Learn me about tritons

[Mightyfordranger]

Have you tried violent intimidation?

I told a dealership sales guy to get fu#ked. Doesn't that count?

 

[Dirtman]

I told a dealership sales guy to get fu#ked. Doesn't that count?

 

[G8orFord]

when were teh spark plugs changed? you will likely need the plug extractor tool to change them. other than the plugs, I don't think they are horrible engines. My buddy has a 2005 Trton in his wife's F150. he had to do the plugs last year, broke 6 of the 8 removing them.

AJ

Replaced the ones in my '07 Expy at about 130k miles with no problem. Tried it on a '05 V10 with 260k and 8 of 10 broke. Pretty sure they were the original plugs. I was doing a friend a favor... No money changed hands. Won't do that again.

 

[Eddo Rogue]

I know people who have run them hard for years and years in plow trucks and they take it in stride. The plug issue was the only problems I know of so if it has new plugs you know you're probably safe for another 100k...

My '08 F150 has the 5.4 triton. Lots of power and has not given me any problems besides a broken valve spring. Im at 130k hard miles. I have dont the spark plugs twice, no problems with that either. I just followed procedure (warm up and cool down before removal) and used lots of pb blaster. I think its a decent engine, just needs mindful love.

 

[19Walt93]

My former techs figured out that the engine needed to be warmed up, then they'd replace the plugs on one side, warm it up again and do the other side. They broke very few. They all owned and used torque wrenches, too. I bought a kit from Napa to replace the threads in 5.4/6/8 2 valve heads, it was like a timecert with a new taper seat built into it.
People who waited beyond 100k to replace the plugs often had coil failures due to the higher resistance of the old plugs. It's not a bad design, it just doesn't respond well to someone zipping the plugs in with an air ratchet or tightening them like lug nuts.

 

[Dirtman]

The service manual for my truck (2.3 duratec) actually specifically says to only remove the plugs on a COLD engine. I always use to warm up the engine and then let it cool down to "warm" before removing plugs.

 

[MikeG]

My son had an '08 F150, think that was the year anyway, something close. 4.6 (?) engine. Inherited it from his grandfather, with a little over 100,000 miles we changed the plugs after chipping off the mud dauber nests that were all over the engine.

Anyway we had no trouble getting them out, and I put them back with an inch-pound torque wrench that I happened to have.

I had heard about, and knew someone with a 5.3 that spit out a plug out, but I don't know if that was common with the 4.6.

 

[RonD]

Odd, Ford lists the only the 4.6l 3v for Sports Trac, explorers did get the 2v

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Odd, Ford lists the only the 4.6l 3v for Sports Trac, explorers did get the 2v

I thought they did later on?

 

[RonD]

The 4.0l SOHC only from 2001 to 2005, then the 4.0l or 4.6l 3v from 2007-2010, not sure if there was a 2006, lol

 

[19Walt93]

My son had an '08 F150, think that was the year anyway, something close. 4.6 (?) engine. Inherited it from his grandfather, with a little over 100,000 miles we changed the plugs after chipping off the mud dauber nests that were all over the engine.

Anyway we had no trouble getting them out, and I put them back with an inch-pound torque wrench that I happened to have.

I had heard about, and knew someone with a 5.3 that spit out a plug out, but I don't know if that was common with the 4.6.

The 5.4, 6.8, and Windsor 4.6 had only 4 or 5 spark plug threads in the heads, the Romeo 4.6- which I considered the light duty one- got full length threads. The engines with the short threads could blow out plugs if they were loose or overtightened. The 4.6, 5.4 and 6.8 3 valve motors were the ones prone to plugs breaking off on removal and were the ones we used to remove warm. The plugs on the 3 valves protruded into the chamber far enough to allow carbon to build up and cause the plugs to freeze in place. Conventional wisdom has always said to remove plugs from aluminum heads when cold but conventional wisdom wouldn't have designed the plug in the 3 valve engines.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

The 5.4, 6.8, and Windsor 4.6 had only 4 or 5 spark plug threads in the heads, the Romeo 4.6- which I considered the light duty one- got full length threads. The engines with the short threads could blow out plugs if they were loose or overtightened. The 4.6, 5.4 and 6.8 3 valve motors were the ones prone to plugs breaking off on removal and were the ones we used to remove warm. The plugs on the 3 valves protruded into the chamber far enough to allow carbon to build up and cause the plugs to freeze in place. Conventional wisdom has always said to remove plugs from aluminum heads when cold but conventional wisdom wouldn't have designed the plug in the 3 valve engines.

With the 3 valves it was kind of stupid that the part that carbon would stick to is just crimped onto the part you put the socket on.

 

[Dirtman]

Try to re-invent the wheel and you get a triangle...

 

[RonD]

Cool: https://www.cmu.edu/news/stories/archives/2018/october/images/reinventing-wheel-900x600-min.jpg

 

[Dirtman]

Seen a truck with those at a car show. Those look like the super special ones that can actually morph from round to triangle. It's a thing, google it. They pull in and work round, then push out and turn to triangle tank style depending on the terrain.