new truck at last

[propwashp47]

2 1/2 mo later I have got s f to total wife's f150 4x4, and picked up a new used f150. now to get the hospital bills paid, it seams like it never stops never stops.

[osteodoc08]

Best of luck with the recovery. Material objects can always be replaced.

[tomme boy]

They are good trucks other than if you have to have the spark plugs changed.

[Pb2au]

Health=most important.
Objects, less than that.
Now, that being said, the wife and I have a saying when we get hammered with a bunch of expenses.
"involuntary economic stimulation"

[osteodoc08]

They are good trucks other than if you have to have the spark plugs changed.

Only on the earlier ones with the 2 piece design. IIRC 2007 or 2008 they went back to a one piece design. Who designs a 2 piece spark plug? I coulda told you that was a bad idea.

[Deep Six]

I prefer to stick with the pre-97 Fords. Especially the 300 sixes.

[osteodoc08]

Those straight sixes were near indestructible.

[leadman]

The late 90s to early 2000 Ford trucks had a terrible head design. The heads are aluminum with threads only in the bottom of the spark plug hole probably shorter than the width of the plug. The plug only had threads on the end but the sealing surface was up the plug quite a ways. Should have had threads all the was down the hole and the plug.
Some of the head threads would usually come out when the original plugs were changed. We had a Lisle kit in the shop to rethread the heads and install an insert without pulling the head. Worked good but was a pain to do on the rear cylinders under the cowl.

Glad your wife is ok and am surprised it took so long to get the insurance to cough up the money.

[tomme boy]

New ones are still having the same problems. Water gets inside the hole and it causes rust and they are still breaking off. You then have to pull the whole cab of the truck off to fix it right.

[xtphreak]

Those straight sixes were near indestructible.

Got a 1992 f 150 300(4.9) 5speed manual
326000 miles
Still kickin

[TXGunNut]

New ones are still having the same problems. Water gets inside the hole and it causes rust and they are still breaking off. You then have to pull the whole cab of the truck off to fix it right.

If the shop does much LD diesel work pulling the cab off these newer trucks isn't as big a deal as it sounds. Looks a little odd but makes heavy line work a lot easier. Look at it this way, most of today's spark plugs are outlasting the engines built 30 years ago.

[enfield]

The 2004 to 2008 with 5.4 had 2 piece plugs, I guess that could include f150, e150, expedition. in 2009 they went back to 1 piece plug and the 4.6 always had a 1 piece ( of course they were known to blow out of the hole and take the threads with them at times ). recently left the ford dealership after 28 years in service dept. some of it I will miss, some not so much.

[tomme boy]

As long as the people change them every 50K miles or so you should not have a problem. But most people don't change them till it starts to run rough. Well, the plug is bad already when this happens. Most shops will not even change them because who wants a 4-4.5K$ tune-up.

[xs11jack]

We had a 97 E-350 box truck. It blew the plug out so badly that the insert kit fell right thru to the piston. Sold it for parts.
Ole Jack

[MtGun44]

300 six is one bullet-proof motor. I have a friend that put 550,000 on one
with no work on the engine, just oil, filter, plugs, etc.
Sold it running fine. He wore out two rear axles, the bearings in the
manual gearbox and a clutch, but it was an amazing truck. '89 F150.

Bill

[propwashp47]

I going to miss that truck 73.000 is just to soon

[Frosty Boolit]

I feel like all cast iron = ready to last a long time.

[multigunner76]

Im becoming a fan of the Ford Mod Motor. I bought my wife an 06 exactly one year ago. (just made payment 12) it has turned out to be a great truck. I did have oil problems back in Jamurary. The 5.4 is very picky about the correct weight oil. You MUST use synthetic blend and keep up with the oil changes. Now that I understand how the motor and oiling system works I really like it. It is not a motor for those that are not mechanically inclined. The oil pump pickup screen stopped up and the motor lost all oil flow and pressure. Stealership gave an estimate of 7500 to put in a new motor. I had it towed home. I started reading and researching. I finally dropped the pan and put a new pick up tube in it. That was 7 months ago. No problems yet.

[MaryB]

Glad I am reading this... after my car accident last year I picked up a 2001 F150 5.4 Triton... will keep an eye open for problems but the former owner was religious about maintenance so hopefully no problems. I don't put on many miles a month... maybe 350 total so it tends to sit a lot.