How to Change the Ignition Coil on a 2006 4.2 F-150

In 1997, Ford not only drastically redesigned its line of pickups, but also changed the powerplants it installed in them. Gone was the old reliable 4.9-liter in-line six-cylinder engine and in came the 4.2-liter V-6 engine. The 2006 F-150 used the same 202-horsepower, 4.2-liter V-6 engine that the 1997 model year used. A standalone ignition coil provided the spark to all six of the cylinders on this base-level engine. Changing the ignition coil on the F-150s 4.2-liter engine is a fairly straightforward task.

Instructions

1

Find the ignition coil on the passengers side valve cover on the engine. Label the six spark plug wires in a way that will aid you in installing them in the same order on the new coil, using masking tape and a permanent marker.

2

Press and hold the unlocking button on the ignition coils wiring harness, and pull upward on the harness to disconnect it from the coil.

3

Pull upward on the thick rubber boot on the end of each spark plug wire with a slight twisting motion to remove it from the ignition coil.

4

Remove the three bolts securing the ignition coil to its bracket, using a ratchet and socket. Pull the coil from its bracket and out of the engine compartment.

5

Set the new ignition coil onto its bracket, aligning the bolt holes on the coil with those in its bracket. Hand-tighten the three coil-retaining bolts, then torque them to 53 inch-pounds, using an inch-pound torque wrench.

6

Apply a small amount of dielectric grease to the inside of the coils rubber boot, then spread the grease around the inside of the spark plug wire boot, using a small flat-head screwdriver.

7

Line up each spark plug boot with its respective receptacle on the ignition coil, according to the labels you placed on each wire, and press each boot onto the coil until it clicks into place.

8

Plug the wiring harness into the receptacle on the ignition coil.