98 expedition 4.6 engine swap

[cleatus]

I have a 98 expedition with a 4.6. I have an available 2001 f150 4.6. What do I need to do the swap or is it worth to make it work. I know some coolant hoses are different, thats easy. I will use my coil packs and wires, but I know there are some different sensors and or locations.
Any info or ideas. Thanks.

 

[1955moose]

We get this question at least every couple of weeks. The motor bolting in is the easy part. Do both motors use coil on plug? Some of the early 98's still used the 2 coils with eight wires. Do you have the wiring harness from the donor vehicle along with any hoses, fittings, sensors? Anytime you jump into a 3 year difference vehicle, their will be issues. You'll need the computer out of the 01, and will have to probably have dealer reflash when all is bolted up. Is the 01 a fairly low mileage motor, that would be worth the trouble?

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[cleatus]

I thought about using the two coil packs with plug wires. I'm not really interested in going into a complicated swap with computers and such If it could be down with some extensions on sensors or rerouting some hoses I don't mind. I know it's not exactly plug and play, even though some not so experts have said otherwise. I figure you could probably get by with the ignition, its the same firing order but I not so sure about everything else.

 

[1955moose]

Nor am I. To find someone that did the exact swap is going to be tough. But as long as you have access to all the 01 wiring and sensors, in theory it should be ok. In your state do they smog the year of vehicle, or the engine. You might want to check that legal part out, just in case.

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[cleatus]

No smog, not a problem just throwing the code might be. I know of a mechanic that had told a friend it would work. I'll try to get up with him tomorrow. There isn't a huge difference in the engines mechanically. The ports and a little compression are a few things but that may be more than enough. A donor is a lot cheaper than a rebuild if its a semi straight forward swap.

 

[TobyU]

I think it will be pretty simple. I swapped an 06 6.8 from a moving van into an 01 Excursion.

Mine was COP to COP but it won't matter with your coils. The spark plugs don't care whether you put a long wire into the hole and onto the plug or a COP into the hole.
I kept my intake form the 01...this is what made it easy.
Several of your sensors are in the intake and throttle body to you remove from old engine and install new gaskets and put on new engine.
All the wiring harness will stay with car and the engine harness that you will pull with engine will be transferred to the new engine as you are putting intake on.
You can switch valve covers too if needed. I had to swap one.
I also had to change over oil pan and pickup tube since van chassis and excursion are very different.
The knock sensor and pretty much everything else just hooks right back up.
I think all the same holes are in the same places on the blocks and heads so if any connectors are different you can swap sensors but I don't think you will have to.
I put new exhaust manifold gaskets on mine since it was out and they are notorious for leaking.
20 studs on a V-10 and I can't remember if it was 4 or 6 that snapped off. A couple had enough sticking out to get with vise grips after soaking with PB blaster and heating up a little.
Had to drill and easy out 3-4 or them but now they have brand new grade 8 bolts and gaskets and should outlast the rest of vehicle.

Think of it like a reman shortblock. The block and heads are what you need...you put your existing stuff on that.
I also wanted to keep ny excursion 8 row serpentine belt so there wouldn't be an issue in future for looking up correct belt at parts store so I swapped the 6 row to my 8.
That meant I had to swap harmonic balancer and there is a little difference in timing chain cover idler boss for 6 row but I only had to put a spacer (even several thick washers would have worked) and a longer bolt through mine.
I could have left the 6 row and just put the belt around the inner 6 rows on alt and power steering pump and ac...BUT I was on a mission to do this as cheaply as possible but now cut any reliability corners so I already had a perfectly good 8 row belt and a spacer and bolt is cheaper than a new 6 row belt. I could have also cut two rows off of belt...but that is a little too out of the box.
All in all I doubt it would have any structural effect on the belt.

 

[crowncrazy87]

I would use your current intake, fuel rail/injectors, air cleaner assembly, basically everything from the air filter to the intake. That should will keep all your top end sensors the same. 98 and 01 are essentially the same except for the intake and being COP vs a waste spark style ignition and possibly sensor location. Doing this should pretty well make it an exact swap because I do believe that even the PI and non PI heads are interchangeable.

I have swapped so many parts and sensors between my 98 f150 4.6 and my wife's 02 Expy 5.4 that it's rediculous! And those are not only 3 years apart but also different displacement engines!

 

[cleatus]

The problem is you can just swap the intake. The 2001 up engines have undated heads and intake. I hear a lot conflicting reports, some say easy some say not. I'm just trying to find out if it just moving some sensor plugs to new locations or does it take a full computer and wiring harness switch. A not to complicated switch is a lot cheaper than rebuilding this 4.6. Trying to see if this financially feasible.

 

[crowncrazy87]

The updated heads to my understanding was an improvement in the ports to flow more freely. As I stated earlier you can put the PI heads on an earlier engine. I may be wrong best way to know is look at the ports and bolt locations on both heads.

 

[TobyU]

The problem is you can just swap the intake. The 2001 up engines have undated heads and intake. I hear a lot conflicting reports, some say easy some say not. I'm just trying to find out if it just moving some sensor plugs to new locations or does it take a full computer and wiring harness switch. A not to complicated switch is a lot cheaper than rebuilding this 4.6. Trying to see if this financially feasible.

Mine was 06-01 and a 6.8 do maybe apples to oranges.
I would check to see if intake fits.
If not can you make throttle body fit.
I wanted to keep my same injectors since same ecm...I thought this would be best.
Runs fine so I guess. Actually less pinging now on 87 but my old was very carboned up.

 

[crowncrazy87]

Did a little reading and with the difference in the ports the intakes are not interchangeable. They make an adapter to put a PI intake on non PI heads but not the other way around. Let me look into this a little more to see if I can help you out.

 

[crowncrazy87]

Ok. So apparently in 2001 some but not all truck had the updated PI heads and intakes. Best way to tell is to pull the intake and see the port shapes or find the casting numbers on the head. A PI should say PI.

Pic shows non PI on left and PI on right.

 

[cleatus]

I talked to my friend who has the engine, it is a 2002. My 98 has decided to start pressurizing the crankcase. The engine seems to run fine, sounds normal, but it will keep the pcv and the intake full of oil. It has about 30 lbs or less compression on number 2 cylinder. I have read you can drill and tap the intake and add the second temperature sensor my 98 has but I'm still researching. There is a coolant hose connection in the front passenger side of the intake instead of the rear like the 98 expedition.

 

[crowncrazy87]

Yea all 02 models should have been PI equipped. Was just looking and reading and I think the sensors won't be a problem other than maybe their location vs locations of where yours are currently and if there is any extra sensors that the 98 doesn't have you could leave them unhooked and use your current computer and keep your 2 coil pack waste spark ignition. 02 engine is still a 2v so shouldn't be any issues there... like you said I've seen where people have drilled an extra hole for the coolant passage so rerouting coolant lines shouldn't be too bad, especially if you can do it all while the engine is out.

I know the MAF sensors are the same for the 4.6 and 5.4 between those years lmao!

 

[cleatus]

I'm thinking I could extend the 98 rear hose location the the front of the 2002. The 98 has two forward intake coolant temp sensors behind the alternator. I saw only one the 2002 f150 intake. I'm feeling a little better about doing this. I may have to look at and the study the 2002 one more time to check for possible sensors differences. I appreciate all the replies and comments. Please keep them coming.

 

[crowncrazy87]

I can say also that rebuilding a 4.6 or 5.4 is not that difficult either if you wanted to go that route. I bought our 02 Expy with 200k miles with a rod knocking for $1200. Got the motor out and rebuilt it in my carport. Have put 100k miles on it since then. Or ya know you could do the swap and then save and rebuild the old one beefed up. Options!

 

[cleatus]

The 4.6 in it was put in there two years ago. It was one I bought from a motor. It has been good for the most part until last week. I've spent a lot on the expedition the last several years. Way more than I should have. New engine, transmission, new gears in the front and back. I have too much in it to give up on it but I spent too much on it for a major engine over haul also. This 2002 engine runs smooth is in great shape and a whole lot more inexpensive than rebuilding my 4.6. I'm just trying to get my son riding again with something dependable without going broke.

 

[crowncrazy87]

I know what you mean. I think it was about $900 for for me to rebuild mine but that was with a new crankshaft with matched bearings, all new cloyes timing components, new oil pump, all new gaskets and seals, one new connecting rod, new piston rings for all pistons. I got all this from the dealer or local parts store.

If I had ordered from say rock auto probably could have gotten it all for about $500 lol.

 

[rjdelp7]

Ford made many different versions of the 4.6l. There is a Windsor and Romeo truck versions. There is Mustang/crown vic/town car version. There is a 32v INTECH version. There is a 3v valve version. The Romeo has an aluminum block and was used in Mercury Mountaineers and V8 Explorers. Expeditions use the Windsor(vin W,6). Ford Trucks used the Windsor and Romeo, with a cast iron block/Al heads. A guy on Youtube did the Romeo/Windsor swap, without too much mods. It worked, but had swap/save various parts. If its 'L' code vin on both trucks it should work, but only long block. Look for a same year donor vehicle.

 

[1955moose]

Rj, you forgot about the aluminum Teksid motor pre 99 from Italy! From what I've read up on, it's best to keep it all Romeo, or all Windsor. Some items can be swapped, but most are not. If your real technical yeah, swapping can be done, but with some tweaking. Easiest bet though, keep the years same or close, and have at it.

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