Plugs Backing out? Read this....

[wchain]

Court Allows California Class Action Against Ford for Spark-Plug Blowouts to
Proceed; Nixes National Class and Other State Classes*

The Los Angeles County Superior Court has allowed a case brought on behalf of California owners of certain 1997-2004 Ford vehicles to proceed as a class action. It refused to allow the case to go forward on behalf of a national class or on behalf of state classes (other than California).

Ford owners from California, New Jersey, Iowa, Texas and Kentucky allege in the complaint they filed that the heads and spark plugs on the vehicles are defective and dangerous and have sued Ford to compel a recall as well as for damages for repairs that were required (average repair = $3000).

The spark plugs shoot out of the cylinder port suddenly and with great force
(usually after the mileage exceeds 50,000), sometimes puncturing the hood, and, often, so damaging the engine that a new engine is required. Fire and explosion are likely if the plugs puncture nearby fuel lines. The sudden explosion of the plug out of the head often causes drivers to be startled and lose control of the vehicle momentarily. The vehicles always lose power and, often, stall. .

It is believed that Ford produced a replacement cylinder head with an improved design in 2004. It has not advised owners that this part is now available, has not issued a voluntary recall, has not reported the widespread safety problem to the NHTSA (as it is required to by law), and has not warned the public and its owners of the danger. Plaintiffs in the case allege a cover-up.

Although NHTSA has received hundreds of complaints from angry owners, it has not instituted an investigation and ordered a recall. Plaintiffs in the suit are filing a formal petition for an investigation and recall by NHTSA.

Further information on the problem (including court pleadings) are on the worldwide web at www.forddefects.com

[Petrograde]

wow,... Thanks Wes.

I guess I have 22K more miles 'til she blows! :P

[RCSignals]

I wonder just how often this has happened, and in cases that is has, who has done any replacement of spark plugs prior to the 'blow out' (if any replacement).

[wchain]

Apparently enough times to be well known all over the net!

[RCSignals]

sure, but given how fast rumour spreads on the net, it could be anything

[Blackened300a]

Well im Sure Glad I have the extended warranty to 75k!

[Zack]

You should be happy when this happens, it is a good time to build a motor!

[DPVLN]

Beware, speaking from experience, I was an assistant manager of a large Ford Service Department. Some of the a/m warranty companies refused to cover the infamous Taurus SHO V-8 cam chain syndrome. Their claim was the warranty did not provide coverage for "design defects." Someone else on this site probally has more details on this matter.
Is there any preventative measure to prevent the plugs from blowing out? Replace them, req-torque them, or is the problem in the threads in the head?

[Dave Compson]

You all may know, i have experienced this first hand recently. Here is a list of what people told me to do;

The dealers and mechanics told me to only use motorcraft plugs.

People in the know told me to use anti seize when installing the plugs.

A good mechanic (30+ years ford) and family friend told me to check the torque on the plugs.

The total repair was close to $2300, (out of pocket). So, beware this happens to the best of us. I am very careful with my mods and drive my car every day. 54k miles now and loving it now that it runs again.

[AzMarauder]

You all may know, i have experienced this first hand recently. Here is a list of what people told me to do;

The dealers and mechanics told me to only use motorcraft plugs.

People in the know told me to use anti seize when installing the plugs.

A good mechanic (30+ years ford) and family friend told me to check the torque on the plugs.

The total repair was close to $2300, (out of pocket). So, beware this happens to the best of us. I am very careful with my mods and drive my car every day. 54k miles now and loving it now that it runs again.
Dave,

Is this a problem with the plug "backing out" or do the threads in the head just strip and give way?

[Dave Compson]

After checking the head once it was removed, it looks like the threads just completly stripped out. The plug dosent look like it backed out. Dont know what else to say.

It was expensive...

[magindat]

Is it possible the factory did not use (or used an insufficient amount of) anti-seize? I know galvanic action (electrolysis) will "eat up" the weaker metal. Could the threads have simply weakened or degraded entirely due to contact with steel and high voltage? Don't forget, the spark sparks because the plug is grounded by the same threads that were eroded.

Speaking of galvanic action and ant-seize... I got my MM from a guy's estate. He had been ill for some time, then died. Long story short the car sat for about a year and a half or more. The lug nuts seized to the wheels. It took 2 guys and a 4ft break bar to free them. I'm really surprized the studs didn't break.

After this post and my wheel experience, I think I'll get the plugs changed at the dealer and remind them to smear on the anti-seize!!!!

[rayjay]

magindat, if you already have not done it, get the oil, tranny fluid, brake fluid, and power steering fluid changed out. All of these could have collected alot of moisture sitting for a year.

[LightningVic]

I had never ever heard of this happening on a 4 valve before. This problem runs rampant with the 2valve though. I experienced it last year, and had to replace my head, but then my motor spun a rod bearing on the cylinder that the plug blew out of, cost me an entire motor. Happens in the lightnings, crown victorias, and mustangs. The problem lay in the number of threads the plug actually clings to. Apparently it is only 3 threads per cylinder. The 4 valves have an adequate number of threads to retain the plug, so it could be that the gentleman who experienced it on here was that the plug just backed out. On the 2 valves, the number of threads does not create a strong enough lock, and the compression of the motor is able to literally blow the plug out of the head taking all of the threads from the head with it. This occured at 54 thousand miles for me.

[Dave Compson]

A couple of things, my plug backed out at about 54k miles also. And about the anti seize compound. I didnt use any when i installed the densos back 30+k ago. So, this time things went a little different when installing the new plugs. More time was spent double checking everything.

[PJR]

I have almost 30,000. I'm glad that I have Ford Premium Care until 60,000. Sure would be nice if Ford institutes a recall if needed. I'd rather have it fixed before it breaks.

[jgc61sr2002]

I have almost 30,000. I'm glad that I have Ford Premium Care until 60,000. Sure would be nice if Ford institutes a recall if needed. I'd rather have it fixed before it breaks.



IMO FMC will only make the recalls they are forced to. :(

[BillyGman]

After this post and my wheel experience, I think I'll get the plugs changed at the dealer and remind them to smear on the anti-seize!!!!Why not simply change the plugs yourself from now on? I would never trust anyone else to include something like anti-seize on the threads. There's no way that you will know if they did or not. And if you ask them, they're not going to tell you "no" even if they didn't. It's an easy task (especially on the Marauders). I always change them myself. that's the only way to know it was done right.

[rayjay]

IMO FMC will only make the recalls they are forced to. :(
Even if you can tie the defect to a operator safety concern, it would take some time. It took three years to have the 00-01 Focus fuel pump recall effected. That was after numerous complaints to the NHTSA that the engines were stalling in right hand turns onto expressway on ramps. I did receive my money back in full from Ford. It pays to saves those receipts.

[Smokie]

Just a couple of observations about the anti-seize compound on spark plug threads, the threads on the plug are the ground to engine that completes the electrical circuit for the spark plug to fire.

If you put anti-seize all the way around it seems to me you are creating resistance to ground, also if anti-seize was supposed to be used, should this information be in writing somewhere in the owners maintenance guide?

[Bradley G]

I changed plugs a couple months ago, as part of the Trilogy install.

I had not been aware of the antiseize measure.
I would have done this if I knew it was necessary.Sounds like cheap insurance, if not to prevent this from happenining, to make it easier to remove them later on.
I just recently installed colder plugs for a Procharger mod on a '99 F-150 5.4 Liter.
If the Plug(s) closest to the firewall blow, they would come very close to the occupants.:eek:
If 3-4 threads is all that is secureing the spark plugs, no wonder they are blowing!
Gotta wonder why only certain people(states) are possibly going to get Fords help.

[BillyGman]

Any time you have dissimilar metals making contact with eachother, it can cause a galvanizing effect which isn't good as far as I know. And besides that, the aluminum threads of the head are softer than the steel ones of the plug, and are therefore suseptible to being gauled. That's why anti-seize is a good idea in order to prevent that.

[JACook]

Just a couple of observations about the anti-seize compound on spark plug threads, the threads on the plug are the ground to engine that completes the electrical circuit for the spark plug to fire. Anti-seize compound is made up of finely ground aluminum, copper, and/or silver powder suspended in a paste.
The stuff is conductive. Also, the primary current path should not be through the plug threads, rather it should
be through the area where the plug seats.


also if anti-seize was supposed to be used, should this information be in writing somewhere in the owners maintenance guide?
The owner's maintenance guide tells you what spark plug type to use, what oils and filters to use, and when to change
them, but does not specify any procedures. Should we ignore the factory shop manual's advice to use a torque wrench
on the plugs because it's not in the owners maintenance guide?

Quite a lot of shop manuals advise the use of anti-seize on spark plugs that are threaded into an aluminum head.
Apart from the anti-seize qualities, threading in a plug with nothing on the threads will cause the torque wrench
to indicate the plug is tighter than it really is. And that's _before_ you consider the greasy carbon buildup
that's usually on the threads in the head.

I can't make anyone use anti-seize if they don't want to, but if y'all take anything away from this thread, please at least
use a good inch/lb torque wrench, or make sure your mechanic uses one, whenever you're changing plugs on your MM.

A long time ago, people used to change flathead head gaskets with a Crescent wrench...