TSB was issued in December 2003 (TSB #0256, year 2003). I have not heard of a lot of engine failures in the affected engines but am relieved that I got the new heads anyway. Note that my post was made in my earliest days on the board; I had just found the TSB, and noted that my engine had the tick for a year or two beforehand, primarily in the right wheel well area.

The Romeo engines were used in a LOT of cars as well as Explorers, Expeditions, and vans. (All the aluminum block engines in Explorers were Romeo built.) I think the Windsor engines went primarily into pickups. I live within about 35 miles of both of these engine plants, for what it's worth...

If you want a solid 4.6, you might look for vans with the Windsor 4.6 (engine code 6--Romeo code was "W", which seems wrong but that is what it is) in the SN if you can find one, stay with years preceding the early PI head engine (1997-2000), or find a late 2004 or a 2005 van which would have been built after the cylinder head cooling problems were solved. Or find one that does not tick. I don't think they all do. Or find one that has had the heads replaced. The Romeo got the PI heads in 2001, and note that the stuck spark plugs were unique to the 3 valve engines, which the vans have never used.

Again, I have no idea if valves in the affected engines will actually burn or whatever, but have not heard of a lot of failures (nor do the Consumer Reports used car ratings show a history of major engine problems with the 4.6 in the Crown Vic, Grand Marquis, etc during those years--and these used the Romeo engines). I have over 99k on my van and plan to drive it to 150 or 200k; I'm retired, have a smaller car to drive daily, and can see keeping the van indefinitely since it's not really depreciating any more.

Finally, I think that plugs blowing out of the 4.6 are really very rare compared to the 5.4 and 6.8 regardless of year. Almost unheard of in car applications, really. And I just found this 2009 article saying that the Romeo plant, opened with the introduction of the 4.6 (and that being their main engine), had produced 10 MILLION engines: http://media.ford.com/article_displa...ticle_id=29893 It really is a solid engine. Just make sure to use a good oil filter with a solid anti drainback valve (like the Motorcraft 820S) and the recommended 5W20 (or in the earlier years 5W30) oil. Gotta get oil to the valve train quickly. I did have a friend who lost the oil pump in a 4.6 in his van early on (maybe 40k miles) and took out the cylinder heads very quickly (cams ride right in the aluminum head w/o bearing inserts). But then I blew up a Chevy 305 in my '86 GMC van in 1990 at ~42k miles when the timing chain let go on the freeway and it got a whole new targetmaster engine. (GM paid half the bill even though it was out of warranty).

George