Concensus on the 4.6 engine

IMO, it is every bit as reliable as the 302 it replaced. In many ways it is even better and more durable.

The 4.6 Modular is a very nice motor; it's very durable and very reliable. The SOHC 2V 4.6 has been in fleet service in the Crown Vic since 1992 and it's got a pretty good reputation in that arena with vehicles that put on hundreds of thousands of miles per year. The DOHC

4V 4.6 has been in the Lincoln Town Car since 1993. Both motors have been in the Mustang since 1996.

The current SOHC 3V is different up top (variable valve timing, 3 valves per cylinder) but the same motor down low. However, obviously, no one can tell you about their 20 year old mod motor'd Ford :). I can, though, tell you that I know cops that have put 250,000 on their CV's and they were still happy with their cars when they turned them in. And I know several Mustangs with SOHC and DOHC with 120,000 miles and they are still running very well.

There's not much on the horizon for Mustang. The new VVT, 3V V8 motor is the latest of the Ford Modular line. The upcoming SVT Shelby GT500 will be using a supercharged DOHC 4V 5.4 motor, essentially a cast iron block verion of the Ford GT motor. The current Mustang also has a new V6 but I don't know as much about it.

Dan

2003 Cobra convertible With some stuff and things

Especially when you compare oil leaks......

I've heard many sing its praises. The SOHC 4.6 version in the last cab we took home from bar night had 315,000 on it. The guy bought the car new rather than get a used police interceptor, took care for it, and said it was just starting to show signs of being tired. The second tranny he had in the car seemed a little sloppy, but what do you want? He bought the civilian Vic new for better mileage, and so he would know how it had been treated. He knew people who got half a million out of both the hard-driven PI and civilian Vic motors. I think the PI has the

5.4-liter modular. I got phone numbers for used cop car dealers from him, since I am considering the Vic, Marquis or the PI to replace my 2.3 Tempo with 201,000 on the untouched longblock... still getting 28-30 mpg.

I'm sure many others in this group can attest to both the SOHC and DOHC versions of the 4.6 having taken many hard miles and not having given them problems.

Many were and still are enamoured with the old pushrod 302 and 5.0 engines and rightfully so; both the early 302 and roller-cam "5.0" was undoubtedly one of the best motors Ford ever made. But I've never heard angry screaming about the 4.6 that replaced it... I heard skepticism from Mustang fans 10 years ago, but that's only natural. Thankfully, it doesn't seem it was actually warranted.

1991 Lincoln Town Cars had the 4.6, my dad bought one new in 1991...

The police Crown Victoria has a 4.6 not a 5.4.

2005 Crown Victoria Police Interceptor Engine - 4.6L 250-hp SEFI V8 with overhead cam 2005-2006 Crown Victoria LX Sport 239-hp @4,900 Sequential electronic fuel injection There is only 11 hp difference, and the LX Sport has a heavy duty sport suspension and brakes too.

...and overall block strength.

as others have noted, there are so many different versions of the 4.6 it's hard to project the long-term prospects of the "stang GT version.

I'm no gearhead, but based my purchase of one on a process of elimination:

no more front-drive (one Chrysler was enuff - so that eliminated most affordable new cars).

both 'stang engines hsve timing chains, not a belt.

I'm not wild about aluminum engines, but trust the V8 as block and heads are aluminum......I believe the 6 is iron/aluminum......and I've always had head gasket, leak problems on "bi-metal" engines I hope Ford isn't using as many plastic engine parts (like GM).

Finally, hoping the EPA figures are at least relative if not realistic......the 8 is rated as getting only 1 mpg or so less than the

6, so based on the few thousand miles a year I plan on driving it, guel cost wasn't a consideration. ('though insurance cost may turn out to be!!!)

FWIW. I'll add one more post to this thread and I'll probably shut up. If there is one thing that the COP (coil over plug) engines have that is somewhat troublesome, it's the coil. If you take it to the dealer to have it replaced, it's about $100 per coil. Aftermarkets may be cheaper. The irony to all this is that it's usually not the coil that fails, it's the spark plug boot. You can get replacement spark plug boots pretty cheap and that usually fixes the problem. The 4.6 modular engines came with or without the COP setups. My $.02 worth.

BTW, by your post you obviously drive foreign brands and you are now looking at a domestic. What made you look? (Just curious)

My bad. I totally gaffed that and I've been re-educated. The LTC actually came with the SOHC starting in '91. The DOHC showed up in '93 in the Mark VIII and then in the Continental in '95.

Dan

2003 Cobra convertible With some stuff and things.

(snip)

I think the PI has the 5.4-liter

Thanks for clarifying this. I will have to remember that about the LX Sport; I wasn't sure what that meant in practical terms. I am now wondering about the Marquis GS, maybe it's similarly equipped...

Fast Ed in the BB group advised to get a post-98 model of either one, because the brakes were marginal on earlier years.

Hi! Thanks to all that answered. I used to drive domestics, and had a lot of problems, trips to the dealer, etc. This was in the 80s. I started down the Toyota brand for 15+ years. No problems, very reliable cars, but needless to say, very boring cars. I looked at the 350Z and the BMW m3, but I was missing that American muscle car feeling. When I saw the new Dodge Charger (aka Magnum Coupe)I fell in love with it, until I saw the back end. The new Challenger won't happen for a while, and I think Ford is making great product. The new mustang is great looking too.

BTW I was going to bite the bullet and buy a new Vette - but each test drive it felt like I was riding on rails. The Mustang feels so much more refined than the Vette - which was somewhat surprising. My problem now is finding a convertible GT with a manual tranny.

Mebbe his last car was a Passat or Audi something and he figgered if he was gonna have 'coil problems' might as well havem in something that was a real hoot to drive...

;)

Gee I always thought the term "feels like it?s riding on rails" was a good thing :)

Dan, I'm no mechanic type guy and bought my '05 GT for the same reason you did. (Grandson instead of son.).

I bought it as a 2005 Christmas present for myself, and use it only on 'nice' weekends. Only 5000 miles on it in 13 months.

I love it. No engine problems. It runs like a top. Don't know what the long term looks like, but I love it now!

Mine is the coupe, as we had a convertible (not Mustang) once and I'll never have another.

-- John H

******Have a spectacular day!******

They are reliable but nobody can tell yet what the new heads on these engines will do. Part of the outcome will be how you treat it. regular oil changes, taking it easy on the engine until fully warmed up, etc etc.