DPHC13

Solved!! Best tool I have is a long *** flathead screwdriver. I checked everything. Changed my oil. I looked all over the net. I was really starting to think it was a bad cam follower. Nope. I used the long flathead and stethascoped the cylinders and the one on the driver side front was by far the loudest. So I pulled the plug and noticed it was REALLY loose. Oops. That's right! Loose plug. I feel like a dummy BUT if this helps at least one person it was worth it. Thanks for the help peoples!

cdynaco

Love those old 'hands on' tricks. Vs today's "where's my SCT/iPhone/tablet..."

Austin Schroeger

I never would have guessed spark plug. Nice work!

cdynaco

I remember reading about it as somewhat common on the 2V (Mustang & F150), but not very often on the 3V...

ford4v429

awesome! but now I got a couple questions:
1) 08 was the year they revised the heads mid year- does yours have the extended tip or newer 'normal' plugs?
2) were the plugs ever changed?

glad you found it- more glad that you checked/found before the threads blew - hopefully this isnt a common failure mode- but with the issues Ford had with the blow-out 5.4 truck plugs and then the break-off early 3V plugs, it wouldnt surprise me

cdynaco

The new heads rolled out Dec 2007. Brown plug boots.

DPHC13

My car is an 08 but it's an early build so I have the old head design. I have changed the plugs 3 times. I believe this happend because about 4 months ago I removed the plugs to clean and check them. I do ever want to CRANK them down tight I'm afraid they will snap off in the head. So this was my dumb mistake. Just needed a couple more ft pounds on that bad boy. They sell a "new" style plug that is less likely to snap off buy they cost a little more than the standard plugs and I didn't feel like spending the cash on them. I have this car apart so much it wasn't worth the money to me.