The link I'm posting here was started my a good friend of mine. Check it out guys. Have y'all heard of this before??? I haven't. If you have any ideas, post them so I can relay them back. Thanks. http://www.refugeforums.com/refuge/showthread.php?t=862102

What the ??? I never heard of that...

All I can say is WOW! I am not impressed. Somebody did not do their homework.

Seems like a tiny flexible nozzle on a shop vac would solve that issue right quick.

Seems like a tiny flexible nozzle on a shop vac would solve that issue right quick.

That would probably work if the pieces were small. It sure sounds like the threaded base of the plug and the porcelain is in there. In order for the plug base to get in there, the threads in the head are FUBARed!!!!

--- Update to the previous post...

Some info on this.........

www.agcoauto.com/content/news/p2_articleid/120

Ford really out did themselves this time... :banghead:

well i was trying to figure out how you could push a plug thru the head, but those pictures explain it all.

I don't own one but wonder if I did... might immediately pull the plugs. Install the improved plugs after applying anti-sieze. Don't know if it would help. WHY?? make things this way? NOT a Better Idea!

I had a similar problem with my Ford E-350 van. The heads are aluminum and the one spark plug blew out. When it did it sounded like a big block with no exhaust. Had the same spark plugs as in the Op's post. They need a special socket to pull them and have specific details on interval for changing I believe at 60,000 miles. When the day it happened I drove to the local Ace hardware for some stuff. everything fine. Came out fired it up and you would have thought I was staging up against John Force. I drove back down the road to my jobs garage, drove past a local garage and the mechanic ran out to see what the heck was going on. So I gave the Miss America wave and rolled on by. LOL! Anyway had it fixed heili-coiled the head and it runs fine to this day.

All I can say was that my E350 Fjord was a PITA! My wife hated that van. The Dodge is totally more reliable!Glad I don't have it now!:hyper:Good luck,Dave

This is still an issue with the 5.4. The plugs are like $24 each, so the high cost of having them replaced is not out of line. given the $200 price tag just for the plugs.

From everything I read, in service the original (strange) design spark plugs were nearly impossible to remove without breakage if run to the specified service interval & when they broke often a piece would enter the cylinder. Redesigned plugs were made & available. The problem is they should have been recalled at once when they could have better odds of successful replacement. This is what I would have done had I owned a F-name vehicle. Instead they hoped for the best & hung it on their loyal customers (wonder how many will be after this?)