I paid $1300 and it had 41k on it. Truck runs better then it ever has. The engine was out of an 03 newer and less miles so thats good. Took me 4-days with help to do it all. Big project but so is doing the heads.. Actually I spent close to $2000 by the time it was all said and done. Replaced lots of stuff hose's, gaskets, plugs, injectors.. anything I thought would keep me from tearing the engine apart again i replaced..

 

Ya, I think that was a smart move going with another engine jethat. If I had to do it over I think it would have been just as quick to R/R the engine in mine as opposed to changing out the heads.

 

I think he has a combination head gasket intake gasket deal going on..

 

Guys, I sure appreciate your excellent help on this. Thanks for taking the time to help work through my issue.

I want to get about two more years out of this truck. I don't have to but it would be nice. The truck is in excellent condition. All my miles come from 110 mile round trip to work everyday. Also, while money is important it's not what is stopping me from any option. I really is all about just doing what is the smartest thing and not throwing $2000.00 into something that isn't going to last long.

If I can call around tomorrow and find a good used engine that I feel comfortable with then I think that I am going that route. If I can't then I will probably just do the heads and drive it until something else big happens then buy a new truck.

So if I go the head route then I should do both correct? I need to be sure that they are flat and in good shape so I guess that I will take them to a machine shop and have them check them out before putting them back in.

What is your cost estimate on me doing the head gaskets? I am not to worried about the time element because I don't need to set any records, I just need to get it back together. Jbrew is sending a guy named Bill over to help me so that should cut down the time.

Where is the best place to get a used engine, the bone yard? If you went with a new engine, where would you get it Ford, Jasper, somewhere else?

Now, in my attempt to evaluate my engine I need to fix another issue first. I have a pretty loud whinning or whiring boise from the front end. It's not there all the time but it has been there more often lately. It sounds like some bearing on one of the external components but it's very hard to track down. It sounds like a power steering pump but I do not think that it is.

I pulled the serp belt off today to spin the pulleys and this is what I see -

Tensioner - spins freely and smoothly does not seem to be making any noise. No play.

Idler pulley - spins freely, no play.

AC pulley - Spins freely but is ccertainly not silent. It sounds like a hollow metalic object but does seem to crazy. It does have some play. I can get hold of the pulley itself and wiggle it a little bit. When I spin it I can hear a couple ball bearings sliding around. When I spin it then stop it quickly, the ball bearings move a little bit more and hit together.

Fan pulley - spins okay and is a couple months old. Ford OEM replacement.

Alternator - spins freely, no play. Not silent but not really sounding unusual. When you spin it you can hear a coupls of very quite squeeks, almost like rubber rubbing together.

Pwr steering pump pulley. Spins fine. I can pull the pulley and shaft in and out (front to back) about an 1/8 of an inch.

I just want to find what this is so I can rule out anything else. Because it sounds like it coming from everywhere. It echoes all over. When you stand in front of the truck you swear it the AC pulley, then it sounds like the Altenator. When I was under the truck yesterday it sometimes sounded like the trans and sometimes the motor. I really think that it's coming from the front components but I need to fix that and the COP before I totally decide on the engine/head change.

 

Man , I must have those longevity head gaskets, their still holding. Wish I could say the same for body. Have a huge hole in front of the back bumper now, bed lower side panel. I either have to get an filtration system for the garage or wait until summer and work with doors and windows open and set up a few fans. Not looking forward to body work. Still might just farm that job out, I should lol.

mainjet must be putting that coil in for now.

I wasn't sure what way he should go, - diff engine or new gaskets. Guess he'll have to evaluate that, -can be hard to do with more than one owner.

Didn't see his post above before submitting mine lol.

Good used engine = Type your address in and they find you one close to home - http://www.car-part.com/

 

when I was looking for engines I found several higher miles 100k+ ones for $800.. Then its just whatever you you want to replace you'll have to do fluids and stuff like that.. intake gaskets are a good idea..

 

I thought I could do just the gaskets for $250. I would have ended up replacing more stuff and so it would have ended up being more then that I'm sure.. You would have to pull the intake to see if both heads are leaking you can see it the second you pull off the manifold. both mine were and I only thought it was the passenger side. There was a big pool of oil in the intake valley and all.. yo have to remove the intake to either R&R the engine or do the heads So you might do that then make up your mind about what you want to do..

 

How much fun can I expect from those exhaust manifold bolts

Would it be better to buy a 2010 F150 or try to get those EM bolts out

 

Mine came right out, they looked like hell tho, had to use a 12mm, sometimes a 13mm, but they came out.

BTW jethat - 2009 + 150 engines - 4.6L's ARE 3 valve. I told you wrong before, their no longer 2 valve. :o

 

Did he get there yet? Yea, he's quite the slacker

Btw- New idler's SHOULD have a little wobble. I replaced mine because it had know wobble and made a slight metal noise. Not a bad noise, -the bearings tighten up eventually, which make your engine sound noisy or loud.

I still have replacements on the shelf, more than one. All the new ones have a very small amount of play.

Replacing those quieted her down quite a bit.

 

In all seriousness (is that a word?) Now would be an excellent time to move on. I was going to do that then.. Things happened.

 

The 4.6 2V is the base engine, the 4.6 3V and 5.4 are options.

 

yeah they eliminated the 4.2 and now there is the 4.6-2v 4.6-3v and 5.4-3v to bad theres not a 5.4-2v option..

 

Yea, but have you looked at the price of those babies? A 2010 F150 Supercrew Lariat 4x4 5.4 WOW! I don't know what you could really walk away with one for but the stickers are in the mid $40K range.

I think that I have decided to tear into the top end and do the gaskets. I am going to do both sides just because I don't want to go through all that just to find that the other one goes right away. If it costs me $500 and works that would be great. If I spend that then find out I have a deeper problem with the engine then I will put a used engine in it.

I guess I kind of want to keep the original engine in there for whatever reason.

Hopefully I will have the COP's tomorrow or Tuesday and see if I can get the one problem fixed. Then start gathering gaskets and materials for the head gasket job. In the mean time I will try to figure out that loud pulley noise.

Jbrew - The pulley noise gets loud like a power steering pump whining real loud. Then it will go away completely and then come back.

 

LOL!

I'll take the heat on that - Jbrew asked a little while ago when 4.6 3V's started showing up in these bricks - I told him 2009+. What I neglected to tell him was it was only one of 3 choices, with the 4.2 getting the boot.

Mainjet - quite the little thread ya got going here. This good stuff, man. I'm learning a ton just lurking, lol. And - you are keeping yer cool even with Jbrew's well-known abrasiveness. Bravo

- 'Bill' ( waiting to clear airport security - no way they're seein' me nekkid )