HI, S, Can't access your pictures. have you pulled a plug out or are you looking down the hole! Best tool to remove them is a 16mm articulated magnetic plug socket with a 3/8" drive. Dead cheap on the Bay!
The Duratec engine is notorious for allowing the plug wells to fill with water and stain the ceramic portion rusty red. Various thoughts as to why on this issue! However the plugs have a taper seat not a compression washer and Me, well i'd recommend regular checks to remove any water and service plug seat. I use dielectric grease on reassembly to the threads and plug caps/ceramic body.
To torque the plugs up which are listed at 17lb ft I do not do! If you lubricate a plug or any thread you will alter the torque characteristic and could over torque them and damage a thread so I do it by feel, they really do not need to be strangled into position and it appalls me watching people tighten them like wheel nuts! Well, they probably overtighten them too! I've seen ACF-50 used, sprayed down the hole and that stains plugs a sort of violet colour. Its a great agent to protect against corrosion though. Before I remove ang of my plugs I spray down the plug hole some penetrating oil and leave it overnight. This removes the rusting to the plug metal body then I use an airline to blow them dry before removal, I loosen them half way and then blow them out again before finally removing them for service.
On last thing which I have posted before and that is Ford had issues with Iridium plugs on their engines and finally came back with a directive stating that the gaps should be set at 1mm on all iridium plugs accross the range and this cured the premature breakdown of the plugs. You will probably have information stating that your plugs be set between 1.5 and 2.5mm.
Its a shame Ford ony informed their dealerships about this.
