How to Replace Spark Plugs Ford F150 5.4L 2004-2008 | No Broken Plugs! 

In 2016 I took my used Ford F150, 2008 (5.4 V8) that was having this problem: when ever the motor was under some kind of load say, going up a slight incline, going 40-45 mph and running about 1000-1200 rpm the truck would give the herky jerky action - consistently. This was at 136,000 miles so I took the truck to the dealer and they replaced all the plugs and the #5 coil. Now at 212,000 mile the exact same thing is happening, and the dealer wants to either replace the motor or sell me a new truck! After all the research and finding this common problem I think they just don't want to do the job because it is too time consuming and risky, so I am about to tackle this one myself. Thanks for the great video - After reading a lot of the comments it seems like this is the way to go. I've got to admit that I am a little bit nervous about this but I have time so patience will be used - I'll let you know how it turns out - stay tuned.....patience. UPDATE: I did just as was described in the video and all the plugs came out without breaking!! Cylinders 3 & 4 were the most difficult and in my case I was praying - please don't break and they didn't! I did put the copper anti seize on the ends as described as well as regular anti seize on the threads. Definitely made a difference in the power and cured the hesitation problem. Motor runs great! Not going to go to that dealer in Seattle on Lake City way anymore. They just lost a customer.....

Just finished a 2007 F150 5.4L, replaced all 8 plugs and coils, nothing broke. Thank you for the tips and I followed the process you suggested. Well done! You helped get some cash in my pocket and saved the truck owner a pile of money based on all the local repair shop estimates.

Excellent tutorial! Got it done in about 8 hours over a few days despite having almost no experience under the hood. It was NOT easy. I now understand why a pro would charge as much as they do for the labor on this. If I'd fully understood what I was getting myself into I probably would've sucked it up and paid someone, but I'm glad I got the experience and acquired more tools with some of the money I saved. I found the plugs on the left side to be quite a bit easier to access than the ones on the right once all obstacles were removed. For me, the right rear plug was by far the most awkward to reach as it's in a tight spot with nothing easy to remove for better access. This may be obvious to anyone who knows what they're doing, but I learned the hard way that a breaker bar really is needed to get the plugs loose; even with carb spray I broke a socket wrench trying to get a plug unstuck. Having a variety of extension bars on hand was also very good advice.👍

Couldn't get any shop to replace my plugs and caps. Lol did my research and found out that my motor had the new heads that take the 12mm plugs. Took me less than an hour to replace my plugs and caps. Ford wanted 500 to do the job , that was just labor. Glad I took the time and did a little research. 2009 F150 5.4l

I'm going to be doing this work today on an '06 F-150 5.4L with 252,000 miles. Appreciate your video. It's very informative. Got a quote to do all 8 plugs and ignition coils for $1100. I purchased the parts for about $500. So I'm looking forward to saving that money. Hoping to not break any plugs

I have a 2007 f-150 with 145,000 miles original plugs. Video Very Helpful. Tool and Technique worked. On 5-24-19 I Removed all eight spark plugs none broke. Thanks for the great tips and posting this video.

AAA+ Video. I have a truck that has been sitting for 4 years nobody wanted to work on it because of the risk or plugs breaking off in the head of the engine. I had given up on the truck until I watched this video. My best job site guy of 22 years, that I call on to crack ceased up nuts and bolts. He uses the same type of method with PB blast with great success. Old timers have always bragged about Kroil oil . I finally bought Kroil oil for the first time and the 9/16 extension. Today I followed your process using pressure air to blow out the dry dry plug sockets. Then Kroil oil to soak a while before cracking the plugs back in forth. My truck has 135k miles in a salty beachside area with the original plugs in it. 100% Success on all eight plugs. Thank you for this great video.

I cant thank you enough for the tip on removing the ECM!! DUDE...I bet you saved me half a day fighting with those back left plugs.

Thanks so much for making your terrific video. I did just exactly as you described and was all set for a harrowing day. All went well! I did discover that in late 2008 Ford finally made a correction and made heads for the 5.4 V8 Triton motor that accepts regular "normal" type spark plugs. You can tell what kind of plugs are in your truck by the color of the coil plug boot. If the boots are black, then you're going you have the achy breaky spark plugs. If the boots are brown you should have the new head design normal type spark pugs. Thanks again for taking the time to make your terrific video!!

I have a 2007 plugs every 40000 klm. First change very tight with method you have shown last couple came out like butter. The area where they bind up is the shell where ford tells you to apply the anti seize.The shell is a close tolerance fit to the head for heat dissaption. Carbon builds up in this area causing the plug to shear on the assembly wield. This wield is still used on the latest plug design but the 2004 build date plugs deemed as two piece were the same design but the shell was a loose fit as the engineers wanted the plug to get its seat wedge crushed as apposed to screwed into the aluminum seat. This was still a weak point on later one piece designs that you could not turn the shell.But what the ford engineers have been doing is loosing up the tolerance on the plug shell giving more room for carbon to break up on disassembly. Applying anti seize takes up room in this void and resists carbon sticking to the shell portion of the plug making removal less of a task. Sorry for my rant 30 years licenced 15 of thoes working for a Ford dealer.Just wanted to explain these are not the same as the early 2 valve 5.4 and 4.6 that blew out the threads due to the insufficient 5 threads and the low torque spec 18 ftlbs upped to 25 ftlbs. Everything is junk until you understand it!!!

Thank you for not using power tools! I clicked on three other videos looking for some help and wisely turned them off as soon as I saw impact wrench’s! You are a good mechanic!

Appreciate the video, I followed the steps exactly. 06 F150 122,000mi and didn’t break a single plug. Took me a few hours but saved hundreds of dollars

We did exactly what he did in the video and not one was broken, great work guys!

I was lucky to get 5 of them out following your instructions. 3 broke but I used the Lisle extractor for them. Electrode broke off in one and I used a 2X crescent pliers to pull it out before extracting. Thank you so much for the very helpful video. Runs like it used to now!

This is the best demonstration of how to do this job I have ever seen. Thanks man.

Thanks to your video, I got my 07 5.4 f150 done in 3 hours. Took my time so the intake cleaner was soaking on the plugs good.

I found your video this morning and boy am I glad I did. I got 8 out of 8 plugs removed on my 2007 F-150 5.4L this morning following the procedure you showed. I will say that you should mention that you might need to repeat the squirt of carb cleaner if the plug doesn't loosen up after the first application. I had to loosen then tighten then spray again and wait several times on some of them. Number 4 plug was the most difficult to break free. I think I had to repeat the process 4 times before it came loose. Of course number 4 and number 8 are the most difficult to get to also. So to the naysayers who said they still broke off the plugs I say to them you should have had more patience and kept trying the process instead of just expecting the plug to loosen up the first time. One more thing, after the plug does loosen up I recommend blowing the excess carb cleaner out of the plug recess before removing the plug. Doing that will prevent the carb cleaner from running down into the cylinder and taking all the dirt and crud with it. I imagine it would run past the rings and into the oil pan and contaminate the oil. Kudos 2CarPros!

Best video I've seen on this issue. Minutes away from starting the change on my 05

Thanks for the video. I'm buying an 08 with 94k miles on it. I plan on taking it home and doing the plugs immediately. thanks for the tips.

I’ve been super nervous about attempting this , but feel confident about this now after watching this! Thank you.

This is the best video I have seen on this subject. BRAVO! You explain in detail how to hopefully prevent the problem instead of how to fix the problem I find this is a much better route generally. As to doing the other 6 plugs if the folks watching this can't figure it out they need to donate their tools to the local auto repair school and break out the credit card. Please keep the excellent content coming.

i like how you did this spark plug replacement. you took your time and covered this tedious job in detail. i will be doing mine within the next couple weeks. thanks for an awesome video!

I recently did a 2006 F150 5.4 without being aware of this issue... 84,000 miles and the boss thought it was the transmission, the misfire was so bad. I suspected the coils and figured on doing the plugs at the same time. I went slow, not breaking anything but was worried I might, they were such a pain to pull (and about crapped myself after learning that these engines have a serious issue with it). The electrodes were wore down to the ceramic. Tons of power now (a few days later, I ended up replacing the original battery - it lasted 14 years!). I bought a 2008 F350 a few days ago with the same engine and it is a gutless beast, 140,000 miles, and I’m not sure if they’ve been replaced; given my results with the F150 I’ll do the same again with the same Motocraft spark plugs and Accel coils. Thanks for the tutorial!

2004 5.4L F-150 Wow! You saved my ass and wallet. I've been putting off changing the plugs in our truck, due to the horror stories. Thank you so much for this trick! Really worked well.

Great video. My Ford dealer told me that you need to remove the plugs with the engine HOT. They used an impact gun. Well I thought that was crazy . Back in 85 I had a Dodge turbo Lancer with aluminum heads. I always change my plugs with engine cold. No problems. When I took the car in for a tune up { didnt have time} they , the dealer , stripped the threads on the head. 2grand for a remand.head. Your video just enforced my belief that the Ford dealership was mlking me for more money. I haven't done my 05 pickup yet , but I know the plugs can be done ! Thanks !I hate going to Dealers.Don't trust them !

It's actually good practice to change all of the boots when doing the plugs as the boots break down over time from being around the engine heat.

Very nice clear video. I have 2004 with about 96,000 miles on it. I plan on doing it with patience just as you describe. I read that Ford Manual instruction online going back and forth with the carb cleaner soak however seeing it done with success was reassuring. Thanks for doing the video. If you still have the truck I put a banks cold air kit on mine at about 55,000 miles. It was worth the money it makes a big difference with two of the valves out of three being on the intake side. The factory box is very restrictive.

I DID IT!!! I drive a 2007 Expedition with 248,000 miles on the odometer. Local shops wanted $700 to $800 to change the plugs. Using your method I changed plugs and coils for around $200. I took my time and followed your advice. It was time consuming but I did not break a single plug. It did have the old style plugs and I have no idea how old they were. My Expedition runs like new. Thank you so much for posting this video.

Just did mine, 144k miles original plugs. None broke thankfully. I ran a couple cans of Seafoam through the tank and cracked them when the engine was hot about 1/4-1/2 turn then did a soak. One back by the firewall was tight the rest were easy. Followed this method. Thanks bud.

Well done and illustrated, I like the way you do things, carefully and methodically. Thank you for sharing.

‘05 F150 with 90k, been sputtering for a while and now showing misfires in cylinders 4,5,8. Tried the hot engine method (also been adding sea foam last couple tanks) with impact wrench at 80psi, all good and no issues so far with half of them (1,2,5,6). Attempting the others tomorrow. Update: Replaced them all without breakage, just one damaged boot ($6). #4 was so loose I backed it out by hand and the electrode was pretty much gone. #8 was the most difficult, couldn’t fit the impact wrench back there very well so I backed it out a bit, sprayed some carb cleaner and let it sit for a bit, then was able to back it out slowly. I let everything cool down for at least a couple hours before torquing....truck runs great now.

I teach my student to use a piece of fuel line or rubber hose to start plugs. That way if it threads in easy it started. Other wise they could cross thread. the coil hold bolts are like 6-10 in lb. Like you said those of us that do this kind of stuff, snug.

when you have everything off like that, you might as well clean the throttle body. Easy to do with throttle body cleaner. DONT use the carb cleaner as that is a bit more abrasive, get throttle body cleaner. Just remove air cleaner box and it has 4 bolts holding it on. Get an old toothbrush and the buildup comes off fairly easy. Your engine will react much crisper when you throttle up. Great video, I followed your directions and they came out without issue, thanks

Thank you for posting this video, my 16yr old daughter was able to have a solid mechanical win (me supervising of course) replacing all of the spark plugs & coils in her '06 F150 5.4L with almost no problems!

It worked, replaced #5 in my 2007 Ford F150 V8 5.4 liter, runs great.

Great methodical content, explanation of your technique, and appreciate the specs and carb cleaner tip. Working by feel really is where the rubber meets the road for a lot of us and shows off experience. Preparing to do an '05 next week with just over 100k on original plugs too. Cheers! 🍻

I used 3M electrical tape for my extension and socket but I'm buying the OTC 6900 now. Thanks!

Here's how to NEVER break a spark plug... If the easy access plug is very tight...STOP....spray all the plugs leave the boots on , 2 second shot of WD 40, then remove the plugs TOMORROW....the plugs will almost fall out. Don't gorilla the tool !!

I just did it for 2007 mustang GT. My plugs werent that stuck but great video. Helped me a lot.i got all 8 intact.

this is what happens when you try to reinvent the spark plug it's been fine for a hundred years leave it alone thx ford

Just watched your video looking forward to giving my Ford f150 5.4 V8. New spark plugs. Thank you for your video. This will really help me get the work done and save money. As it's crazy expensive to have a mechanic replace the plugs. Thanks in advance! I will let you know how it goes. Wish me luck 😃🤞🏽

Super video. I was curious what it would take to change plugs and cylinder ignition coils (cic) on my 2007 F150, as it was misfiring intermittently. As it turns out all I did was jiggle the cic and it's wires and it's been running great since. I imagine it was just corrosion build-up that was preventing proper electrical connection...

Holy hell! Great video but wow, I’m definitely going to see if I can get the dealer or mechanic to do it. I’m out in the boondocks so if I break one of those I’m in trouble lol. Also, that looks like a full day of work for me haha

Thank you for your video, I worry a lot about changing spark plugs for my 2006 lincoln navigator, after watching your video I am successful today

Changed my plugs on my 06 f-150 today and didn't break one plug! Thank you for the awesome video!

I ordered coils and plugs for my 08 based on the coils that were in the truck and I got plugs that had threads almost all the way down. Then I did research and found ford pretty much fixed the plug problem half way through 08. My expedition has a manufacture date of 12/07 and it had the new style plugs. The only thing I can think of is that the motor was replaced soon after being sold, because the gap on the plugs I pulled out was about .110. I would have to surmise these were the original plugs to the motor. Truck has 208k miles.

This video was soooo helpful and so far I was able to remove the entire driver's side 4 with zero breakage.

I've done three of these and it's not that bad. Take your time but it only took me about 2 hours each time. I used my impact driver on the coils and my 3/8 compact impact on the plugs. The thing nobody mentions is the coil plug keepers, they WILL break when you press them to release the plug. I used a small zip tie to tighten them snug on the coil.

Yeah as like everyone else i am super nervous about changing the plugs on my 2005. Before i watched this video i tried to work on one plug and broke it off so the shop fixed that problem. Thats why im so nervous about re trying it and dont have extra money to have a shop to replace all of them... Thank you for the video...

Thank you for your explaining plug removal, very detailed info , will use it ASAP , I feel more confident now

Thanxfor the wisdomfrom a young wrench .I'm 69 and stillcan learn.

So you are aware motorcraft 515 plugs were superceded with 546 because the original 515 were a 2peice design that often broke (hense the bad rep) the 546 plug are the "reinvented" or revised plug of a 1 peice shell design. That's why they don't sell them anymore.

Tried this on what I considered the 2 easiest plugs to get to, passenger side front and so far have broke them both! I followed these instructions to the letter and even let my cleaner sit for a few hours but they both broke. What's interesting is the back and forth motion felt and seemed like it was working but the porcelain must have just broke from the get go! Now I get to look forward to using a Lisle tool to try and remove the broken ones then replace them and try this technique again after running some SeaFoam through the tank and doing it while the engine is warm on the other 6!

might have to change the plugs on my work truck, thanks for this video Lavco👍

the method that works the best for me is assuring my truck that i will absolutely take it to the junk yard if it wants to play that game, or i compare it to it sibling, the 01 excursion with the 7.3l that was born perfection. usually works.

Thanks man, good video, very informative, just ordered the extension from your link !

Can I use PB blaster on the spark to loosen them up? I'm about to tackle this job and don't want to f it up.

Thanks so much for the video. This was such an intimidating job but we had to try the job ourselves to save money. I love the idea of using carb cleaner on a warm engine and walking the plugs out slowly. We also added Sea Foam to the tank the day before. I can't swear it helped, but we got all 8 out with no real trouble.

This looks promising 👌. Still apprehensive as he'll about doing this. I've been quoted from 7 to 8 hundred dollars from Ford and other places to do this. It a 08 service I picked up for 4000 with 212 thousand miles . Have watched you and the Ford tech make you local guy using a impact on a really hot engine. If one of you guys was there when I attempted it. It would be no sweat. But you won't be.

Use an impact on the plugs with a hot engine.. That does the trick

Little more information for the three valve 5.4 L Triton. In mid 2008, Ford changed the design of the heads and plugs on the engines. This is a fool proof method to know if you have the “2 piece” plug that will snap off and you have to use the extractor to remove the remaining part, or if you have the newer “one pice plug” that will not break. When you pull the coil pack if the boot is black, you have the two piece plugs. If you have a tan/brown boot, you have the newer one piece plugs. I still recommend using the carb/carbon cleaner in the plug wells to keep the threads from galling, but if you have the brown coil pack boots, you won’t break a plug. Now this being said, if someone has replaced the coil packs, they will have black boots on them. The replacement coil packs only come with black boots. But never fear, remove the #1 spark plug, front plug on passenger side, easiest one to access, using the carb cleaner/ carbon cleaner(get at any parts store) and remove the plug using the method described in the video. These engines are not hard to work on, just time consuming. Don’t be scared of these motors. They run great if you do the required maintenance at the correct intervals.

Thanks for the in depth details on this process. The carb cleaner and going back and forth trick seems to be the big thing here. First time seeing the carb cleaner idea but will be doing this when I tackle my 08. Doesn't seem like too bad of a nightmare as explained in many other videos lol.

Thanks to your video. I was able to replace the plugs in my 2005 F150 5.4 V8 without breaking any at 147,000. Some were very tight but finally gave up taking it slow and easy as you said. thanks again.

Will free-all penetrating oil work instead of carb spray?

Not knocking your video first off . I'm a Ford Tech if you do this with the engine hot or use a pen torch to pre heat the plug a slim impact can make this quick and easy . I started doing this I would snap at least one off with hand tools each engine changed 100s of 3 valve plugs

Hey how's it going. Those 3v are a headache. Good video. I'm sending out a couple of my shop shirts out to some youtubers. Seeing if you would like one

Thank you thank you thank you! All videos that I watched never showed what you did. Thank you! I ❤ my Ford

Great video , I use Kroil, you only need a few drops to spray at the base of the spark plug it will get into places a 1,000,000th of an inch. Kroil is not water based like WD40 . Thanks for the video !

I couldn’t find a can of Air so I used a straw to carefully remove debris.. Worked pretty good 👍🏽

The problem is not the threads its the design of these plugs. Its the extension below the threads the tube designed to touch the head in operating temperatures and take advantage of the long porcelain surface area to keep the plug clean with no hot spots aka detonation. Man an engineering marvel.Ford over looked over time the carbon deposits that would take up these voids in the head to plug interface to lock the tube portion to the head the tube would shear off and remain in the head. First level fix was the elimination of the 2 piece plug the shell would float on the plug and get crimped in instalment. Thinner and weaker an guaranteed failure. A one piece plug ensued the problem remained but a lower failure rate. Today the latest motorcraft spark plugs have a decreased tube diameter kinda defeating the purpose of this plug but they come out.My journey with my 07 5.4. Hell manifolds took a shit and cab off frame fixed this but phazers still holding on.Pulling wrenches since 1987 just saying.

I can't find any video showing how to do # 3 and #4, the most difficult ones. There are several coolant lines in the way, thick ones , at least 3/4", also a/c lines, at least on a 2007 Expedition.

Thank you! My friend, It’s very nice you’re helping other how to do this stressful repairing job in our trucks... from Puerto Rico..👍

I parked my 2004 in the garage for 2 days and soaked all of them with PB Blaster. The plugs nearest the firewall (heat kills) wanted to break so I had the Ford shop do those.

Great video! Question: I am the original owner of a 2006 Ford F150 5.4L V8 with 63,000 miles. I'm trying to determine whether or not I need to replace the plugs (due to age) with the low miles I assume I do not need to replace them at this point. The truck runs perfect no codes being thrown or anything. I'm thinking preventative maintenance to stay ahead of any issues. Thanks for the info!

excellent video!! after hearing you say several times go slow...take your time...DON'T over tighten....my wife said NO WAY you're doing that job!! ???

Great video and so clearly explained. I'm going to do this myself on my 2006..first time ever for me to do it myself. Love the carburetor spray trick. Thanks so much

Before taking your plugs out start you Vehicle and let the motor get good and warm,

Thanks! Worked great 06 F150 80k miles. Took 3 hours

Nice video good instructions except for the application of dielectric grease. It is used as a non-conducting lubricant. You should not be applying it to the metal parts only where the rubber touches the porcelain. It is to prevent the spark from arching against the block.

This video was very helpful, thank you very much for making it

Running the engine for a little bit just to warm it up a tad will help IMMENSELY in removal of these buggers.

Very good tips and recommendation for the spark plug socket. Thank you.

#4 cylinder is the hardest to mess with! I’m always throwing P0304, P0308 cylinder misfire codes! The two in the back and the biggest pain to get too!

Thank you for the tutorial. I do wish I had seen it before I bought the truck though. I would have went with something other than ford

I have a 2005 ford f150 ive changed one and the problem is that the fuel rail is in the way. Ive have no clue how to remove the fuel rail thats in the way. Im a diy person so this is new to me. I never had a father to show me this stuff

Patience makes a good rule . Any way thanks for the tips .

Brave soul! Just had someone ELSE do this for me. $1000 and that was a deal. THEN I saw this. geez

Marvel Mystery Oil is better and after breaking and during extraction continue applying small drops until free and clear. additionally run two to three tanks of gas through the system with Marvel Mystery oil added before replacing plugs.

Great video. Glad that you explained the tightening and loosing method for the plugs. I was considering using Kroil instead of carb cleaner. Have you ever heard of using that stuff to do plugs? Thanks

Thank you for making a great and informative video. This has convinced me to do it myself.

I removed all 8 with no problems. I removed them with the engine cold as per the Ford service bulletin.

Because of the deep dark places below the intake manifold I use a long reach magnet for the bolts holding the coil. I would be the one to drop a bolt into a place from which it would never be seen again.

Thank you for the carb cleaner soak tip and for explaining what Ford stated to do on this job. (i.e. Loosening then tightening the plug.) Very thorough video. Thanks!!!

Good video, clear instruction. How many hours did it take? I miss cast iron heads.

Thanks for the video it helped me change my plugs but I'm still getting a misfiring code on 2 of my plugs and I already changed the ignition coils as well idk what else it could be any idea

At the 6:20 mark when removing the spark plug you recommend backing it off 1/8th to 1/4 turn and then spraying carb cleaner into the well. By backing it off do you mean tightening it? In my experience backing something off is loosening it.

Doing this job soon I’m doing it this exactly way + changing the coils. One question did you put the nickel anti seize on the threads also or was it something different?

To add to your video. Always work on a warm engine and I prefer PB blaster instead of carb cleaner to lube the threads

I now feel confident to do this job on my truck. Great video.

Well,,, I think you've been lucky so far especially considering I could not find any local repair shop that would do them because they break so often.The one plug you took off looked like it was in amazing shape for the miles on the truck compared to mine. I did a lot of research before I did my 2004 F150 with 123,000 miles. I took my time using a technique simliar to yours and several other different techniques I learned on you tube. All 8 plugs eventually broke. In fact the broken plugs were so seized I broke my extractor tool and had to rent one to get them all out. No special trick or technique wouldve helped. With an inspection camera, vacuum and a lot of time I was able get all the tiny pieces out of my cylinders. I do all my own work and I am not a mechanic but have any tool I need. It was about an 8 - 10 hour job because I took my time. I was not willing to pay my local Ford dealers $300 for a spark plug job and that's for NO broken plugs. I'm not doubting your expertise as a mechanic but based on nothing except how terrible my plugs looked compared to yours I would say you've been very lucky.