quick question, loctite on spark plugs

ok, i think we are saying the same thing here...if a plug gets blown out of the head, or backs out partially, its gonna trash some threads...putting loctite on a plug at that point is about as smart as jb welding one in there..i just dont think thats what he was saying is all, i think he was speaking as a preemptive measure you should install plugs in a good head with the loctite

SMRcalidiv said:

ok, i think we are saying the same thing here...if a plug gets blown out of the head, or backs out partially, its gonna trash some threads...putting loctite on a plug at that point is about as smart as jb welding one in there..i just dont think thats what he was saying is all, i think he was speaking as a preemptive measure you should install plugs in a good head with the loctite

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Reading IS fundamental...

i must really be stupid...lol...are you agreeing with me?

SMR, pretty much the same thought. However, I will state again, you should never LOCTITE a good plug in a good head. Period.

I will let the resident professional continue on, there is no telling him anything.

joe

that may be true, to each his own, mike is a big boy and he doesnt need me to stick up for him, and im not saying im gonna run and buy loctite now either, i just find it sad when a guy from ford is telling us what ford tells him to do, and he gets crapped on for it.

SMRcalidiv said:

i must really be stupid...lol...are you agreeing with me?

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I am agreeing with you and implying that critics should read Mike's posts a bit more carefully and without such extreme prejudice. I know I would not waste MY time trying to explain it to them... If their reading comprehension is too low, then oh well... Life goes on.

lol gotcha

CanadaStang said:

That's such a tough call. Any number of things may have caused the plug to blow out, some may have been caused by the dealer, some not:
1) Plugs torqued too tight, damaging the threads
2) Plugs torqued too tight in a previous plug change, causing threads to be damaged upon removal
3) Plugs previously installed with no anti-seize, causing thread damage when removed.
4) Dealer removing plugs from hot engine and damaging threads
5) Improper torque, causing plug to back out.
6) Plug previously cross threaded, when plug is removed, the threads come with it.
7) Plug cross threaded upon installation, causing blow out.

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You forgot one...plug previously installed with loctite.

jimfitzgerald said:

You forgot one...plug previously installed with loctite.

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I was trying soooo hard to stay out of this.

Great having money, I blow a plug I get new heads.
Problem SOLVED !

Factory plugs will go 100K miles, so thats Fords thinking on this.
You will be WAY,WAY out of warenty.

So maybe this loctite is great for chump customers.
Could not pay me to let some Tech install plugs in my cars.

FYI
In all the truck engine I have done, NONE popped a plug.....................

So, where's this SSM or TSB number? I'm just hearing the crickets chirping.

one thing ive learned through my little ordeal about TSB's is that they are worthless to the consumer. I mean i was told plain and simple that yes there was a TSB issued about not installing helicoils, but that they did it anyways. Ford customer relations says that they dont have the technical training to say anything to the dealership about TSB's, nor can they provide a copy of one, and that worksmanship issues are only handled within each dealership. so outside legal action, you have to get the dealership to basically admit they f'd up your car...good luck.

p.s. -this has nothing to do with Mike providing tsb numbers.

ok so far i have heard that the locktite will cause the threads too rip out of the head. and/or cuase the plug too loosen and come out of the head. so witch one is it. will it loosen it or seize it.

we could go on forever and not resolve this.. i have used locktite and have had good results. if you don't want too use it then don't.. but none of you are going too change my mind. we got this info at my work from fords PDI recomendation on the lightings. then later from our ford rep. personally i trust a ford feild engineer( i confirmed this with him) more than any of you.

another thing you can do is properly tourqe them and recheck them every so often too make sure they have not backed out. if you get any ticking noise check them right away.

as far as the personal bashing i took on this. who cares? big deal. i don't need the work from those of you that said i would never touch your car

all i know is a lot of the people bashing me on this are people that are NEVER here helping others on this site. and are just hanger on's they see somebody else's point and post a me too post.

plus i work at a ford dealer so i must be evil

i have spend a lot of my own time looking up stuff for people in here and tring too help them with what they can do when they got screwed by the dealer. plus the time i have spent helping people with there problems

none of you have any proof that the use of removable loctite will cause the plug too seize in the head or blow out of the head in fact these too reasons offered contradict each other. and are very unlikely.

on the other hand i KNOW that with loctite on the plug it will stay in the head. the reason why they blow out is the plug loosens and with only 4 threads on the head after it's loose cylinder pressure esp. if any abnormal combustion occurs will blow the plug out with the threads on it.

well anyways i am done with this argument. i will continue to use loctite when i take the plugs out again ( was first loctited at 20k miles, had the plugs out at 49k and will be replaced at 60k with plugs with locktite on them)

nothing here has convinced me that the people i have heard this from is wrong. ( hearing it from ford in a dealer message and from our ford reps is a good source too me)

well anyways good luck and remember always check your plugs if you here ticking or rattling from the motor.

Well, this thread has proven one thing...you don't have to be literate to be a Ford Master Tech. Proper English grammer and spelling is obvously not a requirement. And no, I am not an English Teacher per my CT.

RavenGT said:

SMR, pretty much the same thought. However, I will state again, you should never LOCTITE a good plug in a good head. Period.

I will let the resident professional continue on, there is no telling him anything.

joe

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joe you really need too stop making this personal.

all i want too know is why is the original dealer message/ssm or whatever it was that wanted us to remove the plugs on all new lightings and locktite them down. why is this wrong. your telling me you know more than ford about there motor. so now your the expert. now tell me why it's wrong.

i hope you don't take this personal but i think the only reason you think it's wrong is because it's different than what was done for years. and i don't think you have the background too provide a breakdown of what will occur and go wrong with the use of loctite. and too be honest with you i am not a engineer, i did not come up with this on my own. this somthing that was passed down too us from ford. no retraction of this method was issued so i have too assume it's the best method to prevent the plugs from rattling loose

if i get a good explanation. then i can get my boss or somebody too contact ford and get too the bottom of this. but i am not going too waste peoples time. with the BS doomsday crap posted so far.


this goes too others in this topic of backyard engineers. provide a reasonable ( with some sort of proof) explanation of why the use of locktite is bad and i will try and pass it on to somebody that can answer this better.

all i can answer for is the fact that i can break the loctite free after 30k miels.and that i have never seen a loctite plug blow out. i have removed them before it's just a bit harder than a normal plug. maybe this is luck so far. but all i can answer for is this. i don't have a background in metalurgy <-- sp.? and i am no engineer.

the one thing i don't get is the use of antiseize on a mod motor plug. i have never seen a plug seize in these motors.

the old 5.0-5.8 yeah use antiseize. but on the later 5.8 trucks a lot of times it's the seat and not the threads that stick.

SMRcalidiv said:

that may be true, to each his own, mike is a big boy and he doesnt need me to stick up for him, and im not saying im gonna run and buy loctite now either, i just find it sad when a guy from ford is telling us what ford tells him to do, and he gets crapped on for it.

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yeah it's ok i will live. i still have more side customers than i have time so i don't need any of these people. and personaly i really could'nt care less what they think fo me.

the funny part about this is nobody can prove i am wrong they just say i am and that it will cause the plug too back out or rip the threads out.

what if i posted to something and was 100 percent wrong.these clowns would want too put me on death row.

all i am doing is following advice that was passed along from ford. personally i think it's a good idea. it makes a lot of sense that the high temp removable locktite will give that extra holding power to keep the plug from rattleing out.
if ford put the same number (or close too) of threads on the head as the plug then we would not have this problem. the fact is there is just not enough holding surface to keep the plug in the head ( this is a much bigger problem in the 5.4) and with the small amount of threads in the head if it loosens it will destroy the threads. ( the motor will make a ticking sound when it's loose and this can go on for awile before it blows out) i am 100 percent sure locktite will stop the plug from comming loose.

ohh i wanted too post that ssm for you about the use of helicoils on a cyl head with the plug blown out.

18310 1995-2005 MULTIPLE VEHICLES - REPAIR PROCEDURE FOR STRIPPED OR MISSING SPARK PLUG PORT THREADS
DO NOT SERVICE STRIPPED OR MISSING SPARK PLUG PORT THREADS USING ANY TYPE OF THREAD REPAIR KITS (E.G. HELICOIL). IT IS LIKELY THAT ENGINE FAILURE WILL OCCUR BECAUSE THE HEAT TRANSFER FUNCTION BETWEEN THE SPARK PLUG AND CYLINDER HEAD WILL BE AFFECTED, CAUSING PRE-IGNITION. TO SERVICE STRIPPED OR MISSING SPARK PLUG PORT THREADS, REPLACE THE CYLINDER HEAD. REFER TO WORKSHOP MANUAL SECTION 303-01 FOR CYLINDER HEAD REPLACEMENT PROCEDURE AS NEEDED.
EFFECTIVE DATE: 11/23/2004

ok that might help you.

That Goes Without Saying!

jimfitzgerald said:

Well, this thread has proven one thing...you don't have to be literate to be a Ford Master Tech. Proper English grammer and spelling is obvously not a requirement. And no, I am not an English Teacher per my CT.

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Well, Captain Obvious, this thread has also proven that persons with tiny intellects are still alive and well in your neck of the woods! Clear something up for me-when you write "grammer" is that something similar to "grammar"? Further where you live, does "obvously" frequently take the place of "obviously"? Perhaps "grammar" and "obviously" are on holiday in a tropical locale, and these are their fill-ins?

Sadly, many Americans (and English speakers the world over, for that matter!) make many mistakes when writing. This is generally due to lack of time, patience and sometimes caring. Luckily, there are officers ifrom the English Patrol constantly on guard to set things right! Unfortunately, there are also morons like yourself, who, while sitting safely at home in front of a computer, try to prove your manliness by pointing out the grammatical and linguistcal faux-pas (that means "mistakes", smart guy!) of someone whos knowledge of automobiles surpasses your own.

What's most humorous (and satisfying, really!) is that while I would bet my life that ANY and ALL of MIke's vehicular knowledge is first-rate and dead-on correct...you didn't even bother to spell-check your silly attempt at a slam! What, was your momma unavailable to do it for you? Is she on vacation with "grammar" and "obviously"?

Also, check to make confirn the person your correcting's fiance isn't an English Major!

correcting someones grammar in the first place makes you a tool, yes i said it, and i wont apologize. and for christs sake, if youre gonna correct someone, at least get your own spelling right.

MikeZ28 said:

ohh i wanted too post that ssm for you about the use of helicoils on a cyl head with the plug blown out.

18310 1995-2005 MULTIPLE VEHICLES - REPAIR PROCEDURE FOR STRIPPED OR MISSING SPARK PLUG PORT THREADS
DO NOT SERVICE STRIPPED OR MISSING SPARK PLUG PORT THREADS USING ANY TYPE OF THREAD REPAIR KITS (E.G. HELICOIL). IT IS LIKELY THAT ENGINE FAILURE WILL OCCUR BECAUSE THE HEAT TRANSFER FUNCTION BETWEEN THE SPARK PLUG AND CYLINDER HEAD WILL BE AFFECTED, CAUSING PRE-IGNITION. TO SERVICE STRIPPED OR MISSING SPARK PLUG PORT THREADS, REPLACE THE CYLINDER HEAD. REFER TO WORKSHOP MANUAL SECTION 303-01 FOR CYLINDER HEAD REPLACEMENT PROCEDURE AS NEEDED.
EFFECTIVE DATE: 11/23/2004

ok that might help you.

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have you gotten around to finding the TSB or SSM that says to use loc-tite on the spark plugs yet?

MikeZ28 said:

Well, Captain Obvious, this thread has also proven that persons with tiny intellects are still alive and well in your neck of the woods! Clear something up for me-when you write "grammer" is that something similar to "grammar"? Further where you live, does "obvously" frequently take the place of "obviously"? Perhaps "grammar" and "obviously" are on holiday in a tropical locale, and these are their fill-ins?

Sadly, many Americans (and English speakers the world over, for that matter!) make many mistakes when writing. This is generally due to lack of time, patience and sometimes caring. Luckily, there are officers ifrom the English Patrol constantly on guard to set things right! Unfortunately, there are also morons like yourself, who, while sitting safely at home in front of a computer, try to prove your manliness by pointing out the grammatical and linguistcal faux-pas (that means "mistakes", smart guy!) of someone whos knowledge of automobiles surpasses your own.

What's most humorous (and satisfying, really!) is that while I would bet my life that ANY and ALL of MIke's vehicular knowledge is first-rate and dead-on correct...you didn't even bother to spell-check your silly attempt at a slam! What, was your momma unavailable to do it for you? Is she on vacation with "grammar" and "obviously"?

Also, check to make confirn the person your correcting's fiance isn't an English Major!

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HAHAHAHAAHAAHH!

I was reading this post saying to myself "this isn't the same person who has been posting"...

The last sentence was the climax.....

Oh, by the way Ms. "English Major", you didn't check your work before hitting the submit button. I don't think the "I" in "MIke" should be capitalized! Not to mention "correcting's" shouldn't be possessive.

Matt