New around here, hello all.

I just changed my plugs the other day and re pulled then today because I (very stupidly) assumed the plugs were pre-gapped! I put them in with about .040 and then realized they were supposed to be at .060. I've worked a bit on a few ford trucks and there are always a couple plugs that are in ridiculous places... I know theres a lot of stuff for a 4.0 4x4 in a little engine bay but I just wish that Ford realized that at some point, the plugs do need to be replaced! Alright i'm done whining.

Hello again

 

Plugs are easy on any 4.0l Ford ever put in a Ranger. Just be thankful you don't have a Dodge!!!

Welcome.

 

Im guessing your truck is not lifted, it makes the plugs a bit easier to get at. LOL been there done it on the plug gap mishap. Welcome!

 

Welcome,

if you think plugs are hard to do on a 4.0 in a ranger, you have never done plugs on anything MOPAR or a 4.0 aerostar

 

You would think the Ford engineers would have this as a sticky in their engineering manual of what not to do.
I had a 67 Mustang with a factory 390 in it. to get to the plugs you had to remove the motor mounts and jack the engine up 3" to get access. Ford knew it was a bi@#h cause they put jacking pads on the exhaust manifolds so you didn't crush the pan.
I think in 68 they made narrower shock towers for the big block stangs so you could get the plugs out.

 

Dear Ford Customer,
Just shut the f-up, bring it to our dealer's service bay for maintenance, let us charge you big bucks on labor and parts markup. You came to us for a truck, we did not twist your arm to buy. BTW, come buy a new one, it's time for you to acquire a larger payment.
R/
Henry & The Gang!

 

thats says it all about FORD !!! we just don't care

 

Like said above, try a Dodge if you're so dis-satisfied.

 

Huh? Plugs?

Who changes those things anymore?

 

haha. also where did you get .060 gap. ive read .054 gap on the 4.0s

 

Theres some kinda EPA sticker under the hood that says it. I think it was .062-.068 if i remember correctly. And i'm not dissatisfied and i know its not actually that hard it was more of a hey guys and i thought could get some interesting responses like the mustang one

 

Wow I always thought stock was 0.045, When I put the screamin demon coil pack in I had a heck of a time getting the plugs to gap to 0.065, they didn't seem designed for that much gap.

 

on some old Plymouths, you have to pull the engine to get the back plug on the passenger side. just be thankful that company went out of business.

 

Yeah I've helped guys doing there plugs that have to pull the whole engine. Fun stuff.

 

The plugs are easy on the 4.0L. Pull your wheel and inner fender plastic on the passenger side and they are right in front of your face. Have a universal joint extension, a short extension, and a long extension and you can breeze right through them.

 

Agreed they are ***** to change. 4.0 spark plugs are simple, you should be thankful they are easy, even without lift they are not hard to change......But since your dis-satisfied you could buy a body lift. You can then change them from the wheel wells, makes things easier than they already are,

 

hey just think your plugs are way still way easier than mine on my twin plugged 2.3 on the drivers side i have to use a universal joint for the fist cylinder, the 15" of extention for number 3 and 4 cylinders. and for the wires on the drivers side i to reach behind and under the alternator and the power steering pump to get to the coil, took me an hour just to get the stock wires off that coil after they'd been on for 21 years and with no space to work, i fear haveing to change the coil.

 

Doesn't sound that bad really, what's the difference if you have to use an extension or u joint?

 

cause its a pain in the ***, especially compared to the passenger side, and its a ***** to get your hand in and pull the wire off the plug, and again the coil is in the worst place, for my year, newer 2.3's have both coils on the passenger side, and you have barley any room for hands cause of the intake manifold, and as well as all the vacuum hoses with wires on 3 and 4 and number one you have to contort your hand and reach underneath the the alternator to guide the u joint onto the plug, it really is a pain in the ***

 

Chrysler Cirrus
Yamaha YZF-R6s



These are two vehicles that I will never change plugs for again. NIGHTMARE.

 

haha i bet, or a windstar, i don't remember what engine it had but you couldn't even reach the ****ers without a lift, who the hell puts plugs on the back of the engine in the middle of the block were you can't reach them from a top or by laying on the ground, oh yeah ford, lol

 

That's the old 3.0L engine. Ford didn't design that one too well for what they put it in.


Those plugs pay like 2 or 3 hours flat-rate time to do. Not hard to do the rear 3 once you know how to get at 'em. Put the car on the lift, the back 2 can be had from the rear, and the frontmost one towards the front of the engine is easiest through the wheel well.

 

Thank You!

I'm glad somebody finally realized that the engineers at Ford design their vehicles to where they're hard to work on. This is no accident ... there's big money to be made by doing this and it happens every day.

 

I have a 69 stang with a 428 and its the same deal. (Same engine bay on 67-70's and same physical engine size.) I can do the plugs with out the motor being jacked up but its a pita. I do end up jacking up the motor though because I can't get the plug wires on and off with out the motor up. There just isn't room in there for my hand.

 

I had the 68 also it was a Grande' coupe with the 390 and on it you could see the plugs on the 67 you couldn't see were the wires ended they just went over the valve cover and disappeared. The 68 was at least an inch wider on both sides between the shock towers than the 67
Another bad ford was the round nineties Taurus with the 3.8 liter V6 you couldn't get to the passenger side rear plug unless you pulled the motor.