Motorcraft Sparkplug AWSF 32P replaced by AGSF32FM

[Snagglefoot]

I decided to post this to lock into history a bit of trivia on Ford sparkplugs. I finally got around to changing the sparkplugs on my winter beater, a 2000 Ford Taurus wagon with a 3.0 V6 OHV Vulcan engine. This engine has a cast iron block and old school cast iron heads. It's production run was from 1986 to 2008.

The heads originally had a short threaded section and my 2000 used Motorcraft Platinum AWSF32P Sparkplugs. Around 2003, the heads were redesigned with a longer threaded section in the sparkplug hole. I guess the old design was prone to blowing plugs out of the hole.

The engine always ran well which is why I never bothered to change the plugs. (I've owned this car from new). Now with 150,000 miles on it, it had a bit of stumble on cold starts. I pulled the front row and found the electrode was well worn and the pug gap is now 0.09" instead of 0.044". How it ran well I'll never know. The new plug has a longer threaded section designed for the re-designed heads, but I guess Ford decided a short threaded version was not required anymore. The new design uses a thin wire Platinum tip. The Ford Parts Counter and Rock Auto both confirmed the new plug design replaces the old one. I installed three new plugs in the front and will get the others done in a while. Already starts much easier.

Here are some shots. Enjoy.

 

[tomcat27]

thanks! although you probably coulda re-gapped the old plugs..... (jk)

 

[slacktide_bitog]

For a transverse V6, use iridium

 

[Wolf359]

For the Taurus, the Ford plugs were the best. People used to have all sorts of problems with aftermarket plugs.

Also you should change the back plugs soon. They're hard to do, but I think in the Taurus forums some claim you can do them by taking off the cabin filter cowl and somehow get at them without removing a lot of other parts. I forget the problem you run into if you just change the fronts without doing the back. Ford uses a waste fire system so the plugs do end up getting a workout as they fire on the exhaust stroke too.

 

[Y_K]

How many hours or miles were on the plugs?

 

[Lubener]

I wasn't aware the cast iron heads were prone to the plugs blowing out.

 

[Snagglefoot]

Originally Posted by Y_K
How many hours or miles were on the plugs?


150,000 miles. Originals. My bad.

 

[Snagglefoot]

Originally Posted by Lubener
I wasn't aware the cast iron heads were prone to the plugs blowing out.


Yes, and I was surprised they went to such a long thread on a cast iron head.

 

[Black_Thunder]

that spark plug is used in a lot of engines not just cast iron heads but aluminium as well. I think when they changed the design they thinking mainly for aluminum heads and just changed them all to longer threads instead of still making 2 different plugs.