NHTSA Complaint #10052535 — 1999 FORD F SUPER DUTY

AT LOW SPEED, SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT OF ENGINE, CAUSING LOUD EXHAUST NOISE AND GASOLINE FUMES WERE IMMEDIATELY SMELLED INSIDE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. IF THIS WERE TO HAPPEN AT HIGH SPEED WITH ENGINE UNDER LOAD WHEN IMMEDIATE ENGINE SHUTDOWN WAS NOT SAFE OR POSSIBLE, THIS CONDITION WOULD CAUSE LARGE AMOUNTS GASOLINE/AIR MIXTURE TO BE EXPOSED TO HOT EXHAUST COMPONENTS, CAUSING FIRE HAZARD. IF THIS OCCURRED WHEN POWER WAS CRITICAL (PASSING OR TURNING IN FRONT OF TRAFFIC), THE LOSS OF POWER COULD ALSO CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. IF THIS OCCURRED WHEN DRIVING ON SLICK ROAD CONDITIONS, IT COULD CONTRIBUTE TO LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE. THIS IS CONSIDERED A "HEAVY DUTY" ENGINE, BUT DOES NOT USE A HARDENED THREADED INSERT IN THE CYLINDER HEADS TO STRENGTHEN THE THREADS THAT THE SPARK PLUGS SCREW INTO. SEARCHING ON THE INTERNET FOR (TRITON BLEW SPARKPLUG) REVEALS THAT THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. ALSO, THE MANUFACTURERS TORQUE SPECIFICATION FOR THE SPARK PLUGS IS QUITE LOW - PROBABLY DUE TO THE ALUMINUM THREADS IN THE HEAD. THIS COULD BE A CAUSE FOR THE SPARK PLUGS LOOSENING. *AK