parkerdoug383
Full Access Members
Iam looking at a 2004 expedition with the 4.6 litre engine does anyone have opinions if there as good as the 5.4
4.6 litre engine
- Thread starter parkerdoug383
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rwengr
Member
I just bought my 2004 last year with 4.6, 2 wheel drive. Towed a big uhaul trailer through hills of east TN on I-40 and I-81 of VA. My mechanic says replaced sparks can pop out so when I do mine I will only use Ford recommended plug.
Don Hall
Full Access Members
Owned an '04 4.6 since new...... very low miles (less than 19K) no problems..... no towing, so
can't provide any factual opinion.
If 1955moose cares to share, he can provide informative tech info.
can't provide any factual opinion.
If 1955moose cares to share, he can provide informative tech info.
I has little to do with a recommended plug. The main issue is tightening them enough.
As fare as recommendation from manufacturer go...THAT'S what started the problem. The original torque spec was too low and they started loosening up and popping out.
They have revised the torque spec.
People who don't use torque wrenches on plugs and have been doing it in aluminum heads for years just tightened them and had no issues.
They did put very few threads on them. The 5.4 and some 6.8s especially. But it you didn't strip them installing them you were usually good to go.
Hello-
I owned an '01 4.6 - 2wd bought it at 174K (for $1200) and sold at 215K. It was a good truck for 4 years. I read though that they improved the 4.6 from 1st gen to 2nd gen, some improvements in engine.
I did have one plug pop out but had a shop that did the steel insert for I forgot how much, but it was not too bad $$ wise.
My mechanic did recommend new Motorcraft plugs if I was going to do new coils - I did and it worked out pretty well.
Lastly, In comparison I now have a '03 5.4 EB 2wd and really like the bit of extra HP and torque - it's noticeable.
I owned an '01 4.6 - 2wd bought it at 174K (for $1200) and sold at 215K. It was a good truck for 4 years. I read though that they improved the 4.6 from 1st gen to 2nd gen, some improvements in engine.
I did have one plug pop out but had a shop that did the steel insert for I forgot how much, but it was not too bad $$ wise.
My mechanic did recommend new Motorcraft plugs if I was going to do new coils - I did and it worked out pretty well.
Lastly, In comparison I now have a '03 5.4 EB 2wd and really like the bit of extra HP and torque - it's noticeable.
Let me give you some real world stats. I have owned and maintained a lot of 4.6s and a few 5.4 and 6.8s but a good friend has currently had over 400 Town Cars with 4.6s.
Only ONE plug ever blew out! Now many get changed right after he acquires them so this had something to do with it too.
We use motorcraft or autolite plugs. Single platinum and sometimes double platinum. We have never used an iridium or other overpriced money making plug.
All get motorcraft oil filter and at least a semi-syn oil. Many get full synthetic.
The best are 96 and up as the valve seal smoking was fixed---only negative is the intake crossover being plastic and breaking. But they are cheap now. We have never put a motorcraft intake on one. The others work fine.
They finally put the good intake on the newer ones but I DO NOT like the drive by wire throttle body. No reason to mess it up and complicate it with a part that can fail.
Luckily ford does a much better job on electronic motorized throttle bodies than GM with their epidemic failure rate, but still a waste of money and problems in the future.
I was very leery of the 4.6 when it came out but it has proved to be one of the best engines of all time. Like the 350 chevy.
On that side note....I have an old 1993 Z71 pickup (350 Throttle body FI)that has been parked for at least 4 years and not started.
2 days ago we pulled it out of the trees that had grown over most of the hood so we could get to the battery (luckily the wheels turned).
Didn't even put fresh gas in it...I always run on E do it was prob parked with less than 4 gallons in it.
Put a charged battery in it and flipped key on and off 4 times to prime fuel pump---was happy to hear it buzz.
Cranked it over for about 8 seconds and the oil pressure gauge moved....cranked again for about 8-10 seconds and it fired right up!
No noises....not even a lifter rattle!!! Heck my modular fords rattle the lifters if they sit for 3 2-3 weeks.
This thing didn't even miss.
Sitting there with all those exposed plug wires to draw moisture and cap and rotor....It fired right up and didn't even miss.
Moved it back and forth a few times- clutch works--YEA! Pedal firm (had to replace hydraulic line to clutch about a year before I parked it).
Brakes went all the way to floor and saw the big puddle under front where line crossed to go to right wheel.
Why is it that brake line always rust out faster on a sitting car? Even if parked on asphalt or concrete. If not in a dry garage...they rust out just sitting but rest of car rusts the same....less if you get it covered with salt.
Why the heck does moving that little bit of fluid about 1.5 inches back and forth keep the lines better than sitting??? Doesn't make sense but always seems to be the case.
I currently have 4 vehicles that need at least one brake line replacement--and I hate doing brake lines!!!
Took line off at each end fitting today and will be putting new in tomorrow. Then taking the huge pile of scrap metal in the back of it to scrap yard...and deciding whether to come back or just sell the whole truck and get an uber back! Just kidding. I HATE uber so I would get a ride from friend.
We have more to take off so I will hope to keep it around a while before putting the snowplow back on it and either selling cheap or scrapping.
It has 306K on it BTW. Work truck then plow truck! Amazing!
Only ONE plug ever blew out! Now many get changed right after he acquires them so this had something to do with it too.
We use motorcraft or autolite plugs. Single platinum and sometimes double platinum. We have never used an iridium or other overpriced money making plug.
All get motorcraft oil filter and at least a semi-syn oil. Many get full synthetic.
The best are 96 and up as the valve seal smoking was fixed---only negative is the intake crossover being plastic and breaking. But they are cheap now. We have never put a motorcraft intake on one. The others work fine.
They finally put the good intake on the newer ones but I DO NOT like the drive by wire throttle body. No reason to mess it up and complicate it with a part that can fail.
Luckily ford does a much better job on electronic motorized throttle bodies than GM with their epidemic failure rate, but still a waste of money and problems in the future.
I was very leery of the 4.6 when it came out but it has proved to be one of the best engines of all time. Like the 350 chevy.
On that side note....I have an old 1993 Z71 pickup (350 Throttle body FI)that has been parked for at least 4 years and not started.
2 days ago we pulled it out of the trees that had grown over most of the hood so we could get to the battery (luckily the wheels turned).
Didn't even put fresh gas in it...I always run on E do it was prob parked with less than 4 gallons in it.
Put a charged battery in it and flipped key on and off 4 times to prime fuel pump---was happy to hear it buzz.
Cranked it over for about 8 seconds and the oil pressure gauge moved....cranked again for about 8-10 seconds and it fired right up!
No noises....not even a lifter rattle!!! Heck my modular fords rattle the lifters if they sit for 3 2-3 weeks.
This thing didn't even miss.
Sitting there with all those exposed plug wires to draw moisture and cap and rotor....It fired right up and didn't even miss.
Moved it back and forth a few times- clutch works--YEA! Pedal firm (had to replace hydraulic line to clutch about a year before I parked it).
Brakes went all the way to floor and saw the big puddle under front where line crossed to go to right wheel.
Why is it that brake line always rust out faster on a sitting car? Even if parked on asphalt or concrete. If not in a dry garage...they rust out just sitting but rest of car rusts the same....less if you get it covered with salt.
Why the heck does moving that little bit of fluid about 1.5 inches back and forth keep the lines better than sitting??? Doesn't make sense but always seems to be the case.
I currently have 4 vehicles that need at least one brake line replacement--and I hate doing brake lines!!!
Took line off at each end fitting today and will be putting new in tomorrow. Then taking the huge pile of scrap metal in the back of it to scrap yard...and deciding whether to come back or just sell the whole truck and get an uber back! Just kidding. I HATE uber so I would get a ride from friend.
We have more to take off so I will hope to keep it around a while before putting the snowplow back on it and either selling cheap or scrapping.
It has 306K on it BTW. Work truck then plow truck! Amazing!
donl
Well-Known Member
2003 XLT, bought in '03 as a demo with 3K miles on the clock. 160K at this point with no issues, never been in the shop. I have made some modifications under the hood in the last few years. No plugs have popped out, replaced plugs with no issues, replaced alternator, replace leaking differential seal, replaced cats and muffs (didn't need to but just wanted to), replaced the rear A/C actuator twice, keep fluids changed per factory recommendations. I would say very low maintenance, very dependable and as has been said one of the best motors Ford has produced. JMHO.
TomB985
Well-Known Member
It’s important to remember that the 4.6 and 5.4 are manufacturing twins. They share a lot of parts and are built on the same architecture, the only major difference is stroke. The 5.4 L has a taller deck any longer stroke which gives it the increased displacement and greater torque.
In 2V form, both are considered dead reliable and rarely fail without permission. You can find examples everywhere of these engines going 300,000+ miles was even indifferent maintenance.
The 3V 5.4 is a very different animal and suffered serious timing and oiling issues for its entire production span.
In 2V form, both are considered dead reliable and rarely fail without permission. You can find examples everywhere of these engines going 300,000+ miles was even indifferent maintenance.
The 3V 5.4 is a very different animal and suffered serious timing and oiling issues for its entire production span.
I would have to almost put the 4.6 as one of the best Ford engines ever made. I was highly skeptical when it first came out with it's massively long and complicated timing chains but it is proven to be one of the most reliable Ford engines ever built.
Some of the rating systems like Edmonds and Consumer Reports don't accurately consider things like repairs. The old Ford 302 always needed a timing chain replacement by 150k just like the small block Chevys because of the stupid nylon coated gears. When we get into these timing chains on the 4.6 and 5.4 2 valve that last well beyond the life of the engine that's a big plus. You can't compare replacing the upper intake manifold to doing a timing chain replacement. One costs a lot more for one and if you're doing it yourself there is a world of difference on the difficulty level. So just because some people want to slam the 4.6 because of the bad intake design, once that's done the thing is damn near bulletproof. It will also handle excessive overheating without blowing head gaskets for other damage.
Some of the rating systems like Edmonds and Consumer Reports don't accurately consider things like repairs. The old Ford 302 always needed a timing chain replacement by 150k just like the small block Chevys because of the stupid nylon coated gears. When we get into these timing chains on the 4.6 and 5.4 2 valve that last well beyond the life of the engine that's a big plus. You can't compare replacing the upper intake manifold to doing a timing chain replacement. One costs a lot more for one and if you're doing it yourself there is a world of difference on the difficulty level. So just because some people want to slam the 4.6 because of the bad intake design, once that's done the thing is damn near bulletproof. It will also handle excessive overheating without blowing head gaskets for other damage.
