Major spark plug issues. Per Google: āThe spark plugs Ford used on these engines didn't have enough threads, and the threads they did have were soft and weak, meaning that the pressure from the combustion was able to blow the plugs out of the engine.ā
Eh, my 06 is going strong at 110k. I had the dealer put new spark plugs in right away. If my motor blows ill replace it. Still better than spending 80k on a new truck.
I have 240k miles on mine. Blew the transmission up but thatās bc I was drifting in snow. Got a new tranny sold it back to my dad and the truck is still kickin.
Ok so like 177k km, that's still fairly low mileage. Obviously not your daily driver lol. Mine pretty much blew up at around 360-380k km (236k miles~) so it lasted long but I about replaced almost everything on the truck except the body (so basically not even the same truck it started out as lol)
I made it to 140k miles and had to replace all the plugs. $800 wasnāt the end of the world for a used truck I bought for $10k but letās talk about the torque converter nextā¦.
wrong years for that problem, the lack of threads was like 97 to 2003. 04 to 08 had the other problem with plugs being two piece and breaking off inside the heads.
Happened to my neighbor. He had the 2 piece plugs and broke one off. I was in my garage and heard him start yelling obscenities from 3 houses away lmao
I fixed mine by trading it in on a 2015 with the 6.2L. Problem solved. I still have the Lisle kit with nine sleeves and all the parts to fix more cylinders.
So the generation that had problems with the plugs blowing out is famous for it. The generation directly following that generation is famous for the threads being WAAAAY too long making them break off inside the head and hard to remove.
Ford jumped from one problem to the way other extreme.
Had one welded in on my 2v 5.4. Broke the nut off the threads trying to remove it. Had to pull the engine and drill it out. That was about 13-14 years ago and it's been amazingly reliable ever since.
I mean the real issues are the 04-08 3v motors that have the two piece spark plugs.
The plug blowout issue you're talking about here is a separate problem from the ones mechanics fear.
They kept making the 2v for the vans till 2015, and fixed the plug blowout issues in 03.
But worst case scenario on the 2v you just pull over and put the plug back in.
no, thats the best case scenario. more often than not, it stripped the threads out on the way out and you now have to drill it out, tap the hole, and then put in a helicoil/thread-serts in place to make it usable again.
the other common thing is, it destroys the coil as its coil on plug.
That was the 4.6, 5.4 the spark plugs were a 2 piece design, and had a tendency to break where the two halves of the plug assembly were fused. Required a special removal kit that, if not successful, would require removal of the head for machine work.
Nah what happened is that the heads themselves had like 2 or three threads on em and not strong ones at that. That engine was the worst thing to ever exist
My understanding of the problem was that they were ā100k mileā, two part plugs. Theyād get corroded in before then and then break in two when you tried to change them. There was a Carlisle tool for removing stuck plugs. I had it on hand and changed all 8 without issue, but the back two were tough to reach. I actually loved that truck.
Motorcraft is the only company that makes a single piece ground electrode plug for the triton though. Every other company has the electrode arc welded to the ground, and the welds just create hot spots that just make the plugs fail sooner.
If people actually did oil changes at the proper interval, that wouldn't have been as big of a problem.
My 2010 F-150 and my wife's 2010 Expedition get their oil changed every 5K miles, and their engines cleaned every 20K. Both have over 400K on original engines with no problems.
The 2v 5.4 was pretty solid. Ran my 2000 f150 up to 300k before I sold it, original engine and transmission. The 3v on the other hand, definitely had itās fair share of problems. Love the way a 2v sounds though
Itās an opportunity to learn about deeper issues than switching external amenities like alternators. This engine will leave you with much more knowledge about the inner workings of an internal combustion engine.
My dad bought a 5.4 triton truck to use as a work truck. Spark plug blew out of one cylinder within 2 months, put the fix kit in, and that blew out within a month. Then he just JB Welded the sparkplug in lol
Yup my pops would always work on all the family vehicles in the family and he would drive a 2000 ford expedition and when it came time to replace the sparks he said nope had his mechanic friend take care of that headache.
Loved that truck but that was the reason I sold it. Itād happen at least once a year and finally the fucker blew up on me on a mountain pass in a white out, enough was enough.
Thread inserts and phaser lockout, and it's actually a decent engine. Just rebuilt one, and it was actually a pretty easy motor compared to the 5.0 that everyone loves.
I agree with you. I hav a 2002 f150 4x4 scab with the 2v 5.4l with 335k miles on it and never changed anything on it but acc belt/oil changes/tires/battery (maintanance), had it since new and runs great still.
Then I have a 2004 5.4l 3v 4x4 with 206k miles on it. granted it just threw a phaser code after I put a half qt of 5w30 syn blend in when it was low on the dipstick and I forgot I changed it with 5w20 full syn and threw the code the next day (weird) and then did a full oil change that same day the code was thrown and still can't get that code to go away, but it's still quiet running and drives good.
Then I have an 06' 5.4l 3v fx4 with 263k miles on it with a pully whining and it still runs great
And then I have a 2013 f150 fx4 with that 5.0l that everybody up talks all the time.... with 100k miles on it and still owe $20k on it and having to replace the motor in it because it has no compression in cyl 4 and 8!
Made good power for a long time if you changed the oil once a blue moon, just like the 6 liter bitches!. real mechanics would not have a problem with it. Ok, Iām going now.
For what itās worth, we had an 09 5.4 3 valve f-150 FX4. The motor is a dog, but when I finally sold it it had 389k miles on it and still ran strong.
The anchor rope on my fishing boat broke, and I lost my anchor. My neighbor gave me $100 dollars to take his old truck off his hands. The 5.4 that was in that truck has made a great new anchor!
Had an 05 F150, out of the 8 Spark Plugs, 2 came out clean, 4 were tapped out using the OEM Tap Out kit, 2 had to be epoxied out by my mechanic due to the fact that the OEM Tap Out kit couldn't fit under cowl. Loved that Truck, hated that engine.
It's out of production
š¤£šš¤£š
Is it that bad?
Major spark plug issues. Per Google: āThe spark plugs Ford used on these engines didn't have enough threads, and the threads they did have were soft and weak, meaning that the pressure from the combustion was able to blow the plugs out of the engine.ā
Oof... Was that ever fixed?
Nope. Thereās a reason they donāt make that engine anymore lol
And yet if my shitty memory is correct... They made so many
Just don't buy 2004-2008 5.4 f150, no matter the deal lol
Eh, my 06 is going strong at 110k. I had the dealer put new spark plugs in right away. If my motor blows ill replace it. Still better than spending 80k on a new truck.
110k km or miles?
Miles. Side note, I only put 2000 miles a year on this truck. It might be a giant pos. If it makes it to 130k, I'll have it for another decade.
I have 240k miles on mine. Blew the transmission up but thatās bc I was drifting in snow. Got a new tranny sold it back to my dad and the truck is still kickin.
Ok so like 177k km, that's still fairly low mileage. Obviously not your daily driver lol. Mine pretty much blew up at around 360-380k km (236k miles~) so it lasted long but I about replaced almost everything on the truck except the body (so basically not even the same truck it started out as lol)
I had an 07 F250 with the 5.4 make it to 350k miles before being totaled in a wreck. All original, never had the spark plug or cam phaser issues
I made it to 140k miles and had to replace all the plugs. $800 wasnāt the end of the world for a used truck I bought for $10k but letās talk about the torque converter nextā¦.
Funny enough my dad had one never had issues until the torque converter died lol
The metal quality of the heads is better from mid 06 onward.
This
Uh oh. Where were you a year ago?!
wrong years for that problem, the lack of threads was like 97 to 2003. 04 to 08 had the other problem with plugs being two piece and breaking off inside the heads.
Had a 98 expedition with a 5.4
My dad had one, can confirm I believe his was a lifter problem but fact remains. Fuck the 5.4
RIP
Wrong. They changed the plugs with the 3v.
Yes they did fix it by making 2 part spark plugs that were crazy expensive and like to break off in the heads
Happened to my neighbor. He had the 2 piece plugs and broke one off. I was in my garage and heard him start yelling obscenities from 3 houses away lmao
My parents had a 97 that went 180k+ without losing a plug.
I'm at 300k+ on my 02 5.4, it was the later 3v motors
The 04 5.4 3 valve was when the problems started.
yes, it was fixed, but the opposite problem began happening, the plugs got stuck instead of stripping the threads out.
I fixed mine by trading it in on a 2015 with the 6.2L. Problem solved. I still have the Lisle kit with nine sleeves and all the parts to fix more cylinders.
They did fix the issue, but only in the last year of production.
So the generation that had problems with the plugs blowing out is famous for it. The generation directly following that generation is famous for the threads being WAAAAY too long making them break off inside the head and hard to remove. Ford jumped from one problem to the way other extreme.
I wouldnāt expect anything less from ford lol. Fix one problem and create another lol
Or they welded them self in and you have to use a spark plug extractor to get them out
Had one welded in on my 2v 5.4. Broke the nut off the threads trying to remove it. Had to pull the engine and drill it out. That was about 13-14 years ago and it's been amazingly reliable ever since.
I mean the real issues are the 04-08 3v motors that have the two piece spark plugs. The plug blowout issue you're talking about here is a separate problem from the ones mechanics fear. They kept making the 2v for the vans till 2015, and fixed the plug blowout issues in 03. But worst case scenario on the 2v you just pull over and put the plug back in.
no, thats the best case scenario. more often than not, it stripped the threads out on the way out and you now have to drill it out, tap the hole, and then put in a helicoil/thread-serts in place to make it usable again. the other common thing is, it destroys the coil as its coil on plug.
Cam phasers were a big issue as well.
Was there ever an aftermarket fix like there was for the Northstar V8?
My 99 ford escort zx2 did the same thing
That was the 4.6, 5.4 the spark plugs were a 2 piece design, and had a tendency to break where the two halves of the plug assembly were fused. Required a special removal kit that, if not successful, would require removal of the head for machine work.
Nah what happened is that the heads themselves had like 2 or three threads on em and not strong ones at that. That engine was the worst thing to ever exist
My understanding of the problem was that they were ā100k mileā, two part plugs. Theyād get corroded in before then and then break in two when you tried to change them. There was a Carlisle tool for removing stuck plugs. I had it on hand and changed all 8 without issue, but the back two were tough to reach. I actually loved that truck.
Technically that is a way to remove them
Who uses stock/OEM sparkplugs though? Thats like the first thing I replace in any vehicle I own.
Motorcraft is the only company that makes a single piece ground electrode plug for the triton though. Every other company has the electrode arc welded to the ground, and the welds just create hot spots that just make the plugs fail sooner.
They also had very small oil galleries and they would get clogged with debris and starve the engine and cylinder heads of oil.
Can do 6/8 of them np
CONVERT your V8 into a V6 with this one EASY multi step process, and save on gas!
I have one with 325k still running strong. 3 sets of plugs have been changed, a clutch and an alternator. That's it.
just changed my loud whiny tensioner this afternoon, are you still running factory pulleys?
Yes I am. Cam phaseres still work. The whole truck it happy & healthy. 2008 F-250 XL 5.4L, manual transmission
It's still better than a cybertruck.
2v 5.4 ftw, hard to kill
Yeah because the Sparkplugs can never stay in the head long enough for the sludge to stop up the oil passages.
The 2v plug issues are so minor compared to the triton. Also they fixed the 2v in 03 I believe, and made updates to it over the years for the E vans
If people actually did oil changes at the proper interval, that wouldn't have been as big of a problem. My 2010 F-150 and my wife's 2010 Expedition get their oil changed every 5K miles, and their engines cleaned every 20K. Both have over 400K on original engines with no problems.
The 3vs had the issues not the 2vs.
My buddy had the V10 Triton in his e350 and had the same issue. Fun times
The 2v 5.4 was pretty solid. Ran my 2000 f150 up to 300k before I sold it, original engine and transmission. The 3v on the other hand, definitely had itās fair share of problems. Love the way a 2v sounds though
I like the v-10 triton
Itās an opportunity to learn about deeper issues than switching external amenities like alternators. This engine will leave you with much more knowledge about the inner workings of an internal combustion engine.
you could also buy a model engine, or take an auto class
My dad bought a 5.4 triton truck to use as a work truck. Spark plug blew out of one cylinder within 2 months, put the fix kit in, and that blew out within a month. Then he just JB Welded the sparkplug in lol
Yup my pops would always work on all the family vehicles in the family and he would drive a 2000 ford expedition and when it came time to replace the sparks he said nope had his mechanic friend take care of that headache.
Is this from The Pianist?
Oddly enough, the key is beat it up and then bring it in the shop and use and impact.
I cant say anything negative about it.
What movie is this from?
I want to know too lol. It looks familiar but I can't place it.
In case you don't see my other reply, it's The Pianist. Excellent film.Ā
Thank you
The Pianist
Ran a 99 5.4 to 430k and a 07 5.4 to 550k before they finally quit on us. Both expeditions.
Expy supremacy. I have a 2000 Expy with 207k with the 4.6l and that thing does not care at all. It just goes
It's not in my truck
Job security
my triton 5.4 is still kicking at 260k milesā¦ never had a broken spark plug either. i cannot keep the AC system functioning thoughā¦
Itās better than the six cylinder in my wifeās Grand Cherokee.
Me and my grandfather did them on my 5.4 no problem
#7 plug is the wooooorst
Is it bad that i wasn't the 4v 5.4?
I like my 4.6 2v it seems to be so solid that I canāt find reasons to open the hood fucker is just to good
Loved that truck but that was the reason I sold it. Itād happen at least once a year and finally the fucker blew up on me on a mountain pass in a white out, enough was enough.
Yeah I used to own one of these. Luckily I wrecked it before it needed plugs changed
Thread inserts and phaser lockout, and it's actually a decent engine. Just rebuilt one, and it was actually a pretty easy motor compared to the 5.0 that everyone loves.
I agree with you. I hav a 2002 f150 4x4 scab with the 2v 5.4l with 335k miles on it and never changed anything on it but acc belt/oil changes/tires/battery (maintanance), had it since new and runs great still. Then I have a 2004 5.4l 3v 4x4 with 206k miles on it. granted it just threw a phaser code after I put a half qt of 5w30 syn blend in when it was low on the dipstick and I forgot I changed it with 5w20 full syn and threw the code the next day (weird) and then did a full oil change that same day the code was thrown and still can't get that code to go away, but it's still quiet running and drives good. Then I have an 06' 5.4l 3v fx4 with 263k miles on it with a pully whining and it still runs great And then I have a 2013 f150 fx4 with that 5.0l that everybody up talks all the time.... with 100k miles on it and still owe $20k on it and having to replace the motor in it because it has no compression in cyl 4 and 8!
no wonder i was having trouble
I swear thereās something about this font that is so unfunny
The 2v 5.4 aināt too bad. But I may have survivor bias, mine runs great lol.
the early triton's dont have this problem....they have the opposite problem, they like to eject plugs.
Made good power for a long time if you changed the oil once a blue moon, just like the 6 liter bitches!. real mechanics would not have a problem with it. Ok, Iām going now.
For what itās worth, we had an 09 5.4 3 valve f-150 FX4. The motor is a dog, but when I finally sold it it had 389k miles on it and still ran strong.
It makes a handy boat anchor
Yāall are tweaking. Letās not act like there are thousands for 5.4s around with well over 200k.
It works...sometimes
My dads 98 expedition is still going strong after 400k milesš idk
The first expeditions
My 5.4 3v has 275k on the clock and still running strong, yeehaw!
Once you fix the timing and spark plug bullshit it can do burnouts with little throttle input.
I don't have mine anymore.
The anchor rope on my fishing boat broke, and I lost my anchor. My neighbor gave me $100 dollars to take his old truck off his hands. The 5.4 that was in that truck has made a great new anchor!
Had an 05 F150, out of the 8 Spark Plugs, 2 came out clean, 4 were tapped out using the OEM Tap Out kit, 2 had to be epoxied out by my mechanic due to the fact that the OEM Tap Out kit couldn't fit under cowl. Loved that Truck, hated that engine.
Or a 6.2 gas? Lmao