WWW.BLOWNOUTSPARKPLUG.COM

Personal References and Published Articles

We always exceed our customers expectations during repairs which is one of the reasons that we keep a 100% customer satisfaction rating.. Here are a few personal letters and articles published about us.

PERSONAL TESTIMONIALS FROM PAST CUSTOMERS

If you are a past customer and would like to submit a testimonial please click here.

Mike in Scottsdale, AZ

If you are reading this then you probably just found out that Ford wants over $4,000 to repair your truck. It happened to me and thanks to Google I found out about Blownoutsparkplug.com.

It took an evening at the computer to research all my options and when I sent this company a question a response came back within the hour. A few minutes later we were talking on the phone and by the end of our discussion I had made up my mind to try this company out. Within 4 days a mechanic flew into Phoenix. I picked him up and in just a few minutes I could tell he was the "real deal". The entire day was a great experience, just when was the last time you could say that about having you car repaired? By the end of the day I knew I'd hired the right company and for me the price was a real deal including a complete set of new plugs.

If you're still trying to decide which method to use to fix your head I can tell you that this was the most straight forward, honest transaction you could hope to have.

email: mike1_stanley@msn.com


Jeremy in Winchester, CA

First off what I have to say is WOW!!! Dealing with these guys was nothing but pleasant.
Two of the nicest guys I've dealt with!

I had my Ford Lightning blow a spark plug on my way to buying diapers. I had a friend, who is a mechanic, stop by and try to put a helicoil in that I purchased from AutoZone (pieces of junk that are known to fail within a few months). He could not complete the task. He called me the next day quoting me $1400-$2000 to take off the cylinder head and put the helicoil in from the underside.

I thank God that I found Blownoutsparkplug.com. Someone who specializes in blown out spark plugs and will guarantee their work. The mechanic won't. They drove to my house and were nothing but kind and got every spark plug done in about an hour and a half. Well worth the money!!!

Even if you haven't had a blown out spark plug, I would definitely take my vehicle to them and have them replace the spark plugs.

email: pimpinit4fun@gmail.com


Tyler in San Diego, CA

All I can say is wow...Ric's professionalism, quality of work and attention to detail is superb.

I went from looking at thousands of dollars to repair one cylinder head to hundreds to have the repair completed, all other plugs addressed to prevent failure and a tune up!

Ric at Blownoutsparkplug is a quality guy who is making an honest living solving this problem for Ford owners without gauging them.

I highly recommend Blownoutsparkplug's service! I'm still driving my 02 F350 because they made the repair affordable.

Tyler Owen

email: tsowen@san.rr.com


Dan in Tucson, AZ

We had a spark plug blow out and being a mechanic myself for years, this was one job I knew there was no "shade tree" fix for.

I was amazed by the technique and the materials as well as the professionalism of the mechanic; he came right to my home and it was the best money I could have spent.

If you are even considering taking your vehicle into the dealership or your favorite mechanic...please reconsider and at least give this organization a call, FIRST!

Thank you!
email: dan@veteranrelocators.com


Robert in Houston, TX

My 2003 Ford Expedition (104k miles) blew the number 3 spark plug out.

After Ric performed the repairs and service to the truck, my truck has never run better.

Ric is honest, personable, and a good teacher. I learned a lot from just being the helper holding the flashlight.

Ten years ago, I never imagined that I would fly a mechanic (a complete stranger) to my vehicle to make repairs in the field. However, I rationalized the decision by realizing that a blown out spark plug is a specialized problem and not an every day task that mechanics do. So, I wanted an individual who had preformed the procedure hundreds of times. And I didn't want my local mechanic to learn on my truck.

Ric is a very professional and knowledgeable auto mechanic. He is very efficient and has to be with the current weight limits for Air travel. He has had to analyze every step of this procedure, so that he has the right tools for the job.
This efficiency can only be gained through knowledge and experience. If you are in need of this service,

I highly recommend you flying these guys out.

email: robert.barringer@gmail.com


Ken in Garland, TX

My wife's 2001 F250 with a V-10 blew a plug in the #1 cylinder, and after desperately searching the internet for hours I came across the link for Dave and Ric's website. I requested information on Thanksgiving day, and in THREE MINUTES I received a call from Dave. We scheduled the repair....

Dave is amazing and very professional . Not only did he do the repair, but also found two other previously replaced plugs that were hand-tight only.....a disaster waiting to happen.

THANK YOU Dave for providing this great service. Will be calling back in the future when the plugs are ready for their next change. The truck runs as it did brand new.

I highly recommend this company to anyone with this problem..

email: k.vrla@tx.rr.com


Michael in Santa Rosa, CA

My experience was fine. Dave called me and said he was going to be up in my area (I had previously asked to be contacted) and wanted to know if I would like him to come by and replace the spark plugs in my 2001 Ford E350. My van is pretty low mileage and was not having any problems, but I wanted to avoid any future problems with spark plugs blowing out.

Dave suggested I get the plugs changed by him and that this would assure me that the plugs would not loosen in future due to improper torque values. This seemed like good insurance to me. So I went with it. Dave and his son showed up as agreed, got right to work and carried out the work quickly and professionally.

Dave was honest. He told me that all the plugs he removed were torqued down well and would not have loosened. He showed me that they were changed because they were not the original Motorcraft brand. Dave explained that he would be putting in the factory specified plugs and making sure all carbon deposits on the spark plug seats would be removed to insure that the new plugs would stay put.

I appreciate when people give an honest assessment and not try to "pull the wool over your eyes" by telling you false information. Because he was honest I felt like the work that was performed was done to the high standards that I was told it would be done to. I feel that now my van will run for many miles without the concern that my spark plugs could blow out, requiring a more major repair and major inconvenience.

I would recommend using Blownout Spark Plug to take care of any of the problems that can arise from the Ford Triton engines. The work was performed as promised and delivered professionally and honestly.

email: michael@brmexhibit.com


Mark in ST. Charles, MO

Ric fixed my 2001 Ford Van (5.4L) last June when it had about 118K miles on it. Since then I am now at 130K including two 2500 mile cross country trips. It runs perfect.

I can't express adequately how impressed I was with both Eric and his process. It is very rare and gratifying to find someone with a passion for excellence in what they do.

Highly recommended to anyone out there. I am still amazed that he turned a rotten situation into a process I actually enjoyed!

Sincerely, Mark Muenks    636-240-7061

email: mmuenks@materialogic.com


Neil in San Diego, CA

Hi Ric, Just wanted to thank you for the terrific job you did on my wife's Hyundai Elantra!

The car runs great now and you saved my neck! The first mechanic I called gave me and estimate of $1200.00 and you did it for far less! You kept me informed on the progress of the job and gave me real piece of mind that a true professional was handling my problem.

I would recommend you to anyone who has a blownout sparkplug or a similar problem as you surely know what your doing. Thanks again!

email: sdwebs2000@gmail.com


Michael in Venture, CA

So, I have a Pt Cruiser and my spark plug blew out. I was looking around everywhere for a solution that would fix it.

I found Blownoutsparkplug.com and read through their testimonials just like you are and was convinced. THIS WAS THE SOLUTION. I contacted Dave and he had told me that they had never repaired a PT Cruiser before.

We set up date to fix my car. ON THANKSGIVING. That's right ON THANKSGIVING. with no extra charge because he was going through my city anyways that day.

Within 1 hour my car was running perfectly. I have not experienced any problems, and if I do, I know that I can just call up the professional guys at Blownoutsparkplug.com to come out and take a look.

THANKS GUYS. MICHAEL GRASSO Ventura, CA

email: grassm@hotmail.com


Roy in Wilmington, DE

My 2003 Expedition blew out a spark plug on my way to work. I had my truck towed to the local shop. The shop said I had 2 options, replace the damaged cylinder head, or the shop could perform a tap and thread insert solution. The only solution that came with a guarantee was a cylinder head replacement.

I returned home & investigated my options on the internet, where it became apparent that the only reliable and economical solution was the BlownOutSparkPlug solution.

BlownOutSparkPlugs tapered insert; from an engineering stand point is clearly superior to other available non tapered options. My dilemma or so it appeared, was that Blown out was located in West coast & I was located on the East coast. As it turned out, I got lucky; David was in the Baltimore area already.

David traveled 2 hours North on I 95 thru heavy traffic and rain & arrived at my house promptly on time. Two hours later, my expedition was running better than ever. David, as it turned out is a very accomplished machinist and mechanic. Blown Out machines all of their own tooling as well as their tapered inserts. Prior to use in the field each and every one of their inserts is fit tested in aluminum head by hand at their shop. These days, it is unusual to get services as advertised.

I received above and beyond service from David. But most importantly I can rely on my vehicle again. Without this solution, I would have not had faith that other spark plugs would not have blown out of my 5.4 Expedition.

Smart guys, Smart product, Smart money spent!

Thank you David, Roy Bastin

email: roybas1@comcast.net


Michael in Castro Valley, CA

My 2000 F250 V10 with 95,000 miles on it blew a spark plug just as I was about to pull into my office. What a horrific noise it made too as everyone at work stared at me limping into the parking lot.

I had the truck towed to the Ford Store in San Leandro, who the 'sales' guy went on to give me three options.
1. Use a cheap insert that was not guaranteed to last, no warranty.
2. New cylinder head, but then you would need two of them to "balance"??? or
3. Buy a new engine because replacing two cylinder heads would cost just as much as putting in a new engine.

What? This guy was nuts so I drove the truck back home (unplugged the fuel injection and power to the blown unit) and proceeded to do my own research on the Internet. Thank God I found out about "BlownOutSparkPlug". I called and left a message with my problem and to get back to me right away. This was Friday afternoon and Dave got right back to me, but of course I was out by that time.

After a couple rounds of phone tag, I got to speak to Dave and determine the real cause of my unit blowing. Dave did a great job explaining how they would fix it and any others they find. I needed my truck back in order ASAP, but I was leaving for a trip to Asia the next week... great timing for this to blow just as I was about to leave. I asked Dave if he could drive up the 250 miles to work on my truck at my house while I was away in Asia.

Dave said sure and after making all the arrangements, I just gave Dave my credit card number, address and where to find the key, and then I left for my trip with a little angst about leaving my home open to a complete stranger. My girl friend said I was nuts to give my house key out like that, but what was I going to do, what another week to get it repaired?

When I arrived back from my trip to Asia, I found my truck in perfect working order and everything in my garage and house just as I had left everything. Dave was able to get the plug hole repaired and even repaired another one that was about to blow at no extra cost. He also took all of the others out, replaced and re-torqued them to the correct lbs.

I would recommend these guys to anyone. They have proven their skill, honesty and responsibility to me when Dave had the key to my house.

Thanks guys, Mike

email: mikeschilds@hotmail.com


Jerry in Ontario, CA

They responded quickly to my call, came out and did exactly what they said they were going to do. That's what I call good service. My truck runs perfectly now.

I would highly recommend this company to anyone.

email: usmjjohnson@yahoo.com


Matt in Escondido, CA

When one of my spark plugs blew out in my Ford Crown Victoria, I did some research online and found various options, including buying a tool to do the job myself. I considered that for a while. However, when I saw Blownoutsparkplugs site, I was convinced to go with them. I am very glad I did.

They were very professional, took care of me that same day, and did everything they said they would do. This is a top-notch operation!

Thanks Ric!
Matt in Escondido, CA

email: mathewfoster@cox.net


Chris in 29 Palms, CA

I have a 2001 Ford Excursion and have blown out two spark plugs! Ric took care of this problem in a timely fashion and was totally flexible with my hectic schedule. Ric took my vehicle in on short notice and performed a suburb job in a timely manner. Not only the Excursion running better than it had before, I also saved about $6,000 to $7,000 grand that it would have cost to repair at the dealer. There are other do-it yourself products out there, but I don't have the time or patients and besides I can't guarantee my own work. Thanks guy's!

I would highly recommend Blownoutsparkplug to anyone.

email: corpsmanpt@aol.com


Barlow in Hacienda Heights, CA

If there is any question as to the professionalism of this company, rest assured they are extremely professional in what they do. I had them replace the 10 sparkplugs and boots on my 2002 Lazy Daze Motorhome and I am completely satisfied as are other Lazy daze owners who had the same service provided. As a result I would highly recommend them.

email: btomlazydaze@yahoo.com


Paul in Tustin, CA

Dave came to our house on the day he said he would. His son came with him. They went right to work, knew exactly what to do.

VERY EFFICIENT, CLEAN and FAST. I was VERY IMPRESSED and happy with the results.

Ours was a preventative service, not a problem call.

email: ursula@jammin.com


Dave in Cedar Springs, MI

My 2000 Ford truck spit a spark plug, pulling out most of the threads with it. On closer inspection I found that it had been repaired before with an over sized steel bushing. Great! Now I have a over size hole with no threads.

I called Rick at Blownoutsparkplug. He said that he has seen this before, and that he could fix it right. He did to. I never felt better about a repair. Rick got right on it ,and when he was done my truck was down the road and running great.

Rick isn't only a spark plug guy but a top notch auto. tech. Rick saved me money on this repair but he saved me something more then money, Down Time! Thank You Rick.

I never had such a good time getting my truck fixed.

email: davenkelley@chartermi.net


Dennis in Bloomfield Hills, MI

I was frustrated with Ford's recommended "fix" of this problem (try a Helicoil and if it fails then replace the head at $3500) and knew it was a temporary solution. After reading all of the testimonials, I contacted Rick and he assured me that he has never had failures.

I was surprised at how simple a process he uses and how thorough he is in making sure everything is done correctly. I was hoping he had a partner in the Midwest, but he was willing to fly to Detroit and do my repair. Even with the cost of a flight, Rick saved me money on the repair and assures me that I can expect no further failures. He was very professional and did not mind explaining the steps he goes through. If Ford were smart, they would buy his process and distribute the solution through their dealer network.

I will gladly recommend him to anyone that encounters this problem. Thanks Rick!

email: delitoth@att.net


Scott in Livermore, CA

Dave did a great job repairing my truck. After doing many hrs of research on the net and talking with many knowledgeable friends. I contacted them through the web page at 10:30pm on a Sunday night and at 10:55pm my phone rang with Dave on the phone asking if I wanted him to drive up in the morning to fix my truck I agreed to a price over the phone and Monday morning at 9:30am he was at my house ready to start the work. By 11:30am he had my truck running better then it had in a long time. I would highly recommend Blownoutsparkplug.com to others.

email: scott8x5@excite.com


Peter in Apple Valley, CA

Thank you for the great work you did on my Ford 15-passenger van.

I broke down in Orange County, CA last Thursday night and the van was fixed and sounding better than ever the next evening. I take long trips through our desert regions and you can't beat the peace of mind of knowing that for a reasonable price, you've eliminated forever a common and easily-recurring engine problem that costs people thousands to get only partly fixed at the (raw) dealer.

I feel blessed to have found your service on the internet when I did. I plan to tell all our friends (and anyone else who'll listen) with similar Ford big vans and trucks about your website. Please send more of your business cards, if possible.

Thanks again. Pete Q

email: res1twgc@verizon.net


Darryl in Huntington Beach, CA

AMAZING !!! I can’t think of a better single word to describe the product and workmanship these guys provide.

I submitted a request for information on their website about 3pm. Within the hour, I got a call from David who answered all my questions and offered an appointment for that same evening.

I depend on my F250 Superduty to make a living. So, I needed it fixed fast and I needed it fixed right. I should mention, the plug that blew had been repaired before. I knew this because the blown plug had an insert still on it and it exactly matched the picture of “other failed inserts” on their website. Anyway, after following David’s instructions to unplug the fuel injector, I drove two hours and arrived in El Cajon at 6pm. I then watch Ric and Kevin work together like two veteran surgeons and in exactly 90 minutes they not only repaired the blown plug port but they also inspected and installed new plugs in the other 7. The 650 dollars I paid was great.

Thanks you BLOWNOUTSPARKPLUG.com!!!


email: deshbca@gmail.com


Barlow in Hacienda Heights, CA

This company was recommended by a Lazy Daze owner who had his Spark Plugs replaced so I gave them a call.

Since it was not convenient for me to go to either of their locations, they arranged to come where the Motorhome is stored at a time convenient to all.

I was extremely impressed at the high level of professionalism they exhibited. The replacement of the Spark Plugs is not an easy job. It requires not only the correct tools, but the necessary Knowledge, which they have.

I would definitely recommend them.

email:
btomlazydaze@verizon.net


Edgar in Chula Vista, CA

I Have Ford 2001 Expedition that had a Blown Out Spark plug.

This is that first time I even heard of it!. I thought to myself, how can you blown out a spark plug as it is threaded in the cylinder head.

Anyways, I usually work on my own car and was trying to figure out where the engine noise was coming from and I found out that one of spark plugs has blown out or (stripped the treads). I told to myself, Wow! This is going to be a lot of work. I need to replaced the cylinder head,

I started looking online for a cylinder head and for some reason Blownoutsparkplug.com came up, I contacted Ric and it was pretty nice that I could ask him a few questions first like including how much and how long it was going to take and decided to make the appointment to get it repaired.

They are very professional. They will take care of your vehicle professionally. I will recommend them to everyone.

Note!! The cost of the repair was less than what I expected, Thanks Ric!!!!

Edgar
 

email: edgarpueblo@yahoo.com


Malcolm in Bellbrook, OH

I found these guys via Google using the search "blown spark plug". It worked and I was quickly contacted by them to explain my plight, they responded well and they were very understanding.

They were very quick at setting things into motion, a little too quickly I first thought.
I was a little concerned as to whether I had made the right decision, those thoughts were allayed when I met Ric, he was a warm well motivated guy, with a very professional manner about him, keen to get the job done and confident of his ability to do so, without the need to do so much of what any Ford dealership would have you believe needs to be done, with an exaggerated cost.

Ric knew he could do the repair without the need and or the expense Ford quoted. Ric flew in on Saturday evening and stayed overnight with us, got up early Sunday morning did the work, with the very specialized tools they had developed, removing and cleaning all the plug ports repairing the damaged port before replacing all eight plugs and checking the work.
We ran the truck around the block I even drove him back to the airport Sunday afternoon for his flight home in it.
Tats was last year and the truck is still running better than it ever did before.

If You have doubts that's understandable, but trust these guys, I did and I'm very thankful I did.

email:
malcolmowen9988@sbcglobal.net


Dick in Santee, CA

I had my 2000 Ford 150 Spark Plugs changed by the Blownoutsparkplug crew.
My truck had 94000 miles on it and I did not have a problem just wanted a plug change.
I was told by a friend of mine about Blownoutsparkplug and decided to try them.
I was very satisfied with there work. I highly recommend them to anyone. Thanks Blownoutsparkplug guys.

email:
richardbird@cox.net


Gene in Mobile, AL

While staying at a campground in Alabama this spring on our way home from a winter in Florida, I started the engine in my 2000 Winnebago Chieftain Ford V10 and there was that all to familiar POP! I had blown out plug #7 with just 47000 miles on the coach. This was a familiar sound as two years earlier at 37000 miles I had blown out #4. At that time a helicoil was put in at a local Ford dealer at a cost of nearly $1000.00. After this second occurrence, I checked out the web and found the Blownoutsparkplug.com site. I called Rick and he responded quickly, we discussed my options, and he flew in to make the repair after assuring me that this would be the last of this problem. I found Rick to be professional and fun to have around for the weekend. My repair was completed to my satisfaction and all is well to date. We have gone approximately 1500 miles since the repair and are looking forward to Florida again this winter. I would recommend checking with Rick if you're having the Gene Hahl, Ohio 419-625-1365.

email: ehaccurate@sbcglobal.net


Toby in Riverside, CA

Still working good!

email: tobyeklund@gmail.com


Tim in Colorado Springs, CO

I would like to say that these guys are great. Usually I do my auto work myself, but not this. I drove from Colorado to California to meet with Dave. I had purchased the plug that they sell to replace the #3 plug for the trip. I met with Dave on Christmas Eve and he was great. Could not ask for better service. About 3 hours or so later, my 1999 Expedition was running better than new. He was very knowledgeable when I had questions for him and VERY fair price. I now have a vehicle that I can trust. It is incredible how efficient their system is for fixing this issue. I would highly recommend their service to anyone having this issue.

email: proudeagle622@comcast.net


Dick in Santee, CA

I have a 2000 F 150 with 94,000 Miles. Needed a Tune up/Spark Plug change. Ford quoted a price that was unbelievable. I found out from a friend about Blownoutsparkplug. I called Ric and set up an appointment. Workmanship was outstanding & down time was at a minimum. I was really impressed with Ric's service & knowledge. The truck runs better and gas mileage increased as well as power. I highly recommend Blownoutsparkplug to any one. you cannot beat the price. Thanks Ric

email: Richardbird@cox.net


Don in Hermiston, OR

Picked up Dave at the airport after noon and stopped for some lunch. He had the truck completely finished by just after 3 p.m. He explained the importance of all the steps he took to fix the truck as I watched the process.

These guys know what they are doing. I highly recommend their services.

email: curlysfast80@hotmail.com


Chris in Lakeway, TX

What can I say? After having this coil issue previously and paying the price dearly for a botched helicoil and after 8 almost getting soaked for a new head, BlowOutSparkPlug.com came to my rescue and did exactly what all these other comments I read said they would do.

1. They were prompt, courteous and professional.
2. Their fees were appropriate and cost sensitive.
3. Their technician was proficient and capable.
4. My truck has never run so good.

Hat's off to the entire team.

email: clevy@nfagroup.com


Bob in Long Beach, California

I didn't have a plug problem, but after reading about other's incidents with blown out spark plugs, I decided to make an appointment with Dave for my 1st plug change. I had 70,000 miles on a 1999 5.4 Van. My wife and I drove to Solvang. Dave met us at the hotel and took my Van on Friday night. The Mrs. and I had a good dinner and some window shopping in Solvang. Before checkout time on Saturday he had completed the change and delivered my Van. The price was right, and I feel more secure with an expert torqueing the plugs. It was easy to set up the appointment. Dave met all my expectations, and I would highly recommend giving him a call about your Ford engine.

email: firecu@ix.netcom.com


Steve in Beach Park, Illinois

I had a blown out spark plug on my F250. I had it replaced with an aluminum insert by a qualified mechanic. Then I blew another one and had another aluminum insert put in. Then finally blew out the first insert that was put in. Upon doing more research, I found out that this was all due to a design flaw in the head. Only 5 threads on the plugs. Ford would admit nothing and the NTSB will make them do nothing because to their knowledge, no one has been killed as a result of this flaw. I didn't want to buy a new head because the problem still existed and it would have been quite expensive. I then came across Blownoutsparkplug. I contacted them and they came out and fixed my truck on one of the coldest days of our very bad winter. I have not had any problems since. I found out that Ric was also a certified Ford mechanic and was more then aware of the problem and the CORRECT way to fix it.

My thanks to Blownoutsparkplug. I do now believe I can put another 135,000 miles on my truck.

email: stevebrown8828@sbcglobal.net


Steve in Whittier, California

Dave called and said that he was ready to put me on his schedule to work on my 02 26' MB Lazy Daze on the E-450 chassis. I asked him when he could come over and much to my surprise he said that he was working in my area and would come over in about 3 hours! Three hours later and he arrived, got set up in my driveway and went to work. Dave is very professional, efficient, skilled and got the job done in no time. I highly recommend the services of Dave and Blownoutsparkplug.com

email: srkuns@msn.com


George from Laguna Beach, California

Thanks Dave for the opportunity to thank you for a super professional job on the Lazy Daze V- 10. The job wasn't easy due to the cut-away chassis, yet you made it look easy. Your attention to detail got my attention. The engine has been running great and I feel lots better while prowling my off-road haunts in Colorado.

Thanks again,
George

email: lagunageorge04@yahoo.com


Malcolm in Bellbrook, Dayton, Ohio

Job well done Well what a total delight to meet with this guy, Ric. After suffering the all too familiar popping of the blown number 3 spark plug on my Ford Expedition 5.4 Liter, I scanned the internet for a solution and found this wonderful site, read up on the process and felt yes these guys know what there doing. The cost was a fraction of what I had been quoted by a dealer, $3,000.00 and more expensive than a local garage, $300.00, the difference that impressed me was these guys stand behind there work with a guarantee, no B.S. if it fails he’d fix it, although with there track record of over 400 repairs without failure, I would not expect to collect on that promise. Ric is a delight to meet, down to earth, friendly, informative, Knowledgeable, and likable, he bought just enough tooling to do the job, flew in Saturday evening, flew out Sunday evening, with plenty of time to spare, the whole job took two and a half hours, repair of the problem cylinder #3, cleaning of the cylinder threads and replacement of the rest of the plugs, he even replaced a vacuum pipe which had split, at no extra charge, what a guy. Ric had cleaned and packed his tools away and cleaned up the whole place in minutes, we went on a test drive to confirm that the repair was complete, I even drove Ric to the Airport in it. The truck hasn’t run better even when I originally bought it, and the mileage performance has increased to boot. Trust your instinct, I did, and couldn’t be happier.

email: Malcolmowen9988@sbcglobal.net


Philip in San Marcos, California

When all of a sudden, your dealer maintained SUV pops out a spark plug, you find out that your dealers service department wants you to spend $3-4K (Yes thousands) to rebuild your cylinder head!!!!!!!!! Not only that, but it may cost more due to "unforeseen damage" !!!!! Thank goodness for the Internet and forums discussing solutions for problems that We regular folk run into. . . It's a big issue this "popping sparkplug" syndrome. . . I read everything about this Ford engine malady and luckily found Eric in Southern California. . . We discussed his repair techniques and costs. . . what a great price. . . My car was done the NEXT day. . . running like new !!!!!!!!!!!!!! I called the Ford dealer back and asked why no one ever mentioned this issue to me before during any of the previous scheduled services. . . no answer ????? I'm going to have him check my other trucks now, before the problem occurs. . . Don't wait for your dealer, they just want to make money at your expense!!!

email: pkp500@gmail.com


Chad in Kansas City, Missouri

Thanks Ric for doing a great job fixing my F-250 V10. I now feel more than confident that I can take my truck anywhere and not have anymore problems with plugs since you fixed it. I must say flying in a mechanic is not something most people would think about, but I was very impressed with the work you did and how smooth everything went. You are a Godsend for anyone who has had to deal with these spark plug problems and I would recommend you to anyone needing this service. Thanks again for doing a great job, I felt the money I spent to have you come here was well worth the confidence I know have that my blowout spark plug problem is fixed for good. Thanks, Chad

email: Kansascityemt@live.com


Aaron in San Diego, CA

Ok, this gentleman was an absolute lifesaver. He's a great guy, down to earth, great personality, etc. There was another gentleman that assisted that I didn’t get a chance to thank and I would like to do that now. Quickly, my story goes as such. I had problems with my previous truck and decided to buy this one. It’s a 1999 Ford Expedition Eddie Bauer. At the time I figured a note was better than repairs. Well, within no time, I was driving back to the Midwest, and the bad news hit me with a vengeance. I blew a plug in the middle of New Mexico. Ford told me while there to get a new head. They don’t have any luck or good news with plugs, inserts, heli coils, etc. I order it. 1wk later and still stuck in New Mexico they come and stated "Its going to take longer to get the head". GREAT! I spoke to the supervisors and came to an agreement. They could have a new motor with new everything in one day along with one day installation. THE PRICE I ask. We settled on me being out on the day after the next. I walked out with my new motor and $5500.00 in expenses on a truck I owned for a short time. The warranty was for 3 yrs and was supposed to have the “new High Performance Head” that WAS supposed to fix the problem. Well, guess what. 1 wk ago, it did it again. Sad part was I was 3mo out of my full Ford warranty. Isn’t that something? ANYHOW, being a little bent, heated, ticked, and emotionally bruised I posted on F150 online. One of the individuals recommended Blownoutsparkplug.com!. I looked briefly, and saw the price. I researched other types of fixes such as timesert or heli-coils, etc. After calling, Blownoutsparkplug.com knew their material and was a pleasure to be around. From here on out as long as I am here in San Diego, and he is providing his expertise, I will refer and call him for all my spark plug needs. On a scale of 1-10 and 10 being the best I say a “definite 10 out of 10”. The timing, the quality, the cost, and the great customer service, and I can go on. I will recommend and refer other to them without a doubt. Thanks Blownoutsparkplug.com!!!!!

email: Unavailable at this time


Eric in Bethel, CT

What can I say? I was "blown out" of the water with the service I received from both Dave and Ric. This was the 3rd plug that I have blown in a 2000 F-250. The one Ric had to repair had blown out once before and was repaired by a local shop with a "Time sert" which failed. Of course, my shop told me there was no guarantee and that I need a new head at a huge price tag of $3,500. So I did some research and found these guys. I was impressed with Ric's professionalism and preparedness to complete the job. His one suitcase and briefcase contained all the necessary specialized tooling to repair the plug. My father in law, an auto mechanic with over 45 years of experience, came along to the shop to watch the repair. (just for his own !) He was equally impressed with the knowledge and skill Ric possessed. Once Ric finished I needed to bring him to the airport which is 2 hours away, so I said half jokingly should we take this truck? Because we live in Connecticut and Ric is in California I have to admit that my wife was a bit skeptical. "In this day and age there is NO ONE on the entire east coast that could perform the same job?" is what she asked. Reluctantly she trusted my decision and we hired him to fly across the country to repair the truck. Well, she certainly had to eat her words after a four hour job resulted in a "clean bill of health" for the truck. We were initially intending to repair the plug and "park it". We were shopping for a new vehicle and were hopefully going to sell this one. However, Ric's confidence in the repair convinced us that we could drive it into the ground. So not only did this repair cost significantly less than the original estimate we now won't need to have a monthly car payment for a new vehicle! A definite win win situation for all!

email: emsprock@comcast.net


Caltrans in Santa Barbara, CA

We were informed by Ford of a company that was mobile and that could fix the situation we had with very little down time. A spark plug blew out of #3 cylinder on a 5.4L engine with over 145,000 miles on it. It also had an additional propane fuel system installed which crated a repair and maintenance nightmare. None of the shops wanted to take on the job due to the uncertain amount of time and the costs which could occur during disassembly while working in the restricted space available and weather the repair was even possible. Upon contacting Blownoutsparkplug, they were very precise in their estimation of the cost and time to repair. They changed their schedule to meet our repair request and came to our location and repaired the one cylinder and replaced all of the other plugs in the unit, all in about three hours. The repair was warranted and to this day we have not had any problems with the unit.

Thanks Guys, J.F. Santa Barbara, CA

email: john.florence@dot.ca.gov


David in San Diego, CA

We were pleased with the speed and quality of the job preformed. No problems since the repair was made.

email:
david@whizz.com


Don in Leona Valley, CA

We found Blowout Sparkplugs was easy to find. The work was done in a courteous and timely manner. He did an excellent job of clean up when the job was finished & we feel it was well worth the cost. Thank you, Don Sitts

email: sitts@rpmwin.com


Susan in Panama City Beach, FL

My problem was in a 2000, 37 ft. Winnebago Motorhome that had lost the same plug 3 times. David was professional and courteous. He explained what he was doing and put up with my inadequate air compressor. He left everything neat and clean. A couple of weeks later I took it out on a test ride ( a week and 800 miles) and so far everything is working well. It sounds even better than before the plug came out this time. I would recommend this process to any one with a sparkplug problem. If you are out of warranty don't even bother with the dealer.

email: suenrons@aol.com


David in San Diego, CA

We were pleased with the speed and quality of the job performed. No problems since the repair was made.

email: david@zwhizz.com


Darryl in Fayetteville, GA

Recently my '99 Ford E350 V10 blew number 4, and I was surprised to learn that this could even happen! The Dealer recommended a new engine and the other option was a head replacement that would still cost several thousand dollars. I did some further research and discovered Blownoutsparkplug has this repair mastered. I submitted an email to BLOWNOUTSPARKPLUG.com and the next day I got a call from Dave. Living in Fayetteville, GA, and on a tight budget, I was a little reluctant to take the step, but the more I looked into it, the more cost-effective the solution appeared. I set up some preliminary arrangements and Dave took it from there. I picked up Dave at the Airport, brought him to my home, and he did exactly what he said he would do, and more, for the price I was quoted. I was extremely satisfied with the work done and I would recommend them to anyone who has the misfortune of blowing out a sparkplug; they have a great process that is efficient and mechanically sound, they have excellent customer service, and they provide a unique, professional-grade service that is really valuable to anyone in this situation.         

email: vanmeter7@bellsouth.net


Steve in Fort Walton Beach, FL

My '99 F-350 V-10 blew out a spark plug two years ago. The local Ford dealer fixed it with an insert. However, last weekend when I changed the plugs and coil boots, I couldn't tighten the new plug in the cylinder they repaired. Since I had an insert stuck in there, I couldn't use a Time Sert kit or other DIY repair. Another member of the Ford trucks forum gave me the link to BlownOutSparkPlug, so I thought I'd give it a shot. I submitted my info through the website, and Dave called me three minutes later. Because I'm in Florida, he would have to travel out here to do the repair. The next weekend, Dave caught a red-eye out of CA and arrived at my house Saturday morning (we waited a week to keep the airfare reasonable...thanks Dave!). The entire job took less than three hours, and that included his removing all the other spark plugs, inspecting the threads, cleaning the sealing surface, and re-torquing them all. He explained each step and was extremely professional.  Steve Kintop

email: bigstevekintop@yahoo.com


Mitch in Huntington Beach, CA

I am posting this comment, after having had Ric come up from El Cajon just this morning to fix my car, because of the excellent and professional job he did. I have a 1997 Ford Expedition with 125,970 miles on it. It blew the #3 plug a month ago and after much consternation and a couple of phone calls to Huntington Beach Ford, I was told that my only recourse was to replace the head at a cost of $2500.00 per side or $4500.00 for both. A neighbor of mine told me about using a Heli-Coil or similar insert, so I contacted a local garage and asked them, if they could put in an insert and if so, how much it would be. I had already bought a new set of plugs, at a cost of $56 and a new coil pack for $50, thinking I might try to reseat the plug myself. They told me that it would be $450.00 with no guarantee that it would hold. It was still cheaper than $2500.00 for a new head so I agreed to give it a try. Four weeks after having the "repair" done, I was accelerating from an intersection and heard that all to familiar "pop" of the plug being blown out and suspected immediately that it was probably the same plug they had "fixed". I had the car towed back to the garage after calling them and letting them know my suspicion, which was confirmed when I lifted the hood and saw the #3 plug sitting up against the fuel rail. After diagnosing that it had blown out the "insert" and that they didn't think they could get anything to stay in the head they told me I would have to replace the head, at an additional cost of $2300.00. At this point I thought I would give it one more shot on the internet to see if there was an alternative solution, and VOILA, I came across Blownoutsparkplug.com. I called Ric and he answered immediately and I explained my situation. His response was "Not to worry, I can get up to H.B. on Sat. am and we'll get your Expedition fixed correctly". I was elated to see when he arrived that he was driving an identical car to mine. Guess he does have a lot of faith in his preventative maintenance procedure!!! Anyway, he was fully equipped with a load of custom designed tools and we (I had to watch to see how to do it the right way) had the blown plug replaced and all new plugs installed and torqued correctly (six of the new plugs I had just had installed were already loose) in less than two hours. My only regret is that I didn't come across their website before throwing away $550.00 on an obviously amateur repair job that didn't last a month. I am certain that after watching the whole procedure, that this fix will last a long time and I will finally have peace of mind and not have to worry about when the next plug will blow.
Thanks again Ric and keep up the great work!!!

email: mitchbro@aol.com


Chris in Sacramento, CA

These guy's are great. Our 2003 Expedition spit out a spark plug on a Thursday. I heard about these folks and gave them a call. They called back right away. We discussed the issue and they quoted me a price to drive from Santa Ynez to Sacramento and repair the car. Dave arrived Saturday morning and went to work. A couple of hours later we were up and running. I would recommend there services to anybody.

email: ctstaab@surewest.net


Dick in Covina, CA

I blew out the #9 plug on my wife's 1997 E350 V-10 the afternoon before a big horse show, and of course she expected me to buy her a new tow vehicle by the next day. After putzing around the internet and realizing how expensive this repair was likely to be, I stumbled into the Blownoutsparkplug.com website and gave them a call, which was returned in under 5 minutes! Dave and Ric were on site within about 4 hours and the work was completed about 3 hours later, despite the fact that Econolines are pretty difficult to work on, and it was dark about half way through the job. They were very nice, explained everything, were obvious experts in their field, and I would recommend them to any and all. Dick Cromie

email: cromierj@msn.com


Willie in Baltimore, MD

My #3 plug blew on my 03 Expedition in late Aug 08. Ric came out to Baltimore, MD on LABOR DAY weekend!!! I had researched the issue and every place I looked all mentioned Blownoutsparkplug.com as the only place with a well documented permanent repair. Ric flew out on a red eye Saturday night and arrived at BWI airport at 10:30 Sunday morning. I picked him up and we went straight to my house and he got started. Ric answered my questions as he went along (I know that had to drive him nuts but it never showed). He even broke one of his tools in the middle of the repair but he adapted and completed the repair in under 2 hours. Ric had another in guy in New Jersey drive down to Baltimore and pick him up so he could repair his Expedition as well. Ric even pointed out to me that one of my coil packs was rusted and was going to need to be replaced. Ric cleaned it up for me and told me to replace it when I get a chance but the others looked good. The rusted one is acting up now so I ordered a couple off of eBay and will replace it myself after watching Ric remove them. The dealer wanted 750 to try and repair it and would not warranty the work. To make it even worse the kit they would have used doesn't hold and if that had happened they would have then tried to get me for $4000.00 for a head replacement. For $800.00 plus $250.00 for a roundtrip ticket on Delta (on short notice no less) I get a permanent repair and piece of mind. Ford really needs to step up and take care of this issue. I'll be keeping my truck but not to keen on any future Ford purchases after this experience.

email: williecofield1@verizon.net


Perry in Inglewood, CA

I would like to say that I could not be happier with my 2001 Lincoln Navigator after the guys at BLOWNOUTSPARKPLUG were done with it. the email response was the fastest time in my life. I think Dave got back to me within 3-4mins of me pressing send. I happened to luck out and one of the guys had a service call not too far from my home. They showed up on a SUNDAY almost right after football started, and within 3 hours had managed to repair the number 8 plug. What makes it so different is that the #4 and #8 are tucked deep under the hood / firewall and are very hard to reach as well as the fact that I have the rare 2001 5.4L where you can't even see or get to the EGR valve without dropping the engine. Anyway, I couldn't wait for them to leave so I could give it a real test drive and have something go wrong so I can call them back to do it again, LOL the laugh was on me, it runs better now than before, these guys are amazing. I already told 3 friends with Fords/Lincolns about them.

email: slvrtung@gmail.com


Judith on the Central Coast, CA

Every part of the service given by Dave Mahlmeister was extraordinary. He called me within a few minutes of receiving my email on Wednesday night, set me up for service that Saturday and offered to expedite delivery of the emergency kit or even have it hand delivered to me by a colleague passing nearby the following day. As it turns out, Dave actually personally retrieved my 1997 Ford F150 from the Ford dealer in San Luis Obispo, installed the emergency kit and drove it down to his shop on Friday night. Not only was he wonderfully accommodating, he dealt with yet another issue, a blown front tire enroute, with skill, grace and humor. Dave finished the repair to my truck Saturday morning and had it waiting for me, running fine (and clean! something it hadn't been in a while) when I arrived early that afternoon. He explained what he had done, showed me the tools used to do it, offered me my old sparkplugs back (and explained why I should ask for that on any future replacements) and was in every way helpful and informative. When I found out that my truck, bought used 3 years ago, had had a blownout sparkplug before unbeknownst to me, I was especially glad that I chose this company to do the repair instead of going with the dealer's suggestion of a helicoil. Turns out that, in addition to the current blowout of #4, #1 had been repaired with a helicoil in the past; removing the plug to replace it broke the old helicoil and required an oversize insert. If I had gone with the dealer's suggestion of a helicoil along with replacement of the rest of the plugs, I would have ended up having to buy a replacement cylinder head instead at a I purchased the high reliability service (inserts for all of the sparkplugs, blown or not). So, for $1800 ($700 less than the estimate for a helicoil fix for ONE plug plus replacements for others, thousands less than replacing one or more cylinder heads or the entire engine), I got terrific service and better still, peace of mind. I don't have to worry about this again and can go back to enjoying and trusting my truck. Dave and Blownoutsparkplug.com gave amazing service. I will recommend them to anyone and have already proactively advised all of my friends with 1997-2008 Fords. I am happy to reply to emails requesting an individual recommendation.

email: judi@bstgreen.net



Tom in Mera Mesa, CA

We have a 2003 Ford Expedition with only 60,000 miles we experienced a blown spark plug. We received the estimate from the Ford dealer at nearly $3,600 for the repair and we also learned it was a known problem but Ford was not doing anything about it. I don't know about anyone else, but just coming up with $3,600 is not easy. We did some searching on the Internet to better understand the problem and to see if that estimate was valid. We came across Blownoutsparkplug.com, but were a little leery considering it was $3,000 cheaper to repair the problem. I was talking about my situation with a friend and as soon as I mentioned Blownoutsparkplug.com, they knew right away who I was talking about. With so many people having this problem, I guess word gets around about good service! With that reassurance we called Dave up and we were fortunate enough where we fit into Ric's travel schedule here in San Diego so that we only had to wait a few days. Once he arrived, he got right to work. He explained the problem, told us how procedure works and how long it will take. Now, more than 6 months later, we have not had any additional problems and the Expedition is still running great. If you are reading these testimonials, you are probably in the same situation that we were in 6 months ago. It will be worth your time to call them and let him know your situation. It was the best decision we made.

email: nagol@san.rr.com


Roman in Lufkin, TX

Absolutely outstanding! Great work and great price. I was also impressed with the time it took for the repair: began work at 9:50 am and done at 11:55 am. Smooth and impressive! Don't hesitate hiring these boys for the job. No disappointments here. As of 9/7/08 it's been over six months and 7200 miles since the repair - still going strong!

email: roman_piper_collins@hotmail.com


Charles in Wauseon, OH

My 2001 F150 with 150K miles blew the #3 cylinder while I was attending the SNCOA at Maxwell AFB Alabama. I live in Ohio and when the plug blew, I was 4 days away from graduating and returning home when this occurred. I had it towed to a local Ford Dealer and they informed me that the head cracked when the plug blew and it was going to cost me $4,500 and another 5 days to fix. All this was unacceptable so I gave Ric a text message. He returned my text almost immediately and after 2 days of contemplating I followed Ric's advice of driving the truck home on 7 cylinders. Well, 780 miles later it worked like a charm. It was a little loud, but I didn't loose much power and I arrived safely at home 12 hours later. I was able to thread a plug in the last remaining thread and drove it to Michigan where Ric was performing another repair. He repaired the blown cylinder and found 3 others that were loose. Thanks Ric!! By the way, Ric could not confirm what the Alabama Ford technician had told me about the cracked head. I assume they were looking for some fast cash..

email: cwasnich@roadrunner.com


Joel in Cumming, GA

My man Ric came down to Atlanta to fix my truck . He did a great job and my truck runs great .I would recommend him to anybody.

email: joel stinson@bellsouth.net


Ron in Riverside, CA

I was really upset when the v10 in my Ford F250 blew a spark plug while I was on vacation. Kind of ironic I was with a friend and his v10 in his F350 blew just few months earlier. So due to my friend’s experience I knew this could happen to me. My truck had just turned 100k miles with no trouble. I inquired at the local Ford dealerships and the cost for replacing the spark plugs ranged from $550.00 to $700.00. When I had the plug blown I searched the internet for Ford’s position on the blown plugs and I found the Blownoutsparkplug.com web site. This was on a Saturday afternoon and I got a call back in less than an hour. Dave informed me that he would be passing by my area at noon the next day, so we set up the meeting. I was totally impressed in the professionalism and expertise that Dave used in repairing my vehicle. Was I happy? Yes. The cost of repair was not much more than the local Ford Dealer wanted to change my plugs. Highly recommended and would recommend to anybody needing repairs or even spark plug service before the actual failure.

email: ronald.moore@charter.net


Vic in Wheaton, IL

My 2000 Ford Excursion with 130k had a blown out spark plug. Ford changed my plugs 1 year before this happened, so I had it towed to Ford and they told me it needed a new cylinder head for $3800.00 - wow if I had know I would have made sure my plugs are cleaned and torqued correctly, this would have prevented the plug from wearing out the threads from being loose. After doing a Google search , I found Dave at Blownoutsparkplug .com. He contacted me 15 mins after I sent a request. We talked about this problem and Ford not changing plugs the right way and I also checked on a helicoil repair but they do not hold for long. Dave then told me their exact procedure. I then checked out the website and called Dave back to schedule Ric to come out and fix the plug and put new plugs in. As he worked on the plugs we found that 4 other plugs were only a half turn more then hand tight and could have stripped the threads and blown another plug. Ric is an outstanding mechanic and has this procedure down to an art. He completed changing the rest of the plugs and made sure everything was clean and torqued properly, then cranked over the motor and it ran perfect. It has now been a few weeks and over 1000 miles later and no issues. I would recommend this procedure as Ford will not take responsibility for changing spark plugs correctly. Dave and Ric give a money back guarantee if their plug repair fails and nobody does that!! Great service and much less then Ford.

email: vborrows@ameritech.net



Mell in Fresno, CA

Just wanted to drop a note to let everyone with a blown spark plug know to call David in Santa Ynez, CA. My 2000 Ford Expedition with the 5.4L engine blew the number two spark plug stripping the threads. The repair would have been $2500 to $3500 for a new head, well lucky for me to find David in Santa Ynez, CA. He was very professional, and the time of repair blew me away, just under two hours which included the repair, plugs and coil pack replacement. Great job David,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Thanks again..... I drove over 200 miles on 7 cylinders with no plug , a little noisy but we made it.

email: bibbml@aol.com


Mark in Aurora, CO

#3 Spark plug Blew out of my 99 Expedition 5.4 motor. I web searched around for information regarding the infamous blown spark plug phenomenon. www.Blownsparkplug.com came up in several threads on various websites and I made contact. They were quick to respond, easy to work with, very cordial and candid when answering any and all questions. Dave came down and did an insert and replaced all the other plugs in just around 2 hours. Awesome work and 1/3 of what it would have cost from the dealership. Git-r-done with www.Blownoutsparkplug.com they rock!!!!!!  Highly recommend doing before it blows as "insurance" but definitely if it does blow call or email them for great and efficient service.

Thank you, Mark DeNittis 

email: rmte5280@msn.com        Author www.JeepGrilleAdventures.com  Food Editor: www.4x4Wire.com  


Doug in Yacca Valley, CA

There are very, very few good vehicle techs left and even fewer honest mechanics and the almost extinct GOOD, HONEST and FRIENDLY mechanics. I have worked on every form of the internal combustion engine since I was old enough to hold a wrench. I have never come across and engine that could not hold its sparkplug in, while driving home late on a Sunday night my 5.4 L V8 spit out it's # 3 plug taking out the coil. I pulled over thinking it was a blown head gasket. I found the sparkplug laying in the intake runners. totally baffled I went to the internet to find an engine for my Expo thinking mine was toast. I read blog after blog of Ford owners that have had the same problem and Fords fix was to change the head out and not address the real problem. Then I found Ric's site and my problem was solved! I took my wounded steed to his shop in El Cajon on fathers day he not only fixed the bad plug hole, inspected the other plug holes, cleaned the threads, installed new plugs, boots aI didn't know I had, he offered me a wheel for my car trailer (long story) to get me home! We made it back home that night and thanks to blownoutsparkplug.com there are many many more miles left in my engine with only a fraction of the cost of a new head/engine. THANKS RIC! Doug Judy and Josh P.S. Wish I could have stayed and bench raced with ya longer, maybe another time. 

email: dezracer@earthlink.net



Brian in Leawood, KS

BlownoutSparkplugs.com really saved us. Ford would do nothing for us, even though I'm a long time Ford fan and have owned many Fords. they could care less. BlownoutSparkplugs.com has a solution that seemed better than the other choices. They were easy to work with. Ric flew out and repaired our van. Its runs much better now than it did before the spark plug blew out. Another thing is that Blownoutspakrplugs.com restores faith in the vehicle. I had planned on fixing it, then selling it to get a van with a better motor in it - one that won't fail again. After talking to and working with Ric, we'll be keeping our van for another 100k miles. Thanks guys.

PS: Ric, let me know if you do get a chance to drive a NASCAR on the track.

email: L8apex32@gmail.com


Terry in Los Angeles, CA

David Mahlmeister changed the plugs on my 2001 Lazy Daze motor home built on a Ford E450 chassis with a V10 at 35,000 miles on May 16, 2008. Three of the plugs had a removal torque less than the Ford spec torque of 14 ft-lbs (5.7; 8.7; & 10.2). Four of the plugs were about at spec (13.2; 13.7; 14.2; & 14.6). The remaining three plugs were 16.2; 20.6, & 23.9 ft-lbs. I am glad I had the plugs changed and torqued to 28 ft-lbs. I may have been headed for a blown out plug or two if I had not done this preventative procedure. Watching Dave work in the confined space using his custom tools was enlightening. Changing the plugs is a lot more than just unscrewing the old ones and screwing in the new ones. Dave made sure that everything was clear of debris and dirt before removal and throughout the procedure and then cleaned the threads and polished the seats. An ordinary mechanic may not have been as meticulous and methodical as Dave. The plug change took about two hours. I made my appointment about a month ahead of time when I would be camping near Santa Ynez. Prior to my appointment, Dave called me when he was nearby on another job to see if would be convenient to do the job at my home, but I was not at home. This is great customer service.

Now, with "tight" plugs, I feel much better having to live with this deficiently designed "four thread" Ford aluminum head. If you are ever the victim of this Ford design, www.blownoutsparkplug.com will get you back in service quickly with a superior repair.

email: t2trails@sbcglobal.net


Mike in Arcadia, CA

I had my Lincoln towed to the local Ford/Lincoln dealer to analyze and probably repair a rough running engine problem that I properly guessed to be a spark plug issue. Little did I know that it was not simply a fouled plug but rather a blown plug...something I had never heard of before. The dealer quoted a minimum of $1600 to repair the damage caused by this blown spark plug. Needing a second opinion, I asked a fellow business associate if he had ever heard of a blown spark plug which surprisingly he had. Being the analytical type, he researched the problem and possible repairs and forwarded me the link to the "Blownoutsparkplug" website. I proceeded to read this site entirely including the FAQ section and then called Ric. Within one minute of this phone call I was convinced the Blownsparkplug technology was the better solution than the more costly dealer solution. I was sold! Sold on Ric, the solution, their warranty, the value-added work they provide for the remaining plugs...and, on a price that was half that of the dealer. Ric's brother Dave came to my house and fixed the car in just a few hours. Now a month (and over 1000 miles) later the engine's been running great. I absolutely recommend Blownoutsparkplugs solution to anyone who has this unique problem.

email: mkcook9000@aol.com


Kevin in Hemet, CA

I can define customer service in one word, RIC. My 2000 Ford Mustang GT blew out a spark plug on 5/1/08 and I was lost as to what to do. I came across Ric's web page and decided to call. Sunday morning at about 10:00 am I spoke with Ric and at 6:00 pm Ric came to MY HOUSE in Hemet CA. In just under two hours the job was finished. Ric even changed all of the spark plugs and torqued them in at the correct torque. Ric you are very professional and provide the best service I have ever seen in auto mechanics. I, without hesitation, recommend your honest service. I now know that I can indeed trust that my car will run great again, in fact I just got back from a drive and it purr's like a little kitten. Thank you again Ric, if anyone needs a reference please contact me I will be more than happy to give an honest accounting of your great service. Feel free to contact me at kevinolga@yahoo.com

email: kevinolga@yahoo.com


Rod in Queen Creek, AZ

While I hadn't had a plug blow out yet, I sure feel better having had new plugs put in and knowing for sure that none of the old plugs were close to blowing. The peace of mind is well worth the expense. Ari did a great job of explaining the process and showing what he was looking for in the way of what would have been potential problems. If peace of mind out on the road is important to you, I highly recommend these guys. Prompt response to your inquiry and getting the job done.

email: rodtraut@aol.com


Evan in Reseda, CA

I have an 02' F250 with a V10 motor which I use for towing my boat and other vehicles. I would highly recommend Dave and Blownoutsparkplug to anyone owning a Ford vehicle. Their service was quick and professional. Upon changing my plugs, we noticed that there was some carbon around two of the plugs. They were changed just in the nick of time before blowing out and creating a costly repair. I am now confident in driving my vehicle without worry. In addition, my fuel mileage increased from 13 mpg, to almost 15, while towing a load. Their service is very well worth the cost and peace of mind. Thanks!

email: filmguy1967@yahoo.com


Gene in Santa Paula, CA

The plugs were changed out by Dave Mahlmeister in our '98 Lazy Daze Motor Home at 75k. The service was great & courteous with Dave explaining everything to us & no damage or soiled carpeting to our rig at all.. the worst was Daves skinned knuckles from the oil hose clamp..!! Glad we had it done by this firm & we highly recommend them to other V-10 owners.

email: salene@verizon.net


Ray in Santee, CA

While driving to get my kids a spark plug blew out of my V-10 F-350, I was told about the service from a friend. I called and had a appointment the next day, Ric and his helper showed up at 5:30 and were done by 7:00. My truck runs great and they saved me a lot of money by not having to get the motor taken apart.

email: ray_lisaburns@hotmail.com


Mario in San Diego, CA

I have a Mazda Miata 1995. The moment I called Eric the spark plug thread wizard. My gut feeling is that He is the answer to my $3000.00 problem. He even offered to fix my car on site. He and his assistant worked with military like precision. Like a surgeon performing an open hearth surgery. In less than an hour he was able to give life back to my dead Miata.

email: balcosms@cox.net


Angela in Los Gatos, CA

Thank you so much for all of your good advice and assistance with my blown spark plug! When it happened I was driving from Tahoe in the most remote part of Hwy 50 late at night. After getting a tow to the nearest Ford Dealer, I thought I would be able to get it fixed and get back on my way the next day. I was quoted $1700 with a "tail light guarantee." Or I could

choose to put in a new head for $4000 -- that they would guarantee! You guys rushed me the temporary plug and I was then able to make arrangements to get the job done to my satisfaction -- and at a very reasonable price -- and you stand behind your work! You were professional and accommodating. I would highly recommend blownoutsparkplug.com's services!

email: acjames@yahoo.com
 


Dave in Bend, OR

We spent three months in AZ this winter. On our way south from Bend Or, we stopped at Blownoutsparkplugs in Santa Ynez, CA to have the spark plugs and boots changed in our in our 1997 Lazy Daze Motorhome with a V-10 engine. I had not had any problems with them, just wanted to to stay ahead of the curve.

Dave Mahlmeister did a great job, it only took a few hours and we were on the road again.

One night we pulled into a campground late in day at Monument Valley UT, ( In the middle of no-where) before I could even get setup, a guy next to us came over and asked if I knew anything about a V-10 engine, I told him not much, he said he thought he had blown a head gasket. The next morning I want over to have a look, as soon as he started the engine, I knew he had blown a spark plug!

Thanks again Dave

email: dennis-r@juno.com
 


Octavious in Solvang, CA

Thanks again for the excellent work..........So far so good. Interesting that Ford said there was NO way this problem could be fixed without replacing the head. It's nice that you are here in the valley. I'll check in with you sometime and see when it is a good time to re-tighten those plugs again.

email: mr_ov@yahoo.com
 


Terry in Gardnerville, NV

Had Dave do a plug change on my 2003 Ford E-450 V-10 at 50K miles. After watching him do this work I was glad I decided against doing it myself. He's got all the right tools and the experience to do this properly and the price is reasonable. We learned that my Ford (production date 5/03) has the revised heads with eight threads but we still found one plug that took only 5 ft/lbs of torque to break loose. Whether that would have turned into a problem I can't say but I'm glad we did this now and that I had it done by blownoutsparkplug.com because now I know it's been done right and I can rest easy for the next 60K miles or so. Thanks, Dave!

email: tlburnes@charter.net
 


Charles in Gardena, CA

I called these guys on a Saturday morning, and Dave happened to be in my area and was at my home by early afternoon, and meticulously and thoroughly diagnosed my situation and made the return trip a few days later to complete the repair of a blown plug that had been previously repaired with a Helicoil by a Ford dealer and which was blowing again. Armed with extensive knowledge and superior workmanship, he got my 2000 Expedition running fine again. Observing the tools and materials these guys used, I have no doubt that this repair will last. Their custom inserts and their method of repair is obviously vastly superior to that of the dealer or other service facilities, not to mention much less expensive than replacing the cylinder head. I have been telling everyone I know who drives a big Ford V8 subject to this problem that these are THE guys to solve the problem. Dave, thanks so much for your quick response, your upbeat disposition and your commitment to excellence.

email: cwilliams205@earthlink.net
 


Mike in Swall Meadows, CA

I am so lucky I found you guys. No one from Ford Dealers to local repair shops had any idea of what to do other than replace the heads on my 2002 Expedition. I talked with 3 different dealers and got three different suggestions, none that would really work and all that cost way too much. I called Dave set up an appointment, he was here on time fixed the truck in about 2 hr, change all my plugs and the truck has run great ever since. You guys are very professional, and you know what you are doing. Thank you so much for being there. Sincerely Mike

email: mday@schat.net
 


David in Winchester, CA

I was impressed on how fast my truck was repaired and how friendly the mechanic (Ric) was. I hope never to have this problem again but if I did, I would not hesitate to call.

email: ynieburger1@msn.com
 


Richard in Tucson, AZ

Thank God for these guys! Yeah, I know, they charge for their work, but it's the best bargain for me. My '01 E-350 V-10 with 140K miles still has a lot of life left in it. My option from the Ford dealer was a new engine (they won't touch one with this many miles) for $6,000 or $500 or Blownoutsparkplug. For me, it's a no-brainer. I was looking at going into debt to buy a new vehicle or replace the engine in this one and the folks at blownoutsparkplug.com saved me a fortune I live in the Tucson, AZ area. It just so happens one of their guys lives close by. My spark plug blew out of the #4 cylinder (typical, so they say) on a Thursday while pulling a maxed out load from New Mexico. I took my van in on a Saturday and it was ready to go back to work on Sunday. Now, THAT'S a miracle! You've saved me a ton of money and stress. Thanks blownoutsparkplug.com! Richard Laughingcrowflutes.com

email: rixtvnant@aol.com
 


John in Temecula, CA

It's been about a month now since David and his brother repaired my truck, an '02 F250 V10 4X4. So far, so good! I have to say, I was very impressed with the service I received. Name me one industry, in this day and age, that will make a house call and fix your vehicle at your home, not to mention arriving at 9:30 pm on a Friday night. These guys were traveling to the Midwest during the holidays. As they began their trip, they called and said they would be passing through the area and could stop and make the repair. Traffic was heavy on the Friday before Christmas and they finally arrived at my place at 9:30pm. It was a chilly evening, low 40's. They set up a table, lights and laid out all their tools and materials. It reminded me of operating room, very professional, except remember, doctors don't make house calls. Anyway, in just under two and a half hours, they buttoned it up just before midnight. The trucks been running since. We took it out to the desert  a couple  weekends  later to test  the  repair.  Pushed  the truck  pretty hard  with no issues.  So, I would definitely  recommend  this  service.  If  anyone  would like to follow-up  with additional  questions,  feel free to email me. John W.  

email: calgate_97@yahoo.com
 


Steve in Plano, TX

Dave and Ric Mahlmeister did a great job from start to finish. A local mechanic in the North Dallas area actually told me about the blownoutsparkplug.com website after he determined I had blown a plug (#3) in my 2001 Ford E-250 van. Ric was there the following weekend... which was a BIG deal for us since this van is equipped with a wheelchair lift and is the only means we have to transport my daughter. And even though we kind of cut the schedule a little close... Ric had everything done in 2.5 hours... and we were able to get him back to the airport with plenty of time to spare. The whole operation was professional... and Ric obviously knows what he is doing. I would recommend these guys to anyone who is unfortunate enough to be a victim of Ford's poor engineering design. Thanks guys for a job well done!

email: steve@hooperclan.com
 


Dan in Poway, CA

Blownoutsparkplug.com is THE solution for spark plugs popping out of Ford motors. Ric fixed my Ford Expedition quickly, permanently, and at a very reasonable price. The first time a spark plug blew out, my regular repair shop said it was a common Ford problem. My choices were A) Install new heads for about $3500. (The dealer wanted $4200) or B) Install a thread insert, which would only last a few months. I had them put in the insert, and as predicted, it blew out in 2 months. The 2nd time around, I found Ric at Blownoutsparkplug.com. I am an engineer, and I was fascinated with the innovative, economical solution blownoutsparkplug has developed. Ric has unique tapered inserts, specialized tools, and a bullet-proof procedure to make the repair. I watched Ric do the entire repair - Ric is THE man. Don't waste your time going anywhere else - call Ric. It has been almost 2 years, and our Ford Expedition runs great. Thank you Ric !!

email: tobareng@cox.net
 



Mike in San Clemente, CA

I was lucky enough to find blownoutsparkplug.com via an email search. I had 2 different friends that had plugs blow out on their Fords. One of my buddies had it happen twice and had them paired at the dealership one right after the other. I wish I would have known about this service earlier so that I could have saved them thousands of dollars. Mine was the number 4 plug - right up against the fire wall. heck if any of you work on your F150's you know how tight that is back there. I could hardly believe that it was possible for that to be repaired without yanking the motor. I've been driving with my repair for about 5 months now - no problems - runs like new. I would definitely recommend this to any and all of my friends.

email: beachhouseinc@cox.net
 



Patrick in Dubin, CA

Blownoutsparkplug.com's method works. My Expedition was repaired several months ago using the blownoutsparkplug.com method and it's working well. I saved hundreds of dollars and days of downtime, thanks to blownoutsparkplug.com.

email: prevail@comcast.net
 


Brenda in Tustin, CA

Thank you for repairing my 2001 Ford Expedition that had a blown out sparkplug. Ric came out to my house with his assistant, Mandy and was able to fix my vehicle that had a couple of coils that needed to be repaired, too. He worked on the spark plug problem but he was not satisfied with the repair and made sure all the coils were working, too. He was extremely efficient and had my truck running in about 3 hours. I have not had any problems with it since he repaired it. It now runs great. Ric came to Tustin and repaired my vehicle while the fires were burning in San Diego. First of all it was nice of him to leave his town while all the fires were happening to come to Tustin to fix my truck not knowing if his home would be there when he returned. Not a selfish person at all with his time or money. He also did not charge what the dealer was charging to repair my truck, as a matter of fact he charged a lot less than half. You're a great guy Ric and you know your stuff!

email: brendacmela@yahoo.com
 


David in Spring, TX

I was headed to my in-law’s house on Thanksgiving day and 3/4 of the way there the #3 plug blew out. I assessed the problem and after trying to put the plug back in with a borrowed socket realized that the hole was toast. I called AAA and took a $200 wrecker ride back to my mechanic's shop and let my 2000 F-250 sleep outside until they opened back up the following Monday. I searched the web for information on "blown out spark plug" and got the multitude of sites complaining about Ford's infamous problem with the aluminum heads and sparkplug torque. I found a link to this site on the Ford user forum and bookmarked it for reference. After discussing the issue with my mechanic, he advised me to call Ric and have them do the work. I had just enough miles with Continental to buy the plane ticket. I picked Ric up at the airport and took him back within 3 hours. It took him less time to do the work than I spent transporting him back and forth to the airport.

email:
jackdavidlowry@swbell.net
 


Steven in Temecula, CA

My 1999 F250 Triton V-10 blew the #3 plug yesterday afternoon. fortunately I was just a few blocks form home and it was still light enough to figure our what had happened. I immediately started searching the internet for a fix or at least some idea of what this was going to cost me. I've seen sites for kits, I've seen the hundreds of e-mails to consumer affairs. It was looking pretty bleak, then I just happened to stumbled on blownoutsparkplug.com. I spent about an hour going through their website and looking at their process. I also saw they were in my neck of the woods. I gave them a call, Dave called back within an hour and we set an appointment for the next day (Sunday). For $800.00 and some change Rick and Kevin repaired the bad plug socket, replaced the other 9 plugs. good thing they did because there were more that were ready to go. I can also say I am confident this will not happen again. As I understand it this is a torque issue not a head design issue.. THANKS RIC, KEVIN AND DAVE. you guys made my weekend. I will surely spread the word.

email: icyhoyt@yahoo.com
 


Mike in Upland, CA

Unbelievable service and expertise. My 2002 SVT Lightning blew out plug #6. The vehicle has only 49,000 miles on it. I had it towed to my local Ford dealer. Their estimate was $3,800 for a new head. Interesting fact that the new head had no design difference from the one that they were taking off. While trying to find some funds to do this a friend of mine was looking on the internet and found blownoutsparkplug.com. I made a call to Ric on Thursday 01/17/08 and was told that his brother was in the L.A. area on and unrelated trip and would have him call me to see if he could stop by on his way home and take care of my problem. Today is Friday 01/18/08 and my truck now runs better than before the blow out. I am a brake and front end mechanic and the time it took the gentleman to fix my truck was less than it would have taken me to change the brakes. Thanks Guys Mike the HAMMER.

email: mike.combe@verizon.net
 


Melissa in Needles, CA

Oh my goodness, Dave and Ric were awesome! I was coming from Washington State and I broke down in Needles, Ca. I was a woman with 3 kids and dog by myself driving from Washington state to Georgia. I was in the arm-pit of California. Anyway, I had my car towed to this dumpy car repair shop in Needles, Ca. The guys at the car repair shop were trying to screw me by having me paying $2,000.00 more to get my blown out spark plugs replaced. I had a friend come and check out my car from Las Vegas. He knew about the Blownoutsparkplug.com website. My friend hooked me with Ric and Dave by 3 days they came and fixed my car. They dealt with some really nasty mechanics from the dumpy repair shop. Finally, they able to fix my car and I was so grateful. Thank you so much Ric and Dave I'm now in Georgia and my car works wonderfully. Thanks so much, Melissa - Georgia

email: chrisc321@hotmail.com
 



Frank in Laguna Hills, CA

On time, professional and he made it look easy. Verified work he had done and other connections on the engine. Very thorough! Highly recommended!

email: fjthompson2@cox.net
 



Scott in Montrose, MI

Both Rick and Dave showed up at my house on Christmas eve. They pulled in the drive way and went directly to work. They were both two of the most pleasant and professional people you could ever meet. They not only fixed my Expedition, that by the way was down since June, but they made sure I had no other unforeseen problems. I would like to thank both of them and I hope they enjoyed there "Christmas on the road"..

email: scotts@p-ghomes.com
 



Gary in Detroit, MI

First and foremost, Ric did a wonderful job- as advertised- quickly, efficiently and professionally. Secondly, he saved me over 1000 dollars as the shop I had it in wanted to remove the heads to do the job, which on my particular vehicle (E350 box truck) was a major repair. Third, Ric is a very pleasant person to talk to, and his enthusiasm is infectious, it was fun having him in town. I recommended him to folks in my city, in case they have this same issue.

email: gardellafurniture@sbcglobal.net
 


Brad  in Hutto, TX

What can I say besides, WOW!   Ric came to Texas to work on my truck and the airline lost his toolbox on the way. Ric stayed here for two days and found a way to get the job done. I thought I was crazy flying Ric in from CA to fix my truck, but it was worth it. # 3 sparkplug on my F150 is fixed and I'm on the road again. Thanks Ric!!!

email: bwschmidt1@ra.rockwell.com



Robert in Huston, TX

My Ford F150 with 175k spit out spark plug number 8 Sunday afternoon 12/09 and as it is my only means of transportation I had to have it fixed as soon as possible. I searched the internet for an idea of what it might cost and was dismayed to learn of this chronic problem and the possibility of spending $1500 to $2500. I found www.blownoutsparkplug.com on the consumer affairs web site and sent them an email asking when they might be able to get to Houston. To my surprise Dave called 15 minutes after I sent the email and told me Ric was in Austin doing a job and visiting with an old friend. Long story short Ric was kind enough to cut his visit short and I was able to re-route his travel plans to get him to Houston Monday morning do the repair and then on to Dallas for his scheduled flight back to California. These guys are awesome!

Robert Cavazos
Division Chief ETS
Harris County ITC
(713) 755-1427
Robert.Cavazos@itc.hctx.net
 


Lamontt in Sacramento, CA

I am forever in debt to Ric at Blownoutsparkplug.  My family of five went on vacation to San Diego and just happened to be there during the fires of 2007, so everything was closed and we couldn't leave.  The last day we were there, our spark plug blew!  How were we supposed to get home?! We were from Sacramento, 9 hours away and the repair would cost $3,000...did not have it.

I prayed all night long, and the pizza guy that came to the hotel (who I believe was an angel) told us to go to a specific service station to see if they could fix it...none of them could.  However, one of the men at the service station said he heard of a guy who fixes spark plugs on Fords, and to look him up online.  I did, and I found blown out spark plug! (he's the only guy that's doing this) And he just happened to be IN San Diego!!!! Praise the Lord!!
I called Ric at Blownoutsparkplug  and He said that he was going on vacation.  I told him that I needed him now...and he obliged!!! He said if I got to his house at 12 noon, he would postpone his vacation and fix my truck!  Little did I know, he was running home to fix my truck on his lunch break!! Ric worked like lightning while I acted as his servant, getting all the parts from his truck.  My family waited in the car, praying. 
The dealership told me $3500.00 and 3 days to fix my truck....Ric fixed my truck in 35 minutes (same day) and for $500.00!
I am a minister of the Gospel and God used Ric to answer my prayers (like He always does). Honestly, this letter only covers the tip of the iceberg.  Let me just say this, when other service and repair shops are recommending this guy, you know he’s good!  I immediately went back to the service center that referred me and thanked them too! 
I have since traveled to Los Angeles and back 8 hour road trip), used the truck for a daily work truck, and have had no issues at all.  Ric, You’re a God send!!!! Tip him well!  I did, threw in an extra $50.00 wish I could have done more.  If  it wasn’t for Ric, My truck would be in a Storage lot in San Diego and my family would have been on Amtrak to Sacramento…carless.
 
-Lamontt Blackshire
-Don’t believe me, feel free to email me! wecanprintit@yahoo.com
 

Tracy in Whittier, CA

I contacted Blownoutsparkplug on a Friday night. By Sunday night, my van was back running perfect. I had one plug hole repaired and nine plugs replaced to prevent further damage. I've only driven 500 miles since the repairs were made and everything seems great. I most strongly recommend Blownoutsparkplug for any sparkplug problems.

Thanks again,
Tracy

email: cycleorgy@hotmail.com
 


Fred in Denver, CO

I own a 1997 E350 with 134,000 on it. And up until it was fixed and all the plugs redone by Blownoutsparkplug, I had collected two blown plugs. The first was number 2 on a trip across Utah. That repair was $700 from the Ford dealer. The second #3 happened on a trip in Nevada. Had I had the temp plug that would have been a less noisy return. From Ford it would have cost a new head, but still not solved the problem in the future. Now I have all 10 plugs redone and after my first trip already, there are no problems. Dave flew out and did all ten for under half of what Ford wanted to replace just one head.

If you have any questions, call me 303.421.9948 or email foreim@msn.com 

Fred Reim


Rob of Yucaipa, CA

Upon reading an article in a recent Motorhome Magazine I became aware of the plug blowout problems associated with some of the Triton V-10 motors. Further research revealed other Triton motors in certain years were also at risk of blowing plugs anywhere from 30k miles and up. My coach had approx 25 k miles on it. When it comes to maintenance on my vehicles I have always been proactive rather than reactive. I decided to fix it before it breaks rather than take a chance on being stranded on the side of the road somewhere. Something you don’t want with a 33’ Motorhome. I contacted Dave at Blownoutsparkplug to inquire what could be done to prevent this from happening. He responded in a very timely manner and advised they could remove all my plugs, inspect the threads, clean them if necessary install new plugs and re-torque to their own proven specifications. As luck would have it Dave and his son had a trip planned to Tucson a few weeks later. He advised me he could deviate from his route and come by my home to perform the work. They arrived right on time and immediately went to work. A couple of hours later the job was complete. I was lucky, every thing was fine, no damaged threads or loose plugs. Now I have a much better sense of security of knowing I should not have a problem down the road. Thanks again Dave for the “peace of mind”.

Rob

email: rcourtney@rinker.com


Chris of Laramie, WY

Ric,

Your nation wide service is awesome.  Thanks for coming to Wyoming to repair my 2002 Ford Expedition.  At first I was going to attempt repairs myself, but after reading about you on the consumer affairs website, I decided to give you a try and I am glad I did.  Your knowledge and experience are unsurpassed.  The unique procedures you developed to make these repairs accurately, quickly, and efficiently are amazing.   Thanks again for restoring my confidence in this vehicle.    

Chris  cjizzo@bresnan.net


Gary of San Jose, CA

To David Mahlmeister and to any Potential Customers:

"Blownoutsparkplug" saved the day for me! My son, Kevin, and four friends were traveling to Disneyland from San Jose on Thurs, July 26. About 20 minutes from Anaheim, my 1998 Ford Expedition had a spark plug blow out. Fortunately, Kevin stopped by an auto store, bought a plug & tools, inserted a new plug not knowing it was blown out, and was able to reach Disneyland. However, the plug blew out again at Disneyland. On Monday, Kevin had the Expedition towed to a Ford dealership. Ford said they could repair the blown out plug by replacing the head ($3000 or more) or repair the failed plug threads (Heli-Coil) with no guarantee because the fix would eventually fail again. It seemed like I had no choice and was arranging for Ford to do the repairs and renting a car for Kevin and his friends to return home. Once the Expedition was fixed, I would fly to Anaheim and drive back. Fortunately for me, my cousin found  "Blownoutsparkplugs" on line. David Mahlmeister happen to be home (Santa Barbara) Monday and I called him. Rather than have my Expedition towed approximately 120 miles to Santa Barbara to be repaired, David drove (2 hrs) to the Ford dealership in Anaheim with all of his equipment, drove my Expedition to his mother's (a few miles from the dealership), and fixed the failed plug and replaced the other spark plugs. I decided I might as well give the vehicle a 100K tune-up since it was due in about another 15k miles). By 6:00 p.m., Dave returned the Expedition to my son at Disneyland ready to go. My son returned home at about 2:00 a.m. Tuesday morning in time for everyone to return to work. Dave saved the day for me!  All I had to do was make arrangements with Dave over the phone! He took care of everything else! The total cost was $1000 and all work is guaranteed for one year or your money is returned. I was expecting $4K-$5K and lost time from work. Considering the situation, things could not have turned out any better if it were not for David and the service provided by Blownoutsparkplug!!  Also, many thanks to David's mom who allowed David to do the repairs at her house!!

P.S. David was prepared to do the repairs in the parking lot at Disneyland by using a portable generator.

Gary Kawaoka
105 Moundhaven Ct
San Jose, CA 95111

408 578-3701
email: gkbunga@sbcglobal.net


Dawn of Gonzales, CA

Dave,

Thank you for coming to our rescue on Saturday afternoon. 

After having our spark plug blow out of the engine on the highway and doing a little research we were dismayed to learn that Ford would do nothing about this and it would cost us in upwards of 3000+ to get it fixed.  Luckily my husband found your website and we anxiously awaited your arrival on Saturday morning to fix our car. 

Dave and his son were both professional and a joy to deal with.  They were in and out in less than 4 hours allowing us to enjoy the rest of our Saturday. They explained to us what they were doing as they went along. 

Thanks for all the hard work and spending your weekend fixing our car!!!  It runs better now than before!

Dawn

email: dawn.irwin@driscolls.com


Ron of Gillette, WY

I have an used 99 Ford F350 V-10 with 125,000 miles. I got it at a car auction site and thought it was a good deal. Still do THANKS to RIC at Blownoutsparkplug, he is the plug guy.

A little background on myself, I've been told I'm a talented welder, I make cement pump trucks for a living I live in Gillette Wyoming and driving home one day I thought I had blown out a exhaust gasket so I drove to a mechanics shop.

Because this is my primary work vehicle I needed it promptly, they told me it was a sparkplug told me they could not fix it. They told me it was an aluminum head, with not enough sparkplug threads, they told me they thought there was a guy here in Gillette that fix it, called wife to come get me and I came home to computer looking for blown out sparkplug problem.

Because of my experience dissimilar metals I knew I had a greater problem, then that what could be fixed in a short time, I got on computer and the second web site I came to was Ric out of San Diego at Blownoutsparkplug, I E-Mailed him my phone numbers and he called me back within 20 minutes. I was a little confused not remembering I had given him my numbers, his promptness and professionalism is second to none.

Today's date is June 13, 2007 this all this happened on April 16th, the process to get Ric here to Gillette, was an airplane ticket and a drive of 300miles to get Ric to my truck and back to the airport all in 2 days. Thanks Again Ric.

I was contacted the next day by the guy who thought he could fix it he said his success rate was not as good as Ric's. I contacted another rebuild shop 150 miles from Gillette said they needed the head for 20 hours and the labor bill would of been double Ric's price. The local Ford garages cost was about the same as new head, minus half the parts, plus labor from my pocket.

I called Ric and set up appointment to get him here to fix my truck, Thanks again Ric. While Ric was here, he diagnosed other problems with two of my other Ford vehicles.

Thanks Again Ric,
Your friend Ron

Contact me at Brinkerflower@yahoo.com for references.


Phillip in San Jose, CA

Just wanted to say thanks for coming out and fixing my truck. The dealer wanted $5,248.00 to repair it! you saved me a lot of money and did a great job in no time at all. You found another plug ready to leave us and did all the repairs. Thanks for all the help and I'm sure you will be busy for quite so time to come! Thanks again for a job well done!

Philip Bostrom

email: Phil.bostrom@gmail.com


kramey@wilwood.com

Hi Ric,
This is Ken Ramey with the white lightning, The truck is running great, I was absolutely amazed at your performance repairing the truck, I have mentioned you in 2 forums so far, and have told I don't how many people how amazed I was about you. Thank you so much for the work, and if you need my reference for anything please let me know.

Ken

email: kramey@wilwood.com


ARTICLES FROM CONSUMER AFFAIRS
www.consumeraffairs.com


Donald of El Cajon CA

2-1-2008 2001 f150 4.6 v8 78,000 miles, #3 plug blew out while driving on busy freeway. Will most likely use blownoutsparkplug.com for repair as luck would have it Ric is just 3 blocks from my house. I will also be re-torquing all my plugs every 15,000-30,000 miles.


Dawn of Gonzales CA (09/10/07)

After having our spark plug blow out of the engine on the highway and doing a little research we were dismayed to learn that Ford would do nothing about this and it would cost us in upwards of 3000+ to get it fixed. Luckily my husband found the www.blownoutsparkplug.com website and we anxiously awaited their arrival on Saturday morning to fix our car. They were professional and a joy to deal with. They were in and out in less than 4 hours allowing us to enjoy the rest of our Saturday. They explained to us what they were doing as they went along. It runs better now that before!


Ken of Thousand Oaks CA (07/05/07)

On June 26 2007 on my way home from work my 2001 Ford f150 lightning with a 5.4 liter motor blew the #3 spark plug out of the head, after doing some research on the internet I was shocked as to the magnitude of this problem, and to how much it was going to cost me if I went to the Ford dealership, I have always owned Ford trucks, and my dad has always owned Ford trucks and have been very satisfied with them, my lightning had been to this point the best and most fun truck I have owned, so after doing some research on the net I came across Blownoutsparkplug.com having been in the machine shop and manufacturing trade for over 30 years his process made the most sense to me, so I called him and was very impressed with Ric over the phone, set-up an appointment and had him come out to my house to fix it, I can hardly express how impressed I was with Ric he is like a surgeon with this problem he explained every step that he was performing, had the problem fixed and the rest of the spark plugs checked and replaced in under 3 hours, I would not recommend any other fix but what he performs, the insert and tools he uses, and the process he performs make perfect sense to fix the problem permanently, he was careful, thorough, and a pleasure to be with, anybody wondering what to do to fix this problem should get in contact with him. I hope something can be done to make Ford responsible for their design and I am willing to help in anyway to make this happen. Ken


Philip of San Jose CA (07/02/07)

Blownoutsparkplug. Well, I can add myself to the list of many people that had to pay for a repair that should have been covered by FORD. My 2002 F250 V10 blew out a plug. Took it to FORD and they said it would not be covered by my worthless 3rd party warranty (Western General WORTHLESS and Rude). So even as I followed what ford states by waiting for the 100,000 plug change, it failed at 96,xxx. If it wasn't for Ric at http://www.blownoutsparkplug.com I would have been stuck with a $5248.00 Bill.


Michael of Santee CA (06/08/07)

Blown Out Spark Plug! I have a 2002 Ford Supercharged F-150 Harley Davidson Edition. I currently have 74,174 miles on it. I am the second owner of the vehicle. On my way home I heard a pop and the engine began to make a loud pop, pop, pop! I called my handy Ford Repair Advisor and he informed me that it sounded like a spark plug had blown out. I then asked if this was common and he informed me yes it was.

Engine years and types I was told were 97-02 5.4L and 4.6L in F150's and Expeditions. I asked if this problem was covered by the extended warranty since it was a known issue. To my surprise it was not cover by any warranty or Ford product recall. I am very unhappy with this since the repair quote was around $3500 to $4000 dollars.

I at this point was ready to abandon all hope since that type of cash does not grow on trees. With this type of quality in American made automobiles it does not surprise me to see foreign car sales above our own and see young Mr. Ford drive the company into the ground! Anyway in my frenzy to search the web for an alternative I found an Excellent and Professional Company that specializes in Blown Out Spark Plug Repair. The company's name is Ric's Automotive, you can find them at blownoutsparkplug.com.

I explain the problem and was quoted a fair price and the job was completed in one day versus the Ford alternative of a week or so without my vehicle and the high cost of a repair that should have been covered since in my opinion it was a Ford deficiency. The mechanic was knowledgeable about Ford not taking care of their loyal customers and provides a much better alternative.

This company will send a mechanic anywhere in the country to repair a blown out spark plug! They will also inspect, replace, and verify the other spark plugs and spark plug ports are free of debris and make sure they are in good repair, and not going to shoot another spark plug out in a week. The company is located in El Cajon, Ca and their Business number is (619)306-4700. Give them a call and maybe they can you like they helped me, since the Ford Motor Company won't help their customers.


Arvi of Temecula CA (06/06/07)

Well, chalk another one up on what appears to be a rapidly growing list of complaints. It started about 30 days ago when the #7 plug shot out on my 2001 Expedition. At that time there were still enough of the 3 threads for me to replace the plug as well as the coil as that was destroyed also. Then last week on May 31st, as my wife was driving home from school drop offs it blew out again.

This time taking what was left of the threads with it. I was out of town so she was careless for 4 days. Upon my return, I started doing some research on the net only to discover how wide spread the problem really was. Needless to say I was and still am thoroughly disgusted with Ford. I very rarely wish for anything bad to happen to a person or business but I truly hope that Ford goes out of business.

To turn your back on the very people that support your company is nothing short of heartless. I know it would be a huge bill to compensate consumers for this engineering blunder but hey, put out a good product and guess what - you won't have to worry about issues like this. Out of all this, there has been one saving grace in the form of Ric Mahlmeister. Ric is the proprietor of www.blownoutsparkplug.com.

After quotes of up to $4000 to fix this problem and researching do-it-yourself kits, I found Rics website and liked what I saw - especially the price! No matter where you are in the country, Ric will come out to you and fix your vehicle at a major fraction of the price a dealership or after market service station will do it for. I personally watched him perform the job and was nothing short of impressed. To take it even further, he replaced ALL the plugs and checked the threads of all the remaining ports - in short; he went above and beyond what anyone else would have. Professional, courteous and affordable do not begin to describe Ric and the service he provides.

Do yourself a favor and check out his website; give him a call and save yourself much heartache and most importantly MONEY. In case you missed it, his website is www.blownoutsparkplug.com. I've been considering my next course of action and am leaning heavily towards trading this money pit in for a Chevy. Since I cant get my money back from Ford I might as well never give them another cent. Chevy's may be more expensive but I have not found ANY problem such as this on the net.

Between the spark plugs, Firestone tires, burning down of SUV's, I can't believe they can look at themselves in the mirror everyday or sleep at night. That's my two cents. Good luck to all of you who drive Fords and if it happens to you - give Ric a call; he'll save you and your pocket book.


Mike of Victorville CA (06/03/07)

I have a 2002 F250 V10, I bought the 100,000 mile warranty and never had to use it. I never tuned the truck because it ran so well, at 190,000 miles it blew #3 plug. Everyone had a solution, from helicoil to allowing ford to fix the problem, for thousands of dollars, on a motor with 190,000 miles. I went online to see this problem could legitimately be fixed. That was when I found blownoutsparkplug.com, check it out.


Doug of Sandy UT (03/29/07)

After reporting my experience (below), I was a little hesitant to spend $3500 on a new head -- or undertake the risky operation of putting in a helicoil type insert myself. Additionally, I worried about how long it would be before the problem reappeared on another cylinder. I was planning to fix then immediately sell the truck.

While searching the internet I found a company at Blownoutsparkplug.com with a Ford engine mechanic that focused on the triton engine sparkplug problem. They do the repair in San Diego OR anywhere they can fly to for a VERY reasonable price. Additionally, their experience is that Ford's torque spec on the spark plug is too low -- easily leading to loose plugs and eventual blowouts. They flew out to my house in Salt Lake City, Utah and -- for the cost of the plane ticket and $800 did the insert work, replaced the coil and all of the plugs and tightened them down to a higher torque spec. Ric, the mechanic said that in 250 replacements where they have retorqued all of the new plugs, they have never had a second plug blowout. I am now planning to keep the truck.


 

POSTS FROM FORD TRUCK ENTHUSIASTS FORUM
www.ford-trucks.com

Post From Worldcommander (07/02/07)

I discussed Timesert vs Blownoutsparkplug repair with the Ric (blownoutsparkplug.com guy). There is a difference. Do you research on both. I had the blownout plug guy change my plugs yesterday. For what he charges and his experience, tools, etc., it isn't worth your time IMHO to screw around doing it yourself if your time is worth anything to you. He charged less then the dealership. One plug was loose but hadn't blown-yet. Whew!


Post From Scm (07/02/07)

Well, I went ahead and used Ric http://www.blownoutsparkplug.com/ , Yesterday also, So I guess you are the guy that he went to next. Ric did a great job. Nice guy and he knows allot. I just didn't have the time to try it myself and didn't want to take the chance of messing it up. I need that truck for work. Thanks to all for the info that everyone gave. After watching him do his thing and checking everything else, I felt it was very worth it. It would have taken me all day and just a few hours with him instead. Back to work the same day. Thanks again for all the replies.


Post From Worldcommander (07/03/07)

Yep, nice meeting you. $600-$800 vs $5,000 for new head-kind of a "no brainer" wasn't it? Watching him work and hearing that torque wrench click on each and every plug gives one the satisfaction of knowing it's done right. Can't do that at the dealership.
 

ARTICLES FROM PAST CUSTOMERS WEB SITES

http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/lifewithalazydazerv/message/89335

I posted a few weeks ago about the blown out spark plug problem that can affect pre-2004 Ford V-10 Triton engines, like many of us have in our E-450 and E-350 LD Motorhomes. I explained what I had learned and what I was going to do to address this potential problem in my 2003 E-450 LD.

To recap what I've learned, a small percentage of these V-10s have been subject to spark plugs being ejected from the heads, sometimes destroying the coil on plug unit for that cylinder. Some of these have been repaired by replacing the affected head (expensive), others by installing some sort of insert in the damaged plug hole, sometimes with the head off the engine, more often with the head in place (much less expensive).

This problem seems to be most common on pre-2000 chassis, but also occurs occasionally on up into the 2003 model year. There is no definitive cause of this problem, just a lot of speculation. The one that makes the most sense to me is too few threads in the plug holes and on the spark plugs, apparently only about 4 threads holding these plugs in these aluminum heads on early models.

Motorhome magazine recently published some information implying that in the pre-2000 models some of the heads had defective machining of the plug holes, which certainly wouldn't help. Anyway, the consensus seems to be that the plugs loosen over time and then at some point are ejected.

Ford hasn't shared much information but does seem to have made some changes to address this problem. A revised plug was introduced first, followed by revised heads. The net effect of both changes is plugs with eight threads in heads with eight threads.

And there seems to be a consensus on the Internet that it is advisable to either retorque or change these plugs at about 30K miles instead of the 100K mile plug change interval specified by Ford in our owner's manuals.

There is a company (two bothers actually) operating in two locations in Southern California (Santa Ynez and San Diego) that has done a lot of work to develop a solution to this problem. Their name: www.blownoutsparkplug.com

The have developed a unique tapered insert system that they can install with the head in place. They will also come to you, anywhere in the country. Their approach is considerably less expensive than new heads. Detailed cost info is on their Web site. I've found no evidence of problems with their approach after doing several hundred repairs.

They also do spark plug changes on these engines, not a simple matter due to the design of these engines and the difficult access to the plugs.

I decided to take a proactive approach to this potential problem by having a plug change done at blownoutsparkplug.com's Santa Ynez location on our way to Baja. I felt this would avoid any surprises by (1) assuring that all plugs were tight and not at risk of blowout and (2) determining which heads I have, old or new. I had the plug change done on February 10.

I was very impressed by the work performed on my E-450. The work took about two hours but would have taken me most of a weekend. Why? Because they've done this many times before, know exactly what to do and have assembled all the tools for doing this easily and properly. I've never done it and have only a few of the tools, despite having a fairly complete workshop.

They begin by removing the air cleaner and intake ducts down to the throttle body. Then the doghouse inside the cab. They loosen the wiring harnesses for each cylinder bank and remove some hoses. Then they remove the 10 coil units and the boots that attach them to the plugs. Then they blow out the plug holes which can accumulate considerable debris when the boots are removed. Then they remove the plugs, checking the "break loose" torque as they go. Then each plug hole is cleaned with a rotating wire brush to remove any deposits and blown out again. They check the condition of the rubber boots and may recommend new ones (I got new ones even though not really needed). They apply dielectric grease to the tips of the boots and other grease where the boots seal to the heads. New plugs are then installed, the boots and coils are refitted and the other parts that were removed are reinstalled. Then the engine is started and checked for any codes, to verify that all is well.

blownoutsparkplug.com torques the plugs to 28-32 ft/lbs vs. the 15 or so spec'd by Ford. This is a bit controversial
but they have had no problems and they believe the root cause of this problem is inadequate torque. They recommend subsequent plug changes at about every 60K miles, but I'd consider doing it more often if I had the 4 thread heads.

I learned that my 2003 V-10 had the new plugs and new heads, eight threads each. That was good news and very reassuring. My research indicated that Ford most likely began using the new heads in November, 2002 but the actual date for any specific vehicle will vary because of varying dates for head manufacture, engine assembly and vehicle assembly. My vehicle was assembled in May, 2003 and on the end of the driver's side head when the doghouse was removed was a sticker indicating a May, 2003 date for engine assembly. There is supposedly a date stenciled on the side of the heads indicating their manufacture date, but I can't see that on my motor.

I'd say if you have a 2002 or earlier V-10 you have the old heads and that 2003 was a transition year. The definitive test would be to remove one plug and see how many rotations it takes to screw it back in. About 4 equals old heads. About 8 equals new. The easiest plug to remove would probably be the one nearest the front of the engine on the driver's side, after removing the air cleaner unit.

I also learned that the "break loose" torque for my plugs varied from a high of about 25 ft/lbs to a low of about 5 ft/lbs on one plug. None of the threads in the heads were damaged, but this tells me that , even with my new heads and plugs, one plug was too loose. This means that it was a good idea to get this work done now and that blownoutsparkplug.com's theory that the problem is too little torque makes sense.

The cost for this work was $400 (which includes the new plugs) plus $100 for the new boots (not really needed but I figured while we were in there, why not replace them to assure a good seal, as I've heard of some problems if water gets past the boots). That's a lot for a spark plug change but not when you see what is involved in doing one on these engines and it compares favorably with what I've heard others were charged at Ford dealers.

And there are a lot of sensitive parts at stake. Each coil unit is about $100 and could be broken in this process and there is a connector to each coil that you don't want to break. Plus if there is damage to the plug threads noted during a change, then you need to make an insert repair. Given the value of these engines I'd want that done by someone who knows what they're doing and who can do it then, while things are apart. Note that Santa Ynez isn't far from Live Oak Camp, where the LD Caravan Club goes each May and December.

If you have a 2004 or later E-450 I wouldn't worry about this too much. Maybe check the torque. Maybe do the plugs at 60- 5K instead of 100K. But for pre-2004 models, and especially pre-2000 models, I'd recommend that you attend to this potential problem in whatever way makes sense to you. As for me, I'll be returning to blownoutsparkplug.com in about another 60K miles for another plug change.

Terry
2003 26.5' RB
Gardnerville, NV (now in SoCal headed to Baja)
 


http://www.motowerx.com

Did your Ford Aluminum head engine blow a spark plug?

Well if it did, you are not alone in that department. The Ford Motor Company designed aluminum heads have a major flaw and there are simply millions of these affected engines out there. The 5.4 Triton seems to be the most affected. However the 4.6 and V10 engines do it also.

The jury is out on exactly why this happens. My Company 2002 F-250 popped the first at a little over 80k. #3 back on the passenger side seems to be the most likely to go. Then at about 100k the #3 plug on the drivers side went. Theories abound...Improper torque from the original factory install, to not enough threads in the head to hold the plug secure.

After two home remedy fixes the driver side plug blew again prompting me to find a permanent solution. The Ford dealership quoted me $2800 for one side and $4500 for both sides. "OUCH"!!! I use this truck everyday for my Electrical Contracting business and cannot be without it for several days. Now I'm pretty mechanically inclined and figured I would just do it myself if I had the proper tools. Soooo....with much searching of the web for threading tools, I had settled on three different brands with hope that one would do the trick...

Then I found Ric Mahlmeister of El Cajon, CA. His web site stated he would install a threaded insert in the affected hole, replace and torque all plugs, install a new coil pack and guarantee it for $650 at his shop. I called him immediately and was pleasantly surprised when he answered the phone even though it was late. The Time-Sert tool is $450, the coil pack is $50,(Auto parts store )and a set of plugs is $52. That's over $ $550 and I haven't opened the hood yet. Is this guy nuts? Well probably because he's an old Motocrosser from way back. But, $650 at his shop, all parts and labor, Guarantee, and a old motocrosser! This is a no brainer.

I unplugged the fried coil pack, disconnected the fuel injector, and drove 120 miles to his shop with an open cylinder. Cant hurt it. 3 hours later and (several MX bullshit sessions) I'm back on the road.

I love a man that perfects his craft and finds the science in it. Ford plug blown??? What are you waiting for?? Click the link below. And let him know Scott Johnson sent you.


Evan Marshall on BBS TALK RADIO talks about Fords and Blownoutsparkplug
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