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spark plug issue 4.0L ranger


tjbushey

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Hello, i got a 2003 ford ranger xlt 4.0L and i did a spark plug change, got spark plugs from Ford Dealership AGSF34FP, says under my good 54" gap but the AGFS34FP is 65" gap what is the deal? did i need to gap the factory plug for the truck to the correct size?

Also i installed the plugs anyway, some reason there is now a ticking sound, so i replaced the wires thinking they might be broken after installing plugs but the ticking noise is still there and its pretty darn loud, also took them back out to make sure they were seated properly.

Thanks any help is great help at this time
 


06RangerXLT

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yea set the gaps. the ticking is most likely preignition or "pinging"
 

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Always set the gap. Most spark plugs do not come pre gapped. A little while back I saw the parts guy at work ask someone if he wanted his spark plugs pre gapped. After the guy said "Sure" he banged them on the counter a few times and said "There you go, gapped to zero. Always check the gap".
 

tjbushey

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thanks for the help guys, ill get right on gaping them, anyway how to get rid of the " pinging " when i 1st start the vehicle it doesnt do it untill its fully warmed up then i hear it , also someone said the spark plugs might be ungapable? how do i know if its ungapable?
 

adsm08

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thanks for the help guys, ill get right on gaping them, anyway how to get rid of the " pinging " when i 1st start the vehicle it doesnt do it untill its fully warmed up then i hear it , also someone said the spark plugs might be ungapable? how do i know if its ungapable?

You know they are ungappable if you bought the shitty snake-oil multi tipped ones, or if they are a "bridged" design like the 5.4 uses.

Any Motorcraft plug for the 4.0 should be gappable. And you always have to set the gap because they get banged around during shipping and the electrodes move.


As for the noise are you sure they are all in tightly, no wires are crossed, and you don't have an exhaust leak?
 

tjbushey

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hey there, thanks for the tips, yea some of the wires are crossing each other but the stock ones were as well, im gonna take them out and gap them to the correct size.

Ill let you know a update
 

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Not crossed as in crossing over each other. Crossed as in hooked up from the wrong coil terminal to the wrong plug.
 

tjbushey

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oh i see, no shouldn't be, i did 1 wire at a time to make sure i didnt get them mixed up. Ill double check everything tomorrow and after i Gap them, and ill try to pinpoint where the ticking is coming from.

also truck feels like it has less power and sluggish but probaly has to do with the gap.

Ill put updates tomorrow

Thanks again
 

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oh i see, no shouldn't be, i did 1 wire at a time to make sure i didnt get them mixed up.
That's a good practice, but believe it or not, I've seen wires get mixed up even with that.

If it's not missing at all then you should be ok. Get your plug gaps set right at see how that works. Try to get them as close to the low end of the range as you can since the gap will open up a bit as they wear.
 

tjbushey

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will do! ill find a firing order chart to and double check the wires
 

tjbushey

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hey there, i checked the wires and they are correct, i pulled the plugs and checked gaps and set them at 54gap , some reason the one was at 30gap when i pulled it? this probaly had alot to due with performance, im not sure i checked the gap of all 6 before i put them in and they were 65 not sure why this one was at 30 when i pulled it? ill do some driving around and pull the same plug and make sure the gap didnt move again on me.
 

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