, start spraying penetrant around the plug threads now. Copper anti seize reinstalling.

 

[Vic Sorlie]

As I mentioned, go through the wheel well for psgr side plugs. For ease of access put front end up on stands and remove RF wheel.

 

[Leon Webb]

Yes I can see plug 3 from the wheel well. Question do the spark plug wires just pull off? I made a half hearted try to remove one and it did not budge.

 

[swshawaii]

Use these pliers and your hands and knuckles will thank you later. Twist the pliers in both directions and the boots should come right off.



This is another good reason to use a thin coat of dielectric grease on the wire boots. If you're replacing the wires you can always cut them.

 

[Gavin Allan]

Agree that changing the plugs is not a hard job. I didn't even remove the tire on my '03 Adrenalin. Just take your time and watch what you are doing. I recall using a box end wrench on the flats of the spark plug socket a few times was easier than using a ratchet handle. There are many vehicles where changing the sparkplugs is difficult. The first generation tracs are not one of them.



Good luck.

 

[CountyMounty]

If you thought radiator change was not that bad, plugs shouldn't be. Depending what access you have to tools, jacks etc it may be worth jacking up the front and taking both tires and wheel well liners/skirts off. It takes only 10 minutes extra to do that and then you have all kinds of options for access. I just did the plugs on my 04 and that is what I did, I was transition between going from above or below for each one. Generally I found it easiest to get onto the plug from below (where I could actually see what I was doing) and then reach down from the top to get leverage to get them started and then go back to the wheel well to take finish taking them out and then finger start the new on in. Some of the boots came off pretty hard and some of the plugs started pretty hard. I was replacing the wires so I didn't have to be careful with them. A long handled hose pliers worked well on the boots. It was about a 2hr job for me taking my time. I wouldn't say it was "easy" but it was a lot easier than both other vehicles I have changed plugs on. Good Luck.

 

[Duane Foster]

Can't be as bad as changing plugs on an Aerostar. There are stories of Ford mechanics quitting their job after attempting to change plugs on an Aerostar. 5 of the 6 aren't that bad once you figure out the right approach, but the back one on the driver's side is against the firewall. I cut a hole in the firewall and changed the plug from inside the van and made a cover for the hole.



I drove a '74 Ranchero with a 460 for almost 30 years. My best friend had a '72 GMC Sprint (El Camino) with a big block Chevy. He was telling me one day how he could change the plugs in an hour - and was feeling good about it. I told him I could change mine in 20 minutes - and that included taking them out of the box and gapping them. Huge engine compartment, and nothing to get in the way.

 

[Gavin Allan]

I did a '73 Mercury Comet with 302 V-8. Two center plugs on the passenger side were a very tight pain.



I also owned a Chevy Monza with the 305 V-8. Had to loosen a motor mount and jack the engine up for that one.

 

[Leon Webb]

First let me say I did it!, secondly thanks to all those that posted on this thread, it made a big difference and thirdly thanks to those that lied to me saying it would be easy just like the radiator, because if you would have told me the truth I would not have attempted this LOL!!!!



This was extremely challenging. I would not recommend this project for an "amateur mechanic". I barely pulled this off. My main concern was breaking a spark plug, but when i realized this problem was mainly with the 2 piece spark plug, 2010's I believe, I wasn't worried anymore and decided to go ahead instead of waiting for the weekend.



The first plug I did was #6. The boot came off with no problem, I used the pliers. The spark plug came out very easy. The problem was I could not seat the new plug. The easiest part of the process and it took me for ever.........Plug 5 was pretty much the same as 6 but seating the new plug was a little better. I realized that the swivel socket I was using made it difficult to start the seating. Plug 4 was tough. there was no room to maneuver. I got really frustrated on this one. I had to remove the steel pipe that was blocking the plug. Finally I got it. It took 1 hour to do the first three plugs.



Here is where the problems started. Plug 1 I could not get the boot off. No matter what I did it would not come off!! After what seemed like an eternity the boot finally came off. I removed the plug and installed the new plug. Next was plug 2. This boot would not come off!! I gave up and moved to plug 3. This one was just as bad. Working through the tire well I was finally able to remove the boot but the connector stayed on the Spark Plug!! it ripped out the boot. panicked is an understatement! Using a screw driver and pliers I was able to remove the connector from the tip of the spark plug but it took a long time. I installed the new plug. By now my hands are hurting and bleeding and I would have given up but I had no choice but to continue. I went back to #2. This was a nightmare. Working from the top I pulled so hard the tip on the boot ripped off! Now I know I was screwed! I used regular pliers to grab the boot. I pulled and it ripped all the way down to the spark plug. I could not see the plug from the top of the engine. I was done and I know I had f*#k up. Thinking this is going to be expensive to fix. oh well lesson learned.... My last hope was to jack the truck up and remove the front wheel. when I removed the front tire #2 was staring me in the face!! I used a razor blade to cut away the remaining boot and used pliers to pull the connector off. I was back in business! I removed the plug and installed the new one. Thank god I did not damage the old plug. The whole process took 4hrs!



I finally realized that the problem was not that the boots were old or stuck, the problem was me. Instead of pulling the boots (3,2,1) straight back to remove them, I pulled them at an angle because there was no room. I did not have this problem with 4 ,5, 6 because there was more room.



My next project will be something simple like spraying the engine with de-greaser and spraying it off with water:rofl:



Again thanks to everyone that posted.

 

[Gavin Allan]

"Seating the plugs"? Do you mean getting the new ones started threaded into the engine? If so, I use a 3-4" long rubber fuel hose. Stick the plug on the end of it and use the hose to hold the plug in and thread it in.



If you wanted to see a hard job, just ask Caymen about installing new plugs and "indexing" them to align the electrodes to the best position within the combustion chamber. That is tedious work!

 

[CountyMounty]

Sorry you had such a time Kwikdraw. I'm sure my experience would have been a lot harder had I tried to change them without it being up and tires off. With it jacked up and tires and wheel rubber skirts off you could see and feel all the plugs. Since I was replaced the wires I didn't have to be careful with the boots and though some of them came fairly hard the hose pliers slipped down over them to near the bottom pulled them. As for seating the new plugs I started all of them from the bottom/side without the use of a ratchet. Some I did with my fingers and others I put them into the plug socket and put a 3" extension on it (non swivel) and then used my fingers on the extension. I used the swivel extension in breaking the old plugs loose though.



I guess "easy" would not be a word I would use and no its not really a job for anyone but compared to others it was not that bad. Sounds like you feel about the same as I did after I changed plugs on a 3.5 Buick where you had to tilt the motor for the back ones and still couldn't see them at all. That was two years ago and I vowed to never change plugs again but changed my mind and have done two Fords since that were much easier.

 

[Leon Webb]

Firedog79, Yes I probably did feel like you did and yes I did say I will never change another plug again Lol. I'm sure that feeling will go away with time. Others had also told me to jack the vehicle up, but I was not comfortable working under the vehicle and I was playing it safe. I ended up doing it anyway.



As for the Trac it's running like a champ. The power is back and misfires are gone. To be honest with you I don't even know how it was even running. One plug did not even register with the gapper and the other 5 were between .085 -.095. I gapped the new plugs at .053, out the box they were .045. I used Motorcraft SP500 FineWire Platinum plugs. I'm officially at 152K miles and I differently won't let them get to triple digits again.:rofl: