How easy to work on?

Top Speed · Jun 26, 2009

I'm hoping to become a Mustang owner very soon, and I don't have any experience whatsoever with the 4.6L engine. How easy are they to work on? In other words, if I had to take the car to a shop for repairs, is it going to cost me $500 in labor every time?

Right now I have a 1994 LT1 F-body, and it's an absolute nightmare to do ANYTHING on that car. I don't want to repeat the same mistake and get another nightmare.

rock4451 · Jun 26, 2009

get a 5.0...problem solved. unless its a 4v 4.6 in which is the cat's ass

Tim2002GT · Jun 26, 2009

Well, if you need a shop to do most of your repairs, yeah it will be costly to get stuff fixed. However, if you don't hotrod a 4.6 all the time it is a very reliable engine. Just think about all the police cars and taxi's using the 4.6. They rack up some serious miles on those cars!

edit: I agree with rock4451, the 5.0 is easier to work on.

Top Speed · Jun 26, 2009

Tim2002GT said:
Well, if you need a shop to do most of your repairs, yeah it will be costly to get stuff fixed. However, if you don't hotrod a 4.6 all the time it is a very reliable engine. Just think about all the police cars and taxi's using the 4.6. They rack up some serious miles on those cars!

edit: I agree with rock4451, the 5.0 is easier to work on.

No, I don't plan on hotrodding it all the time. I guess I should be more specific. Can I change my own spark plugs in less than 5 hours?

Tim2002GT · Jun 26, 2009

Lol! Spark plugs are pretty easy on these cars. Just make sure the engine is completely cooled off and torque the plugs down correctly. The heads on these cars have been known to spit the plugs out and damage the head. It might take 1 1/2 hours if your really taking your time.

Top Speed · Jun 26, 2009

Tim2002GT said:
Lol! Spark plugs are pretty easy on these cars. Just make sure the engine is completely cooled off and torque the plugs down correctly. The heads on these cars have been known to spit the plugs out and damage the head. It might take 1 1/2 hours if your really taking your time.

Ok, so basic maintenance is pretty easy? Oil/filter changes, plugs/wires, etc. Good to know!

What about as far as modding; heads, pulleys, stuff like that? How'bout replacing belts?

jomull55 · Jun 26, 2009

Top Speed said:
Ok, so basic maintenance is pretty easy? Oil/filter changes, plugs/wires, etc. Good to know!

What about as far as modding; heads, pulleys, stuff like that? How'bout replacing belts?

all that stuff is fairly easy. the only thing that gets tricky is the timing and degreeing of camshafts

i love the 4.6 motor

Top Speed · Jun 26, 2009

jomull55 said:
all that stuff is fairly easy. the only thing that gets tricky is the timing and degreeing of camshafts

i love the 4.6 motor

I'm not worried about degreeing cams. I wouldn't do that on my own, anyway.

Is there a fair amount under the hood to work around in, or is it one of these cars where there are special tools needed for everything, and an arm that bends in 5 different directions to reach something?

squeak93 · Jun 26, 2009

Everything is metric on these cars... So as long as you have a good selection of metric sockets you will be ok.

Most everything is just as easy as a 5.0,(exception of head swap cause the heads are so big). Even then once you do it once, its very very easy stuff. Most are afriad of the ohc b/c they have never looked at it or seen it done. I think I could swap 2v cams faster than a 5.0 cam. Less to take off.

rock4451 · Jun 26, 2009

as far as a lot of room, the 4.6 engine bay is a cluster***k, so working on something might be a bit of a pain, but nothing you couldn't handle...

Greenscobie86 · Jun 26, 2009

Doing headers may also be a problem... They are pretty tightly situated on the 4.6 mustang.

I have personally done alternators/plugs/pulleys/ AC compressors/ intake swaps etc... on a 4.6. And I don't consider myself a "great" home mechanic...

It is a pretty easy motor to work on. Everything is accessible for the most part.

RedDaemon · Jun 26, 2009

OP, take a look at this writeup i did to replace the 99-01 upper intake manifold.

this write up demonstrates how easy it is to take everything off the top of a 4.6 2v

http://forums.stangnet.com/785868-99-01-pi-pi-intake-manifold-swap-writeup.html

darkside03gt · Jun 26, 2009

The 4.6 is a very easy motor to work on. every engine has its certain things that are a pain to remove and reinstall but you will love it compaired to a F-body especially since two cylinders are NOT behind the cowl.

And as for reliability I have had to fix two things so far in 3 years 1 was a squeeling idler pulley and the other was a dead battery and I am not very nice to my stang.

Mike97gt · Jun 26, 2009

the 4.6 is very easy to work on

Plugs under 5 hours... LOL try under 15 minutes

Top Speed · Jun 26, 2009

Well, this sounds like good news. If everything is fairly accessible, the Mustang sounds like a car that I will thoroughly enjoy.

How does the 4.6L hold up to supercharging without any internal modifications? When I order my 2010 Mustang, I am also going to add the Roush supercharger, which is rated at 5 lbs, I believe. IMO, nearly 100-115 hp is one Hell of a gain for only running 5 lbs of boost...and a warranty to boot? I can't see a reason why I wouldn't add on that supercharger.

Mike97gt · Jun 26, 2009

Top Speed said:
Well, this sounds like good news. If everything is fairly accessible, the Mustang sounds like a car that I will thoroughly enjoy.

How does the 4.6L hold up to supercharging without any internal modifications? When I order my 2010 Mustang, I am also going to add the Roush supercharger, which is rated at 5 lbs, I believe. IMO, nearly 100-115 hp is one Hell of a gain for only running 5 lbs of boost...and a warranty to boot? I can't see a reason why I wouldn't add on that supercharger.

dont order a 2010 wait for the new motor

scupking · Jun 26, 2009

svttech76 said:
dont order a 2010 wait for the new motor

+1 the 5.0 will return with 400hp for the 2011 MY mustang. Or just buy a 03-04 cobra.

LaserSVT · Jun 26, 2009

Top Speed said:
Well, this sounds like good news. If everything is fairly accessible, the Mustang sounds like a car that I will thoroughly enjoy.

How does the 4.6L hold up to supercharging without any internal modifications? When I order my 2010 Mustang, I am also going to add the Roush supercharger, which is rated at 5 lbs, I believe. IMO, nearly 100-115 hp is one Hell of a gain for only running 5 lbs of boost...and a warranty to boot? I can't see a reason why I wouldn't add on that supercharger.

Welcome abord but if you are gonna order a new one wait for the next one as the new engine will have about 90 more horse power

And these cars are easy to work on. With the headers being the acception. Plugs have never taken me more then 15 minutes. Oil change can get a little messy though cause the filter is in a dumb place. Parts in general are cheap too and readily avaliable anywhere.
The S197 chasis is a bit easier to work on as well as there is more room under the hood.
If you are gonna get a blower then I would get the Edlebrock blower. Gives the most HP per PSI and runs super cool. Everything you need is in the kit and at 5psi they are making 420-466 rwhp on the 4.6, the new 5.0 should be able to see well over 500!

Top Speed · Jun 26, 2009

The main thing that concerns me about this new 5.0L coming out is what the reliability of it is going to be, and what sorts of teething issues it's going to encounter.

lazerred02 · Jun 26, 2009

svttech76 said:
the 4.6 is very easy to work on

Plugs under 5 hours... LOL try under 15 minutes

Must be a Flat Rate guy....LOL...4.6 in a mustang is super easy to work on. Plenty of room to do average maintenance.

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