2003 Ford F150 5.4 liter Triton Spark Plug removal and install - do it yourself and save some cash

[@vazz2010]

I just bought a 2003 F150 with the 5.4, I've always owned Fords by the way, it was running a bit rough, so my first project was to change the plugs, after watching so many videos on what to do went ahead and bought the OTC spark plug removal tool(not cheap) to be on the safe side. I went ahead and blew compressed air in and around the plug wells, sprayed brake cleaner, removed the necessary stuff out of the way(fuel rails loosened a bit but not removed), and walked away from it till the next day, patience is the key here(if you don't know much about the vehicle,don't rush). Plugs were worn out and out of specs, but came out fairly easy(guess I got lucky), and not the original ones either(very lucky), plug #4 might give you a bit of trouble due to the lack of space(remember be patient). The only down side is I ended up with a tool that did not even work with the plugs that were installed(one piece not the two piece crap that originally were installed and tend to break in the middle).

[@TheRealCobraBurnout]

vazz2010 Cool

[@brianrobertson1211]

The two-valve Triton is prone to spitting out spark plugs. The cylinder head has only about four threads holding in the plugs, and the factory torque spec is around 13ft lbs. A workaround is to torque the plugs to 20 ft lbs. It's a good idea to go in there after every few oil change intervals and check the torque on the plugs to ensure they haven't vibrated loose. If you do blow a spark plug, don't use a cheap thread insert kit to fix it. Cal-Van makes a kit for repairing spark plug holes if you're unfortunate enough to have one spit out.

[@Bootstrahps]

Can't say I'm looking forward to changing out my plugs but I appreciate your time and effort you put into this video. Also R.I.P to your favorite mug.

[@TheRealCobraBurnout]

Thanks for watching. Good luck with your plug change!

[@billcoe9374]

This is all great information. however, everything I have seen omits the #8 coil so let me share some good to know info. I just replaced the coil on my F150 lariet 2002 same engine I believe that"s in the 2003 expedition. at any rate the biggest concern on all of these posts has been whether you may have to remove the fuel lines to replace any of these. Let me assure you that you do not. They give you enough room to slip the coils out and up past the rails. The only problem I had was seeing the hold down 7mm on that last one but once I found it I was able to reach it with a short 3" socket extension on my 1/4" set. When I had to do my #4 last time it rained!!! all I had to do was tie a couple hoses back. The job itself is only 10 minutes. its like anything else all the prep work that takes time. I can't believe Ford allowed this flaw in design to exist. every time it rains I see water around the coils so its getting under the hood in a detrimental way. Hope this helps a lot of you to relax when looking at this $400.00 job. I paid it once to Ford now I pay $42.00 for the part at O'Reily's and do it myself, this is the 4th one so far and I don't doubt the other 4 will follow. Sgt Bilko

[@TheChaztor]

seeing the what? talk about a cliff hanger.

[@TheMrboombostic]

Bill Coe Thank you for your reply. I’ve been looking all over & it’s like you say, most people do on blogs & videos leave out plug #8 or even that whole side. I’m beginning to think it’s a conspiracy or something

[@djscrizzle]

Just did this today on my '03 F150. It really makes sense to... A: pop off the fuel rail. B: clean injectors. C: Clean any ignition modules & boots you aren't replacing (if applicable) extremely well. Apply dielectric grease at each boot end to exclude water. And D: clean each well very well with shop air prior to pulling plugs and injectors.

[@brfixcar9532]

U was right 👍 a-z

[@sealtite904]

This video makes me love my vortec, you open the hood on a chevy it's just a motor sitting there. No crazy air cleaners, vacuum lines, spark plugs are all visible. I could sleep in my engin bay if I had to theres so much room in there! Nice video man.

[@TheRealCobraBurnout]

Thanks! You can't argue with Chevy/GM's engine design. They kept it simple but manage to get power and good fuel mileage out of tried and true technology.

[@valetudo1976]

Just put 8 brand new NGK V power plugs into my 2001 F-150 with 5.4. Did both sides without removing the fuel lines. Heard 3v engines plug passages are more straight up, therefore fuel rails are n the way of taking out plugs. Mine were at an angle, so I bypassed the fuel rails without much of an issue.

[@leeedelman4289]

valetudo1976 à

[@TheRealCobraBurnout]

Mason Matvich. I couldn't directly reply to your comment for some reason but thanks for posting. A buddy of mine said the same thing about the fuel rails. However, I found no way to leave them in as some of my COP were directly below them. It was impossible to pull them out without disconnecting the fuel rails. Maybe Ford changed the fuel rail setup at some point??

[@gregcoste5332]

lots of info about taking out the air shroud, but never saw the plug removal or replacement

[@TheRealCobraBurnout]

really?

[@brianlofton1430]

Pro tip. Warm engine up until temp needle starts moving. Blow off engine and Blow out each spark plug hole before you remove plug. Use an impact to remove plugs. Take your time and do one plug at a time. Start on passenger side, if it takes you awhile you might want to restart engine after you finish the passenger side. The heat causes the aluminum to expand, aluminum has a lot higher expansion coefficient so the aluminum spark plug hole gets bigger and does not pinch on the steel plug.

[@TRUTH4U2NO]

Use an impact how bout a sawzall to remove the cyl head after the impact pulls the 4 threads from the head jackass

[@nicholasproctor8048]

Yes that’s what all the videos are saying to do

[@keithcrews7193]

The plugs breaking was in newer 3v but I've had my 07 since new. The first plug change was done by dealer they broke 4, I've changed them 3 times and haven't broken any because the new plugs don't break

[@TheRealCobraBurnout]

excellent

[@gregorykirchhofer7242]

Thanks for the walk through, I've been avoiding the job, I'm going to go ahead with it today. I feel for you on the coffee cup, brother! That's happened to me too many times.

[@TheRealCobraBurnout]

+Gregory Kirchhofer Awesome. I hope the job goes well and easy for you .

[@SuperBobfield]

Lots of in the way, and make sure to oil the old plugs before removal,

[@montydaniels1054]

Well, I had issues with #1,2 & 3, right bank. I didn't run my engine that day & had great luck removing all 4 on that bank. I only loosened the fuel rail but when I do the left bank, I'll only be able to get # 5 & 6 before I have to remove the rail. Any advise on it, or did I do it correctly. Thanks, good video too.

[@TheRealCobraBurnout]

+Daniel Jennings Pull the rail and hold your tongue right. I also cussed a lot during mine.

[@TheRealCobraBurnout]

+brannon816 for some reason I can't reply directly to your comment. I had zero issues with plugs breaking. I have heard that they can but my came out fairly easily. You can spray some breakfree in there if you are worried. Let it sit a bit to penetrate. My truck lived most its life in New Mexico and Texas so I was surprised to see the corrosion it had but it could be worse in other climates.

[@iiSup3rior]

A lot of people say how stupid Ford was for making these engines, but watching this video made me think, You know what? I'm betting they did this on purpose so people would be too scared to work on it themselves and then go straight to the Ford lot and have a professional do it for 300+ Dollars. GENIUS!

[@TheRealCobraBurnout]

It does amaze me how over complicated Ford has made their engines. Don't get me wrong. I like ford but GM stuck with the tried and true push rod design and manages to best Ford in Fuel mileage. I still love my Ford. Its been reliable so far.

[@Brian517W]

therealcobraburnout Have you looked under the hood of the 2015 cars? You can't even see the motor, or even get to the motor without voiding the auto warrantee's!!

[@henrycollins8121]

Jesse Cruz

[@branno816]

Did you have any issues with the spark plugs breaking?

[@Diesel.powered.reba21]

Wrong year for that bud

[@xpresssignco9443]

So I have an 03 5.4 Triton are you saying that those plugs are not the two-part problem plugs

[@capri8225]

04-mid 08

[@Outdoorcookwarereviews]

Okay just to be clear .The plugs breaking on the 5.4 was fixed by 03 model.97-02 model had the plug issues.

[@greezay]

This was probably the most entertaining spark plug tutorial of them all. Very funny! Thanks bud.

[@TheRealCobraBurnout]

+Rob Myers (Greez Lightning) Awesome. Thanks for watching it

[@IronCavalier]

“Hey his thing is remarkably a pain for some reason. Why...?” Simple; engineers that don’t work on them themselves. The type of plugs and the thought behind them....Someone should have seen it and said, “Pack your bags and leave.”

[@LitlSam]

Do you need to remove pressure from the fuel system before taking the fuel rails off? My nephews truck needs a coil replaced and he has asked me to help him.

[@TheRealCobraBurnout]

Sam Sells I didn't. But if your going to completely remove your fuel rail then it is recommended. There is a shrader valve at the back of the fuel rail. You can use that to relieve pressure.

[@Cleaning_Hero]

Thank you so much for posting this. I am getting a 2002 Expedition with the 5.4L V8. It needs new spark plugs, coil packs and a throttle body. I needed a visual video demonstrating what components to remove and in what order to make the job easier. I don’t like “work arounds,” because although they may require no components to be removed, it takes 3x longer to change plugs because so much crap is in the way. I’d rather take the time to remove multiple components so it’s easy to change the plugs and packs once I’m in there. Is there anything else I could remove to make it easier? So far (from you video), I have throttle body down, air cleaner and inlet, and vacuum hoses. But it still looks like there is a lot in the way.

[@TheRealCobraBurnout]

back ones may be knuckle scrappers but not much else you can do.

[@johnwalker4372]

Mine also runs on propane so I have all that in the way....I see no way to get to the plugs...

[@leonessity]

Not being all that familiar with Fords, when a new client came to me with his recently purchased, (Tho gravely ill) 2003 F150 pu, (the very same as yours in the vid) so I fearlessly agreed to undertake the task of getting it running for him. Well, the previous owner evidently hated his Ford, because from everything I`ve encountered thus far, shows a complete lack of care and maintenance needed, to keep the truck running healthy. I`ve had to change out a burnt starter, alternator, broken tv line, nearly non-existent battery clamps, changed the fuel filter, changed the fluids, and replaced a couple of overaged vacuum lines. Well, the beast finally fires up, but now, but she`s running rougher than a sherman tank, so all my attempts to avoid touching the plugs, have been in vain. I`ve spent the last two days online researching the procedure, pouring over the tech bulletins, and familiarizing myself with the whole setup, and becoming increasingly wound up about the task. However, your vid has put me at ease about removing the plugs, and if one breaks, well... I`m not going to go there, unless it happens! I have to ask, tho... Was your engine warmed up, before you began, or did u pull the plugs from a cold block state?

[@TheRealCobraBurnout]

+Dawn Scott Mine was cold. I did it first thing in the morning.

[@Snookchaser007]

Plugs on the 2003 5.4 do not break when removing that is 2004 and newer but do use a torque wrench when installing new plugs as threads can be stripped if to tight or plugs can loosen if not torque correctly

[@EP1CNELSON]

Removing the fuel rail makes it a lot easier.

[@TheRealCobraBurnout]

Yes, I've had plenty of "mechanics" tell me its not necessary but I found it was.

[@JKAMAEst.11]

Is this the same tutorial for a 4.6L V8?

[@hotdoggers6016]

The 4.6l is even easier.

[@northwestmechanic8991]

i am buying 8 ngk v power spark plugs on ebay for $16.42 and the coils on ebay for $28.41 for a pack of 8.

[@stevenclark6662]

Hey man, I have an '02 Expedition with the 5.4 and have to do my plugs now too... I just CAN'T seem to get the COP's off without removing the fuel rails, but for the life of me.. I can't seem to get them off! I've taken off the two horizontally mounted bolts.. but they still seem like they are connected somewhere. Any tips?

[@TheRealCobraBurnout]

My fuel rails had a few vacuum lines attached. I had to remove those first and also unplug the electrical connection from them. Then I kinda wiggle them a bit a pulled up to free the fuel injectors. It was more of a pain than I thought it would be. I didn't completely remove the rails from the truck. I just freed them so I could move them out of the way just enough to get the COPs out.

[@cards06champs]

About to replace plugs on my 2003 f150 4×4 lariat and I'm not looking forward to it.

[@TheRealCobraBurnout]

You got this! try one without removing the fuel rails. The Coil over packs are supposed to be able to flex and remove. I popped the rails for more room. Either way, as long as the plugs aren't froze in, you got this.

[@cards06champs]

@@TheRealCobraBurnout Thanks man! I check a local repair shop in town (Gateway) and they wanted $350 just to install sparks. I'm like oh hell no! Hwy robbery! I'll just suck it up and do it myself. Yesterday, I replaced the front tie rods and this past Saturday replaced front brake pads and rotors. Really enjoy your video and sarcasm...lol

[@mermaidcandy]

My new truck to me, had to have one of those coil things, but the one I bought was $70 with tax. Truck has 153,000miles on it; first time anyone changed out plugs.

[@TheRealCobraBurnout]

hopefully you get many more good miles out of it. These are good trucks when taken care of.

[@zoltanvacsi5135]

Thank you for this video. It was very educational, as I am about to attempt to tackle this task. Take care.

[@TheRealCobraBurnout]

+Zoltan Vacsi Awesome. Good luck to you. If I can do it you can do it!

[@rickyarmstrong9267]

I have 2000 5 4 numbers 4 plug was a knocker buster

[@billcoe9374]

I'm sorry on my last post I forgot one of the more important parts. when doing #7 or #8 you do not have to remove anything. Absolutely nothing (no air filters etc.) Nothing. Sgt Bilko

[@davidgrey8721]

+Bill Coe i’d like to see a video on that for a 5.4

[@jefftilghman9059]

Then how do you even get to #7 & #8? I can barely see them on my truck.

[@getonlygotonly]

you showed how to get the bolts off air cleaner and throttle body plastic but failed to show coil removal-- geez

[@TheRealCobraBurnout]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/ammZg56Io8aKqdE

[@mikewilson3413]

thank you! very helpful video!

[@juancarlosayala9594]

Dam mine has a 3" drop instead rip 😭

[@TheRealCobraBurnout]

RIP!

[@TRoe333]

That was a very informative yet entertaining video... Thank you! Getting ready to do exactly this, and drinking my coffee first.

[@TheRealCobraBurnout]

Good call on the coffee! lol

[@sewerat11]

I think I'd trade my coffee and for a couple beers to deal with a Ford vacuum lines in your way you drop a damn screw it gets down in that manifold you're not getting it out and he's right about trying to get in the back it was meant for an infant hand

[@moritzhuber9206]

Great Enthusiasm draconian hum What's your opinion about that !

[@lonniedavis8734]

Thanks. You are right, 10 mm on an American truck.

[@driv3r99iamthatiam6]

thank you for posting this, it helps alot

[@TheRealCobraBurnout]

+Eric Deltoro Thank you for watching.

[@tiger.6509]

2003 222, 956, Miles took off that plastic throttle cover I left off

[@DriveShaftDrew]

good job well done

[@TheRealCobraBurnout]

+DriveShaft Drew Thank you good Sir

[@jintak9687]

doing the same job on the econoline or e series vans with the 5.4L, 4.6L, or 4.2L is a absolute pita, hardly any room to work on and the claustrophobic mess of wires, hoses and lines blocking acessability..and the "fantastic" COP ignition System..ain't a better design, just different and more past sales biased

[@leonessity]

Thank you for ur reply, and Thank you also, for making n posting ur video! I'm sure I'm neither the first, nor that I'll be the last, to benefit from ur knowledge...

[@TheRealCobraBurnout]

+Dawn Scott thanks. That's kind words. This vid didn't turn out as technical as I hoped. I was a novice KZbinr back then...still am. lol

[@leonessity]

Well hon, you do a far sight better than I ever would have... That's for damned sure! lol So, please, keep up the great work because it is appreciated!

[@dandecker7158]

Great video! I love the sarcasm! lol

[@CoryCDS]

They put all the shit in the way so you HAVE to go to a mechanic. But we said "hey i like your vehicles but fuck you ford im doin it myself"

[@TheRealCobraBurnout]

Sometimes its more satisfying to do a little work on your own vehicle. But I mainly do it because it saves money which I don't have a lot of.

[@CoryCDS]

therealcobraburnout same here. I do feel proud when i do it myself too but i usually get mad because all the hoses and stuff. Good learning experience tho

[@TheRealCobraBurnout]

I know just what you mean. lol

[@jimdailey1985]

The first thing I would do is get rid of that air intake crap.

[@TheRealCobraBurnout]

k

[@tiredoldman5329]

Sounds like a diesel. cam phasers shot!

[@TheRealCobraBurnout]

No, they were set to stun.

[@josecarreno7291]

No enseño ni vergas cambio las mas faciles

[@Alanthe918mobilemechanic]

I wish I still had all those plastic covers on my 03 heritage the pussy I bough it from didn’t take good care of it

[@TheNitecop1]

Brutal to watch.

[@TheRealCobraBurnout]

I agree. I just watched it again myself...but never fear! My vids have gotten better. Check out some of my latest.

[@carlosivanarreola5844]

Otro meco que no graba el proceso :/

[@ronnysgames9625]

Awesome

[@mermaidcandy]

Please use MOTORCRAFT parts in your Ford Trucks. Anything else, is wrong, and will cost you in the long run. = Per my mechanic, who just did this yesterday for me for $100 in 2 hours. (A friend of my bro's, who's a mechanic.) I got to be the parts runner=good enough for a woman.

[@TheRealCobraBurnout]

+mermaidcandy Thanks for that top tip

[@DubstepIsPower]

“Here’s how to do it” skips the part where he does it 🤦‍♂️

[@jakeotropo4941]

Same thing with my fucking track... FORD company gives us hard time to make simple things hard!.. LESSON TO BE LEARNED. .. DON'T BUY FORD VEHICLE ANYMORE! !! BIG PAIN IN THE ASS! BOYCOTT FORD!

[@TheRealCobraBurnout]

Plenty of vehicle companies to choose from out there. Definitely get what you want or love. My 03 F150 has done well for me. My 2007 Expedition was a piece of crap that was falling apart around me. I traded that one off.

[@ronnysgames9625]

Slow down Cobra, you got too many views

[@TheRealCobraBurnout]

+Ronnys games bread and butta