4.6 Reliability ????

Back to the Future

Yep, these motors are reliable.

Closer engine tolerances, but the main thing is Fuel Injection. No more raw fuel washing down the cylinders and causing ring wear, etc.

The other advance was the coil-on-plug idea. Notice how the other manufacturers copied it ?

Ford has tightened up on QA, and I'm counting on 200K + on my motor.
 
OK thanks got some questions answered. Not to terrebly worried about the PI thing now as gas is so freak'n high and changes so often one of the local stations hired a guy just to change prices all day. Anyways I was trying to find out on the intake problem what years are prone to that? On the PI side you would have to swap heads and some other things to get the raise in HP PLUS change up the programing of the ECM. Can you do it by just changing ann ECM from say 99 ? By "adding a tuner or timing adjuster" I am asuming like a superchips type deal ?

Honestly, I would skip the 96-98 models and go straight for a 99-00 model. 1) you get 260hp stock 2) they look better 3) they get a tad better mileage 4) the odometer is all electronic and no gear replacements.

If you got say a 98 for say 1-2k less you wouldnt be saving much. 1) the car will be slower than your 5.0 its not just about hp tq is huge too. 2) if you swapped P.I heads, cams and intake plus a new ecu you would also need to swap our your odometer since the 99's are programed to use electronic ones. Or you can keep your ecu and get a custom tune ($300-500) depending where you go by the time you pay for all the parts and labor your looking at 1.5k-3k depending on who you know. Save up a little more and get the 99 model. You'll be happy in the end you did. You might even get one with less mileage.
 
+1 on going to the 99+ cars, i have a 97gt with a 05 pi motor with 32k miles. it as well came out of a police interceptor sheriffs car that was totaled. the original engine had a tick over 228k miles, it smoked a lil bit. also it would tick a little on first crank up. trust me i beat the **** out of this motor. did i kill it? no i honestly think with religuos maintnence that i performed, the engine ran perfectly when i pulled. i have a set of brand new pi heads that im planning a build with my old engine and sell it to buy a trickflow top end kit.
 
I've been beating on my 1998 4.6 Towncar since last August while my car is being painted and tweaked. My car was an Ex Police vehicle and i got it with 168k on it. Now i have 183k on it and have driven that car to Atlanta and many other long trips With nothing more than a tuneup and tires. At this rate it WILL easily make it to the 200k+ club with ease.
 
The 4.6 engine is highly reliable. Its the suspension, brakes, transmission, electrical systems, fuel tank, and a million common problems that you have to worry about.
 
The 4.6 engine is highly reliable. Its the suspension, brakes, transmission, electrical systems, fuel tank, and a million common problems that you have to worry about.

Not in my experience sir.
Ive got 75k miles......
Brakes are still the factory original.... 25% pad left.
Suspension.... all original factory shocks & struts still firm as new.
Transmission... fluid changed at 35k, still shifts perfect.
Electrical.... never one problem
Fuel tank.... no issues. :flag: Rock on.
 
Its a crap shoot when you buy a car built on an assemble line. I heard both sides, yay and nay. But, one thing that is consistant, you add forced induction to the engine w/o building it again, you take a gamble; odds not in your favor.
The engine has more detailed payed more attention to it then the rest of the car on the assemble line, the rest is more of a gamble b/c its a fact employees get complacent no matter what profession!