New-To-Me-F53 Thinking About Spark Plug Preventative Maintenance

[fullmoonguru]

Just bought a 2002 HR with 45k on the F53 chassis. I'm considering pulling the plugs to avoid future problems (I'd rather deal with any issue in my driveway than on vaca...)

I am used to aluminum cylinder heads with many years of sport bike experience. Here is what I'm thinking:

1. Bring motor up to operating temp
2. Shut down & pull coils
3. Spray PB Blaster in holes & let sit overnight
4. Warm engine again, pull plugs
5. If all OK, properly torque new plugs with anti-seize
6. If any damaged holes, install Time Sert and do #5

Or should I just leave it alone?

[Russ Silber]

Originally Posted by fullmoonguru

Just bought a 2002 HR with 45k on the F53 chassis. I'm considering pulling the plugs to avoid future problems (I'd rather deal with any issue in my driveway than on vaca...)



I am used to aluminum cylinder heads with many years of sport bike experience. Here is what I'm thinking:



1. Bring motor up to operating temp

2. Shut down & pull coils

3. Spray PB Blaster in holes & let sit overnight

4. Warm engine again, pull plugs

5. If all OK, properly torque new plugs with anti-seize

6. If any damaged holes, install Time Sert and do #5



Or should I just leave it alone?

Leave it alone. Plugs good for 100000 miles. Have 74000 on mine. Only problem was exhaust studs. Replaced all.
Good luck. Old saying if it ain't broke don't fix it

[Dval]

I have replaced spark plugs because of time instead of miles before. When I replace I add a little anti seize to threads also . If I pulled the plugs I would probably replace the wires also .

[donr103]

Yes.. very good! I have worked on everything except diesel engines for 51yrs.. all the books tell you to pull of plugs and re-antizeee them.. every 3 to 5 yrs.. yes owners manual says good for 100,000 miles.. but one look closely in back of book.. under extreme duty maintenance.. it will say spark plugs need checked every 3yrs.. the antiseeze will burn off after 3 to 5 yrs and become like tar and glue.. I understand the new distributorless system now only fires plugs as needed and the e cm, controls all this .. so plugs last much longer.. that is all great.. but number 1 cause plugs get seized in heads is because everyone reads plugs last 100,000 mile.. then they have a problem and cry because it's 2,000.00 to change the plugs.. or really cry.. because they need a new head.. look.. all these engines are just light duty eng from pickups.. now put into20,000 pound rv.. that I EXTREME SERVICE.. .. but it comes down to each owner.. so do what you want.. just don't cry in ten yrs.. when it's 10,000.00 to change jus 1 head or 20,000 for 2 heads in the future.. because you did not follow proper maintenance..

If I was you.. only thing different.. is just try a plug or 2 and see if they come right out.. most of the time it's not an issue.. then if you run into a tough one.. do as you said..

Other thing.. they make wire wrappers.. insulation.. it's cheap and easy-to-use. You are already there.. and do a resistance test on the wires.. if you don't change..

Yes.. pull each heads to exhaust studs or bolts.. one at time.. upgrade to SS.. or if you don't have them.. at least re-antizeee .. do the exhaust pipes to cats.. too..

When a plug is suck in head.. big money! Shops love it.. boom! Bust out 2 or 4 grand.. time is big bucks! And shops.. always make money!

Don't forget the gen.. same thing antiseeze plugs.. grease chassis to when under
Good luck and let us know what you did and maybe better members then me will help you. I know you will get a lot of options on this one..
Don't forget to flush all fluids.. brakes, p/s, diff, trans, coolant every 2 to 5 yrs.. if you don't see it done.. or have a recept in or hand where it's been done.. do it..

[twinboat]

You have the 2 thread heads. If the plugs haven't spit out, leave them.

[ga traveler]

I was in the leave it alone crowd until I spit a plug at 69,000 miles. I replaced all my plugs and retorqued to 28 ft pounds. You can look up up the information by going to the top of the irv2 page and googling ga Traveler spark plug post.

[fullmoonguru]

Yes I have a long list of things to do. Good point about the SS manifold studs.

[FredV]

On my 2000 F53 V10 I replaced the plugs at 105000. The plug gaps had opened at least .010 over specs and the plug boots had carbon tracking. Your next step after step 1 should be to use compressed air to blow out the spark plug wells before plug removal. I checked the spark plug thread condition in the heads and used anti-seize . I over torqued the plugs to 20 ft/lbs

[Nickd]

It’s a risk VS reward equation. If it has not spit out a plug yet, they are likely seated properly. I have never had a plug fail in a well maintained modern engine. The 100,000 rating is conservative.

The only thing I would recommend is using tier 1 fuel with detergent like “Techron” and keep the fuel as fresh as possible. Helps the generator live long too. I use a fuel treatment every year or two. I personally like BG44k because I have seen it work in the lab and my own engines, but have friends that swear by a Sea Foam too. It does really make a difference. Keep that carbon build up off the combustion chamber and the plugs may not even need to be on the maintenance list. Most everything else will likely fail before they do.

[SoCal_Mike]

I don’t know what generation of the 7.3L V10 is in your motorhome, but I learned a painful lesson after having the plugs changed on my 1999 Chateau Class C. Bought it used with low miles on it and after about 45,000 miles of my use and 14 years since manufacture, I figured it was time to change the plugs. I had a truck service center change out the plugs and coils. About 1,200 miles later, first one, then a second plug blew out. We limped to the only RV mechanic we could locate in rural NC on a Saturday out in the boonies. They were able to reinstall the plugs using aluminum inserts and loc-tite but it was a long and expensive job as the two plugs were in the least accessible part of the engine on the passenger side.

We figured that the shop I took it to probably had a heck of a time accessing those plugs as well and didn’t torque them correctly, or the plugs had been in so long that removing them pulled out some of the threads, or perhaps most likely, both. Once we got home, I had a mechanic I trusted go through and pull then re-torque the remaining 8 plugs using loc-tite and didn’t have any further problems for the next 5,000 miles before selling it.

I share this story because I was raised to always keep up with preventive maintenance to include replacing spark plugs. Both the mechanic who saved us and the one I trusted told me they don’t recommend touching plugs in the V10 unless there is clearly a problem because they are very hard to get to and that modern platinum, iridium, etc. plugs do their job far longer than one might think.
It’s also my understanding that Ford made changes to the plug holes at some point precisely because of plug blow outs, so maybe this is no longer an issue.

Knowing then what I know now, I absolutely would have left the original plugs in and just kept driving.

Cheers!

Mike

[F4Gary]

First I've heard of using Loctite on sparkplugs.
I'd be using anti seize.