Sparked out
New spark plugs and performance HT leads see the big V6 running smoothly once again...
It’s been a troublesome month for the Mondeo, and to be fair it’s spent a large portion of it just sat on my drive doing nothing. You may remember I forked out for a new coilpack in an attempt to bring the V6 back to health. As a common cause of misfires, and as the easiest part of the ignition system to replace, it was the logical place to start. But of course, being the easiest part to replace meant it was never going to be the cure – sadly, life isn’t that simple.
So, the next things to change would be the HT leads and spark plugs. After searching the web looking at all the options available, I found myself getting drawn back to the same site, Formula Power. They offer upgraded 10mm high-performance HT leads at a lower price than I could
“time to get it out on the road”
jamie
buy standard replacements for. And genuine Ford items are almost twice as much!
Formula Power can actually custom make any set of leads you require, as they have all the gadgetry in-house to do such a thing, but luckily for me they already offer an off-the-shelf set for the ST220. According to front man Phillip, they sell a lot of leads for the V6 ST – considering the benefits they offer and the price compared to the alternatives I can see why, it really is a no-brainer! The 10mm ‘High Energy’ leads are said to offer a much stronger spark than the standard items, resulting in better performance and reliability. Available in red, black, or blue, they also brighten up the bay – or at least they would if they weren’t hidden by the engine covers. Phillip also suggested that he could supply spark plugs to suit the ST220 too – this is not something the company stocks to make money on, but offers more as a service to help-out enthusiasts.
Armed with all the parts – and some very helpful tips on how to attack the elusive hidden upper inlet manifold bolt from fellow ST220 owner, Phil Jerrum – I set about doing the swap. And as soon as I did, the heavens opened. And because the car was only running on four cylinders I couldn’t drive it to the workshop to do the job, so I just had to get wet.
Now you may think that changing plugs and leads is a simple job, and on most cars it would be, but on the ST220 getting the rear bank requires removal of the upper inlet manifold. I suppose it’s still fairly straightforward, just time consuming.
But with the new leads and plugs fitted – and after resolving some minor air leak issues from not being brave enough when it came to nipping up the inlet manifold bolts – the car fired up. With crossed fingers I took the engine steadily up and down the rev range, hunting for any indications of a misfire. Gladly there are none!
So, time to get it out on the road and give it good ol’ test drive again then? Oh no, hang on. Since the car’s been off the road both the MoT and tax have now expired! Oh bugger...
cost
High Energy HT leads – £80 Spark plugs – £36
contact
Formula Power 0208 896 9172 www.formulapower.com