I'm considering purchasing an 04 F150 (new body style) with a 4.6l engine. I'll be doing very light hauling and practically no towing.

Is the 4.6l proven? Is it considered a reliable engine?

 

I have 2000 expedition with 4.6l engine. I tow a 4000 pound boat and have no problem. Engine has plenty of power. I was a little dissappointed that I had the problem with the egr ports clogged the elbow to the manifold but it wasn't that difulcult to clean them. I don't know if they have fixed this flaw in the new engines but other than that I am pleased with my engine.

 

I put 220,000 tough miles on mine with NO problems. Changed plugs twice ( not the easiest procedure but not impossable) and kept the oil clean. Yoou won't be dissappointed. The fuel milage between the 4.6 and the 5.4 is identical so if you wee going with the smaller engine for economy you prob. won't see much difference

 

There are millions upon millions of 4.6's out there (Crown vic's,mustangs,f-150s,e-150s,town cars etc.) so I would say it is proven.

 

I've read several post mentioning "coil" problems.

Is this prevelant in the 4.6l? Have the addressed this problem for 04?

 

Aside from being gutless the engine will last forever if given proper maintenance.

JMC

 

Since the 4.6 has been out, my department logs about 350K a year amongnst 10 cruisers- thats 24/7, all year. Not one problem with the 4.6. Except for that time the deisel delivery guy mixed up the in ground tanks and put 7000 gallons of deisel in our gasoline storage tank. (D-OH!) But ya know, the ole 4.6 kept running. A little cruddy, but kept running! (It would have been more interesting to see how a deisel runs on 96 octane...The Fire engines would look like roman candles)
Other than an occasional recall or typical repair, no suprises. And it's not like the old days, our "police interceptors" have nothing special save for a dual exhaust and beefed up alternator.
Good luck!

 

I towed a 5000 pound truck on a 16x8 car hauler with mine. Gutless my a$$, lol. Granted I wasn't smoking the tires on the starts, but it was way adequate for the job.

115,400 miles on it so far. Other things have broken, but not the engine. The coil on plug is on both trucks now, both 5.4 and 4.6. I've replaced mine once on my 98, but it has one per side, not one per cylinder.,,,,98

 

98,

You are right the 4.6 is not gutless but it is slow compared to the 5.4. I stand corrected.

JMC

 

I'm sure a 4.6 feels somewhat gutless, with the equivalent of a bedload in extra 4x4 equipment on board:-),,,,98

 

I have a '98 Expy XLT 4.6, and recently drove my buddy's '00 EB Expy 5.4 for a week on a 1,000 mile trip and couldn't really tell a difference as far as acceleration and passing were concerned. Now if I'd had 6,000 lb. worth of trailer behind me, if might be different...

 

it probably depends on what year you get also.

I have a 97 5.4 and from what I understand, the later model 4.6 liter engines have more power than my early model 5.4

slag

 

4.6's are great running motors. After being on this site for a while everyone praises this motor very much. With regular service and good treatment, it should last 250,000+ miles, and more. I saw a 97 4.6/5 speed on ebay once that the man claimed and had pics of the odometer reading 476,000 miles, and he stated that he still pulled a 4000# boat in the mountains with it.

As for me, my 98 4.6 has 71,000 on it and hasnt broke stride yet. I run Mobil 1 5w30 full synthetic motor oil, service the auto tranny every 20k or so (fluid and filter), and as far as other fluids and filters, make sure that it is up to 100% running standards. Hopefullly it will last a very long time.

Ya cant go wrong with the 4.6...

 

Is the current F150 4.6l identical to the 4.6l offered in the Crown Vic?

 

The 4.6 in my Expy has longer intake runners than any of the 4.6's in the CV's we've had at work (94 - current). Probably tuned for more low end torque than the 'Vic engines.