Newbie(sort of) 98 mustang intake manifold ?

[roccopewterss]

What's up Guys!
I am am actually posting this for my girlfriend. Camaro SS owner myself and all around car enthusiast. To the question. She has a 98 gt 5 spd w/100k miles and bone stock. The car has been leaking coolant from the thermostat housing. I looked around and found a crack running from the top of the housing where the thermostat sits (just above the o-ring rubber gasket) and whats looks like all the way into the water passage under the thermostat. I looked around on the internet and it looks like a fairly popular problem with 4.6l motors with the all plastic intake. I noticed a reacall that pertains to this problem, but not for the 98 models. I realize there is probably no quick fix and I will probably wind up changing the manifold. Just wondering if anyone on this board has experienced this. Also, if there are any online instructions for the manifold swap and any links to some mustang performance parts stores that sell the manifold with the aluminum housing. Any help would be appreciated.


Thanks

Also I noticed something called the pi intake (performance improvement?) swap. Can you do this swap without the pi heads. Is it a direct bolt-on for a otherwise completely stock engine?

 

[squares98]

do a search for intake crack and pi swap. Maybe someone will chine in but there was a lawsuit against Ford that was won recently over the Intake issue. It was a recall part on the 98, But I am not sure if you had to do it within the warrenty period. I had a new one but it was when I was still under warrenty so it was warrenty $50 deductable.

 

[LI98GTStang]

Basically yes, you do have to change out the lower intake manifold, preferably with one that has an aluminum crossover. You can go two ways. One is to replace with the same version or get an updated one that was made for 01 mustangs plus. The first is a direct replacement, just that is has the aluminum crossover and the later is almost a bolt-on replacement, but some modifications have to be made i.e. installing a threaded hole on the alum crossover for one of the temp sensors. You can find a wealth of threads by searching the 4.6 forums and using the word "cracked", but here is a start for you on someone with a similiar car that most applies to the stang.

http://www.redpulsar.us/~coldfusion/intakeswap.html

 

[roccopewterss]

Appreciate the info. The step by step article is great on the manifold swap. I also just read that ford may reimburse me for the swap if it does at a dealer. Still looking at the options. Thanks for the help and keep the suggestions coming.


Thanks