First Time Motor Swap/99 F150 Build
#31
There are at least 3 already broken and i havent even tried to remove manifolds. They broke off on their own. I also don't have access to a reasonably useful welder. I have tried many times many ways to remove rusted seized bolts and am never very successful. I think it will be much better on my mental state to not do this part myself.
#32
It has been a while, but I had a trip I had to go on. I have made more progress and hope to be ready to begin pulling the 4.6 Sunday. I got the torque converter off by cutting on the nut with a Dremel until the Irwin tool was able to remove the nut. It did bugger up the threads on the TC pretty good, but I'll deal with that later.
I got it on the Harbor Freight motor stand. I am going to have to remove the flywheel still though. Can you paint a flywheel or will it throw it off balance?
I had a shop remove the exhaust manifolds. They only charged $20 to get all but 2 out studs out and took less than 24 hours. They couldn't get a couple due to how deep they broke off. I drilled it out bigger and used steel thread inserts and loctite 271 to make sure they don't come out. They aren't perfect but should be good enough to get the new headers to seal. I may only be able to use some short bolts instead of studs, but I believe I will be using all socket cap stainless hardware anyway.
I also got to start working on the little bit of rust repair on the other truck needed. The bottom of the rockers are the worst. I am going to cut out the bottoms and replace it with thicker steel and paint it all up internal and out with rust preventative/repair paint. I started with the bottom of the driver door though and used a knurled wire brush on an angle grinder. I then spayed a coat of rust-o-leum rust reformeron the area. I followed that with a couple coats of majic tractor and implement rust preventative primer. Then I used dupli-color universal white they sell at advance. Finally a coat or two of crystal clear enamel. Since I have no clue what I am doing I think it turned out pretty decent. I have already hit all other locations that are rusty with the rust reformer. I will grind out the rust later and repair.
I am trying to determine which option I should go with. I think stainless longtubes would be the best, I couldn't stand to with something that is going to get rust again immediately and everyone says shortys are useless. I have found some 304 stainless longtubes on ebay, but they imply they are only for lightning and harley versions. What do you all think about this set? Stainless Steel Long Tube Exhaust Header 99 04 F150 4WD rwd SVT Supercharged 5 4 | eBay
I got it on the Harbor Freight motor stand. I am going to have to remove the flywheel still though. Can you paint a flywheel or will it throw it off balance?
I had a shop remove the exhaust manifolds. They only charged $20 to get all but 2 out studs out and took less than 24 hours. They couldn't get a couple due to how deep they broke off. I drilled it out bigger and used steel thread inserts and loctite 271 to make sure they don't come out. They aren't perfect but should be good enough to get the new headers to seal. I may only be able to use some short bolts instead of studs, but I believe I will be using all socket cap stainless hardware anyway.
I also got to start working on the little bit of rust repair on the other truck needed. The bottom of the rockers are the worst. I am going to cut out the bottoms and replace it with thicker steel and paint it all up internal and out with rust preventative/repair paint. I started with the bottom of the driver door though and used a knurled wire brush on an angle grinder. I then spayed a coat of rust-o-leum rust reformeron the area. I followed that with a couple coats of majic tractor and implement rust preventative primer. Then I used dupli-color universal white they sell at advance. Finally a coat or two of crystal clear enamel. Since I have no clue what I am doing I think it turned out pretty decent. I have already hit all other locations that are rusty with the rust reformer. I will grind out the rust later and repair.
I am trying to determine which option I should go with. I think stainless longtubes would be the best, I couldn't stand to with something that is going to get rust again immediately and everyone says shortys are useless. I have found some 304 stainless longtubes on ebay, but they imply they are only for lightning and harley versions. What do you all think about this set? Stainless Steel Long Tube Exhaust Header 99 04 F150 4WD rwd SVT Supercharged 5 4 | eBay
#33
when I swapped my expy engine, the doner engine came with the torque converter, none of the nuts would come off, I had to cut them off with a torch.
I would just use factory replacement exhaust manifolds and stainless bolts, the bolts were the problem to begin with and most likely even those bolts lasted 10-12 years before they rusted enough to break.
long tube headers are a PITA and aren't worth the expense or the hassle.
make sure you change the front seal on that trans before you put the engine back in, it's about $9 and you'll hate yourself forever if it leaks. which it will after pulling the converter with the engine.
when installing the converter back into the trans, make sure it's all the way in, it will go in a lot more than you think it will.
I would be very careful removing the oil pan, the bolts stick out from the block and get very rusty making them quit difficult to remove.
the oil pan gasket is reusable
as are all the seals on the engine, long as they are still pliable they are good.
while it's out I'd remove the rocker covers and timing cover and check the timing chain guides. this is fairly time consuming but much easier in the garage on the stand than in the truck.
definitely change the spark plugs while the engine is out.
I would not paint the flywheel.
I have an engine leveler that has been laying on the floor in the corner of my garage for 25 years. it's worthless
I would just use factory replacement exhaust manifolds and stainless bolts, the bolts were the problem to begin with and most likely even those bolts lasted 10-12 years before they rusted enough to break.
long tube headers are a PITA and aren't worth the expense or the hassle.
make sure you change the front seal on that trans before you put the engine back in, it's about $9 and you'll hate yourself forever if it leaks. which it will after pulling the converter with the engine.
when installing the converter back into the trans, make sure it's all the way in, it will go in a lot more than you think it will.
I would be very careful removing the oil pan, the bolts stick out from the block and get very rusty making them quit difficult to remove.
the oil pan gasket is reusable
as are all the seals on the engine, long as they are still pliable they are good.
while it's out I'd remove the rocker covers and timing cover and check the timing chain guides. this is fairly time consuming but much easier in the garage on the stand than in the truck.
definitely change the spark plugs while the engine is out.
I would not paint the flywheel.
I have an engine leveler that has been laying on the floor in the corner of my garage for 25 years. it's worthless
#34
I will not be pulling the next motor with the tc. So i will be less likely to damage important things. I will have to swap 4.6 tc to the one from the 5.4 so i will swap the seal then. I am going to drop the pan as it appears that there is a leak from around it. That is true about the exhaust manifold. The manifolds themselves looked fine although it is unkown about possible warpage. If i do go with stock manifolds is there any high temp paint that would actually hold up and delay the rusting? I am getting a custom tune as I am going to be removing the egr and cats and dont want a cel or other negative effects so would long tubes really not be beneficial performance wise with a custom tune?
I don't know how you dont use the leveler. It made life so much easier trying to angle the motor out of that little hole.
I don't know how you dont use the leveler. It made life so much easier trying to angle the motor out of that little hole.
#35
So I had a significant amount of oil in my coolant. I have decided to replace the heads entirely due to the poor exhaust stud repair and time and possibly rebuild the bottom end as well depending on condition. I will also be replacing the water pump.
What I want to know is what is a good source for quality xl3e head?
What I want to know is what is a good source for quality xl3e head?
#36
I will be doing a short block rebuild by a machine shop with remanufactured heads. I am going to start a new thread on the engine rebuild since I am quite the novice in that particular field. Once the engine is built I will return to this thread for the rest of the truck build. Thank You all for the assistance so far.
#37
I have purchased a S and J remanufactured 5.4 engine with PI heads. I have also purchased pacesetter Long tube headers with armorcoat ceramic coating and motorcraft water pump and spark plugs. I will finally get some progress made!!!
I still have a couple questions I can't figure out the answer to.
First is do you all think it would be better to keep the coil packs on the 4.6 or to convert it over to cops. Is one any better than the other?
Second is about torque converters. What is the stall speed on the 5.4 TQC and the 4.6 TQC? My 4.6 TQC is in much better shape and has about 20000 less miles, but I didn't know how it would effect the way the truck drives. One of my 5.4 TQC bolts is messed up where I had to cut the nut off. Is it worth it to get one of the extreme towing TQCs or a different TQC at all. I know very little about them.
Thanks for all the help.
I still have a couple questions I can't figure out the answer to.
First is do you all think it would be better to keep the coil packs on the 4.6 or to convert it over to cops. Is one any better than the other?
Second is about torque converters. What is the stall speed on the 5.4 TQC and the 4.6 TQC? My 4.6 TQC is in much better shape and has about 20000 less miles, but I didn't know how it would effect the way the truck drives. One of my 5.4 TQC bolts is messed up where I had to cut the nut off. Is it worth it to get one of the extreme towing TQCs or a different TQC at all. I know very little about them.
Thanks for all the help.
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