Have you guys ever heard of a spark plug being blown out of a head?

M-6049-P46 RH head

M-6050-P46 LH head

M6049P46.jpg


Current Production 4.6L SOHC 2V Romeo engine aluminum cylinder heads
Fully machined and assembled
with production Mustang GT valve train and camshaft


Suggested Retail:$450.00 each
NOTE: Requires installation of oil galley plugs (not included).

CYLINDER HEAD CHANGING KIT - 2V M-6067-D46

Contains all components necessary for changing cylinder heads
on 1996-04 4.6L Mustang
Kit includes multi-layer steel head gaskets
and high-strength torque to yield head bolts
Suggested Retail:$115.95

M6067D46.jpg
 
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I have 88,000 miles on my 00 Gt, I am not sure when they were changed, the previous owner always had the dealer service it (the dealer is actually good by me).

Should I check them or leave them alone and have the dealer check them?

Are after market heads less prone to the problem?

Thanks
 
I have 88,000 miles on my 00 Gt, I am not sure when they were changed, the previous owner always had the dealer service it (the dealer is actually good by me).

Should I check them or leave them alone and have the dealer check them?

Are after market heads less prone to the problem?

Thanks

I had an 01 with 78K. I had no idea if they were done or not, so I left them. BAD MOVE!!!! 3,000 miles after I bought it, one blew out. I was pist off. 2 days before the worlds biggest cruise. Woodward Dream Cruise. I got it fixed with a cheap Murray's heli-coil kit.

Anyways....what I would do, is check them. Take the coils off one at a time, use a rachet and just give them a slight twist. Don't go cranking on them because over torquing them can result in failure. If you choose to change them:

1) Buy Motorcraft plugs from the dealership. They have the updated part numbers for the newer plug.

2) Change on a stone cold engine. Example: first thing in the morning.

3) Use a little bit of anti-seeze on each plug.

4) Tighten til it stops, then put another 1/8 of a turn (or 13ft lbs) I torqued the one that blew out to 16ft lbs. for the hell of it. I drove it another 1,500 miles, made two dyno pulls and it never came back out.

Pretty much, if you hear any ticking at all, check the plugs. I had a sign before mine blew out, but I always thought it was an exhaust leak. After I put the new plug in, that "tick" was gone. :nonono:
 
Pretty much, if you hear any ticking at all, check the plugs. I had a sign before mine blew out, but I always thought it was an exhaust leak. After I put the new plug in, that "tick" was gone. :nonono:

What exactly does this ticking sound, (sry i know), sound like? The injectors make a slight tick noise when they actuate, but other than a little belt/fan noise, would I be able to hear it? I mean is it a distinct, out of rhyme kind of noise.

thanks
 
x2 on checking out your plugs if you hear a ticking. My engine was doing it for a while and I thought it was just an exhaust leak or a lifter. I still drove the car as I usually would, and one day driving home it blew out.

Lesson learned for sure.
 
What exactly does this ticking sound, (sry i know), sound like? The injectors make a slight tick noise when they actuate, but other than a little belt/fan noise, would I be able to hear it? I mean is it a distinct, out of rhyme kind of noise.

thanks

It just sounded like an exhaust leak. I figured, since my H-pipe was used, and a little bent and the fact my cat-back was used and a bit rusty at the ball/socket area, it wasn't sealing. I wasn't gonna spend 500+ on a new cat-back and H-pipe so I just left it. I just always had a tick that did infact increase with RPM, so I figured exhaust leak. I messed with the H-pipe and cat-back fittings tons of times, tightened the crap out of them and even out in Ultra Copper RTV to seal it up.

Then KABOOM...the plug came out one night out of nowhere. I made 14 runs at the track and put 3,000 miles on the car and nothing happened. Then one day, it decided to pop. After I fixed it....my "exhaust leak" was gone. Man, that night sucked.
 
Happens alot. In fact just yesterday to me. Whole industries have grown up surrounding this issue <Insert specialty tool company here>. This head defect to applies to not only to mustangs but F-150s 250s 350s. Very annoying to call the dealer and get played like they had'nt heard of anything like this happening before.

Safercar.gov is the goverment vehicle safety site to file a complaint. Be advised they have perviously concluded in 2006 this...

NHTSA Recall Campaign Number: DP05005
"THE COMPLAINT ANALYSIS INDICATES THAT THE RISK TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY FROM THE ALLEGED DEFECT IS VERY LOW. IN VIEW OF THE FOREGOING, IT IS UNLIKELY THAT NHTSA WOULD ISSUE AN ORDER FOR THE NOTIFICATION AND REMEDY OF THE ALLEGED DEFECT AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE INVESTIGATION"

That was the only investigation I could be bothered to find in 5 minutes.

Cruising in heavy traffic is no place to lose power.

Now I must replace/repair the head, COP and fuel rail.
 
So, I have to do #3 cylinder in my 2004 GT. Time-Sert 5553 is the correct kit? Is this kit pretty fool proof? Any favorite spots to buy the kit?

Plugs, local garage had put Autolite XP 104 plugs in for me about 22k miles ago. Any thoughts? Should I change them all out?
 

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