Interesting mod motor spark plug failure

[Colt45ws]

Originally Posted By: WyrTwister
You plan to replace the entire engine , not just the head ? What , salvage yard engine ?

Best luck to you ,
Originally Posted By: Linctex
Originally Posted By: WyrTwister
What cubic inch and miles is your existing engine ? If it is in good shape , you could throw on some trick flow heads,


He has another good 4.6 with fewer miles he's going to swap in.

Does trick flow even make 4.6 heads ?!? (I really don't keep track anymore)


Yup, and yes they do make heads. I would probably go with stage 2 ported stock heads if I was doing a engine build.

My other engine waiting for a new home.

Oh, I found a pic of a 4 thread plug. This is what the head was originally supposed to mate with.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Linctex
Originally Posted By: WyrTwister
What cubic inch and miles is your existing engine ? If it is in good shape , you could throw on some trick flow heads,


He has another good 4.6 with fewer miles he's going to swap in.

Does trick flow even make 4.6 heads ?!? (I really don't keep track anymore)


The 5.4L and 4.6L heads are interchangeable. Subsequently, the TFS heads fit both engines.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Then you have to do at least another 7 mods to keep up with the heads.

 

[Canadastang]

Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
Then you have to do at least another 7 mods to keep up with the heads.


Like what?

If he did a 5.4 swap from a junkyard van, the 5.4 throttle body is 70MM vs. the 4.6's 65MM, spend $100 for a trick flow plenum, or port the existing one and port the exhaust manifolds with a dremel, then it'll be golden. Keep the truck cams in there for some nice low end torque and it'd be a pretty crown vic. The 4R70 and 8.8 rear end will do just fine with the added hp/tq.

There's a guy on Crownvic net who's running 13.0 in 1/4 with similar mods.

 

[Colt45ws]

I have a Trickflow intake elbow, BBK 75mm TB, 2004 Interceptor tube/MAF/airbox on the car already.
I'm not impressed with the 5.4. the 4.6 is already starved for air.
If I was going to put a 5.4 in, it would be a 5.4 DOHC from the Navigator.

 

[Canadastang]

5.4 DOHC would be pretty sweet, but good luck fitting that in a pre 03 panther.

I think the biggest issue with the panthers is the exhaust. Horribly restrictive 2" exhaust with 4 cats and log manifolds really choke the 4.6.

Some day I'll swap a 2V 5.4 into my Town Car with TF heads. I don't really care about performance, just want some low end torque, something panthers so desperately need!

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Colt45ws
I have a Trickflow intake elbow, BBK 75mm TB, 2004 Interceptor tube/MAF/airbox on the car already.
I'm not impressed with the 5.4. the 4.6 is already starved for air.
If I was going to put a 5.4 in, it would be a 5.4 DOHC from the Navigator.


Then the logical choice is to put on the TFS heads

 

[Colt45ws]

Originally Posted By: Canadastang
5.4 DOHC would be pretty sweet, but good luck fitting that in a pre 03 panther.

I think the biggest issue with the panthers is the exhaust. Horribly restrictive 2" exhaust with 4 cats and log manifolds really choke the 4.6.

Some day I'll swap a 2V 5.4 into my Town Car with TF heads. I don't really care about performance, just want some low end torque, something panthers so desperately need!

The SW long tubes have been dyno'd at +33FTLBS Torque
In reality, my 02 will just have a couple NA mods, pretty much like it already has. If I did anything major it would be to the 03 chassis I have.

 

[Colt45ws]

Pretty fantastic.

 

[OVERKILL]

Wow. I don't think the Lock-N-Stitch insert, despite how much space it takes up, would take up that gap. That sucks. You'd have to weld it to fix it, in which case I think a TFS head upgrade is in order instead

 

[Linctex]

Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Wow. I don't think the Lock-N-Stitch insert, despite how much space it takes up, would take up that gap. That sucks. You'd have to weld it to fix it, in which case I think a TFS head upgrade is in order instead

It's a good thing that decent 4.6's are so readily available and CHEAP

 

[Colt45ws]

I wouldn't bother repairing a common as dirt 2V head.
If it was a 4V head like in a Marauder/Cobra, yeah, probably. I hear those heads are getting increasingly scarce in usable condition; I guess a lot are getting damaged from poor tuning/too much boost.

If I was to build it, I'd probably throw some halfway decent forged rods and .020 over pistons in it, ported stock heads with some good cams, a Tork Tech manifold with a Terminator Blower, and ceramic coated Stainless Works LT headers.

If I had the $600 to spend, I buy some cams to put in the other motor before I put it in.. At no other time will they be this accessable. I'd of course time them too; so I wouldn't end up with the tap of death in the head.
Oh well, maybe in the '03 when I replace the body on it.

 

[Wagonmaster261]

V10 swap?? Reportedly it bolts in...

 

[Colt45ws]

Originally Posted By: Wagonmaster261
V10 swap?? Reportedly it bolts in...

Long 5.4, so I dont think much has to be done for it over prepping for a 5.4 swap.
Adds more weight to the front of the car. If I was to do it I'd gear the rear 2.73 to take advantage of all that torque. On the upside of that, its top speed might be quite high, though Ive heard the front bumper caves in at around 140....

 

[nthach]

I thought the Ford mod motor spark plug issues only affected the earlier motors using half-thread spark plug holes and the newer motors using Autolite's HT-type spark plugs.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: nthach

I thought the Ford mod motor spark plug issues only affected the earlier motors using half-thread spark plug holes and the newer motors using Autolite's HT-type spark plugs.


This is one of those. It's a 2003, so that was the "changeover year" when they started putting more threads in the hole so if you got a late build date you could have the updated heads. Obviously this one didn't get them. My 2002 Expedition had the three-thread heads as well.

 

[Colt45ws]

Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Originally Posted By: nthach

I thought the Ford mod motor spark plug issues only affected the earlier motors using half-thread spark plug holes and the newer motors using Autolite's HT-type spark plugs.


This is one of those. It's a 2003, so that was the "changeover year" when they started putting more threads in the hole so if you got a late build date you could have the updated heads. Obviously this one didn't get them. My 2002 Expedition had the three-thread heads as well.

This is the '02 that blew out.
However, you are right about the '03. I havent checked it yet but its likely 4 thread. Its a fairly early build '03, built June of 2002. Fortunatly since its such low miles I doubt they have been changed yet, so I will have control over the procedure. My '02 had already been changed at least once; it had Autolite double platinum in it when I bought it. Who knows how they were installed at that time.

You tighten until it starts getting loose and then back off a 1/4 turn, right? :joking:

 

[blupupher]

Originally Posted By: Colt45ws

Im not convinced 20ftlbs is safe on the 4 thread heads. The later heads, yes and I have taken a torque wrench to my other engine with 8 threads and torqued them to 20ftlbs.

I know on the 4.6 and 5.4 2v in the trucks the "new" recommended torque is 26-28 ft/lbs dry, twice the original 14 ft/lbs dry.