ford spark plug

[desert_sailing]

I know this has been discussed elsewhere on the forum to some extent ..but i performed a search and the results are not very relevant..tbh.

A Ford hitiop I called on a few months ago is still for sale. I don't recall the year at the moment but am considering making an offer after the holiday.... when folks try to recover from over indulgence.

I have heard and read so much conflicting info on the plugs snapping..shooting out or stripping threads..I don't know what to believe.   i just got off an automotive site  that listed the fords most likely to have the problem and no van was included. Ive also veen told its only the v10 that is the issue...and then that it is year ranges 

Anyone have a better idea?  I see tons of ford ford vans that are olderish so I would like to be vlearer before I make this offer.

I am pretty sure it was a mid 90s E150..
The hightop on it is great. It is the full height type.. he is not advertising it and the locals here have zero interest in this lifestyle. I believe he was asking 3500.

I sure could use the headroom and it would fill my time this last bit of winter.

 

[Freelander]

I think the biggest problem with the plugs is they are not being torqued when installed. When they blow out they like to take the threads with them.

 

[bullfrog]

From what I could find the Titan 3 valve engines were the worst in the early 2000s although one article listed a 1997 as being problematic. I believe HDR posted a list one time. I would PM him unless some else posts the list.

 

[highdesertranger]

any Ford V-8 or V-10 from 1998 to 2008 can have plug issues. not all but some do and some don't, it's kinda a gamble. BTW I don't go for fixing the problem with the head on the vehicle to me that is BS. highdesertranger

 

[Freelander]

I know years ago when Ford those 18mm threads on their plugs, you had a real problem getting them out.

I also found out the hard to only Motorcraft or Autolite plugs in any Ford motor, I spend over 8 hours before I figured out a 360 wouldn't run on AC plugs.

 

[desert_sailing]

any Ford V-8 or V-10 from 1998 to 2008 can have plug issues. not all but some do and some don't,  it's kinda a gamble.  BTW I don't go for fixing the problem with the head on the vehicle to me that is BS.  highdesertranger

given the length of time that has passed for the models would you reckon they have weeded out the defectives by now?
mile 10 or mile 100k..

Ive heard much of this issue is often an inexperienced mechanic.

I'll get more details this weekend.  I'm ready to buy!... 
thanks for the input

 

[bullfrog]

My understanding is it was a materials and a design problem. Many spark plugs in modern engines don’t get changed till over 50,000 miles, plenty of time for those type of things to happen. An “experienced” mechanic might not even attempt to change them. Lol!!! Don’t be to quick to buy with out having it checked by a Ford certified mechanic or be prepared to be without a van while it is getting expensive repairs. It might even pay to offer to have the plugs changed with the understanding you buy the van after.

 

[Tom_M]

I installed new plugs in my 2005 V-10 with 110,000 miles on it this past summer. I had no problems. Other than the gap the old plugs looked fine.

 

[eDJ_]

I drove a 2000 Ford E 350 SuperDuty mid top as a volunteer for the local Veterans Hospital for over a year.  It had a V-10 Triton engine and ran great with 13 guys aboard.   It was a DAV Van.

I took it by the Garage once and asked the mechanic about the spark plug issue and he told me that
some of the plugs installed in them had, in his opinion, the wrong "reach".  That is the threaded portion
extended into the combustion chamber and scale would build up on those threads making them nearly impossible to get out.

I don't know if anyone else here has built a simple water vapor injector to run on their engine to decarbonize the combustion chamber or not.  I've done this and run it on my cars and can tell you the plugs come out looking like new.  In the summer I ran plain water in the device and in winter I'd put
an ounce or two of gas line antifreeze in it to keep it from freezing.

A local commercial Bakery fleets step vans equipped with Triton V-10's and runs them 300K before
putting new ones in.  These are all aluminum vehicles and they sell them at 700K.  A mechanic there explained to me the plug bore in the heads didn't have a very deep reach.  If anyone over torqued the plug they could stretch the threads in the head and that lead to a disaster.


If I were going to buy a used Triton V-10,  I'd get a water injector made up and hook it up and run it
several thousand miles to clean the combustion chambers thoroughly before trying to pull the plugs.

Then that's just me.

One of these can be built for a few dollars.  It's low tech.

 

[nature lover]

I’m no mechanic but what I’ve read about those fords is that the The spark plug flies like a missile doesn’t sound like it’s over seated to me. But as I said I’m not a mechanic. It’s only certain years of that engine that causes a problem for it apparently found out and fixed it. we used to say “F fix - O or - R repair -D daily. But I’ve had several for pick ups that I really like. My first new vehicle was a 75 Ford ranger with a dress up package on it, candy apple red. It had the biggest engine Ford built at the time. That was like what a 460? Got about 5 miles to the gallon but what was the gas price in the early 70s before the “crisis” ?

 

[desert_sailing]

Well.. it appears i posted about this rig nearly exactly 2 month ago.

I couldn't recall the details... glad they are here.

https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=41471&pid=510920#pid510920

 

[desert_sailing]

• 4.2l v6 ohv 12v fi engine.This appears to be the stock engine for the 97 e150. At least as i read online.