didn't get a picture of it, and should have!

My son is visiting and helped with this process of sucking Sea Foam into the intake. Before doing that, he wanted to check out the shape of the spark plugs, so we removed the front left. What a surprise, can't see the metal core inside the insulator sleeve!!!!! talk about a gap... Guess I'll be changing them right quick!

It's a must-do, but the wife is surely going to continue her rant on the price this truck has cost the last several months. Surely I'll need to save money and try it my self.... time to review the DIY threads.

 

my spark plug knowledge is old school type. for a LONG time i gaped small blocks to .045 inch. stock is .035 inch. if at .045 it stops firing at high RPM go back to .035. normal .045 will not cause trouble at low RPMs. this is on 318s, 360s only. cant say about the newer engines. i used .045 trying to get better power, MPG. cant say i got better. when the sharp edge on the center electrode goes away your performance goes away to.. thats the short story. edit 1-6-13. i found out that the turbulence in a chamber is a LOT more turbulence than you think. a plug gap my be .035 but the spark may have to jump as much as 1/4 inch. that is what makes the edge of the center electrode round off.

 

yeah, that sounds about right. My core could not be seen, meaning: it was probably .125 gap, since it was below the insulating sleeve. REALLY bad for obtaining a good spark. AND no CEL!

quite ODD, I know. But then, I should have checked them more than once in 2.5 years. Still, less than 100K miles (maybe 75K).

 

Autolite 3923's are the preferred, FYI.

That's strange that it was able to fire with that much electrode missing. I could see idling, but not anything of significant RPM.

 

Not in the 4.7.

3923's are for the 5.2 and 5.9. 5224's would be for the 4.7 or use the factory plugs, Champion RC12MCC4.

 

Nothing like procrastinating. Just getting ready to buy the plugs. Notice online they are as low as $1.06 each online. Seems quite affordable. then I called the service place, labor alone is just over $130.

Looking at the engine, I see a couple of them may be a PIA. Perhaps I will change the easy ones and have them do the 2-3 difficult. OR, is it that difficult to work around those hard-pipes.?

Confirming, 5224 Autolite, right?

 

I'd stick the the Champions but that's me. 5224's are fine in your 4.7.

They aren't that hard to change. You may have to move a few of the hoses but it won't take you that long.

Do you have compressed air available? If so, after you remove the COP, I'd blow out any dust before removing the plug.

 

I don't have an air compressor so I use one of the cans of air duster they sell at Office Depot, Walmart, etc. It is the kind used to dust off electronics like your computer keyboard. It works very well at blowing out the dirt from my spark plugs before removal. It is handy for blowing dust out of little cracks and crevices in my dash too when I wash and detail my truck.

Jimmy

 

I do have a compressor, and have always blown it out before plug removal on my vehicles.

As for the challenge... there are two hard pipes crossing the middle. I suppose it's just a matter of removing the bolts keeping them in place, right? Call them hoses, I guess.

Thanks for the input, you guys!

 

I usually end up moving those pipes a little too. Yup, just take out the bolt.