Topic: 2001 Mercury Grand Marquis 4.6 V8

[dhall57]

Weather permitting this weekend I've got to put a new intake manifold on my wife's car. This manifold is plastic(one of Ford's better idea's) and over time and age a lot of them start leaking coolant. Has anyone else run into the same situation with any of your car or trucks.

[Bailgang]

A few years back I had to replace the a head gaskets on a 95 Chevy S10 I had with a 4.3 v-6. I found out it was a common problem at least for that engine due to cheap gasket material combined with OEM antifreeze that supposedly turns corrosive with age. I had replaced the antifreeze long before that so I can't say for sure if the OEM antifreeze was the root cause but the head gasket on the right cyl bank was rotting away. A word of warning, when prepping your intake for reassembly be very cautious on how you clean it. All the sensors are reasonably water proof when they are actually connected but not so water proof when unplugged, while cleaning up my intake manifold I got a bit too aggressive with the degreaser and rinsing with the garden hose that I ruined my throttle position sensor. Of course I didn't realize that until after I had it all together and had a hell of a time getting the engine to start back up again.

[eigenvector]

Apparently one of the more common problems on Ford's Vulcan 3.0 engine is that the cam chain cover leaks over time.  Common symptom is coolant loss (without any obvious sign), oil loss (again without any obvious sign).  It's also one of the more expensive fixes you'll ever encounter - it cost me something like 1300 bucks.  One of the few things I won't fix on my truck - it required removing the cam chain cover, oil pan, water pump, radiator, all the hoses, wires, and lines that route in the area.  It took the dealer something like a week to do.

[DH]

The ford/lincoln/merc full sizes all have the manifold problem. It's very common. A fairly ez job, follow the torque specifications.   Doreman makes an aftermarket one.

[dhall57]

DH here's my new manifold from Napa. I've heard the same thing. Don't think their was ever a recall but these manifold have been a big problem. Also a parts pic and pic of bracket on car of what Ford calls a crash bracket that covers the left rear of the fuel rail and has to be removed before fuel rail can be taken off. This is causing me to say a few words I don't usually say. Of course the top long bolt is no problem but it's almost impossible to get a wrench and your hand and to see down behind that corner of the engine to be able to get this off. Until I saw this parts break down I could only see one bolt and nut but now I see their is two. I've checked a few You Tube video's and it looks like this #$%# bracket gives everybody trouble. Dont want to do this but some people just cut the thing off. But once I get this damn bracket off I'll be good to go. Thanks Ford Got all day Sunday to work on it so hope to get it done.

[dhall57]

Just found this pic of the back of the crash bracket that is impossible to see when still on car. This lower bracket is called the loom bracket(keeps wiring harness in place) that has to be removed also before crash bracket can come off. I could see this bracket on the car but couldn't see the bolt. Now this pic helps a lot, now I see bolt(13mm) that needs to come off. What a F-up  set up.

[Bailgang]

Just found this pic of the back of the crash bracket that is impossible to see when still on car. This lower bracket is called the loom bracket(keeps wiring harness in place) that has to be removed also before crash bracket can come off. I could see this bracket on the car but couldn't see the bolt. Now this pic helps a lot, now I see bolt(13mm) that needs to come off. What a F-up  set up.

When I did the head gaskets on my S10 there was an aluminum bracket on the front of the engine that held the alternator and power steering pump and it had to come off to get the left cyl head off and there was one bolt I couldn't get to because the power steering pump pulley was in the way. All GM had to do was design a pulley with a few holes in its face for a socket to get through to get to that bolt but no it's power steering pump pulley had a solid face so I had to run to the auto parts store and rent a special puller to remove that pulley so I could get to that one single bolt.

[DH]

Just found this pic of the back of the crash bracket that is impossible to see when still on car. This lower bracket is called the loom bracket(keeps wiring harness in place) that has to be removed also before crash bracket can come off. I could see this bracket on the car but couldn't see the bolt. Now this pic helps a lot, now I see bolt(13mm) that needs to come off. What a F-up  set up.

Been a while since I did one, forgot about that bracket.......The rest of it is pretty easy, just remember the order of removal. Seems like maybe I removed 1 bracket bolt, and bent the bracket (up), then just LOOSENED the invisible bolt, enough to gain enough clearance for manifold removal. To re install, Have an assistant hold the bracket down (it'll want to stay up slightly afteryou've tweaked it) , so tweak it back down as best as you can and have the assistant hold it that last little bit till things line up. If memory serves me correctly..ratcheting box wrench will help with bolts on back of head.
I believe you MIGHT be able to leave the injectors in the rails and the gas lines connected to the injector rail also, just unbolt both sides rail mount bolts and pivot rail assy out of the way, or if the hoses are long enough, hang the assy from a long bungee
connected to hood latch. Blow out around all injector bases with air, and spray WD 40
on all 8. "rock" each rail to get oil to penetrate, then, if necessary, judiciously pry on rail till they start to come out of the manifold, (and watch that the injectors stay IN the fuel rails while prying)
Use white lithium on lower injector o rings for reinstallation.
Be thankful it isn't an LS1 z28, late 90s. They have a crash bracket too and it aint fun.

[DH]

Just found this pic of the back of the crash bracket that is impossible to see when still on car. This lower bracket is called the loom bracket(keeps wiring harness in place) that has to be removed also before crash bracket can come off. I could see this bracket on the car but couldn't see the bolt. Now this pic helps a lot, now I see bolt(13mm) that needs to come off. What a F-up  set up.

When I did the head gaskets on my S10 there was an aluminum bracket on the front of the engine that held the alternator and power steering pump and it had to come off to get the left cyl head off and there was one bolt I couldn't get to because the power steering pump pulley was in the way. All GM had to do was design a pulley with a few holes in its face for a socket to get through to get to that bolt but no it's power steering pump pulley had a solid face so I had to run to the auto parts store and rent a special puller to remove that pulley so I could get to that one single bolt.

Been there too. I WANT MY PONTIACS BACK. .

[dhall57]

Got started later than I had planned but feel good on what I got done on the ole 4.6 Merc. today. Still got some more cleaning to do on the intake surface. I want them smooth and clean so no chance of leaks. Never want to do this again. My left hand is sore and swollen from cramming it back behind and in between everything to get a wrench on it. That crash bracket is a som #$%*.

[BobbyR]

I drove a 88 Grand Marquis for 14 years. A water pump replacement job in single digit temps changed my thinking. I have not owned a car since. I lease. Fresh cars under my ass all the time and always under warranty.

[dhall57]

The Grand Marquis is back together. Got it up to temp and drove it around a little. Everything seems fine. No runs or drips that I see. Mama is so happy

Now to start turning some wrenches on some sohc/4's

[ofreen]

How many miles on that Merc?

[Stev-o]

Judging by your last photo, I would not want to work on that Merc!

SOHC will be simple now, dhall.

[dhall57]

How many miles on that Merc?

156,000 or so I think Greg. It's getting a little long in the tooth now but it's been a really good car, can't complain one bit. Bought it from a guy at work quite a few years ago. It was his wife's dad's car who had pass away and had been taken good care of and only had 56K on it. It's my wife car and she drives it 99% of the time. It's a big full size car but smooth and comfortable out on the hwy(reminds me of my 77 GL1000) I call it her family truckster. More than likely I'll hold on to it till sometime in 2016 and start looking for something else.

[dhall57]

Judging by your last photo, I would not want to work on that Merc!

SOHC will be simple now, dhall.

Really Stev-o if it wasn't for that $%^# fuel rail bracket the job wouldn't of been that bad. Just a bunch of stuff to take off and put back on. Took a few pics and made some mental notes of where things were on how they went back just like I do on my Honda's   Im happy it's done. I enjoy working on sohc a lot more believe me

[ofreen]

A lot of those Panther platform cars  (GMs, Crown Vics, Town Cars) go 250,000+ relatively trouble free miles, which is why they made good cop cars and taxicabs.  One of the best cars Ford has ever made.