(first posted 1/11/2013)
Events at Ford Motor Company have been silently spelling the end for their bread-and-butter V8 of the last two decades. With the cancellation of the Panther platform (Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis, and Lincoln Town Car) and Ford’s movement to a predominantly V6 based lineup in their F-150’s, the smooth and hardworking 4.6 liter V8 is almost extinct.
The 4.6 liter engine was the replacement for the Windsor family of Ford V8’s. Having been introduced in the 1962 Ford Fairlane as the 221 cubic inch V8, the Windsor engines would ultimately be found in many familiar sounding sizes (289, 302, and 351) and would power everything from Falcon’s to F-350’s. It was quite a versatile engine yet it had lived its life. It was time to move on and Ford definitely did not allow for much confusion when it created the 4.6.
The 4.6 liter V8 was the first of what was dubbed the “Modular Engines” from Ford. Many have misinterpreted the meaning of “modular” in describing the 4.6 and 5.4 liter V8 plus the related 6.8 liter V10; “modular” was used to describe a manufacturing process, it was not a reference to parts interchangeability. With a bore of 90.2 mm and a stroke of 90.0 mm, this engine was very nearly a square bore. At the time of its introduction in the 1991 Lincoln Town Car, it was the only V8 produced by a United States manufacturer to have an overhead cam valve train (Update: also the limited-production Corvette ZR-1). After roughly forty years of American consumers having lived with overhead valve V8’s the overhead cam was a distinct difference – and perhaps part of why the 4.6 is periodically a misunderstood engine.
With its introduction in the ’91 Town Car, Ford was wise. Lincoln buyers likely didn’t care what engine their car had as long as it was smooth and made good power. The 4.6 was certainly a smooth engine and a good power plant for a 4000 pound Lincoln. Rated at 190 horsepower that first year, the new 4.6 created forty more peak horsepower than the outgoing 5.0 liter V8. Fuel economy was the same with an EPA rating of 15 city and 22 highway (as per current EPA methods).
The 4.6 would be standard equipment in 1992 for the updated Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis. This engine would be the exclusive power plant for the Panther bodied cars until their demise in 2010.
http://www.automobile-catalog.com/make/ford_usa/thunderbird_10gen/thunderbird_10gen_lx/1996.html
As the 1990’s unfolded, the 4.6 would continue to emerge in a greater variety of Ford Motor Company products. 1994 would see the 4.6 between the fenders of the Ford Thunderbird and Mercury Cougar where it would remain an option until the temporary termination of the Thunderbird in 1997. A 1996 Thunderbird is shown here.
www.edmunds.com
1996 would see the 4.6 liter arrive in the Mustang GT, much to the initial chagrin of the Mustang and 5.0 liter faithful. In its initial appearance in the Mustang, the 4.6 liter engine was rated at 215 horsepower.
http://www.edmunds.com/ford/f-250/1997/
1997 would see the expanded versatility of the 4.6 with its placement in the new F-150 and the E-Series vans that had been redesigned for 1992.
While the intent of this article is to focus on the 2 valve version of the 4.6, it needs to be noted there were 3 valve and 4 valve versions offered at various times. The 4 valve version was introduced in 1993 as the InTech V8 for use in the Lincoln Continental and Mark VIII. As initially found in the Mark VIII, it produced 280 horsepower and 285 lb-ft of torque. The 3 valve version was first used in the 2005 Mustang and later in the ’09 F-150. Interestingly, the 3-valve was rated at 300 horsepower in the Mustang and 292 horsepower in the F-150; both were rated at 320 lb-ft of torque. That should be viewed as a testament to refinement and ever-expanding engine technology.
In the interest of full disclosure, this author owns or has owned four vehicles powered by the 4.6 liter V8; a 1992 Crown Victoria, a 1996 Thunderbird, a 2001 Crown Victoria, and a 2007 F-150. These engines were anywhere from brand new (in the case of the Thunderbird) to having 140,000 miles on the ’92 at the time it was sold.
The general driving characteristics of the 4.6 were remarkably different from what most operators were accustomed. Let’s look again at the ’91 Town Car as compared to the ’90 Town Car. The ’91 is rated at 190 horsepower whereas the ’90 generated 150 horsepower from its 302 cubic inch (5.0 liter) V8. However, the ’90 generated its peak horsepower at 3,200 rpm, a full 1,000 rpm lower than the ’91. Similarly, when discussing torque, the ’90 had a 10 lb-ft advantage over the ’91; the ’90 also generated its peak torque at 2,000 rpm whereas the ’91 generated its peak at 3,200 rpm.
The author has observed several instances of people’s misperception of the capabilities of the 4.6 liter in pickup applications – where torque truly is king. Recently, he was approached by a field employee requesting a 3/4 ton pickup. As this employee would soon have a periodic need to pull a 4,000 pound trailer, the employee was concerned about damaging his 4.6 liter powered pickup. Despite providing Ford’s engine rating of 248 horsepower and the towing capacity chart for ’08 F-150’s to the employee, there was still an above average level of skepticism. A field visit to take turns pulling this trailer resulted in the employee being convinced while saying, “that’s a really small engine; it’s a lot stronger than I thought.”
As introduced in the ’97 F-150’s, the 4.6 made 220 horsepower at 4,750 rpm with maximum torque of 265 lb-ft at 4,000 rpm. When compared to the 5.0 liter in the 1996 F-150, the 4.6 has a 21 horsepower advantage at 550 more rpm’s; torque is within 5 lb-ft at 270, but it is fully available at only 2,400 rpm. By current measuring standards, the EPA rated the 4.6 liter in model year 1997 two-wheel drive applications as being capable of 20 mpg – 3 mpg better than the 5.0 liter V8 from 1996.
The 4.6 simply revs more to generate its power. For many accustomed to the immediate torque of pushrod V8’s, this was a distinct difference.
While the 4.6 is a stout engine, its 20+ year production run hasn’t been free of blemishes.
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Had one in my civilian model 2001 Crown Vic. Even with the restrictive factory air filter box and wimpy single exhaust, it felt pretty stout. Once I modified the airbox and added dual exhaust with low-restriction turbo mufflers, I could roast its mushy Michelin touring tires at will.
I still kinda miss that car sometimes, but after nearly five years of ownership I was ready to move up. Traded it in on an 80,000 mile ’95 Lexus LS400 and don’t regret the decision one bit.
My ’05 Crown Vic put 210hp to the rear tires on 93oct with a K&N intake and true dual exhaust with magnaflow mufflers on a Mustang dyno. I was surprised.
Can I use an engine from an 93 Lincoln town car an put it an 99grang Marquis with slight to no modifications
It should fit with no problems
I’m not certain what year they changed to the aluminum block. Though. The differences between the two we’re staggering in my book. Head castings are different in that excessories won’t mount the same when switching between the two. The aluminum block has pads under the intake area for knock snesors to mount. And the cast iron block doesn’t. The harmonic balancer on the cast iron block is weighted heavier as well. The timing covers between the two are also different. Yet one will bolt up to the other. The intakes are different on the 2002 up motors. Your application you referenced as 99. So, I would assume your are in decent shape
If they changed to the aluminum block in 02. I’m not sure. My son just swapped a 98 4.6 out of an F-150 into a 2005 Explorer. Many many issues and improvising to get it done. The man brought him a 5.4 to swap. And after careful consideration and checking for issues. The guy decided to stay with a 4.6. The cost for the changes were too much and too many. Torque converters are different. Wiring harness and computers are different and exhaust. Though now due to the differences in the Aluminum block to cast iron. It still got into more time and dealing with differences to place one where the other was. Just to reprogram the computer at a local shop for my son was 350 because he only has a code scanner.
I got a 2002 f150 5.4L supercrew xlt 2wd
Put a new 5.4L 2vale and transmission last August. But I wanted to put . The police interceptor in it what year can I throw in my truck please let me know. me it .so I liked the 5.4L but even a new motor it still had problems. I want to put . A heavy duty . Police interceptor. With the extra coolers know like the cop cars have that’s what I really want in my truck. Ok I have a story for you ok . I went from a 2016 f 1 50 equal boost . 5.0 L to a 2002 f 150 5.4L supercrew xlt 2wd. I bought the truck for 6500. With a blown motor and transmission.. And dumped another 11000 in this truck.. And now having problems by 5.4L
But the truck is super nice even though it’s 15 years old. I got a 5″ lift on it. It’s all Brought to modern times. I mean what the stereo the Bluetooth. And everything is power in that truck. Please do you know me back thank you.
Devin .from san Diego calf.
I liked the 2002 5.4L but your right it’s got a lot of problems. I want the . Heavy duty 4.6L in my truck. And can I keep my transmission something should work right .well thank you
Devin Ford guy. From san Diego Calif
I put a 1992 lincoln towncar block into a 1999 expedition, only mods (other than swapping intake, oil pan, wiring harness, etc.) was to drill and tap the head and block for temp and knock sensors and I made an Aluminum adapter plate for the coolant outlet (where coolant goes to the radiator) that part bolted to the block but needed the adapter with a 1992 gasket on the block side and a 1999 gasket on the other because the ports weren’t the same shape.
You went to japan, huh.? Ive got a 97 town car with 98,000 miles. I get 31 mpg highway, 21 city. I’ll be keeping it for a while. I just dont like jap cars.
I currently have the same car…was totally down-tuned from the factory. First thing i changed was the exhuast. No real gain. Hmmmm, i thought. Was changing the vacuum hose to the charcoal cannister and saw the hourglass tubeand bout shit my britches. The airbox was ridiculously choked up. I “modifed” the intake tube under the air box(it choked down to 1 7/8 opening). NOW she breathes good.
What about Chevy’s LT5 in 89…that was a DOHC engine…
You mean the Lotus designed, Mercury Marine produced, limited production LT5.
yeah that one…sorry I couldn’t resist.
Limited production is sort of a cop out…it was only limited production for two reasons…1) they didn’t sell many because not many were bought…and 2) it would have been limited by the production capacity of Mercury Marine if they had sold many
I always chuckle when I see cars listed as “limited production” or “super rare”…the majority of the time this only happens because no one buys them in the first place
Er, didn’t the ZR1 package add more than $30,000 to the list price? From that, I would conclude that Chevrolet wasn’t expecting to sell a lot of them…
The 32 valve 4.6 was designed by lotus also!
Philhawk, need your input as I’m not a auto mechanic, just like the older Ford E-150 Econoline vans with the 4.6 V-8 engine, whichI bought new in 1997 from Explorer van conversion company in Warsaw, In. I owned it until 2010, had 131K miles, well maintained, sold it, and now the 2nd owner wants to sell it due to his health issues, It presently has 210,411 miles on engine, most of his driving were all highway miles, and rarely driven much in Indiana winters but put in his barn. It as he says has served him and wife well, starts well , idles smooth and sounds like it always did when I owned it. He contacted me a while back to see if I could be interested in it as he remembered how much I liked the now old 97.
What do you think, and be upfront ? I like it back as like I said earlier, I really enjoyed it.
Reply to , garaldwilliams@gmail.com, or call me 260-222-1158, and thanks.
I’ve never heard of the early engines having problems with the spark plugs breaking off, that is a 3 valve version thing. Now the first version of the PI (performance improved) head only had about 3 threads for the spark plugs and they are known for blowing out of the head particularly if someone, or the machine at the factory, overtorqued the plugs.
Only removing the plugs on a cold engine if it has an aluminum head is a long standing practice. The different expansion rates of the metals mean that there is more interference in the threads and you can strip them if you remove them hot.
In regards to the oil consumption and the valve guide seals, I have not seen it as a big of an issue as many make it out to be. I’ve had several with lots of miles that did not smoke or use excessive amounts of oil. My current 92 has over 190K on it and it does not use more than 1 qt per 1000-1200 miles. The 93 that I sold to my buddy is at over 280K and while his is leaking some from the front seal it uses about the same amount of oil as mine.
All in all the modular engine family is one of the best engines ever.
I know the thread issue was a problem in the 5.4, I didn’t know it was an issue in the 4.6. I do know the two-piece plugs in my ’06 5.4 are the dumbest spark plug design I’ve seen in a modern vehicle. It’s pretty much a given that some will break if you wait until 100K to change them out. It’s not uncommon to cost $1200 or more to change plugs.
If they are charging that much for spark plug replacement in a 3 valve they either do not know what they are doing, or are flat out ripping you off. Yes it does take longer than most vehicles since the procedure is to crack them loose 1/8 of a turn or so, add a table spoon of carb cleaner to each spark plug well and then let it sit for an hour. Then if they don’t turn easily at that point add another little bit of carb cleaner and repeat. If the shell does break free then there are tools to remove it relatively quickly. So even if you do leave a shell or two in the engine it still should not be more than a 3 hour or so job.
The spark plug access problem reminds me of the frequent complaints levied against big block Mustangs: Unless you were Plastic Man, getting at the plugs on an FE engine in one of the smaller Fords was dangerously close to being an engine-out job.
Was it the Boss 429 that required either the engine to be jacked up to get at the last spark plug, or was it the brake master cylinder had to be removed?
It’s recalling the high-maintenance those ‘legendary’ engines required that takes the legend down a bit for those who actually had to live with them.
Maybe on one of the other big-block engines used, but not the Boss 429 which was a hemi-head and had the spark plugs right in the middle of the massive valve covers.
them fe engines in a mustangs are easy I had a 67 an a 69. the 67 was switched from 390 to a 428 pi motor by me and it took 7 trys to get motor and trans with headers and starter installed in the proper order. the header bolts were 1/8″ from shock tower as it had the pi head with bolt pattern. you didn’t need any extensions to do plugs just a short handled ratchet and a swivel ratchet. no I wouldn’t do them hot. The master cylinder was very close and a pita but I don’t remember removing it.
Thats why I made clearance holes in my 1970 429 SCJ Torino Cobra on the inner fenders. Also pluged then with rubber buttons to keep the water and dirt from looking like shit. Made plug changes and timing simple.
Precisely why when I found my 2004 F150 at a dealer, that I made certain it had the 4.6L engine and NOT the 5.4L. My truck now has only 64,000 miles on it and I recently had the plugs changed. It cost me the price of the plugs and about 75 dollars at my mechanic’s shop. My mechanic told me he does have the special tool to remove broken plugs in the 5.4L, but it is so time consuming, he no longer will do it. I’m sure glad I got the 4.6L in my truck.
7 of 8 broke off in my 06′ 79k mustang, i paid $400.00 parts and labor…all of the steps was done but they snapped off!!!!””’bummer for me…lol
When the 4.6l powered Crown Vics and Town Cars started showing up en masse as taxis and police cars I remember nearly every one of them eventually having a blue cloud of smoke following it around… but that was only the early models and this is in a driving environment where these cars got a lot of abuse. Likewise, I had a ’95 Grand Marquis that was smoking by 150k miles – but it lived a tortured life. My brother has a ’97 with about the same amount of mileage/abuse and it never burns a drop of oil.
The difference between the ’95 and ’97 models is not surprising. Ford modified the valve seals starting in ’96 in order to eliminate the premature wear issue.
I have a 1999 with 188k, runs great and burns no oil. It did pop a plug though, got it rethreaded and swapped, now it’s running great.
Just change and/or replace the spark plugs earlier. It costs money but it’s cheaper than 3 hrs of labor. Use oil, grease or anti-sieze on the threads.
2004 F150 Heritage standard cab, aftermarket flat bed, 90,000 miles, dual exhausts installed, everything else stock in the drive-train. Burns a 1/2 quart every approximately 5,000 miles between oil changes, usually in the mid 20s hwy fuel economy (and I drive 75mph).
Good power, very solid and decent. Recently scared me coming out of a car wash. Tires were wet but I didn’t think it had enough power to do anything other than chirp the tires. I wanted to get ahead of traffic that was coming. Did a fast and furious imitation. I was reminded to respect the V8. (FYI that aftermarket flat bed is heavy, even unloaded so I was startled by still having enough power to spin them like that.)
Yes I see how old this post is but No way it averages that fuel economy at that speed. NO. WAY.
Mid 20’s MPG highway in this 04 4.6 V8 is NOT uncommon. Many have been able to squeeze nearly 30mpg out of grand marquis and crown vics. Mix of city/highway a healthy 4.6 will average around 22 mpg. They are one of those V8 engines that was built with relatively good fuel economy for a v8
I have a 2001 Ford F150 with the 4.6 and I get 19-21 mpg still out of it. Also pull a 28 ft camper with it. It has around 124,000 miles on it.
My 2006 averaged 22 in city and 28 hwy. 40 k mileage on her.
My mother replaced an 85 Crown Vic (5.0/AOD) with a 93 with the 4.6 and the electronically controlled tranny. Huge, huge difference. I am surprised at the difference in the torque numbers, as the newer car always felt much stronger even off the line. The 93 had a very aggressive throttle tip-in, so maybe this was on purpose to disguise a shortage of torque on the very low end. Also, the electronically shifted gearbox was a huge improvement, as the AOD had really hampered the earlier car with the Windsor engine. A properly shifted and geared 351 in my 94 Club Wagon was a real torquemonster.
I still own the 93. We started seeing oil consumption issues not long after getting the car in 2005 (at around 63K) and I would say that about 1000 miles per quart is about right. Each of my children has learned how to check and add oil. I will also add that the 4.6 has nowhere near the tendency for cooling system leaks as found in the Windsor.
The spark plugs are interesting, waaaaay down in a deep little well. I once spent an hour trying to fish a teeny piece of walnut shell out of one of those plugwells. Not fun. Thank you, squirrels. All in all, I have been quite happy with the service I have received out of mine. The way things look, this engine (at 22 years) is not going to match the longevity of the Windsor engine (well over 30).
Personally having owned a pair of early 92 CVs with the mechanically shifted AOD I prefer it to the electronically shifted AOD-E I had in the 93. With the AOD I always knew when it was going to shift, the AOD-E not so much. They did improve the shifting schedule on the later AOD-E that was renamed the 4R7x(w) and the ones in our 02 GM and 03 Marauder do not annoy me like the one in the 93 did.
As an update, I eventually sold the 93 CV at I’m not sure how many miles (because of a broken odometer). That was the final verdict on the car. After about 23 years, I was starting to have little niggling problems with almost everything on the car. None of them terribly serious on its own, but in concert, they made the car a Class-A beater. Even the tranny’s lockup function had pretty much given up.
The one thing I never had any trouble with was that 4.6 engine. As long as I kept pouring oil into it every 1,000 miles, it was happy to start instantly in any kind of weather and run as long as it had gas. OK, other than a set of coil packs and plug wires late in its life.
And so it goes…same deal with my ’97 CV. I still have it, almost a year after writing that somewhat ambivalent COAL article, but I’m not sure how much longer that will be the case. It’s collecting an impressive collection of small issues–probably going to take $500+ worth of work just to pass state inspection this year, though $200 of that is replacing the cracked windshield (thanks, rock chip). And the transmission is starting to act flaky as well. But the 4.6? Rock solid. It’s started to use more oil in the past year or so–I’m now at about that same quart/1000 miles you mention–but no trouble other than that. I replaced the plugs and wires back in 2013 at around 90k so I’m set there.
The first 4.6 was only competitive as a truck engine for a short time. It’s certainly not desirable with the F-150 crowd.
I mean really, a guy wanting a 3/4 ton to pull 4,000 pounds is a bit of a dolt to begin with. You don’t even need a full size for that. Once he was into a full size, he may as well have stepped up to the 5.4 in 08, as there is little to no difference in real world economy on that generation and resale on the 4.6 trucks was not good. F-150 forums are full of people disappointed with the perfomance, economy, and resale of their 4.6s. Reliability seems to be good though.
Techincally the 2011-current Coyote 5.0 is derived off the modular 4.6 as it shares the same block dimensions and bore spacing with it., Though, parts interchange is virtually zilch between them now
yep. look up a vehicle with the 5.0 in Ford’s dealer systems (PTS/OASIS) and it shows: “ENGINE: MOD 5.0L-4V DOHC SEFI NA”
So the Coyote is “all new” in the sense that it has almost no shared parts with the 4.6 save for some fasteners, but it’s not a “clean sheet” design. The aluminum-block 4.6 was the starting point.
even the Voodoo (GT350) variant is “ENGINE: MOD 5.2L-TIVCT PFI NA HP1 GAS.”
Not only that, the 5.0 is dropping displacement to 4.8 with Direct injection, without knowing the details it’s very possible that new engine will have the same stroke or the same bore as the 4.6
Great and very informative article! I recall the angst Mustang GT owners had when they learned their 5.0 was to be replaced with this 4.6! And consider the power inroads Ford had made with the 5.0 302 in the way of the Cobra version with the GT-40 cylinder heads and a speed parts market just overflowing with 302 goodies, I can understand their frustration, especially when the new 4.6 was down on power big time, compared to the GM twins. But I’ll tell you what, the later 4.6 Mustangs, when equipped with an aftermarket exhaust like Borla or Flowmaster, had an unmistakeable sound of it’s own! And of course, the speed parts merchants quickly caught up to the 4.6.
My folks had an early 4.6 in their Town Car. I do rememeber the pinging and detonation on occasion with it. What struck me though was when an oxygen sensor went bad one time, the Ford dealer tech told my Dad he was lucky the faulty sensor was on THAT bank (could not recall which side it was), for the other bank required removal of the engine, as it was that tight between sensor and firewall. Anybody ever run into that problem, or was this just one of those days at the dealership?
I’ve replaced both side sensors in early 4.6 Panthers and neither required engine removal. IIRC the driver’s side is harder to get to but not impossible.
Eric, that’s kind of what I suspected; a little additonal profit margin for the service department’s take at the end of the week! 🙂
Nice write up! My dad has a 4.6 in his ’07 shelby GT. Good engine, great exhaust note, and great power!
I own a 07 Shelby GT has GREAT power and sound .A fun car to drive!!!
The 4.6 in the Panthers never die. I’ve seen junked CVPIs turned into taxis with over 400,000 miles on them that are driven to the yard and junked becuse of some other expensive non-drivetrain issue. Hell I’ve ridden in taxis with over 300,000 miles on them and the 4.6 just keeps chugging along. Taxi drivers usually beat the hell out of their cars (at least in Chicago) and the 4.6 takes it in stride. Another piece to the 4.6 longevity puzzle is the 4R70W. The 4R70W is the ultimate evolution of the AOD and it’s later iterations are virtually indestructible. The 4.6+4R70W is probably one of the toughest drive trains every produced for a car or light truck.
I’ve driven both 4.6 and 5.0 powered Fords yet I still have a fondness for the good old SEFI 5.0 HO. I think it’s that magical combination of off idle torque and the sound that it generates.
I found a website, http://www.millionmilevan.com in which a guy with a ’97 E-250 had about 1.3 million miles on his 5.4 powered van when it finally crapped out. He changed the oil every 10,000 miles, never flushed the transmission, and once went 50,000 miles between oil changes. He was a delivery driver and would often haul loads of around 3000 lbs. It was purchased with 40,000 miles.
It would have been great for inclusion had it been born with a 4.6; with the 5.4 it would have been out of place.
I’ve come across that guy’s story before, sorry to hear it finally bit the dust. I think the most amazing part is that the original exhaust lasted 900k miles driving primarily in the rust belt.
If only he had changed the oil a little more frequently he’d probably still be driving it… and Ford might even have bought him a new one. If I’m remembering correctly, they weren’t interested in using his van in their advertising because he’d been so negligent in maintaining it.
You (or Ford) don’t want to endorse indifference in maintenance, but that makes it more impressive, not less. Wow.
I’ve been in cabs with over 600k miles on them. Any time I get one I always check the odometer or ask the driver, and most of them where I live are ex-CVPI’s or ex-NYC taxis. Very rare to catch one with under 200k miles.
I bought a 1991 v-8 Ford CrownVic for my wife, since I didn’t want her driving one of the Plastic Coffin Bubble cars. At 120 miles, running great with no oil consumption. Teen gal ran a stop sign & totaled it. Replaced it with a 2001 Merc GranM and ten years later, a UTA student ran a red light, center punched the drivers side door. She made a trip to the EmRm on that one. (Best Car I’ve ever owned) I’ve driven F150s for many years. My 2006 F150 has the 5.6L V8 & has been the most powerful (unmodified) Auto I’ve ever owned & that’s including a 460 cu Lincoln TownCar and ’78 F150. I’m dreading changing the Spark Plugs, but at over 68,000 miles it runs smoothly, and will grab gravel and growl. Don’t drive many miles nowadays BUT, it Sucks Gas like a ’48 Buick DynoFlow 🙂
I know my 2007 F150 4.6 has120,000 miles and The manifold cracked…..coolant. The water pump leaking. Air compressor failed too. Oh, well I did get my $ worth. I now rent the vehicle for $ ……..wow it is paid for, I now just need it to keep starting everyday and I will get paid….Yeah, yes.
The first time we had a 4.6 in for a plug change the disaster that they are known for happened to us. The problem carried forward to the 5.4, too. It is a real nightmare when it happens.
What is the “disaster that they are known for” I have not seen or heard of a problem with the 2v 4.6 when changing the plugs. Now if you don’t do it right with the heads that only have the 3 threads then yes you can have a disaster on your hands but that won’t usually show until the engine has been through a few or hundreds of cycles.
We had problems with the ones with the three threads mostly because the techs had not done it before. We had to eat a new head on the first one we did. The tech never made that mistake again! The later ones were much better and the 5.4 is really a great motor in my opinion.
I had a bit of similar experience: the first time I changed plugs on my Crown Vic, I discovered that the previous owners had experienced “the disaster that they are known for” when changing plugs and fixed it in a very economical way: big globs of JB weld: it held for several thousand miles after I bought the car and the plug in question finally blew out upon ignition in the parking lot one day. Fortunately there was enough head left to tap new threads into the socket: I made sure to put in a stainless-steel sleeve with many more than three threads.
So it was user error. The old “I’ve changed 1000’s of spark plugs I don’t need no stinking manual” syndrome.
Why the hell should you need a manual, solvent, and a special extraction tool “just in case” to change spark plugs?
It’s a crap design, period.
Next time I buy a car, I ask to see where oil filter, inside and outside air filters are, And spark plugs.
5.4 3V, not to be confused with the 2V, is an absolute POS. Besides the spark plugs they also have issues with the cam phasers, chain guides, and just about everything on the top end of the engine. It’s a ticking time bomb. Literally, when you hear that tick it’s time to dump it.
Can confirm! Coworker has put $15K into a 2003 F-150 with that motor in it, about 140K miles, because the cam phaser/timing chain replacement was botched by a Ford dealer, resulting in complete engine failure and a remanufactured long block installed. Of course the dealer didn’t own up to having ruined the engine and wouldn’t cover any portion of the replacement engine.
Part of the reason it isn’t popular in swaps is that it is physically huge. Size of the old big block motor.
I encountered this very picture when researching for this. You are correct, the physical size is prohibitive to many applications. Previously I found a website showing how to convert a Galaxie to a 4.6/5.4. It would be interesting to see one post-conversion.
That’s a DOHC version pictured, which is even wider than the SOHC motor if I’m not mistaken due to the size of the head assemblies.
Actually the width is the same, the SOHC cams = the DOHC exhaust cams.
best of both worlds ia a 32valve block wit the PI HEADS OR TRICK FLOW 2V HEADS,YOU HAVE ENOUGH FLOW.AND A LIGHTER ENGINE THAT CAN REALLY SPIN UP.
An F-150 with the 4.6 is in a first place tie as my all time favourite fleet half ton. GM trucks with the 4.8 were just as good. Decent power, decent mileage, and if you followed a reasonable PM program they never broke if used as intended. I guess no one but commercial customers will miss either one, but there’s a lot to be said for proven components. The 4.6 was a pain to work on, true, but you didn’t have to do it very often in my experience.
“Tired Old Mech” – believe you’re correct. Bought my ’06 F150 new; still going strong at 165K miles. Routine maint (regular oil changes, tire rotations, etc.). Hoping to pass this hard-working horse to the Grandsons.
So Jason do you notice much difference in power between your 92 Vic (190 HP) and 01 (220hp)? I’ve got an 01 grand ma and is curious how the difference in driving feels between the older coil pack 4.6 and newer coil on plug ignition.
My ’92 was a police model as was the ’01. State surplus auctions are a beautiful thing. The ’01 definitely had more punch, but the ’92 tended to get a bit better fuel mileage.
An engine I have essentially zero experience with. I always find it amusing when folks think they’re going to damage an engine like the 4.6 V8 from pulling a 4,000 lb trailer or such. Geez; in the old days, medium sized trucks used six cylinders smaller than that, with half the hp. It might wear out a wee bit faster, but who’s going to notice that?
I understand that the “Modular” name applies specifically to the ability to produce different versions on the same assembly lines, but that doesn’t negate that there are numerous modular aspects to these engines. Don’t the heads on the 4.6 and 5.4 interchange? And I suspect that the 6.8 V10 shares much in common parts-wise with the 5.4, given that it’s essentially a 5.4 with two more cylinders.
My understanding is interchangeability with the engines was a nice by-product of their construction method – such as swapping heads side to side. I did learn, which was no surprise, that Ford would make a running change on some element of the engine which precluded the ability to put the updated piece on an older engine.
My thought was the same as yours on pulling a 4000 lb trailer. When I pulled a 6% grade at 55 mph in said F-150 tugging two tons of weight, I created a convert. I’ve pulled 6000 lbs with an ’84 F-150 that had a 300 straight-six that made about 23 horsepower…definitely no rocket sled, but it did what was asked of it.
In 2010 we drove a Grand Marquis (Ultimate Edition!) 2700 miles from O’Hare to Detroit, Pittsburgh, Niagara, Boston, Belfast and down to NYC – 3 up and luggage. The car was an enjoyable ride but the handbook disclosure that there was a 4.6 V8 under the hood was a surprise. Sure it was smooth and quiet and relatively economical but the acceleration was glacial. It about matched the 2.3 Mazda we’d left at home. The 4 litre DOHC 6 cyl Falcon we’d just surrendered to the leasing company would leave it for dead. Full disclosure: the home fleet includes a 200K mile 450 SEL 6.9 so we do have some experience with torque – the 4.6 was not stellar in that regard.
The 2.73 gears in the later Panthers don’t help the acceleration, the earlier cars with less HP are quicker with their 3.08 gears. 3.23s in a HPP car or 3.55 in a LX-Sport change thing dramatically and really don’t kill the MPG. My 3.23 equipped CV consistently bettered the 3.08 and 2.73 equipped GMs in hwy MPG. granted it was only about .5mpg but still better. Part of the reason was the 3.23 geared car could pull hills in OD that the others needed to downshift for and there are lots of hills in my area. The other reason may have been due to the better aerodynamics of the early CV body shell compared to the upright rear window on all GMs and 98+ CVs.
I’ve either heard or read that there were some very Mercedes-like qualities in the design of this engine. Has anyone else ever heard this, or can it be confirmed?
So, can one of those 3-valve torquey Mustang engines be swapped into a Town Car? (No smog inspection problem where I live.) If so, how much real world difference does it make?
If it is a TC with the AOD-E then mechanically it is pretty much a bolt in affair, The problems come in the electronics side as the 3 valve was never put in front of a 4sp AT. Now you could use a computer for a 3 valve backed by a MT and one of the stand alone transmission controllers.
MT like manual transmission? Maybe not for a Town Car. What kind of automatic was the 3 valve paired with? Could the engine/trans combo be swapped into the TC? Or does that create more issues, trans mounts, driveshaft length etc.
Before reading this piece I actuially was not savvy to the 3 valve version. Previously I had always thought about swapping in a Mark VIII InTech 4-valve engine into a TC. Is that easier? For that matter, what is in a Marauder?
Yes like manual trans, I wasn’t suggesting putting it in a TC just using a engine controller for a MT vehicle so it isn’t looking for the AT and then using the stock trans and a stand alone controller.
The Marauder engine is basically the same as used in the Aviator and Mach 1 but only in the Marauder was it backed by a 4R7xW so you need a Marauder controller. The Mark VIII is a very similar engine and it was backed by the 4R70W.
In Mustang the 3V came with the 5R55s 5 speed auto. That would give the T/C some umph with the closer ratios but, the newer 6R80 6 speed auto that was used in Explorers and F150s(’09-’10) would be the best it has a 4:1 1st gear for hard launches even with tall highway gears in the rear…it also works with the Coyote.
yeah, reply to old post… turbocoupe t-birds of 80s with man. trans. could really pop off a red light due to 4.11 first gear Borg-Warner, and posi 3.55 axle didn’t hurt either. prolly rose glasses, but 140-180 horses felt like 350 on super cold days when turbo boost went from nil to 10 lbs in a millisec.
Why not just do a Coyote 5.0 swap. Ford doesn’t produce 4.6L 3Vs anymore…they do sell Coyote crate engines. 😀
Funny, I just bought this, a `99 Grand Marquis LS:
The HPP sway bars are like $47 and $54 dollars from and make for a good quick upgrade. Then for your summer tires you want the 17″ wheels from a 2002 Crown Vic LX-Sport. Reproduction versions can be had for $100 each on E-bay. Or get some of the 5 lug Fox stang wheels and 1″ spacers. Then wrap them with some 255/50 BFG KDWS or 235/55 BFG KDW. It will make a world of difference in the handling.
I was considering picking up some HPP wheels for daily duty, and leaving the stocks for when I autocross it. I love the idea of running Mustang wheels, but using spacers is something that always makes me nervous, especially if using while autocrossing.
There aren’t really any HPP wheels. For a few years before 98 the HPP cars did get 16″ wheels while the standard version still rode on 15″. However when they increased the size of the brakes in 98 all cars had 16″ wheels and you could get the wheels that had been used on the HPP cars on non-HPP cars. Nowadays there just aren’t many good tires available to fit the 16″ wheels, heck it’s even hard to find good tires for the 17″ wheels.
Is it just me or did the old 289/302/351 Windsor family of small V8s sound better than the new modular Ford V8s? The 4.6Ls sound pretty sterile.
Not sure about better or worse, but the modulars definitely sound different than the Windsors. I can only speak from the experience of driving fleet-spec, company issued Crown Vics from 1988 to 1998, but the modulars seemed more willing to rev higher (not surprising for an OHC engine), while the Windsors seemed to emit a throathier, torquier sound under accelleration. It’s definitely a subjective thing, but that sound difference may be a large part of why Mustang fans weren’t exactly thrilled when the modular showed up in the GT.
The 4.6 in my ’05 Town Car, with it’s factory dual exhaust, makes a muted but delightful, smooth growling sound when you “Goose the Gas” leaving a stop sign/stop light. At age 61 I still enjoy that sound!
When flooring it to run thru a yellow light (one does NOT stop for a yellow light in New Orleans or you WILL get rear ended!) the quick and positive 4th gear overdrive to second gear downshift makes those dual exhaust rumble like a muscle car of past thrills.
Quoting a surprised and nonplussed GM friend of mine: “This soft riding luxury car SHIOTS and GITS when you stomp the skinny pedal!”
I’m NEVER selling this car!
Must be the dual exhaust. The 4.6 with factory single exhaust in my ‘Vic is too muted–at least from the driver’s seat, the engine note itself is usually drowned out by fan noise or the distinctive “turbine” whine of the 4R70W.
Now the DOHC 4.6 in the Marauder, with duals and tuned resonators in the tips? That one sounded good.l
Quoting the old hot rod saying: “Duals Do Do It!”
My ’95 Grand Marquis 4.6, with single exhaust, was not nearly as audio enjoyable.
In another kind of CC syndrome, there was an article in my local newspaper today about the MV-1 wheelchair accessible taxi that is being produced in limited numbers on a line in the AM General plant in Mishawaka, Indiana (South Bend) by VPG Autos. It is a rwd vehicle and also uses the Ford 4.6 mated to a 4 speed auto. The makers of this taxi could be in for some trouble if/when Ford pulls the plug on this engine.
If only it had a Studebaker badge on it!
not anymore. They went from the 4.6 V8 to the standard 3.5 or 3.7 they’re putting into all their models
Just as the old Windsor was replaced with the 4.6, it now meets that same fate
Do these ever have timing chain issues? I have been waiting 20 years to get a chance to replace the chains on one of these, but they never seem to break!
The early engines have bullet proof timing chains since they are true roller double row. When the 4.6 was coming out I read an extensive article on them where they interviewed the engineers who designed it. They said in their inititial testing where they stuck them in CV Boxes and gave them to taxi and police fleets that the guides tended to be in need of replacement at 350-400K while the chains themselves were good to 500K which was as long as they ran any of their test fleet. That article was one of the reasons I was willing to buy my first Panther that had very high miles for a 2 1/2 year old car.
i have a 97 lincoln town car executive 186,000 miles i have no complaints , ive driven mine from illinois to arkansas and back every year had it since 2011 only thing i really notice is the throttlebody is facing driverside but on mustangs facing passenger but everything interchanges, mine is sluggish on takeoff but will get up and go at high rpm. i think these 4.6 are ok for drivin around but definetly not your show off motors.
Usually they are reliable.And long lasting.
But rebuilding them is out of the question.
Very expensive engine to repair.
If worn out, take it to the local recycling company.
Funny, my parents both have 4.6’s in their vehicles which were both bought new, and both now have a lot of miles on then. Dad has a F-150 XLT with a 4.6 and 4×4, that truck just keeps going and is a ’99 I think?
Mom has a ’01 Mustang GT that she got new, and has lived a hard life. It now has over 160k of in-town miles, and aside from the intake issue you detailed and some fix-ups here and there, it’s never had a major mechanical. Even the transmission and rear end have survived amazingly.
My brother bought a ’01 F-150 Sport extended cab, 4 wheel drive last year and it has the 4.6. He bought it with just shy of 200k on it, and has since taken it on a couple of road trips while also driving it daily. Previous owner towed a sprint car with it for a couple of years, but you would never know.
You hit it on the head with these engines. I really love my Dodge, but I often wonder when I’m going to cave and trade it in on a F-150 or a Subaru.
I remember Hot Rod Magazine doing a big tech article on the Modular family of motors when the debuted and I’m 99.996% sure I remember reading that Ford planned on 90 degree V6’es and inline 4 & 5 cylinder engines to go along with the 4.6l, 5.4L & 6.8L V8s and V10 we did get – a real family of Modulars. I think there was supposed to be a smaller V8 too, maybe 4.2L.
Some of the architectural oddities that limited the potential of the motor over its life span – like, why is it so huge for a relatively small displacement V8? Why was their no room growth in displacement? Why such tiny bores that shroud the valves, negating much of the OHC advantage? – are a product of the time the motor was in development and where Ford saw the future of large engines going.
At the time, must’ve been the mid-80’s when the new V8 motor was on the drawing board, it was still obvious to everyone that large displacement V8s were going the way of the Dodo bird and that ever tightening emissions and mileage requirements would make combustion efficiency even more critical. Current thinking was that small bore, long stroke motors would be easier to control emissions in (better swirl if I remember correctly). Narrow bores also allowed closer cylinder spacing which meant a shorter over all motor in length which fit in well with future plans since they were anticipating putting I4, I5, V6 and even V8 versions in transverse FWD vehicles (the Lincoln Continental did infact get a transverse 32V 4.6L V8) and shorter (less long) motors would be easier to fit between the shock towers. Long strokes led to tall and wide blocks and with taller OHC heads perched on top, you’ve got a motor with the bulk of a traditional big block but nowhere near the displacement and little room for growth because the tight cylinder bore spacing and the long throw stroke. The only solution was a taller deck for the 5.4L and an extra set of cylinders in the 6.8L V10.
GM had the benefit of a few more years with their all new, ground up design of the LS series and by that time it was clearer that the V8 was not dead yet and a few new tricks had been learned when it came to combustion efficiency allowing an OHV, large bore, short throw motor to thrive.
Ford took everything they’d learned from the Modular program and everything they’ve picked up along the way from other engines and put it all into the magnificent Coyote 5.0L. Unfortunately, the Coyote is saddled with the worst traits of the Modular, namely the basic dimensions meaning it will always be a physically large motor with no room for growth with out getting even larger. At the moment, it appears that motors will have to get smaller in the future, as it did in the 80’s – time will tell if that actually happens or not. Maybe Ford was right to refurbish the Mod motor to squeeze a few more years out of the factory tooling instead of a truly clean sheet design with better architecture for a motor without a long forseeable future – kind of like they did with the Fox platform, turning it into the SN95 and keeping it alive for another decade. Not sure why they developed two completely different V8s at the same time instead of pouring all resources into one V8 family – the actually have three different V8s going currently with the old 5.4L Modular spray-bored out to 5.8L to go with the 5.0L Coyote and Boss 6.2L.
The 2V 4.6L is a good motor but the Mustang GT deserved better (and probably the T-Bird and Cougar too). My theory is that the SN95 Mustang was always intended to get the 4V motor but with out high volume runs of FWD 4V I4s econoboxes to spread the costs around of those complex heads, it became economically unviable. Ponycar sales figures say it didn’t matter in the end though but he 96-’04 GTs’ legacy suffers for it.
The Modular name did refer to the manufacturing process but there is a lot of modularity which opens up any number of combinations when upgrading a plain 4,6L 2V motor.
There is a lot of potential hidden inside all those Mod motors, even the 2V – checkout Hot Rod’s junkyard buildup of a 2V – but the gross HP numbers can’t compare because of the displacement disadvantage and at the end of the day, they’re still very large for the displacement. The 4V motors are beautiful though.
I’d love to see some in depth info on the development of the Modular program. I think its a fascinating motor – a modern, OVC V8 from one of the big three and available in normal cars, an engine that was so outstanding in so many ways but then held back with some seemingly bizarre design choices.
Great stuff – I remember that Hot Rod article being very interesting. I don’t usually buy (or read) that magazine but I picked that one up since I’d never really seen anything else in-depth on the Modular V8 before.
Personally I think V8’s will be around for as long as people keep buying SUVs and full-size pickups. The experiment Ford is doing with the V6 in the F-150 right now they have done before, as has GM, and people always end up wanting the V8s back even if they offer no real world advantage for most buyers. I’m not even really a “V8 dude” but there’s just something awesome and distinctly American about them that I think is worth holding on to.
Sort of a replay of the Studebaker V8 problem. Built as strong as a brick house and suitable for modification, but very little room for growth in displacement. It is also interesting that their displacements are roughly the same: 289 cid for the Stude, 281 cid for the Ford. Stude had a weight problem while the Ford had a girth issue.
It is true that these are physically large engines, especially in width (although relatively light weight owing to the aluminum alloy block/heads), but this a direct result of the OHC configuration. Even more so, of course, with the DOHC variants. But this was the design choice made by the Ford engineers and it just goes with the territory.
I disagree with your comment about “bizarre” design choices. Any engine requires that the engineers make design choices from among myriad, and often competing, priorities and requirements. While to the layperson certain design aspects of these engines may seem strange, I’m sure the engineers behind them had perfectly sound reasoning for doing what they did.
And in any case, the legendary durability these engines have developed a reputation for pretty much vindicates the engineers and their overall design choices, bizarre or not.
I don’t think the 99-04 (new edge) end of the 96-04 Legacy suffers nearly as much as the 96-98, those are still extremely common platforms to hot rod off of and I still see many more people souping that era Mustang than I do Camaros/Firebirds, which seem to be most commonly harvested for their LS engines by restomodders. The PI engines when they debuted in 1999 were seen as a massive leap in the right direction. The 96-98 GTs weren’t even really bad, they’re every bit as fast as the outgoing 5.0 SN95s, but that was probably the problem. The 90s were the turning point where making the same result done better, as was the general engineering philosophy of the post-malaise era, was beginning to wear thin and people began demanding measureable improvements to go with them again.
In defense of the bores, valve shrouding is a much bigger issue on the 2V 5.4 than it is on the 2V 4.6. The 5.4 was really the afterthought design and it suffers much more performance wise, but the 4.6s square design is very common practice with all modern engines as it offers a good balance between high rpm performance and combustion efficiency. I suspect even if the bore spacing of these engines were wider the 4.6 bore and stroke still would have been chosen for that reason, rather than the oversquare configuration of the pushrod 5.0. The Coyote is square as well, even though a 3.7″ bore, as the 5.8l GT500 used, could be accomplished to get 5.0l displacement with the 4.6s existing stroke. Trick Flow came out with their own SOHC heads a few years ago and the gains people have experienced with heads alone(stock PI intake, PI cams, exhaust) match stock Intech 4V engines. That shows where the bigger compromise in the design probably is.
I do recall reading the Modular was developed with transverse layouts in mind, which makes sense – at that time it was developed the Mustang would have been destined to be FWD, and early on in the planning stages the MN12 was intended to be derived off the Taurus platform. Presumably the transverse 4.6 would have ended up in these at some point.
Nice article. Thank you. I’ve been in so many Fords with this engine. Drove an Econoline, and Crown Vic for work and always found them decent. Frankly, they felt anemic in the van but nice in the Vic. When that van was filled with people it took it’s time to go. It always felt like it had a lot of power because it would jump when off the line after I hit the accelerator but I really had to keep the pedal on the floor to keep it moving. I really liked that engine though. And I enjoyed the Crown Vic a lot. Having a true RWD car was fun sometimes just wish the seats were a little firmer.
Great info on the history of the 4.6, thanks. I bought an F150 in late 08 and had a choice between a 5.4 and the 4.6 that were pretty much the same xlt’s on the lot. i choose the 4.6 for a few reasons, the first being reliability, the second being it gets slightly better fuel economy, although not much, the third being it was a few bucks less, lastly, all I tow is a snowmobile trailer and a light 16 foor fishing boat. Reliabilty was my main concern, and with the well known issues the 5.4 has with the plugs, i wanted to avoid that as I had no real need for the added power. Resale was a non issue as the plan for this truck is to keep it a vry long time. I do not use the truck as a daily driver and it has only 62000 km’s or 38000 miles on it in the 57 months I have owned it. For me it was the right choice as I am not at all concerned about having the most powerful pick up on the market and am a prgatic man that shops based on my needs. Hope to still be hauling the boat to the lake with this little engine in 20 years, which at my current use would only bring it to about 200k miles.
I have a 1998 Crown Victoria and am the second owner. I bought the car in 2003 with only 15,010 miles on it. During a cold spell in January/February 2007 the intake manifold cracked 58,700 miles. In May 2007 I bought a new motor. Ford has serviced the motor ever since. Last night the engine light went on and it missed. The intake manifold leaks coolant into the #4 plug 121,800 miles or 63,000 on the new motor. I grew up with Fords and have not bought another. In the end, my 1963 Mercury, 1967 Mustang, 1972 Chevrolet Pickup and even my 1996 Aerostar have been more cost effective to operate and have outperformed this Crown Victoria due to its poor intake manifold design.
What year did Ford correct the 4.6 L spark plug problem
Quoted from Wikipedia:
“2-valve 4.6 L, 5.4 L, and 6.8 L engines found in many 1997–2008 Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury vehicles have an issue with stripped or missing spark plug threads in the cylinder heads. Ford acknowledges this issue in TSB 07-21-2 as well as earlier TSBs. Ford’s TSB does not state that this issue is caused by owner neglect. Ford’s only authorized repair procedure for out-of-warranty vehicles is to use the LOCK-N-STITCH aluminum insert and tool kit. For vehicles under the New Vehicle Limited Warranty, Ford will only cover the replacement of the entire cylinder head; however, the Ford recommended spark plug service interval extends beyond the duration of the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.”
“3-valve 5.4 L and 6.8 L engines built before 10/9/07 and 3-valve 4.6 Ls built before 11/30/07 found in many 2004–2008 Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury vehicles have an issue with difficult to remove spark plugs which can cause part of the spark plug to become seized in the cylinder head. The source of the problem is a unique plug design that is made with a 2-piece shell, which often separates, leaving the lower portion of the spark plug stuck deep in the engine. Ford acknowledges this issue in TSB 08-7-6 as well as earlier TSBs. Ford’s TSB does not state that this issue is caused by owner neglect. The TSB provides a special procedure for spark plug removal on these engines. For situations where the spark plug has broken in the head, Ford distributes multiple special tools for removing the seized portion of the plug. The multiple procedures required for the different cases/situations of plugs seized in these engines are explained in the TSB. This repair is covered for vehicles under warranty; however, the Ford recommended spark plug service interval extends beyond the duration of the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.”
Of note: I own a 2008 Mustang GT that has a final assembly date of 10/07. As indicated above, I have the head and 2 piece plug combination mentioned above. When ordering internal parts, ignition coils or spark plugs, sensors, or cooling components I must consider my ’08 Mustang as having a ’07 configuration.
My 97 svt cobra – 4.6 4v with bolt ons – made 290 sae corr rwhp on a dynojet. did 104.7 mph quarter with 3.73 rear. Was a very good engine.
The 2v 4.6 is a great engine.
The only issue I have seen is spark plugs and intake manifolds. Both are easy to fix if they ever happen.
Otherwise, it is a better motor than the earlier ones.
And by the way, the early 221, 260, and 289 engines were actually made in cleveland, not windsor. I bet few people here know that.
AI have a 97 Mercury cougar that has this 4.6 in it and don’t get me wrong I love fords. Buti just tore it down today to find out it broke the key on the crankshaft holding the cam gears and now it has 10 out of 16 valves bent and gouges taken out of a couple of the pistons. So how in the hellnit.manages to shear off that key at less than 2G rpm idk beats me lol
how does a 3800 GM V6 w/the “super” charger twist a forged crank? necessatating a new/reman short block @64,000 miles? sometimes lemons leave the factory..
Well, there’s just something about the big bore/short stroke ‘little’ 302 Windsor engine that is hard to define ..it has it’s own feel and ‘sound’ that is unique to the original muscle car era, and the current high-revving overhead cam ‘many-valved’ smaller bored/longer stroked engines just don’t do it for me… : )
I agree. I have one in my ’83 longbed Ranger 4WD. But please, stop calling them Windsors. The only “Windsor” was the 351, built in Canada, because in the mid ’70s the Cleveland plant could not keep up with demand for 351 engines. All other small blocks were built in Cleveland or Mexico. If I hear 302 Windsor ever again, I’m gonna puke….
…hey ..sorry about that ..I think the reason we kiwis and aussies refer to them like this is because we also had a bunch of ‘302’ clevo engines running around in our aussie ‘coons’ (Falcons).. FoMoCo of Australia took the 351 canted valve Cleveland engine and produced a 3″ stroke crank to put into the same block to produce an ‘economy’ five litre version (lol) ..anyway this little brother version breathed so well with the 2v clevo head set-up with its smaller chambers that when pushed along it used just as much if not more fuel than the 351C.. the smaller version was also a delightful revvy free-spinning engine, like its bigger brother the ubiquitous (GT40) 351Clevo.. what good days they were for traditional petrolheads..! 🙂 There wasn’t an ECU or a PCM to be seen! Just nice big four barrel carbs and adjustable dizzy’s..and your engine could make as much noise as you liked and you could make it run as hard as you wanted it to.. emissions(?) ..what were they?? ..we hadn’t heard of them.. ..
You are wrong. The 302 was made at the cleavland plant but it is part of the windsor family.
There was a 302 cleveland in Australia however.
..well it was the 302C (as in Cleveland block) engine i was actually referring to just here …in Australsia (where i am writing from) we referred to the Ford 302 CID as either the ‘Windsor’ engine or the ‘Cleveland’ 302 engine to differentiate between which type of block and heads were used.. i repeat that the Aussies had a special 3″ stroke crank that went into an otherwise 351C engine block to make it into a 302C engine for local production purposes.. the heads used smaller chambers of course to make up for the smaller swept volume.. this happens to be accurate information, and i do not accept that it is wrong..
..after 1984 the 302C engine was ceased production (in Australia) and all Australian Ford Falcons after that used the small block 302 in all further V8 powered vehicles up until 2002, after which the 5.4 modular engine was used.. so i do apologise if we called the small block 302 the ‘Windsor’ engine inappropriately.. ignorant ‘downunders’ ..lol
Craig I was on your side. At least I thought I was. You called it a windsor and suzu said there was no 302 windsor and he was going to puke and I said he was wrong you were right. At least thats what I thought happened.
Having sold a pile of 4.6 equipped vehicles at both our dealerships all during the 90’s and more recently from 2005 to current we have bought and sold a ton of 4.6 equipped panthers, Mustangs and trucks. They are generally reliable but we have seen some engine failures, intake failures, spark plug issues, defective spark plug wires(mainly on the 90’s engines), plugged up EGR passages on low mileage around town granny cars that caused loads of pinging and the occasional cracked head and of course sensor failures. The more heavily abused cop cars with high mileage seem to have the most issues and the youth owned Mustangs. We have both a 99 Mustang GT and a 2003 cop CV in the back yard that need motors and our mechanic is out with the flu so may end up having to do these swaps ourselves. The newer 2000’s on up motors with there coil over plug seem to be the best and we have yet to hear of an oil consumption issue or intake problem on those years. If anything the AOD-E 4 speed overdrive in the Panthers is a weak spot after about 150K miles. We have a pile out back waiting to be picked up for scrap. Our mechanic can swap both those and the GM 4L60 out in his sleep so high mileage tranny failure in these cars is a non issue to us.
That’s interesting! In Australasia the modular engine wasn’t used until 2003 as the 5.4. We never got the 4.6 here. So the OHV 5.0 engine was used right up to 2003 and was even stroked to make 5.6 litres and 250kw of power. The only concession to change came with OBD11 and the distributor ignition (EEC-IV) was changed over to coil pack ignition and EEC-V with effect from 1998. The more popular 5.0’s however were the earlier ones from ’91 thru ’97 as you could do more to them and get really good power AND traditional bent eight ‘sound’. The only weak point was the big end cap set-up which could fail at the bolts if the engine was taken beyond the red-line habitually (5,500rpm max no problem with the factory bottom end. Yes, the factory ECU was provided with a rev limiter but of course many of these 5.0’s were running around with over-riding J3 port chips and no rev limiter!
If you used a forged steel crank, a set of forged steel rods of high quality, and lightweight forged racing pistons, alloy heads, a decent inlet manifold and throttle body and mass air sensor to suit and a big duration cam the 5.0’s could make really good power reliably, year in year out.
Over 450hp the factory block could fail however and develop cracking between the webs.. lol but after all they were never designed to produce more than 220kw (300hp) in 5.0 capacity.
So, for me, it’s a toss-up between the 5.0 and the ’39 3.6 litre flathead (which had the BEST BENT EIGHT SOUND EVER !!)
But the 5.0’s were (are still) one of the best physically compact little engines Henry ever made in my humble opinion.. : )
Hi, I live in Australia.Ford Explorers came with a 4.6 OHC motor.I have one which I am currently adding 2 x turbochargers to.
I have also owned XT GT with 302 windoer, XB GT 351 cleavland.I am a member of the Ford GT club and as a mechanic have rebuilt many for V8 engines.
Rick Wadley
One correction. You stated that the Panther ended production in 2010. The last day of production was Sept 15 2011 at St. Thomas.
I have owned 7! 4.6L 2Vs, 2 ’92 Crown Vic LXs(the first two cars I purchased used at 18 and 19 years old as I wrecked the first one), a ’96 Police Interceptor, a ’99 Grand Marquis LS, an ’05 Crown Vic LX, an ’04 F150(new design) and an ’01 Grand Marquis GS. I have owned 2 4.6L 3Vs, an ’05 Mustang GT and ’10 Mustang GT. Until last July I owned an ’11 Mustang GT and ’11 F150 with the Coyote 5.0. Now I have a 2013 F250 6.2L and Ford Focus Electric(it’s been an adventure but, it is saving us a fortune on taxes and my old lady’s commute). I have had a life long love for the Modular V8s and have only had the intake problem on my ’96 P71. The rest were sold or traded and two were totaled in accidents. I had 2 trans go out. (The ’96 P71 and the ’04 F150). I have only owned one 302(’98 Explorer), one 360 FE(’75 F250), a 300 I6 in an ’86 F150 and only ONE non-Ford an ’97 Grand Cherokee with a 318(Junk, had it 2 months, got rid of it.) I have always been upset by the lack of respect the Modulars get, they have always proven more than adequate and the newer 5.0 Coyotes were downright FAST. I love Ford V8s, long live the 4.6L 2V, it’s hard to imagine it has been produced for 24 years. I remember the ads for the 1991 T/C and it SOHC V8, it will be a sad day on the magnitude of the death of the Panther in 2011 when the old 2V is no longer produced. Thank you writing the article I have enjoyed it tremendously.
When u said the trans went out on the 04 f-150 was it just overdrive? Just curious.
It no longer functioned, engine just free reved. It was totally dead. That was the only time I ever had a trans do that. The 96 P71 lost 3rd and 4th but it still drove.
Since this post I have been so angered by Ford’s neglect of V8s, pushing V6s and refusal to offer a V8 RWD sedan…that I have left Ford for dead. I started with a 2013 Caprice PPV with a 6L and now have a 2016 SS sedan with a 6.2L. The Holdens are wonderful cars and the LS platform has opened a whe world of performance.
The 6.8 v10s are bad about shooting the plugs out. We have a service truck at work with only 160k on it and it has shot out 8 of the 10 already. They are getting rid of it. I know of another guy that owns one around here and it has shot out 2 of them! Sounds like a shotgun going off in that thing! Lol the 5.4 is bad about water getting down in the plug hole and shorting out the coil pack so they miss. Blow em out and they run good again! They are pretty good engines. Both of em! Just have there issues just like anything mechanical. I have a couple Of buddies that have the 5.4 with around 250 thousand miles. Still running strong!
…ah yes ! .. 🙂 ..misunderstanding ! (sorry) ..lol …I agree there was indeed such a thing as the 302 ‘Windsor’ engine – to differentiate it from the taller decked block 351 ‘Windsor’ – and to differentiate it from the bigger block ‘Cleveland’ series of also both 351 and 302 cubic capacities..
I seem to have an addiction to these engines and have examples of ALL of them except for the true 351 Windsor (mine is a steel crank 347 roller block looking for something to put it into)
…my ‘Clevo’ is a 302 sitting in an ’85 Falcon ute ..waiting to be replaced with a 351 Clevo presently at the engine builders, and my standard 302 roller Windsor is still sitting in the factory installed ’95 XR8 Falcon 5 speed manual sedan (I am extensively modifying this engine at the moment, and when finished it will hopefully produce over 400hp and still be driveable on the street.. the Jegs ‘540’ 220/226@50 camshaft seems to be the ticket in this engine (the Ford Racing X303 seems to do the job quite well in the 347 at present)
🙂
I’ve tried to buy American for 32 years, but issues like the intake manifold being considered a wear item on my Ford and VW Bug size brakes on my GMC Suburban, (Dealer : “It’s normal to replace the brakes every 10K miles on this vehicle”) and I’m finally giving up. My next chunk of cash goes to the Japs.
Ford did fix this error a decade ago; I agree that it should never have happened, but they have made an attempt (however industrious) to rectify it.
Been there, done that. After the Lincoln Town Car and the Ford Taurus cars from hell that we’ve had we bought our first Toyota Camry. Toyota doesn’t engineer cars to fail immediately after the warranty expires. Ford does.
I’ve had my1997 e150 sherrod van ‘bought1998 ,when it turned 40,000 it started ,cold .low end knock. Reported it ,to ford dealer they said it was normal, if they switched engines ,it would do the same at that ,mileage, mechanic ,there,had same problem ,he did switch ,and his did it ,again,ford sent, me letter ,declared it would,t hurt longevity of the motor/ well it has128,000 on her now only probe, ac unit,and egr valve ,a little oil puff after sitting up 3-4 days ,1\2 a qt.1000 miles ,van average east. Weight7800 lbs. Loaded with full tank ,I can drive from i-95 nc. To Dollywood Tenn. And have a1/4 tank of fuel left. The old girl gets the job done /7 passengers,with luggage and cooler,and dog.guess !I can’t complain . Mountains ,don’t stop her a little heavy on front disc brakes,3 sets 1caliper- 3 left rotors. Not motors fault ‘ disc -front-drum rear don’t match. For equal brake pull down.
My 2000 crown vic thermostat housing split. I replaced it with a ford raceing intake.
one thing I dont hear all the comments say is about fuel mileage. I regularly get 24-26 mpg driving like I stole it. Lets see a chevy do that.
/\ agreed..i have a 94 4.6 marquis thatll spank ur ricer with 175000 miles and a 99 f150 with a 5.4 that will drag ur chevy outa the ditch…modulars are great engines but lack of maintainence is bad (as is with any engine) i love working on them…its my job…3v engines fail more typically due lack of maintainence in almost all cases….btw u can get a 4.6/5.4 windsor engine early 93-99(?)…i also own a 300 straight six f250…. y didnt they ecoboost an engine like that????? Lol
I bought a very nice 2001 Grand Marquis about 2 months ago for my son because the car was a one owner with 150,000 miles and I have always heard they were very good cars. He turned his nose up at it. Since I had already committed to purchase it, I went ahead and bought it thinking my wife would like it.
You got to know that I am a diehard Chevy Guy. My dad actually worked for the Chevrolet assembly Plant in Atlanta for 20 years along with about 10 other family members.
I had the Marquis less than a month when it would be running fine down the road and momentarily it would almost stop, the temp gage would peg out and a warning signal would sound and then immediately start running fine again. On a couple occasions it stop all together, but after I turned to key off it started back up and run fine. Of course the wife did not want anything to do with it now.
I carried to the Mercury dealer and they wanted $100.00 just to look at it. So I went to a local Auto Shop. The came back to me 3 different times with really crazy problems like; transmission fluid in the radiator ( how can transmission fluid get into the radiator???); must be electrical bad ground or something; finally the said I was 2 bad injectors, 1 coil pack and the Mass air flow sensor. The parts alone was $570.00 and labor was $380.00, after taxes it cost me $985.00. I researched his bill and found he was marking up the parts 115% and was charging $85.00 an hour for labor.
I bought a 2004 Chevy Tahoe new and it now has 155,000 miles on it and I have not spent a dime on it, other than gas and oil.
I do feel better after reading these articles and comments, but now I am afraid what will happen next. I will not go back the Auto Shop, was highly recommended, do any repairs. We had to spend money we struggling to go on a cruise with since we have not been vacation 5 or 6 years.
Sorry for the venting, just wanted to share the problem with the Marquis.
I think I am going right now and take my 57 Chevy Belair for nice long ride.
See the USA in a Chevrolet!!!
something to be said for having a larger amount of foreknowledge of your current problem than the amount in your checking account. and trust noone with a accreditation hanging on shop wall.
The 4.6 L was not Ford’s first SOHC engine. There are a select few cars from the 60s and 70s that were fortunate enough to get a 427 SOHC engine. They are very rare and are very expensive.
That was a over the counter race engine and its never been proven it was factory installed in any Ford.
Have 2 Town Cars (’96 and ’97) with the 4.6, and they’ve never let me down. ’97 has 135,000 miles, the ’96 170,000, both with new intake manifolds. The ’96 is a sweetheart: Signature Series Touring Edition w/ the Ride Control Package. Far and away the best car I’ve ever owned; I would not hesitate to drive it cross-country. I’d love to hear from anyone else that has the same car and equipment (offered ’95 and ’96 only), contact me at car buyers edge at earth link dot net.
I bought a 96 Lincoln Town Car, Signature Series 4 years ago with 117,442 miles. Best car I ever owned. It requires that you slightly press the gas pedal when starting and it starts instantly. If you don’t, it can grind for a long time before catching.
I have just purchased a 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis LS with 165k on the 4.6 v8. I love it so far. Switched out the spark plugs in it myself and although there weren’t any broken plugs, the did not want to come out. (may have been stock) This baby purrs like a kitten and all the bells and whistles work great. I previously owned an 89 Towncar that was very similar to this vehicle. I prefer the engine in my Grand Marquis but the tranny in the Towncar made for a much better pick-up. I was reluctant to buy a vehicle with more than 130k on it but these things seem to be bulletproof. I do need to replace the front shocks but the air ride rear suspension works like a charm. All in all a satisfying purchase. My previous car was an 01′ Isuzu Rodeo Sport and only got 17mpg on a good day. It was solid but not for me, too loud of a ride, the steering wheel was off center, cramped riding space. Sold it for 3k picked up this baby for 1500 and pocketed the difference.
No one has been able to answer this question for me.
Reference 1995-2002 Lincoln Continental FWD Engines: Which years used Teksid blocks, which years used DOHC B heads and which years used DOHC C heads?
Late response I know, but
Continentals used the same block from 95-02, not sure where they were cast but they are only configurable as transverse, so they’re not particularly useful
RWD Teksid block = 93-99(Mark VIII and Cobra)
B heads = 93-98 Mark VIII, 95-98 Continental, 96-98 Mustang Cobra
C heads = 99-02 Continental, 99-14 Mustang Cobra/GT500, 03-04 Mustang Mach 1, 05-06 Ford GT, all Mercury Marauders, all Lincoln Aviators, 99-04 Lincoln Navigator – There’s a lot of variance in the “C head” though. 03-04 versions outflow 99-01 heads, Navigator heads have a raised deck and don’t accept 4.6 manifolds without modification, even used on a 4.6 block, and the Cobra R and GT500 are a whole different animal, but all have the same basic port shape
Just to throw in my limited experience with the 4.6L engine: I purchased a 2002 Lincoln continental back in 2010. It had 60K miles on it. Today it has 200K and is still running great. It is my daily driver. My main issues have been with the power window switches going out, and the chrome peeling from the wheel rims. Oh, yes my subwoofer stopped working on the stock Alpine stereo. As of this writing, I’m still looking for a master and rear window switches. I replaced the rims which were peeling, Haven’t found the problem with the subwoofer yet. Overall the car has been reliable and great to drive. I am planning on keeping this one as long as I can.
Chris, I was able to remove the master switch unit from my Merc Grand Marquis, remove the rocker switches and soak the block containing the contacts in CLR for a couple minutes, rinse with water, blow out with air, works like new again, don’t buy aftermarket ones (tried that they are junk). Another tip is use food grade silicone spray in window tracks, they won’t grip and drag so much.
I recently bought a 1993 Crown Victoria with 43,000 original miles, this car is EXTREMELY clean inside and out ! Never seen a winter and factory serviced since new. I took a small road trip that totaled 800 miles, to my surprise ( it doesn’t smoke at all and no leaks) it used a quart of oil. To my knowledge that I gathered from many sites and from general observation of the 4.6 smoking issues , Ford knew of this issue for many years ( using excessive oil even when brand new ) and eventually over many years of producing the 4.6 they corrected the issue ( valve guide seals ). My BIG question is there a silent recall or any reembursement or do I have to bring them to court like many law firms did ( successfully )with Fords 6.0 diesel ? Again this car looks factory new and I love it , but a quart of oil every 800 miles is extensive for a fanatic like me and now has me thinking of selling it……?
Mine was the same way when I bought it from my mother. Just drive it and add oil. Or, check the forums at grandmarq.net for a lot of experience on the issue.
23 years is probably a bit too many for a payout. I would buy Walmart brand oil labeled for high mileage cars unless you are going with synthetic. No reason to blow a lot of money on something you are burning.
I just bought a 2008 F150 XL Crew Cab with a 4.6. It has 247k miles but the motor and transmission seem flawless. My only complaint so far is mileage. I am getting 12-13 mpg when driving in town. Is this normal with the 2 valve 4 speed transmission? I drove a crew cab 2009 model in a previous job with the 3 valve 292 hp and six speed transmission and was able to get 16-17 mpg in town and 20-21 mpg highway! That 09 model had 207k miles for comparison. Quite the mpg difference in one model year.
My pickup is an ’07 F-150 Supercrew with the 4.6 so it’s pretty close to yours, except mine currently has 116,000 miles. If you are driving it strictly around town, yes, 12 to 13 sounds about right. You didn’t state if yours is two- or four-wheel drive; mine is four-wheel drive.
On the highway, I am getting about 16. Highway fuel mileage had been about 18 to 19 miles per gallon prior to putting tires on it that were slightly more aggressive in tread pattern than what Ford gave it.
Used in an application like what we each have, I won’t say it’s a powerhouse but it has done everything I’ve ever asked of it and it’s never had an issue of any type.
I love the truck so far. It is a 2wd. I was driving a 2000 Landcruiser that was getting 11 mpg in town. Felt like I was stopping every corner to fuel up.
I have a 98 4.6DOHC out of a Lincoln, will it fit in a 2002 Mercury Marcuis that has a 4.6 SOHC. There is not much room on either side at the firewall
’98 Mustang GT.
The headlights went out, the tach was jumping all over the place, the radio went to loud static and the engine would die or give the appearance of ready to die.
Local Ford dealer is reluctant to work on engine because they have no idea what the problem is and the cost to repair. 120,000 miles on engine
This has just started but seems to be getting worse.
Any help would be appreciated since I am unable to drive it because of running issues,
It sounds like an electrical problem. Reply a little late here. Did you find an answer? what was it. Find a different garage with a decent reputation. Or go to a mustang forum…I bet someone else had similar experience.
120k is not a lot on this motor, if the oil was taken care of properly and basic care given to the car.
I have a 2008, 3v, 4.6 in a Mustang.
Well hold on detective… It sounds like an electrical problem? – Just teasing.
Well hold on detective… It sounds like an electrical problem? – Just teasing.
Alternator voltage? Battery condition? I would check the grounds also.
Was wondering if a 98 mark8 dual overhead engine will work in a 03 explorer with single overhead cam engine without changing the harness. Both engines are
4.6
Had the 4.6 in my late model 95 Crown Vic P.I. It had over 310,000 when I finally parked her. Only work under the hood past the 135,000 mile mark was replacing both coil packs. Had it on the autobahn in Germany and put the pedal down on an early Sunday morning. When the speedo hit 132 mph, I backed off. There was pedal left and since it was an interceptor it was chipped for 141 mph. I parked the car because the body had pretty much shelled out at 19 years old. The engine/tranny/rear end were still solid.
I have a 1995 4.6L Tbird “W” coded engine and was wanting to know if I can drop in the 2011 4.6L “V’ coded engine. What would you see I need to do?? Intake/ignition wires make have to be exchanged….but any other issues???
Bud
I have a 1998 F-150 STX 4.6 5speed. Today I started the truck up and it sounds like a cold diesel starting up. 75,000 miles on the engine. Never had a problem until today. Noise is coming from the front on the engine. Any help is appreciated.
after so many cars i conclude they were just a car. a machine. transportation from here the there and back again. 98′ mark 8 with a 4v engine still running like new. good car. not something i will get emotional about unless it takes a hit as well as my dodge truck did. i really detest drivers using cell phones.
i am considering a 3.73 gear upgrade to help the slug get up the hills here in Colorado. really comfortable car. quiet engine. uses no oil. dry. interesting engine management system. air ride is like riding on clouds. just takes regular maintenance. its a machine. machines don’t last forever. got a offer from the scrapper. considering it, seriously.
Can I put a 95 town Lincoln’s motor in a 91 Town Lincoln’s car
I need an engine for a 95 crown victoria what models would work for my replacement engine ?; Thanks
94-97 Thunderbird and Cougar, 96-98 Mustang, 93-01 Crown Vic/Grand Marguis/Town car. Try to avoid the ones made before 96 though, the updated ones do much better with regards to oil consumption and interchange fully with older models. Just swap the intake manifold over.
What? No mention of the 390hp supercharged ’03-’04 DOHC 4.6L Terminator Cobra? As for the oil consumption thing having owned a ’95 GMQ that got totaled with 174k miles and a 140k CV that I sadly scrapped due to a rotted frame the problem was indeed fixed for ’96. My ’95 GMQ was great at killing every mosquito within a half a block or so and the ’96 CV didn’t use a drop between oil changes. Currently on my fourth 4.6L powered Ford, an ’05 P71 which currently has only 143k on her. The oldest of our three Econolines here at work, an ’05 E250 with a 5.4L, has somewhere well north of 300k (it has a junkyard cluster) and still runs like a top. Rust is going to kill her long before use does I’m sad to say.
That makes sense, the valvetrain was upgraded for 1996 with more robust valve guides and seals, oil consumption on 96 or newer is usually PCV related or even piston rings.
Agreed on the Cobra, those things in 2003 were the equivalent of Hellcats today. And with upgrades are still as fast! All on the same old iron block found in 500k mile work vans
I bought a new 94 cougar just for this engine. I always thought the transmission wasn’t able to fully take advantage of the motor. Ended up ditching the car before warranty ran out, no engine issues, but plenty of others.
My daily driver is a 2002 F150 4×4 with 5.4. I bought it new. I do lots of short distance driving so only have about 225,000 kms on it. I change oil at 10,000 kms and use synthetic. It has never needed any oil added between changes. It always starts. Most reliable truck I could ever want. Tires included and all repairs and maintence (not including oil changes) I have spent under $6,000.00. It has almost no rust and looks very good.
I never expected to have this truck past about 4-5 years when I bought. Now almost 15 years have passed! Lol! It’s almost like one of my kids by now… Only it doesn’t complain. Haha
The 4.6 did appear in NZ in Explorers a lady friend has one aquired for dragging home improvement supplies home shes stuck with it as they are next to impossible to sell now but the engines goes great its only done some 140,000 kms, My brother has a 5.4 FPV assembled motor in his XR8 that he seems happy with, Ive not heard anything bad about these modular Ford engines other than high fuel consumption but hey its a V8 if you wanted economy buy a four.
4.6 litres is 280 cubic inches. 5.4 is 330 cubic inches.
RE: Changing spark plugs:
I’ve changed the plugs on several 4.6 engines of mine and various friends; never had problems when following these procedures:
The engine has to have sat still overnight; giving as cold as engine as possible.
I use a compressor and nozzle to blow any debris out of the deep spark plug sockets. A THOROUGH blow out!
I always carefully, SLOWLY loosen the spark plugs by hand, never with an air ratchet. I “bump” the ratchet handle to break loose the plugs, never “grip it and rip it” with all the force I can muster. I repeat: NO AIR TOOLS USED HERE!!!!!
A piece of vacuum hose, attached to the tip of the spark plug, aids in removal and initial insertion/threading.
I always coat the threads with anti-seize goo.
This is the same procedure I have used on all of my Corvairs; also equipped with aluminum heads.
I don’t mind the 4.6, but I still prefer the Windsor simply because performance upgrades are way cheaper than the modular. My cheap ass just can’t wrap my head around $800-1000 cam upgrades. Most of my cars didn’t cost that much. Plus none of my cars would accept the modular without major surgery/ adaptation. I will say though, the 4.6 in wife’s 02 F150 at 191,000 miles still runs like a top.
I just bought a cream puff 2000 Expedition XLT with the 4.6 v8 for $2,500 with 100,200 miles on it from a school teacher who drove it to work since it was 1 year old. The egr tube is broken off and it’s noisy so needs replacing. It runs well and I plan to use it as my boat launch vehicle by putting on a hitch. What problems am I going to run into? Sparkplugs? Intake manifold? Tranny? The boat & trailer weigh 4500 lbs.
I just bought a cream puff 2000 Expedition XLT with the 4.6 v8 for $2,500 with 100,200 miles on it from a school teacher who drove it to work since it was 1 year old. The egr tube is broken off and it’s noisy so needs replacing. It runs well and I plan to use it as my boat launch vehicle by putting on a hitch. What problems am I going to run into? Sparkplugs? Intake manifold? Tranny? The boat & trailer weigh 4500 lbs.
Oh , I forgot to mention the 2000 Expedition has AWD/4WD Hi/ 4WDLo also
I just ran into an old acquaintance on Saturday and asked him about his 97 F150 extended cab. He finally donated it to Teen Challenge he said. It still ran well but rust from daily city driving was getting to it. It had 631,000 kms on it. Never touched the motor or trany aside from tune ups and regular maintenance. His new truck is ’07 F150 with 5.4. It only has 500,000 kms on it. Also totally trouble free. No spark plug issues.
just aquired a 2004 explorer with the 4.6. its a ripper but i hear the 5 speed auto is junk.
I own a 96 Lincoln Mark VIII with the 4.6 and it’s blowing exhaust into the cooling system. Other than a leaking head gasket is there another potential contact point where exhaust could be introduced to the cooling system? There is no oil in coolant or coolant in oil, also no steamy coolant blowing out the tailpipes. I love this car for many reasons and hate the idea of selling it since I don’t have time to do a major engine repair right now.
If you don’t get any answers here (this is a very old post) you might want to go the message board route. I’m not sure if there are any popular ones for the Mark VIII today (lincolnvscadillac maybe?) or you could even try mercurymarauder.net as the Marauder used a slightly updated version of the same DOHC 4.6 as the VIII uses. The guys there know a lot about this motor.
I owned a ’96 Mark VIII myself back in ’04 to ’06 and loved it, would have kept it had it not been damaged beyond economical repair in an accident. Good luck keeping yours on the road!
how can i put a 4.6 ford engine in a 1952 ford vickey
I have a 2003 Explorer with 246K. The 4.6 is still pretty strong. Starting at 200K, I have had a few coil pack issues and recently a plug that quit sparking. It has always used a bit of oil; A little more as it has aged. Oil is cheap and car notes are not. No other motor issues.
I think Ford did a great job with gearing on the Exploder. The transmission shifts quickly and without much RPM drop. The 4.6 is at its best between 2500 and 4500 running thru the gears. And the 4.6 sounds great when is it wound up.
When I bought this SUV with 100K miles, I never thought it would serve me so well. The 4.6 and drivetrain have proven themselves.
I think Ford did a great job with gearing on the Exploder. Transfer changes rapidly and do not have much RPM drop. 4.6 is its best between 2500 and 4500 running through the gears. And 4.6 sounds great when it gets wound up.
I also agree with you.
I’m a very firm believer in these little mod motors and I believe that the 4.6 is king when it comes to versatility and durability I’ve had 4 f150s and have shoved upwards to 18,000 pounds behind my 08 framed out and bent the leaf springs into w shapes but she rolled without breaking a sweat I’ve got a 98 lariat pushing 300,000 and still runs like she was new only one I’ve ever killed it took 18 psi on a kenne bell supercharger on stock internals to destroy truck shopping this will forever be my first choice
I changed the plugs in my ’01 Vic at 80,XXX miles. No problem getting them out. I did have a stupid moment with this car though. It was a gift from my recently deceased grandfather. The car was in really excellent shape, always garaged, washed, etc. but the engine was extremely dirty. I took it home and washed the engine at a car wash and had a misfire as soon as I started it up. OBD II port/tool/reader told me it was cylinder 5, so I took all of the coils off and blew out the connections with compressed air. This brought the car back to mostly normal, and I thought it was probably overdue for a plug change so I changed them as well. I now have an intermittent flutter at idle, it’s a very random misfire that I haven’t taken the time to track down. I should have left well enough alone in this case, but at least my engine is clean.
On to the car itself, I love it!!! Which is strange for me. It’s actually one of many firsts for me:
– First American care I’ve ever owned
– First car I’ve owned without a sunroof (other than my 325ic)
– First car I’ve owned with a bench seat
– First BOF car I’ve ever owned
This car replaced my ’94 525i as my winter beater. It can’t be more different to drive but honestly, living in Chicago I appreciate the soft ride. It blows through speed bumps with a squeak, crash and laughter by all aboard and fits my bike in the trunk when I pick it up from the Roger Park Metra.
I’m tempted to replace it with a Jag X308 but it’s so clean and trouble free (and free) that I can’t bring myself to do it.
He is always inside the truck 2007 F-150 4.6 L 2W D with 111,987.00 miles. Brakes replaced and air manifold, and water pump. Now I need to replace spark plugs ASAP. Just the regular maintenance and never spinning the tires…….I know this truck will go another 100,000 miles with out anymore problems. I think it has been well worth every penny and has no leaks or rust and I live in Corpus Christi, Texas. It has never lived in a garage and the truck looks excellent and yes I have changed tires twice. But never flat on the side of the road. FORD spelled backwards DROF- driver returns on foot. Never for me…..
Just replaced the intake manifold for a second time on my ’96 Mustang. First one lasted over 170, 000 miles. The second only around 30,000 thousand. There are lots of quality problems with replacements. I got my second from Rock Auto, hope that it lasts awhile. Mileage is now 203,000. Overall I love my 4.6 Mustang. It’s got Flowmasters and sounds just right. I will admit that my ’96 Explorer with 5.0 sounds just as good through it’s stock single exhaust. Both are classic Ford V8s.
I’ve owned both 5.0/5.8’s and the mod 4.6’s. While the Mod 4.6’s were extremely durable, I also think the entire mod family was the answer to the question no one asked. Yes, the 4.6 was durable. The 5.4 had more than it’s share of issues, and the V6’s were worse. In return, they offered next to no improvement in power or fuel mileage. All the mod family did, IMO, was prove GM was right all along- a state of the art OHV motor was every bit as efficient as a OHC design.
Had a 4.6 liter in my econoline 250 van that had 750,000 miles on it and it still ran great when i sold it.
will a 2006 Mercury 4.6L engine qualify for a Supercharger. How much boost will it handle without breaking the lower part of the block?
I’ve heard people put down over 500hp with the stock lower end. These were drag motors so longetivity wasn’t an issue. 325-350hp would be a good target for a well maintained low mileage street engine. Once you get past there fuel delivery, engine management and head flow become issues. Blocks are cheap, there are plenty of crank and piston choices, and many rebuilders have experience with turbo and supercharger builds. Build one that’s optimized for your needs and then turn up the boost to your heart’s content.
Can I put the 3 valve heads on my 1996 Lincoln TC with the 2 valve heads?
good
I have a 93 4.6 that only has 132000 on it run like its but was on fire. it had been setting for about 10 years when I bought it. I changed the injectors and fuel pump and oiland it fired right up. the town car it was in was falling apart and now the engine and trans is going into a 86 f150
I have a 2002 mercury mountaineer 4.6L with over 200,000 miles on I want the most horsepower I can get out of it and still be able to drive it from South Carolina to New York from time to time so my question is what do I need to change or add to the engine to accomplish what I’m looking for do I need to rebuild the engine or do I need to replace the engine in my 2002 Mercury Mountaineer if so please tell me what do I need to do thanks p.s I as like to race a lot but keep getting my but kicked why does Chevy boys
You did not state that the 4.6 had a problem blowing sparkplugs out. There were specials kits sold to fix this problem. The heads had to be replaced at times because of the damage. I think ford did not fix this problem until 2004.
You are thinking of the 3 valve 4.6 engines. The 2 valve has not had this problem, or at least not to the same magnitude. As stated in the article the focus is on the 2 valve.
Engine of choice: 400 cu in (6.6 L) 335 V8
Transmission:
3-speed C6 automatic
From my 3 mid 70s LTD’s to the 77,78,79 Ford modified- hobbyist”,but working,beast pickups,i’ll continue to run the above drivetrains,with an couple setups to spare.Call it reliable,call me a analogman…but its just smart,common sense..i dont play the planned obsolescence game.
you’re right that 77,78 400M’s and C6 pretty much cannot die. i know of one that NEVER had an oil change, just added for 12 YEARS, around 50K. and did not register any oil pressure ever. i checked sending unit guage on a diff truck, they worked. sides of bed fell off from rust and front suspension literally had no contact points with truck, still drove a commute daily. bizarre.
Took this photo last night for a friend. My wife’s 02 F150 with the 4.6. We bought it used in March 2011 with 129,000. Zero breakdowns, no excessive oil usage, and the only repair needed was the #6 coil two months ago. It must have been part of the class action suit as it has a all aluminum intake.
I had been seeing a filthy strumpet who roped me into helping her parents move rock. I had plans to go boating the next day on the Minnesota & Mississippi river but the dirty harlot begged and I agreed. After meeting up with the disgusting bint, we shoveled so much rock into the back of my 2000 F150 4.6 that I think the springs were fully compressed and I did notice the tires were bulging quite a bit. Being a guy of questionable judgement (based on the dirty hussy), I locked on a large boat and headed for the river with my friend the next day. The truck pulled fine, in fact the weight was less noticeable on acceleration and driving down the highway than the squat of the truck and definitely the braking. It felt like the power brakes were gone and I was driving a non-powered assist brake. I know I had well over a ton in the bed and a large boat and still made it up a very steep boat launch with no issues. I had to shovel out that truck the next day with no help from the filthy rake or her family. I still drive this truck to this day and besides routine maintenance I have only needed to change a coil on plug #1 (actually last weekend). Last winter she sat outside and it got to -37 and she fired right up (although a little grumpy).
Post some photos of this trollop.
Have a 1999 ford f150 with a manual and a 4.6 in her, by far the best truck I’ve ever owned with the ridiculous power of pulling a car uphill without so much as a stutter. The only issue is it doesn’t like autolite spark plugs and the feed tube to the heater core is notorious for blowing out. Great engine, people at work have dubbed it unkillable.
You can’t fix a “Windsor-built” 4.6L using “Romeo-built” 4.6L parts. Ford Logic: “Why would you use the same-design block, crankshaft, flywheel, cylinder heads, valve covers, cam, timing cover, and connecting rods just because you’re using two different assembly plants for what could be the “same” engine? We’ve already paid the engineers–make sure they change everything!”
When Ford was building 351s, they couldn’t engineer a proper oil-pan drain plug. Once they were building “Modular” engines, they proved to the world that they couldn’t design a proper spark plug, either. And then Ford makes sure the warranty expires BEFORE the first service interval for the plugs. “Ooops. Out-of-warranty. Not our problem…”
Ford had a six-year head start on GM; and even with those years of product development lead-time, AND overhead cams, AND the option of multi-valve heads, the GM “LS” two-valve pushrod engine creamed Ford’s top-heavy monster. For many years, if you didn’t have an iron lung (supercharger) on a 4.6L, you had a turd.
A first-year-of-production GM LS engine was rated at 345bhp at 5,600rpm and 350 lb-ft of torque at 4,400rpm. A ’97 Mustang GT “Modular” engine made 215 hp at 4,400 rpm and 285 ft/lbs at 3,500 rpm; while a 4-valve Mustang SVT managed just 305 hp at 5,800 rpm and 300 ft/lbs at 4,800 rpm.
Well, the 4.6 could be brought to life pretty well with cams, intake, throttle body, filter and tube, full exhaust, and possibly PI heads from the 99-04 GT 4.6 along with a tune.
These mods would net you A LOT of power increase, sitting pretty in the 350-400 range, but of course the con-rods are the limitation at that point since 400 is the top end of the “safe horsepower” range. Above that and you risk failure.
Not to mention the 03-04 Cobra nicknamed the Terminator, the internals of that thing are forged and can withstand roughly 1,000 HP with little issue.
I’ve owned my lightly modded 96, mostly stripped. and it’s quite the quick car, I can even keep up with my friend’s 2014 Camaro SS up to about 80 starting from a roll!
But yeah, 160,000 miles and still draggin’, only problem was a head gasket leak around 150,000. But if you know what you’re doing that isn’t that hard a job.
My 4.6 in the Crown Vic Sport has crossed over to 211,000 miles last year. The issue I have had was with the exhaust manifold failures. I don’t know what Ford saved by going with those Dupont manifolds, but for me, that has been a weak link.
I finally had to have the transmission rebuilt about 4 months ago.
This is a daily driver for me and it is now 20 years old. I paid $7000 for it back in 2013, and I have to say that this car keeps exceeding my expectations. I sure would love to have another and I have my eye on my neighbor’s ’03 Marauder. But that is a garage queen that only sees daylight once a month, and he’s holding onto it like it is a plot of beach front property in Florida and priced accordingly. I’m going to need to outlive him and deal with his son if the time comes.
Thank you for presenting this information. It is very well done!
I only know that my 1989 Crown Victoria with a 302 never had any engine issues in the twelve years (146,000 miles) I had had it. My 2004 Crown Victoria had an intake manifold failure at 110,000 miles. My 2010 Grand Marquis had a throttle body failure at 45,000 miles. The car now has about 94,000 miles with no further engine issues so far. I am almost 59 and hope the Grand Marquis lasts the remainder of my life. I know the 4.6 (single exhaust on both cars) does 0-60 in about 9.5 seconds, while the 302 did it in about 11.5 seconds, but I only notice the increased power of the 4.6 while accelerating at highway speeds. Fuel economy with both engines seems to be about the same. I like the 4.6 but found the 302 more durable.
Need some advice. Did the 4.6 ever come with a manual trans option? If I buy an Econoline with a 4.6, can a manual be fitted to replace the auto? There are aftermarket options but really expensive.
Was never a Ford guy. Took my 88 Firebird Formula for an oil change to a lifelong friend who swore by Mopars. Asked him what he thought of the 4.6 versus the 5.0 since he did all the work on the Police cars. To my surprise, he said that it was the best engine, the 4.6, that Ford had ever built. Never any issue, bullet proof. That summer I drove a new 2006Black Mustang GT. Loved it so much I bought it. Still have it with only 11,000 miles on it. She is Quick.
I looked for 10yrs off and on until now ford explorer sport trac adrenaline that had the criteria I was looking for condition no rush ownership and price found one a one owner 94,000 MI Nevada truck Carfax indicated all the service was done at one dealership and the price also it had to have a 4.6 V8 292 horsepower flew from Tennessee to Las Vegas bought the truck drove it home love it