1999 Police interceptor 4.6 troubles

Stoney57 · #1 (**permalink**) 11-08-2003, 11:02 AM

I just picked up a 99 crown vic interceptor a week ago, the upper intake is cracked around the thermostat area, leaking coolant. I found out that there is a recall on the intake because it is prone to cracking. Took it to a dealership and they acknowledged that it did in fact have the defective recalled intake, but could not replace it for free because it was cracked in the wrong place, $1000 parts and labor to put a new intake on. So I put some coolant sealer in it and it seems to be helping untill I can get the intake replaced (its not leaking that bad) and today I noticed that my serpentine pulley on the crank ever so slightly moves forward and backwards as the engine is running. Is that normal or should I dump this thing? It runs and handles real nice, it is a P71 with only 91000 miles on it.

LxMan1 · #2 (**permalink**) 11-08-2003, 02:34 PM

I dont think that there should be any movement of the crank pulley. Either the balancer is comming apart or there is a lot of endplay in the crank. Neither is good, the balancer shouldn't be to hard to replace though.
Jimmy

v10Mustang · #3 (**permalink**) 11-09-2003, 11:45 AM

take it to another dealership.......they're REALLY rapping you and just don't want to do it under the recall
the intake cost 425 and the labor should only cost around 300-400 depending on what there labor rate is(90$ an hour or whatever there's is)

theonlybull · #4 (**permalink**) 11-19-2003, 08:30 PM

check at crownvic.net the guys there know thier business..

80broncoman · #5 (**permalink**) 11-23-2003, 04:42 AM

Ask them if it was covered, where exactly would it be cracked?
Then after it cracked worse (with maybe a little help) go to another dealer!!!
Jim

Stoney57 · #6 (**permalink**) 11-23-2003, 08:06 AM

Just an update on my car, I did fix the coolant leak, it was leaking from where the thermostat housing meets the plastic intake. I took it to a few places including a ford dealership, they replaced the rubber o ring and torqued the 2 bolts, still leaking. I didnt know what the heck was going on, I figured if I was going to spend $1000 I should try to fix it myself first. I took the thermostat housing off, and I seen no cracks. I put a rag in the coolant to lower the level by about half an inch. I cleaned the plastic and the metal thermostat housing with brake cleaner, then used a tiny layer of blue silicone sealer. Put it all back together and it don't leak a drop! Something must have got deformed slightly and is out of tolerance. This is my first 4.6 so I don't know! shurg hehe. I replaced the belt, harmonic balancer, idle pulley and belt tensioner. Its happy again!