how do you change the spark plugs yourself?

This job requires one extremely important ingredient... PATIENCE. The following must be followed in order: 1. Run a good additive into your fuel tank to help the engine burn super clean so as to help remove any carbon build-up on the part of the spark plug that is exposed to the cylinder. 2. Remove all 8 of the coil-over-plug coils and keep them in order. 3. The tops of the plugs are now all exposed... Blow out each spark plug well with compressed air. 4. Liberally spray BLASTER-PB (www.blasterpb.com). This chemical is an absolute must. Precaution must be taken to not spray on seals or rubber.... best way is with the plastic straw looking nozzle that comes with it. Aim it down into the well, cover your hand and the bottle with a cloth and spray a good amount into the well. 5. Here's the patience part. WALK-AWAY. Give it a good 24 hours to do its thing! 6. Come back, cover your hand again with a cloth, and blow out the well keeping the out-spray to be caught by the cloth. 7. With your spark plug socket, extension and a good length 1/2 drive ratchet, nudge the plug as though you want to tighten it. Just put some energy into it. You don't have to literally tighten it.... Now, loosen it. It should break free. Once free, slowly continually turn it out. It may make some screeching noise but it will come out. Each time you start to turn, start turning very slowly, putting more and more energy into it. You don't want to immediately jerk it and surpass it's braking spec. If you just don't think it's working; go to the next one. These plugs can and do brake with 75lbs torque! Usually, most mechanics don't brake these... They have developed the knack. Once you brake one loose, you'll understand the "feel". If any are really stubborn, repeat steps 4, 5 & 6. Remember>> PATIENCE! I have done 3 of these engines and have not broken one plug! (knock-on-wood!) Now do know this. I am a strong believer in Murphy's Law; so, I bought the tool that extracts the plug if it brakes. I take it out each time and place it on my workbench. Now that I bought it, I'll never need it!!!!!! GoodLuck.

The coils will pull straight up and off the spark plugs, you may need to remove a bolt or two from the ignition coil first. Be careful you don't get the coils switched around when replacing the plugs. If you have a spark plug that is tight coming out, you may want to stop because the threads may be damaged, pretty rare, but possible on these Ford Engines.

I agree on most parts of pulling the plugs out of a 5.4 > i worked as a tech and did several of these motors . They are different and are not to be done by the faint of heart. I've found and Ford Motor Company agrees the best way to remove these it to do it with the engine warm. I spray them with Pb -Blaster or kroil and let them soak. I broke one on my personal truck two days ago, and what happened I've never had happen before. the threaded part cam out easy. I have the ford removal tool to. What you have to do is break the porcelain part that is protruding and get it out by using needle nose pliers. once you do that you use compressed air with an nosal to fit down in the cylinder. then you use the lisle or ford removal tool to break the rest of the porcelain that is in the tip of the platinum plug the metal from the tip will hold the access use your vacuum or your air too to get the rest out. then screw in the lisle or ford extractor tool to retrieve the tip. if you follow the directions that come with the tool you will not generally have any trouble. the lisle tool it under a 100.00 the ford is 259.00. Just recently I had had the 200k done at the dealer. due to right hand injury. the cost is over 935.00 just for the tune-up minus the extra labor for the extractions ever how many. just file paper work on class action law suit to retrieve some of your money.