For the first few years of the Ford 6.8 V-10, Ford designed in only four threads for each spark plug to screw into. This often leads to stripped threads and/or spark plugs blowing out spontaneously. Knowing this, on the last one I changed plugs on, I decided to go a different direction. The plugs weren't in desperate need of a change, so when I knew the vehicle would be parked for a few months, I pulled the coils then sprayed Deep Creep in each of the wells. Every few weeks after that I'd spray some more in.

Then the magic day came in early spring. I braced myself, crossed my fingers, wore my lucky socks, and started the job.

For each one I:

1. Blew the well out with compressed air
2. Gently pulled the plug
3. Sprayed a little carb cleaner down the well to get the Deep Creep residue out
4. Compressed-aired the well dry
5. Anti-seized the new spark plug'* threads
6. Installed the new plug
7. Torqued the new plug to 128 pound feet

The torque specification in the manual calls for 84-168 pound feet, so I chose 128 because it'* just above halfway, and my torque wrench is easier to adjust by 2'* than 1'*.

I popped the coils back in with no special procedures then started it and let it idle until warm, shut it off, then changed the oil and filter . . . in case any of the carb cleaner from Step 3 got past the rings and into the oil.

Wow got through it with no issues. A couple thousand miles of hard pulling on it since then. Not sure if this is the best procedure etc. but this is what worked for me and I was dreading pulling threads out of it and having to install inserts. With all of the folks that have issues with this, I figure this might help someone.

I have the same V10 engine. The guy I purchased it from had number 3 blow out. Stated a helicoil was put in #3. When I went to change the plugs, unable to get the socket to fit the plug. I suspect a helicoil was not put in cylinder #3 after the blowout- but this was installed (Dorman Ford Spark Plug Kit). I purchased the time-sert kit to do the repair properly at a later time.

Good move.

Some people say they put a helicoil in using the term as a generic, when really an insert or some other thing was done. Some have a mechanic do it and go by what the mechanic tells them that they did, and then later we find out that the mechanic did something non-standard. I hope yours doesn't have anything crazy done to it like epoxy etc. Timeserts are the way to go definitely.

The funny thing is- the spark plug socket for the dorman fits- so I suspect it is a dorman kit. It turned so badly I just stopped.

Purchased the truck about 18 months ag

o to haul a trailer (see picture). The guy I bought it from was original owner. Lots of things he did not tell me, and it was only at the last minute did he disclose the #3 spark plug issue. When I updated the front end I found a huge wiring harness. For a snow plow- ran all the way to the cabin. He never told me it was a plow truck... he pulled off the plow mounting hardware/ but not the wiring harness. I understand electrical- so not a bug deal for me.

Above is a but of a rant- but finding a truck to haul a trailer is very hard OR very expensive. This truck came with the V10 and 4.33 rear, and was priced fair for current overinflated truck market- so I am ok overall.