2001 Sport Trac Spark Plugs

On Jul 13, 11:27 am, "C. E. White" <cewh....DeleteThis@mindspring.com> wrote:
> A freind want to change the plugs in her 2001 Sport Trac with around 100,000
> miles. How difficult will this be? Any suggestions, warnings, or
> recommendations? Is there a web site with pictures? How long should it take?
> I figure the wires should be replaced as well.
>
> Ed

well, if it's anything like the '00 explorer sport, its kindof a pain
in the butt. ford didnt do a very good job designing the 4.0L engine
for "ease-of-spark-plug-replacement." I spent a lot of time trying to
do mine and actually wasnt able to finish it until 2 weeks later when
i had a rermarkable "revelation" on how to get to the last plug. the
engine compartment of any explorer (4-door, sport or sport trac) is
usually cramped so i can recommend that you have a flexible shaft for
your ratchet handle. I used a 3/8 drive and various extensions
combined with the flexible shaft adaptor. the plugs on the driver
side of the engine are fairly easy to get to from the topside of the
engine. just get a cinder block or a milk crate to stand on and
you'll have the 3 driver side plugs changed in 15-30 minutes. the
passenger side plugs are more difficult, as the AC assembly sits
virtually on top of them. I was able to get the front two plugs (on
the passenger side) after some amount of struggling and straining to
fit my arms around the AC piping and Transmission Dipstick. but the
last one evaded me for another week or two. eventually my
"revelation" came to me when i had my explorer up on the rack at the
shop where i work. turns out there is a straight shot to the
passenger side plugs if you go in from under the wheel well. simply
pull back some of the flexible wheel well lining from around the shock
absorber and you should be able to get to them much more easily than
if you tried from the topside. of course, my explorer was up in the
air on a rack at this time, so i have no idea how hard it would be to
do it from the ground... hopefully it wont be too much more
difficult. anyway, the whole project will probably take a couple of
hours overall. When i changed mine, it was the very first time i had
changed plugs on a vehicle. I still have a lot to learn about
mechanic work, but i'm glad i can offer some advice to you on this
subject. By the way, if this is your first time to pursue such a
mechanical feat, hear are a few tips to remember while changing spark
plugs...

1. either be careful with the plug wires, or replace them at the same
time you replace the plugs. i destroyed one of mine trying to get it
off the plug...

2. do them one at a time. there's no need for the confusion that
could result if you were to disconnect all the plug wires at once and
then try to find where each one is supposed to go again...

3. be careful handling the spark plugs. dropping a ceramic plug on a
concrete shop floor never ends well...

4. Make sure you set the spark plug gap correctly (the distance the
spark has to span between the two electrodes at the end of the plug)
the factory recommendation can be found on the information sticker in
front of the engine, around the hood latch. if i remember correctly,
the spark plug gap is fairly small print, so look closely. also,
spark plug gapping tools can be found at any auto parts store. they
are simply round, coin-shaped tools whose thickness increase as you
travel the circumference of the "coin". they have measurements along
the outside that show you how thick the "coin" is at any given point.
simply slide the edge of this tool into the gap of the spark plug and
CAREFULLY bend the plug's electrode to the specified gap as measured
by your gapping tool. if your gap should be .052, then slowly open
the gap of the plug (using the edge of the tool) until the plug easily
slides to the .052 on the gapping tool. remember, it is much easier
to open the gap than it is to close it, so try to be gentle. if you
do happen to overdo it, you can usually push the top electrode against
something solid, (ie, a metal work table, or a concrete block) and
once again, CAREFULLY, apply pressure until the gap has been closed
again, then start over with your gapping tool. take your time with
this step, it can mean the difference between your engine running more
or less efficiently, or even misfiring.

5. let the engine cool off and work in the shade!!! i was
intelligent enough *sarcastically* to try and change the plugs within
45 minutes of driving, in the sweltering 97 degree summer weather.
the best work environment would be inside a nice cool garage with a
nice little fan blowing on you. (LOL, something i wish i had
tried).....oh, and make sure you have plenty of light. if you're
inside your garage, you'll probably need a shop light or something to
see within the dark, cramped recesses of your sport trac's engine
compartment.

6. (an automatic given, while you're under the hood) check all your
other fluids while you're at it. it never hurts to check everything
even if you think it's ok. with me it's almost a compulsion. Every
time i see a car with the hood up, i get the urge to check the oil
(anyone who works at a full service station, where you pump the gas
and wash ppl's windows, and check their engines, knows what i'm
talking about!)

and that's pretty much it. let me know if you have any other
questions! i'll be glad to help out!

almfreak