E150 100,000 Mile Maintenance - Spark Plugs

[leroge]

I have recently passed 100,000 miles on my 2001 E150 XLT ( 8 cyl Triton ). Most of those miles come via highway driving. The vehicle has been well maintained ( religiously changed oil and lubed every 4,000 miles ). As I view the maintenance checklist at 100,000 it appears the significant items are replacement of the spark plugs and PCV. I stopped by my local Ford dealer who estimated the cost at $300-$400!!!!! The reason, I was told, is that the spark plugs are 'hard to get at' and will consume at least two hours of labor!

Can that be???? Are these some kind of 'special' plugs ( platinum tipped )? I've done some cost saving 'repairs' myself with the great assistance of Automotive Forums! - most notably the cleaning of the ICV. Any reason I couldn't replace the plugs myself? Any other items that should be checked out at 100,000 miles? The only problem seems to be a very slight bearing 'whinning' reminescent of a water pump wear.

Any advice will be appreciated.

Regards,

Roger

[Johnny Mullet]

You can do the plugs yourself! Trust me. The job is a little tedious, but can be done! First thing is to get some Motorcraft plugs right from the dealer. Those are the plugs to use! Now gear up for the job!

Remove the Doghouse from the van by releasing side and bottom clips and pulling it out through the passenger side. From there you should see the coil packs that sit on top of the sparkplugs. Use a 7MM socket and maybe a swivel to remove the coil packs one at a time and replace the plug below with a long extension and a 5/8 socket. From inside the van, you should be able to replace the 2 rear plugs on the deriver's side and 3 plugs on the passenger side.

Open the hood and remove the air cleaner and the housing to access the remaining plugs. Unplugging the injectors sometimes helps in removing the coils. Just make sure you plug them all back in.

Good Luck!

[Jeff Wagner]

Good question. I needed the same tip. Thanks for the advice to the person who responded.