Hey guys, new here and my tired 200,000k mile 4.6 has given up the ghost. I found another engine (actually a brand-new crate motor) for a reasonable price and would like to get it, but the current motor hasn't been pulled yet.

I have a Winsor, but don't know haw many bolts are in the flywheel to crank. Is there a way to tell before pulling the engine? The flywheel cover only allows me to see the flywheel to converter bolts (as most of you know).

Thanks in Advance,
-John

 

After some research I realized that it seem so be an inherent problem with the lower intake manifold gaskets (LIM). This is a problem that has been in many engines with aluminum heads and iron block. The signs are pointing towards a blown head gasket, but we will see.

I have yet to have a modular motor pulled apart yet, but have many years experience with engines in general. We have 5 cars, 02 Navigator, 00 Excursion V10, 98 F150, 86 BMW 325es,

...and a 1990 Firebird with a 60* v6 that I installed a turbo on the stock motor (hence the Forced_Firebird handle). The Firebird is just a toy that I got for a good deal and am now building a 500hp engine for it using parts from newer GM cars.

So, today, I'll tow the truck over to the shop and start tearing in. If I get to the manifold gasket, and see that's the problem, good. Otherwise the motor is comming out, and the crate motor is going in. This is my daily driver and can't be down too long, also the reason the only mods are intake and cat-back with a Flowmaster one in two out muffler.

Look forward to being a new member here. We have CNC machines at the shop and do general parts machining along with performance parts installation, head rebuilding/porting, turbo and S/C kite etc.

Updates and pics to follow

-John

 

Nope. Not even ford can tell you what kind of crank is in it. In fact, if you get a crate reman from Napa, they give you both flywheels just to be safe. Worse case scenario, it's not that expensive for a new flywheel.

 

Man, thanks for the fast reply!

So the only difference would be the flywheel, like you said, that's an easy fix. I'm hoping it's the intake manifold. There was coolant on plug #1, very little brown gunk on the bottom of the oil cap, and the coolant is brown (nice and green 2mos ago), so I'm suspecting both systems mixed. Right now, going to darin the oil and check for coolant. Right when I shut the truck off, there sounded like a slight knock from down low, but water in the oil could be a cause of that. Oil pressure was normal.

 

No water in the oil

 

Well, I just replace the 4.6 in mine, due to head gaskets. It turned out to be comparable in cost and headache to just replace the engine, rather than pulling the heads. This is assuming that the head wasn't cracked. My symtoms were exhaust gasses getting into the coolant, causing severely fluctuating coolant temps.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but shouldn't your antifreeze be orange to start with, since you have an aluminum radiator? I don't remember seeing any of the green stuff that is specified for our trucks.

 

You could be correct on the color of coolant. I never actually opened the cap on it, but the rad went at 150k miles, and there was green coolant comming out of it, then when the alt was replaced at 175k, the coolant was green that came out of the upper hose that neded to be moved out of the way.

I had the coolant sys flushed by a "mechanic" do you think the green coolant could have erroded the gasket prematurely?

Before I pull it to the shop, I'm just going to open it up and see.

I don't see how it could be cheaper to replace the engine, when they are so hard to find. In all of FL, the least mileage on a used motor was 75k for $1750, and the cheapest had 150k costing $1000. The materials to do the repair are less than $200 from FelPro, and I have a machine shop and could rebuild the heads myself *but* couldn't cost much more than $500 to take them somewhere. Did you do the work yourself?

 

No, I was deployed to Iraq at the time, and had a friend do it for me. I paid $1250 for an '02 engine with 60k on it, and $1000 for install. There was only minor fabrication required to make the 02 fit (coolant temp sensor is custom I think). Just used the old coil pack ignition with the new motor, and works great. I wonder if opening up the years (97-03) would find you a better deal.

 

I was looking at all 4.6's in the area, and using a parts interchange.

Got down to the manifold now. Just need to disconnect the heater core lines that are near impossible to reach. Then it's time to unbolt the mani. Once all the covers and wires are out of the way, this is a fairly simple motor with the exception of OHC's.

It's wierd seeing the big empty valley that I'm used to seeing a traditional manifold in, along with being plenum-less, lol.

*fingers crossed* hopefully it's just a failed mani gasket.

Does FelPro make a better lower gasket for these? They look in pics to be a similar design to other MFGR's gaskets I have seen with a plastic ring and rubber inserts. FelPro has a line for GM cars called "problem-savers" and are metal and rubber instead, but most parts stores with a pimply cashier wouldn't know what I'm talking about without a part number - ever heard of them, and if so, part number?

Thanks for your time so far, akheloce

 

I know that the best lower manifold gaskets for the 4.2 V6 are from Ford - the Fel-Pros are the old style, same as the OEM's from 97 and 98 which had the high failure rate.

 

It was a LIM! Actually the way this intake is designed, best to call it a manifold to head gasket, because the plenum is on the bottom of the manifold and that seal didn't have to be comprimised. The design is pretty cool on these engines with the variable intake runners.

Can you guess where the leak was? (BTW note infamous orange coolant)...







I like the intake design, variable runner, that's cool...





I think I may stick around here for a while.

Thanks to all who posted about the manifold gasket problems!

 

Thanks for the heads-up. Hope Ford has them in stock.

Yay to another 200k miles (I hope)

 

Thnks all. Running better than it has in a while. Used to idle about 850-950, and now down to about 600 (in gear, foot on brakes). I actually thought it stalled on the test drive, but it's just running super smooth. Makes me wonder how long it may have been going.

 

On the question of motors id , and flywheel crank number of bolts;
There are two versions.
The ROMEO and the WINDSOR.
Romeo 4.6 has 11 hold-down bolts on the left valve cover, the Windsor has 13 and the 5.4 motor has 14.
There are two crank bolt hole versions, one 6 and one with 8.
Be sure you know what you have and what you might get.