The third generation (1995 through 2002) Lincoln Continental used used a variant of Ford's excellent modular V-8 engine. The Mod engine's modern architecture and design put it at the top of its class in many ways, but it also made a few traditionally simple tasks quite a bit more challenging. This is particularly true of replacing the spark plugs, especially since the Mod motor -- at first glance -- doesn't seem to have any.
Instructions
- 1
Disconnect the negative battery cable. Remove the three 10 mm bolts that secure the plastic engine cover to the engine, then remove it. Remove the air intake tube by removing the clamps at either end of it and pulling out the hoses connected to it.
2Remove the power steering reservoir brace so you have clear access to the coil-on-plug assemblies. The coils are the little black boxes just inboard of the valve covers; you'll notice the wires coming out of them. The coils sit directly on top of the spark plugs, so you'll need to remove them to get to the plugs.
3Remove one of the coil's 7 mm bolts and gently twist it free of the head. The coil may hang up a bit on the fuel rail, but you can get it out past the fuel rail with a bit of careful maneuvering. Once you've pulled the coil free, you'll see the top of the plug in the cylinder head.
4Spray a bit of penetrating oil on top of the plug before attempting to remove it. The Mod heads are easy to damage when removing or replacing the plugs, so take your time here. Allow the plug to sit for about 10 minutes while you remove the coil assemblies from the other plugs.
5Reach down into the recess with a spark plug socket on an extension and gently turn the plug counterclockwise. If it acts as though it's going to hang up, give it a little clockwise twist to work the penetrating oil down into the threads. Once you have the plug out, you may opt to clean and reinstall it or to install new plugs.
6Check the plug gap with your plug gapping tool. It should come in at 0.054 inch; if it's any more or less than that, then adjust it. New plugs do come pre-gapped from the factory, but those same plugs may fit a number of different engines and the gap for one may not work for another. Also, some plugs are nonadjustable. And even if the plugs were gapped right from the factory, they still got banged around a lot during packing and shipping. If the gap is off on a nonadjustable plug, return for another.
7Slowly thread the new plugs back into the head by hand, then torque them to 18 foot pounds. Reinstall the coils, power steering bracket and engine cover in the reverse order of removal, then reconnect the battery.
