Last week I swapped out a 5.4 3V as a contract job at a local shop and I thought I'd share my thoughts on the whole job. I did this job without using the shop lift. Just my cherry picker, leveler, a floor jack, and two jack stands.

From what I remember the truck was an 05 with a crew cab and 2WD. Being a contract job I didn't really get the jist of exactly what happened to the motor. It was repairable (passenger side snapped a timing chain guide and the chain damaged the crankshaft sensor ring some), but the shop owner sold the guy on a Jasper engine.

I was told the driver hit a patch of black ice and spun out while still holding the throttle. When he grabbed traction again he heard a pop and the truck stalled and he couldn't get it cranked. It was towed to the shop, they got it running but it was very noisy. The night I pulled it into the bay it was running just fine for me, but I proceeded with the removal.

Removing the engine was fairly simple. Remove fan shroud, fan clutch, radiator, alternator, power steering pump, A/C compressor, intake manifold, by-pass/heater pipe underneath the manifold, unplug all wiring connectors and get harness out your way, unbolt transmission, starter, unbolt torque converter, unbolt motor mounts, lift. I removed the timing cover with the engine out and finally saw the problem.

The install is what kinda sucked, mainly getting the motor mounts in place. Of course no one told me that to normally replace them the cab has to be raised a little. Leaving them bolted on the engine the engine and trans would not mate. I removed them, mated the engine and trans and lifted as high as I could without raising the cab. Took the mounts apart and slid them in place and had someone else bolt the driverside one back together from up top with extensions. To do the passenger side I had tightened it back together from underneath. Threw everything back together and customer is more than satisfied.

All in all it wasn't awful, but I got very annoyed at that motor mount situation. I already have another one to do at the same shop. Well another Modular engine anyways, this time in a Lincoln Aviator. That would make it a 4.6L and it's the owner's so he wants me to see if I can repair it. This one sounds like a large chunk of guide broke or worse.

They are beautiful trucks and run strong, but I would not want to own one and have to work on it for free. Therefore, unless I get one for little to nothing I won't be owning any truck that has a Modular engine haha.