DIY 6.2 Spark Plug Change

[MikeyD]

Thanks for the great info I decided to go with the NKG upgraded spark plugs & the MSD wires. Last question .. it says to replace the boots for the 90k mile service as well, does it need eight or 16 boots? I attached a picture for clarification

 

[CoronaRaptor]

Thanks for the great info I decided to go with the NKG upgraded spark plugs & the MSD wires. Last question .. it says to replace the boots for the 90k mile service as well, does it need eight or 16 boots? I attached a picture for clarification

You just need 8 of those, they are for the 8 spark plugs that are on the bottom of the ignition coils, on top of the engine. The 8 spark plug wires are for the 8 spark plugs on the sides of the heads. That equals your 16 spark plugs. If you buy the 8 ignition coils, they come with those boots on them, etc, fyi.

 

[MikeyD]

The Coil unit seem extremely pricey between $475- $550 and the boots seem pretty cost-effective at $50 is it recommended to change the whole coil vs the boot and “puck”?

 

[EricM]

I kept my OEM coils and rotated them since the ones in back likely get hotter.

You'll know when a coil craps the bed, and they are easy to replace- so I'm running mine until one fails.

I closely inspected the boots on my truck and they all looked fine so I did not replace. Rubber is one of those things though- it depends on how hot it's gotten. If you drive where it's really hot often, I'd replace the boots since it's relatively cheap.

 

[CoronaRaptor]

The Coil unit seem extremely pricey between $475- $550 and the boots seem pretty cost-effective at $50 is it recommended to change the whole coil vs the boot and “puck”?

Yeah, the oem motorcraft coils are $81-85 bucks a piece, alternative cheaper ones are half that price. It's a toss up, if you have high mileage, like over 150k I would change the whole shebang! Or you could just take them all off and change the boots and parts for a lot cheaper. Risk versus reward. A lot of members including myself change the whole setup, other members don't and just replace plugs and wires. If you're on a budget, then just take the time and install new boots and springs, etc. If you already have spark issues, you should replace it all and be done with it. That's just my way of doing things, everybody is different. Buying online is a lot cheaper than at most dealers as well, so shop around. Don't just replace the boots though, you need to change the other parts inside the boots as well, as shown below.

 

[MikeyD]

Thanks guys ordered the NKG boot kit with spring/puck with msd wires and NKG plugs as my new toy has 90 k miles at 150 I’ll do the whole shebang with the coils.

 

[raptorman]

Thanks everyone for your comments. CoronaRaptor, went with your suggestions for my '12 with 122,000 miles. I found a very big price difference for the Motorcraft coils between Napa, Autozone, O'Reilly, CarParts.com, Amazon, and RockAuto. I saved almost $200 going with RockAuto (wires, coils, plugs, oil, filters, etc.). I'll attempt the plug/coil changeout when the parts get here, and let you guys know how I did!

 

[badm0t0rfinger]

Thanks everyone for your comments. CoronaRaptor, went with your suggestions for my '12 with 122,000 miles. I found a very big price difference for the Motorcraft coils between Napa, Autozone, O'Reilly, CarParts.com, Amazon, and RockAuto. I saved almost $200 going with RockAuto (wires, coils, plugs, oil, filters, etc.). I'll attempt the plug/coil changeout when the parts get here, and let you guys know how I did!

Love that his input is still helping users to this day. Brings a smile to my face. He would be happy.

 

[raptorman]

Well, I did it! I replaced all 16 plugs, wires, all 8 coils, serpentine belt, oil and filter, air filter, and rotated tires. All Motorcraft except Six filters. Took a leisurely 10 hours, counting breakfast and lunch. Observations:

- Summit 10" spark plug magnetic wobble was invaluable!
- I saved the bottom, passenger front plug for last; it was also the worst looking plug.
- The Harbor Freight 2' long air nozzle (suggested by another Forum member), along with my shop vac, were essential for the top 8 plugs. (Acorns from squirrelsls wedged between spark plugs and intake, making use of the spark plug wrench impossible without blowing out/vacuuming debris).
- Using tape on the wobble worked great!
- All new Motorcraft plugs were gapped at .044 (I only had to adjust 4); the old (original 122,00 mile) plugs ranged from .044 - .050.
- Dielectric grease helped.
- The orange lock clips that hold the coil electrical connections tight are brittle. Had to be very gentle!

Final note: about 2 weeks prior to purchasing these parts, I started to feel a "miss" develop at idle. I was hopinh that this work would result in a smoother running engine. It did! I am getting 1.8 mpg more than before the work and I have fallen in love with my truck again!

Really appreciate the Forum.

 

[Ruger]

Excellent work @raptorman , and in amazingly fast time. Geeze, I don't know how you accomplished all that in only ten hours.
But do not be surprised if your 1.8 additional mpg falls off a bit after you fall back into your usual driving habits.