4.6 Swap, maybe?

[Kymber]

Ok here's the deal, I have a 2000 F150 4.6 4x4, approx 120k. I have had a knock for almost a year. Took it to a shop and the mech told me not to worry unless it got worse. Well it did. I took it to another mech and he thought it was a lifter issue. I had him tear it down and check it out and he said that he can not find a lifter sticking. The knock seemed to be coming from the 1 and 3 cylinders.

Now he is telling me that he is almost certin that the issue is from a bent connecting rod and that the liner is shot, and I would be better off money wise to swap it out.

He said that he talked to a Ford mech, and was told that the Triton motors had an issue with leaking coolant into the motor which would eventually pool up and cause the rod to bend. Has anyone heard of anything like this?

Also if I do have to swap the motor I would like to swap it with the 5.4. Are the blocks the same block or would I have too many issues to really worry about doing that?

[countryboy116]

go to the 97-03 forums, im also interested in this and theres a guy in that section who has done this, i belive his names fordburntough or sumthing along those lines im sure u could read through some of his posts

[LxMan1]

The block is taller and wider than a 4.6L, so you would have to change the exhaust, and such to match up.

I have heard of the 4.2L V6 engines doing this, not the V8's though.

[phil6608]

Originally Posted by Kymber

Ok here's the deal, I have a 2000 F150 4.6 4x4, approx 120k. I have had a knock for almost a year. Took it to a shop and the mech told me not to worry unless it got worse. Well it did. I took it to another mech and he thought it was a lifter issue. I had him tear it down and check it out and he said that he can not find a lifter sticking. The knock seemed to be coming from the 1 and 3 cylinders.

Now he is telling me that he is almost certin that the issue is from a bent connecting rod and that the liner is shot, and I would be better off money wise to swap it out.

He said that he talked to a Ford mech, and was told that the Triton motors had an issue with leaking coolant into the motor which would eventually pool up and cause the rod to bend. Has anyone heard of anything like this?

Also if I do have to swap the motor I would like to swap it with the 5.4. Are the blocks the same block or would I have too many issues to really worry about doing that?

Putting a 5.4 in place of your 4.6 is not a big problem.
Find a 99 to 03 5.4 drop it in.it will bolt right up to your tranny.
You will need to adjust the exhaust and have a custom tune for the computer.
I may be missing a couple miner things.