Popping spark plugs V10

[getgoin]

Hello All,
We just retired....traded the tt?, sold the truck and got a 2016 Winnebago Vista 26HE. It's nice for us and the fuzzy kids.

Now, upon reading everything I can get my hands on I can't help but wonder did we make a BIG mistake?....if I believed all that I read these F53 V10 are ripping out aluminum spark holes like crazy. Trying to pinpoint the problem years has proven to be nothing short of a waste of time! When and how do I find real info on this, years 3 valve, etc. Ours is the 3 valve so from what I can tell the plugs are of a strange, different configuration that traps carbon in the area beyond the threads thus leaving 1/2 the plug behind if not removed carefully....I use Kroil.

I am a retired machinist and after 40 years in the trade have a thorough understanding of PROPER power plant machining practices.....Is this the awful problem posters have depicted? Can 'standard' plugs be adapted to the 3 valve engines....what's the fix?

Too bad they don't put a Cummins in a 27 footer

Any and all info on this would be greatly appreciated

Thanks much,
Mike

[CharlesinGA]

2008 and up has lots of threads, so not popping out of plugs, and no extended shell to break off, basically you have an ordinary spark plug in your '16 model.

for older operators..........

Current thinking is to use an impact on the long reach plugs and remove them on a hot engine. Less likely to have the extended shells break off. Lisle and others make a very good tool for removing the remains of the plug that works 99-44/100 of the time without any issues. Other way to insure the plugs come out intact is to remove them frequently (every 25K miles or so) rather than leaving them till you have 100K miles and they are carbon’ed in till the shells are stuck and separate from the plug body. Champion makes a one piece shell that doesn't separate when you remove it.

Follow the link for an excellent discussion of the plug problem.

http://www.fourwheeler.com/how-to/engine/129-1012-ford-three-valve-broken-spark-plug-blues/

Charles

[tropical36]

getgoin wrote:
Hello All,
We just retired....traded the tt?, sold the truck and got a 2016 Winnebago Vista 26HE. It's nice for us and the fuzzy kids.

Now, upon reading everything I can get my hands on I can't help but wonder did we make a BIG mistake?....if I believed all that I read these F53 V10 are ripping out aluminum spark holes like crazy. Trying to pinpoint the problem years has proven to be nothing short of a waste of time! When and how do I find real info on this, years 3 valve, etc. Ours is the 3 valve so from what I can tell the plugs are of a strange, different configuration that traps carbon in the area beyond the threads thus leaving 1/2 the plug behind if not removed carefully....I use Kroil.

I am a retired machinist and after 40 years in the trade have a thorough understanding of PROPER power plant machining practices.....Is this the awful problem posters have depicted? Can 'standard' plugs be adapted to the 3 valve engines....what's the fix?

Too bad they don't put a Cummins in a 27 footer

Any and all info on this would be greatly appreciated

Thanks much,
Mike

The least of your worries with a problem that doesn't exist any longer. Besides, plugs go a good 100K miles these days and what I'm backing on with my 03 F-150 5.4 V8, if it should have that problem.
I've had it since almost new, but only 50K miles (24K when I got it) on it, so in another 15yrs or so, I'll let the Ford garage change them out for me and just in case, they've welded themselves in there, by that time.
Also, you can be rest assured that a Cummins would be more costly from the get go and also to maintain, even if the V10, should fall out the bottom and on to the street, while out of warranty.

[getgoin]

booty51 wrote:
You Better go talk to Ford , dates are all over the place!

This is the concern here. I have heard it only the three valves, only the early V10's and everyhere in between.We go to the middle of Death Valley and some very remote places so this was definitely worth investigating.It makes more sense than not that later years would be 'fixed'.

Good info out there....Champion 7989 and such.

Sorry on the double post.....using touchscreen is a pita and upon hitting post nothing changes...I figured it failed..big clumsy fingers

Thanks much

[booty51]

You Better go talk to Ford , dates are all over the place!

[jerseyjim]

My 2001 V-10...54000 miles, no plug problems. The problem the OP is referring to was in the very first V-10s....1999 or so.

[MR_MAC]

I had a 2004 F250, at 180K I though about time to change plugs, after tales of breaking off plugs, and it looked like a monkey would have a hard time getting at the rear two plug I took yo a dealer. 300 bucks, they said plugs "don't break on the V10, only on the V8", Anyway out they all came, eazy and in went the new, all was nice.

[koda55]

Removed by poster. Double post

[koda55]

We had a 2005 V10 with the 310 horsepower and the 2 valve head. The early V10 had 2 threads and that was causing the plugs to pop out. In 2003 they put more threads in the heads during manufacture. You are perfectly fine with your engine.

[Desert_Captain]

As noted, the OP is searching for a solution for which there is no known problem.... sigh.
The government does this a lot.

Relax and enjoy one of the most reliable, powerful motors ever built.

:C

[Dale_Traveling]

Your coach is fine. The two valve engine that spit plugs ended production with the three valve heads for model year 2006. The three valve sticky plugs problem was solved for production year 2008 or so. Now pack in the Grand Kids and hit the road.

By the way I have a sticky plug engine at 50,000 miles. I have no plans to attempt to pull the plugs anytime soon. More likely to have a coil pack fail before a plug.

[dezolen]

Obviously the OP needs to read up on some up to date literature. Problem solved long ago. Modern Ford V10 one of the best engines out there bar none.
Stop worrying and enjoy the new coach.

[MACHZER]

2003 and older would pop the plugs out. A easy fix and a new coil, and on your way.
2004, Ford went to a new split plug. It had a deep reach into the head and as a result would carbon up bad around the bottom half of the plug. Only time you had to worry is when it's being removed for tune. A lot will break and leave 1/2 the plug inside the head.
A good tech can make the repair but will cost $$. He does not have to pull the heads! Make sure to put 1 piece plugs back in and apply never-sieze to the bottom half for next time.
Ford did say to pull the plugs out at about 25,000 and apply the never-seize but most techs will install new one piece plus instead with never-seize.

[azrving]

I dont know the years but have a friend who did a lot of extractions of bad Ford plugs for people. I would anti seize and torque them. Spark plugs do last a long time now days but the problem is sometimes it's too long and better to break them loose and service them. It's like any other fastener over time but this fastener can get very costly. I always cringe at hearing people say stuff like oh dont worry about any stuff that falls in the hole it will go out the exhaust. Duhh.

Blow any dirt away from the hole, loosen the plug a few turns and blow the crud away again. Compressed dirt around the plug can cause the plug to not transfer heat properly and run too hot. Yes Kroil is excellent stuff. If you did start to back the plug out and it's difficult, as a skilled machinist you already know that you want to soak it and work it back and forth, not force it.

[ford_truck_guy]

I had a 2000 F-250 with the V-10 and it blew a plug . . I waited 3 months for a fix , they could not fix them fast enough... I too thought the issue has been long since fixed....

[carringb]

Don't' worry about it. Go camping!