The everything Aviator thread.

[Rasec143]

thanks for the quick respose!
with the original coils when it misfires its random. if i remember right it lists like all but 2 cylinders as misfire. when i first pulled the packs, the valves listing misfire were the ones that had the most oil in it. not a ton but noticeable we're talking tablespoon amount. and even though there was a misfire with the coils that came with the truck, they didn't misfire as bad as the new ones I put in.
the ones that came with the truck misfire randomly always.
meaning their misfire was constant. from the start of the engine through driving all day, until i shut her down.
the new ones: when its cold the truck runs like new but once it heats up, they misfire real bad and the engine feels as though its going to stall.
I didn't get this stalling with the old coils.

 

[Rasec143]

update- ordered new coils for the aviator.
the coils i bought before that didn't work are the eccpp brand i found on amazon. 30 bucks for a set of 8. those are no good. once the engine gets hot from a full day of start stop city driving they start misfiring like crazy.
i put a lot of miles on my vehicles so if a part i use can withstand the daily grind i'll let you know.
i got a new set from amazon. some company called parts gallery.
installed last night. test drive was good truck running like new BUT that was just a few hard trips around the neighborhood on a cold night.
excelleration was awesome.
all four wheels chirping from a stop.
idle was smooth.
no rattle at start. no smoke from exhaust.
supposedly these have a lifetime warranty BUT if you want them to cover the warranty after 90 days they require proof that they were installed by a certified mechanic. BS.
I'll give them a week or so to see how they work out.
They were like 40 bucks for the set of 8. motorcraft are 40 bucks each. big difference.

the set from parts galaxy seem like they're pretty well made. maybe its my imagination but the heads on them seem slightly bigger than the motorcraft cops that i originally had in the truck . the new set also seem heavier than the motorcraft and the last set I picked up but we'll see what happens after a week or so of beating them up.

if these don't work what I'll try next is cleaning out my original cops. switch new boots/springs to the old cops and run it to see if that makes a difference. if it does, then i'll return this new set of cops and pick up some BS cops i found online that run 8 for 20bucks and take the boots/springs off of them.
also while looking for cops i noticed a lot of people selling the wire snap on connectors for these things so may ill just swap those too.
the plastic on the ones i have are kind of brittle from the heat they withstand so don't think it'll hurt to replace them.
they're like 10 bucks for the whole set on ebay.

 

[dml996]

Hi, Rasec143,
I having much the same issue, new plugs, new Amazon COP, new MAF but still Check engine lights and missfire, i also remove tested and cleaned the injectors. Code P307 P306. I have 110k miles and love this ride but cant seemed to figure out this nagging issue.

 

[jd4242]

update- ordered new coils for the aviator.
the coils i bought before that didn't work are the eccpp brand i found on amazon. 30 bucks for a set of 8. thse are no good. once the engine gets hot from a full day of start stop city driving they start misfiring like crazy.
i put a lot of miles on my vehicles so if a part i use can withstand the daily grind i'll let you know.
i got a new set from amazon. some company called parts gallery.
installed last night. test drive was good truck running like new BUT that was just a few hard trips around the neighborhood on a cold night.
excelleration was awesome.
all four wheels chirping from a stop.
idle was smooth.
no rattle at start. no smoke from exhaust.
supposedly these have a lifetime warranty BUT if you want them to cover the warranty after 90 days they require proof that they were installed by a certified mechanic. BS.
I'll give them a week or so to see how they work out.
They were like 40 bucks for the set of 8. motorcraft are 40 bucks each. big difference.

the set from parts galaxy seem like they're pretty well made. maybe its my imagination but the heads on them seem slightly bigger than the motorcraft cops that i originally had in the truck . the new set also seem heavier than the motorcraft and the last set I picked up but we'll see what happens after a week or so of beating them up.

if these don't work what I'll try next is cleaning out my original cops. switch new boots/springs to the old cops and run it to see if that makes a difference. if it does, then i'll return this new set of cops and pick up some BS cops i found online that run 8 for 20bucks and take the boots/springs off of them.
also while looking for cops i noticed a lot of people selling the wire snap on connectors for these things so may ill just swap those too.
the plastic on the ones i have are kind of brittle from the heat they withstand so don't think it'll hurt to replace them.
they're like 10 bucks for the whole set on ebay.

What codes or cylinder is it missing on??

If #7 id stop wasting money and compression test it

Hi, Rasec143,
I having much the same issue, new plugs, new Amazon COP, new MAF but still Check engine lights and missfire, i also remove tested and cleaned the injectors. Code P307 P306. I have 110k miles and love this ride but cant seemed to figure out this nagging issue.

Thats not good..thats cylinder 6 and 7..id compression test it..

Again these motors are famous for the back driverside cylinders misfiring. .the exhaust seats come loose and the heads have to come off..

 

[dml996]

How do i compression test it? Is there a kit?
Also what numbers am i looking for on the compression. Thanks

 

[Rasec143]

dml996- you may have just gotten a crappy set of cops like i did. the first set i got from amazon were the eccpp brand ($30 for a set of 8) and they didn't last one day of average driving for me.
i think i put on like 80 miles or so that day. mostly stop and go city driving and they failed horribly.
by 4pm they were misfiring like crazy. all random. they were misfiring worse than the ones i was replacing.
to get a better idea whether or not its your cops or engine that has the issue, swap cops from a cylinder that has no issue with one that has it. erase codes. if the problem switches to the cylinder you knew had no issue, then you know its the cops. if it doesn't. then its either a bad spark plug/ bad connection/cylinder itself.
are your plugs new? fully seated? i read this engine has a habit of kicking plugs out. also while online i notice a lot of sellers selling new connectors for the cops. the way the engine is designed with the plate covering cops and connectors, i can see them failing in time with all that extra heat building up in there. crappy design in my opinion.


well here's an update on the new cops i put in. these are the parts galaxy brand on amazon. $40 for a set of 8.
i installed the new cops last sunday. now since then the temps have dropped and i haven't driven as much as i usually do but ive put on 100-150 miles this week running the new cops and so far, no more misfire. because they're new, i run the engine harder than i normally would to see if i get a failure. hard acceleration from stops etc.
i still have a check engine code but its still 02 sensors and my gas mileage is still lower than it should be. i have catalytic converter rattle and with the way it was running when i first got it, wouldn't be surprised if the cats and muffler are gone.
all that aside, since i put in the new cops, accelleration is smooth, responsive. strong off the line and passing at highway speeds.
smooth idle. quiet engine.

so far so good. i got 90 days to swap them out if something fails. im hoping for some warmer weather to see if these things hold up to the heat. i figure even at 90 days, if i have to swap them, then its $40 for all 8 as opposed to $320 for a set of motorcraft, i'm cool with it. $40 bucks is like a crap dinner at tgif without drinks.

ill pop in some new 02 sensors and start fiddling with the abs sensors to see if one is out or if its just the main module acting screwey.
i have the same issue on my mustang.

repairs done-
tune up- $25
Replace valve cover gasket/tube seals-$26. (valve gasket was fine. tube seals were leaking)
oil change- $26.
replace valve stems on 2 tires - $30 total.

so far so good.
For a fully loaded truck with all the bells and whistles that cost me $906, im not complaining.

 

[jd4242]

How do i compression test it? Is there a kit?
Also what numbers am i looking for on the compression. Thanks

Advance or autozone can loan you one..you want to drive it and get it warm.then pull the fuel pump relay,start it and let it die..then pull the driveside COP cover off and pull all the plugs on the driverside. .install the compression test in each cylinder cranking it over and test for compression. .they all should be close to each other,anything under about 100psi shouldnt fire and cause a miss tho..cylinder 5 usually will test the best,7 and 8 usually are the first to start going bad but any could be..

The driverside is a dead end for cooling on the back of the head,causes the seat to come loose when hot or high rpms..there is a cooling mod you can do to let water outa the back of the head but thats a different topic. .id start with compression before buying anymore COPs

 

[jd4242]

How do i compression test it? Is there a kit?
Also what numbers am i looking for on the compression. Thanks

Advance or autozone can loan you one..you want to drive it and get it warm.then pull the fuel pump relay,start it and let it die..then pull the driveside COP cover off and pull all the plugs on the driverside. .install the compression test in each cylinder cranking it over and test for compression. .they all should be close to each other,anything under about 100psi shouldnt fire and cause a miss tho..cylinder 5 usually will test the best,7 and 8 usually are the first to start going bad but any could be..

The driverside is a dead end for cooling on the back of the head,causes the seat to come loose when hot or high rpms..there is a cooling mod you can do to let water outa the back of the head but thats a different topic. .id start with compression before buying anymore COPs

 

[jd4242]

dml996- you may have just gotten a crappy set of cops like i did. the first set i got from amazon were the eccpp brand ($30 for a set of 8) and they didn't last one day of average driving for me.
i think i put on like 80 miles or so that day. mostly stop and go city driving and they failed horribly.
by 4pm they were misfiring like crazy. all random. they were misfiring worse than the ones i was replacing.
to get a better idea whether or not its your cops or engine that has the issue, swap cops from a cylinder that has no issue with one that has it. erase codes. if the problem switches to the cylinder you knew had no issue, then you know its the cops. if it doesn't. then its either a bad spark plug/ bad connection/cylinder itself.
are your plugs new? fully seated? i read this engine has a habit of kicking plugs out. also while online i notice a lot of sellers selling new connectors for the cops. the way the engine is designed with the plate covering cops and connectors, i can see them failing in time with all that extra heat building up in there. crappy design in my opinion.


well here's an update on the new cops i put in. these are the parts galaxy brand on amazon. $40 for a set of 8.
i installed the new cops last sunday. now since then the temps have dropped and i haven't driven as much as i usually do but ive put on 100-150 miles this week running the new cops and so far, no more misfire. because they're new, i run the engine harder than i normally would to see if i get a failure. hard acceleration from stops etc.
i still have a check engine code but its still 02 sensors and my gas mileage is still lower than it should be. i have catalytic converter rattle and with the way it was running when i first got it, wouldn't be surprised if the cats and muffler are gone.
all that aside, since i put in the new cops, accelleration is smooth, responsive. strong off the line and passing at highway speeds.
smooth idle. quiet engine.

so far so good. i got 90 days to swap them out if something fails. im hoping for some warmer weather to see if these things hold up to the heat. i figure even at 90 days, if i have to swap them, then its $40 for all 8 as opposed to $320 for a set of motorcraft, i'm cool with it. $40 bucks is like a crap dinner at tgif without drinks.

ill pop in some new 02 sensors and start fiddling with the abs sensors to see if one is out or if its just the main module acting screwey.
i have the same issue on my mustang.

repairs done-
tune up- $25
Replace valve cover gasket/tube seals-$26. (valve gasket was fine. tube seals were leaking)
oil change- $26.
replace valve stems on 2 tires - $30 total.

so far so good.
For a fully loaded truck with all the bells and whistles that cost me $906, im not complaining.

Id still bet on loose seats..they tend to start coming loose when hot or when higher rpms ..

Are you doing a proper master reset or have done one yet?? There is a youtube video if you dont know how

Also if ots bank 2 O2s for insufficient flow probably means you clogged a cat with all the missfires

 

[2000StreetRod]

Has anyone deleted the crossover tube on their Aviator? I've built a 2003 Aviator engine to install in my 2003 Explorer Centennial and the Aviator cooling system seems inferior to the Explorer cooling system. The Explorer has a crossover path between the heads internal to the intake manifold. The thermostat housing is above the driver side head port and the port for the heater is above the passenger side head port.

The heater tube flows coolant from the heads on the engine side of the thermostat. When the thermostat opens coolant from the heads is allowed to flow to the top port of the radiator. The radiator bottom port is connected by a hose to the oil filter adapter allowing cooled coolant to enter the block inlet port.
The Aviator has an external crossover tube that connects directly to the head ports.

Hose 13 goes to the top of the radiator. Hose 15 goes to the heater. Hose 17 goes to the thermostat housing port on the temperature sensing end of the thermostat.

Note there are 4 small holes in the thermostat face that allows reduced flow of coolant downward or air bubbles upward. This thermostat was made in Germany and starts opening at 177 degrees F and is fully open at 183 degrees F. The Rock Auto photo of the Motorcraft thermostat shows no holes. The radiator bottom hose goes to the valve end of the thermostat.

When the thermostat is open cooled coolant is allowed to flow from the radiator into the block.

The only flow represented by the red arrow is due to the small 4 holes. This flow reduces the time required for the thermostat to sense the engine internal coolant has reached operating temperature. Thermostats without any holes rely on conduction of heat thru the coolant in the upper hose and metal tubes to the heads. I suspect there is a measurable drop in temperature from the head port to the thermostat sensor. I would like to implement a functional equivalent of the Explorer configuration.

 

[Rasec143]

jd4242 thanks for letting me know about the master reset. i did that earlier today on my aviator and took it for a little ride for about an hour or so. mixed driving streets/highway.

advancetrack popped back up after a bit but so far so good. no check engine light. no abs light.
truck runs smoother than before and acceleration/ gas mileage has improved too.
if the check engine light comes on again i'll see what codes come up.

 

[dml996]

Id still bet on loose seats..they tend to start coming loose when hot or when higher rpms ..

Are you doing a proper master reset or have done one yet?? There is a youtube video if you dont know how

Also if ots bank 2 O2s for insufficient flow probably means you clogged a cat with all the missfires

Master reset?
Do you have a link? All i found on you tube was how to reste the car radio

 

[jd4242]

Master reset?
Do you have a link? All i found on you tube was how to reste the car radio

 

[dml996]

Did the compression test
cyl 8 =170
Cyl 7 = 65
cyl6 =165
cyl 5= 165
Am i completely screwed?
Any magic formula i can pour in there

Just purchased the car last week from an individual , looks like he sold me a lemon.

 

[jd4242]

Did the compression test
cyl 8 =170
Cyl 7 = 65
cyl6 =165
cyl 5= 165
Am i completely screwed?
Any magic formula i can pour in there

Just purchased the car last week from an individual , looks like he sold me a lemon.

No magic..heads have to come off..new seats and guides. .i just paid $998 for mine to get done..not including gaskets or anything else

 

[dml996]

No magic..heads have to come off..new seats and guides. .i just paid $998 for mine to get done..not including gaskets or anything else

May i ask where does one start looking for a reputable shop that can handle this?
All i ever see are places that do brakes, transmission shops, tires and oil changes.
I wouldn't consider taking it to the dealer for obvious reasons.

Honestly if its around $1000 for the repair i could live with that because overall its a really really nice ride.

 

[jd4242]

May i ask where does one start looking for a reputable shop that can handle this?
All i ever see are places that do brakes, transmission shops, tires and oil changes.
I wouldn't consider taking it to the dealer for obvious reasons.

Honestly if its around $1000 for the repair i could live with that because overall its a really really nice ride.

O no thats just for the machine cost..if you take it to someone to do it,id suggest you just sell it and buy a 2005 if you really like aviators. .it would cost probably $3,000 plus easy if not more if they did all the work

 

[dml996]

it is a 2005!

 

[jd4242]

it is a 2005!

Eww thats not good..the DC cast heads are less likely to drop valve seats.the DC head is one of the best heads made...look through the fender well right about the exhaust manifold,should be a cast number ending in DC and a circle with the month stamped, just wanna make sure its a 05 DC head.

Next you could do a leak down to confirm if its rings or valve seat..or even pull that valve cover and see if a followers or lash adjuster is broken keeping a vlave open

 

[dml996]

Its production date is 06/05. The stamp on the block is 05 inside a circle