Please Help! Spark Plug Blewout

[SVTLght99]

Hello guys, a spark plug blewout on the left side. As I was leaving the store, I turned on my truck and heard a loud pop from underneath the hood. I quickly turned off the truck and started it back up. It just kept popping and popping which sounded like a loud exhaust leak almost. I popped the hood and noticed the second coil on the left was just jumping up and down in a fast motion. Although I wasnt driving the truck at the time, do you think it still might have blew the head on it? I have not unloosened the coil on it. Is this something that I could change out on my own? Ive never really had a problem with my 99L and I dont race it or have any mods in it. Is this also a recall because this has also happened to several other lightnings including my dads 00L but at the time, he had warranty. My truck has been paid for and does not. Could anyone give me advice. Thanks

[L8 APEX]

Not many people will fix it on the truck. Which cyl is it? The only good repair is an aluminum Time sert product called Big sert. The insert kit is over 500 bucks new. You will also need a new coil pack.

[1stlightning]

Same thing happened to me. Lucky for me I had an extra set of heads from my first blown engine. I just replaced the head. I am not sure if my 01 head will work for you. I can check and see which one I have left. If it will work, I can work a deal for you on my head. (if it is the correct side)

[SVTLght99]

ok, i took the coil off and the whole spark plug came up with it. The spark plug wasnt shot out of anything. The threads on the spark plug were not at all messed up. Im guessing that the spark plug wiggled itself out of socket??? So do you think that if the threads on the spark plug itself arent messed up, then I could just put another spark plug in? I have attached two pics of how I found it. The threads on the plugs are not messed up at all which im hoping the threads on the inside arent either.

[L8 APEX]

Spark plug is steel, head is soft aluminum. The heat of exhaust gasses escaping torch the threads out of the soft aluminum head. I bet several are backing out as well. I would replace all plugs while I was in there. Check or replace them once a year.

[HARLEY/SC]

we sell them kits here in my job..

[SVTLght99]

Anyone know where I can take my truck to get this fixed? Mike from Lone Star Perf quoted me $650 while he stated the dealer will charge somewhere around $1500. Thanks for all your help

[HARLEY/SC]

Anyone know where I can take my truck to get this fixed? Mike from Lone Star Perf quoted me $650 while he stated the dealer will charge somewhere around $1500. Thanks for all your help
I can find somebody to do it cheaper.. is it just one plug?...

[kirkmears]

You will also need a new coil pack.

not doubting your divineness terry... :nono:

why should one replace the coil pack on a blow out though? :tex

muchos tacos,

[L8 APEX]

Normally when a plug blows it busts the coil pack mounting ear. Usually the plug ejects with enough force you find the coil pack and plug laying on top of the manifold.

[SVTLght99]

yes its just one plug

[coley]

Not trying to be a wiseass or anything but I used to replace plug blowouts for a parts house in Garland in alum. heads. It was a steel insert with a tapered head where the plug seated. First you tapped out the plughole to the next bigger size and then seated the insert with a tapered tool after placing locktite all around it. It was sort of like a heli-coil but solid. I diid it right on the engine and never had one fail. The alum. flakes would just blow out the exhaust when you started it up. And it sure didn't cost 500 bucks a shot. Don't remember what they were called though, sorry. Good luck.......

[coley]

Is this a common problem with L's, just curious....

[In2deep]

Yes, with the 4 thread heads,

[tiffo60]

Yes, with the 4 thread heads,

+1, 99-02 trucks:tu:

[L8 APEX]

I started with steel inserts but had detonation and heat issues. Alum is the best way to go. I did a dozen repairs on the truck and they all worked. But it is a risk by doing it on the motor that you can get the insert too deep, damage the piston or the debris can get stuck in valves or the rings.

[SVTLght99]

I got a guy to do it with the inserts and only took about 30minutes. All is well and hopefully it'll last. Coley was right, all the shavings blew out when started. :tu:

[coley]

Hey Terry, does this happen on trucks with modified boost or stock trucks also. I mostly did this fix to foreign car heads with raised compression or turbos. I never worked on a lightining head though. I have a 99L all stock with about 82ths miles so I'll bet I'm a prime candidate for this. Something else to worry about.

[tiffo60]

Hey Terry, does this happen on trucks with modified boost or stock trucks also. I mostly did this fix to foreign car heads with raised compression or turbos. I never worked on a lightining head though. I have a 99L all stock with about 82ths miles so I'll bet I'm a prime candidate for this. Something else to worry about.

it will happen too a stock L, main thing to prevent it is to just go thru and check to make sure there all tight every oil change or every other oil change

[PUMP]

From 99 to the mid 03, the 5.4L heads only had about 2 threads of engagement with the spark plugs. The combination of aluminum heads and steel spark plugs is iffish at best due to the signifigantly different coefficiants of thermal expansion. Similar thing happens when you try to use aluminum electrical wire connected to copper with steel terminal screws. When hot, the aluminum expands more than the steel. In the case of the spark plug, engine vibrations coupled with cylinder pressure can loosen the thread engagement and after many such cold-hot-cold cycles engine vibrations unscrews the plug to the point that there is not enough thread engagement to hold the cylinder pressure. Mid 2003, Ford inreased the head thickness such that blowing a plug is much less likely, even though the thermal cycles still affect sparkplug seatting. In electric gear, it is standard safety practise to retorque termination bolts annually. The same thing applies to sparkplugs in aluminum heads.

[L8 APEX]

I have even repaired 7 thread heads with high mileage. I tell folks to change or check once a year. If you try to get over 20k miles out of a set of performance copper plugs you are cheap and greedy. Even navigators, Expy etc blow plugs, Google it.