From what you’ve described, it sounds like you have not put the camshafts in the correct positions. You need to use special tools to hold the camshafts in the correct position before tightening the cam gear. Once the first one is done, then you go to the other head and do the same thing. This should fix the problem you’re having. If you need some assistance with this, consider YourMechanic, as a certified technician can come to your home or office to service your vehicle.
How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?
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Design News readers have commented about having to lift engines or make holes in the car body to change spark plugs. This article describes a particularly frustrating spark plug issue with the 2004-2008 Ford 4.6-liter, 5.4-liter, and 6.8-liter 3-valve “modular” engines.
Speaking of reliability, the majority of Ford 4.6 engine owners have nothing but good things to say about it. There are multiple reports of cars that hit 300,000 miles without needing a rebuild. High mileage isn`t the only thing these engines are good for.
The most widely used variant of the 4.6 liters is the two-valve (2v) version that features single overhead camshaft construction and two valves per cylinder. Depending on what year and model you find a two-valve 4.6 in, it will have between 190 and 260 horsepower and between 260 and 302 lb. -ft.
It seems that they either seize before they get off of the transport truck (brand new) or run 200,000 miles with regular service. The 4.6L engines I work with are serviced religiously and run well over 150,000 mile in SEVERE service. The car wears out long before the engines do.
The fatal flaw
The 4.6 was designed with a plastic intake manifold, and from model years 1996 to 2001, this manifold was prone to failure. The plastic is subjected to thousands of heat/cool cycles, in which the manifold will expand and contract.
Repeated overheating of the spark plug tip can cause the plug to prematurely fail. Overheating can be caused by many things like pre-ignition and a malfunctioning cooling system. Pre-ignition can lead to heat building up in the combustion chamber causing the spark plugs to fail.
Even if you manage to fit the wrong spark plugs into the threads, they likely won`t stay attached for very long. Driving with missing or bad spark plugs will likely cause a lot of hard starts and rough idling.
Internal Issues
The 4.6L engine has a good reputation for reliability, but like any engine it has had a few problems. The relatively long timing chain that drives the overhead cams is tensioned by plastic guides on many of these engines.
All Modular V8s, except for the new 5.0 L Coyote, utilize the same firing order as the Ford 5.0 L HO and 351 CID V8s (1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8). The 4.6 L engines have been assembled at Romeo Engine Plant in Michigan, and at Windsor Engine Plant and Essex Engine Plant, both located in Windsor, Ontario.
While the 4.6L engine wasn`t designed for a supercar by any means, it was noticeably faster than similar engines of the past. The 4.6L went from 0 to 60 mph 1.5 seconds faster than the popular 5.0L (302 ci) V8 engine, used in comparable vehicles of the past.
The Ford 4.6L engine is a naturally aspirated V8 from Ford Motor was used to power a variety of different vehicles like sports cars, pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles, luxury sedans and cargo vans.
The 4.6 (which is a V8) has an oil capacity of 6 quarts or 5.7 liters.
The 4.6 liter engine was the replacement for the Windsor family of Ford V8`s. Having been introduced in the 1962 Ford Fairlane as the 221 cubic inch V8, the Windsor engines would ultimately be found in many familiar sounding sizes (289, 302, and 351) and would power everything from Falcon`s to F-350`s.
Poor Performance and Cooling. If the intake manifold is bad, it can mess with the engine`s air-fuel mixture, which can then mess with the engine`s performance. You may see a reduction in power, uneven acceleration, and even backfiring. The same is true for the engine`s cooling system.
Malfunctioning spark plugs cause engine problems including, misfires, hard starts, reduced gas mileage, rough idling, and lack of acceleration. Driving with a faulty spark plug will be difficult because the engine might fail to function.
Faulty spark plugs result in an engine misfire due to incomplete burning fuel. An interrupted combustion process can significantly affect the engine performance. Unattended engine misfire may result in intermittent strange engine sounds, power loss, and engine knock.
All the right spark plugs, recommended by Ford Motor Company
Motorcraft® spark plugs are available for a broad range of applications, including domestic and import cars and trucks of all makes and sizes.
The original equipment Motorcraft brand spark plugs that were factory installed in many late model (2004 to 2008) Ford trucks with 5.4L V8 and 6.8L V10 engines, 2005 to 2007 Mustang GT 4.6 & 5.4L V8 engines, and 2008 Mustang GT models built prior to 11/30/07) can break when you attempt to remove them!
Many factors can cause a spark plug to fail; from incorrect heat ranges to improper gapping, to chemical contamination. Yet 90% of spark plug damage claims are due to improper torque. Proper installation torque is critical in the plug`s ability to dissipate heat out of the combustion chamber and into the cylinder head.
Installing the New Spark Plug Wire Set
Improper installation of these wires can result in poor combustion or misfiring of the cylinder, which will cause drivability issues and potentially severe damage to the engine.
If a spark plug or multiple spark plugs are faulty, they will have trouble creating the spark that causes the ignition process in your vehicle. This results in your vehicle having trouble starting, hesitating or having issues with accelerating properly.
Per the OEM Manuals, the 4.6L is an interference engine.
In 2005, Ford eliminated the 4.6-liter V8 engine and made the 5.4-liter engine standard. In this generation, the Expedition offered eight trim levels. Buyers could choose variations from the two-wheel drive XLT 4.6-liter V8 standard trim all the way up to the four-wheel drive Eddie Bauer 5.4-liter V8 trim level.
At a glance, it is challenging to tell the difference between a 4.6L iron block and a 5.4L. Where these blocks differ is deck height with the same cylinder bore size. The 5.4L block has a taller deck. It is also long on beefcake down under for strength.