Ford Remanufactured Engines

[martlynn]

I have read many threads, but I have not came across what I am really looking for. There has been a lot of bad reviews about remanufactured engines, but those posts were old.

I have been to the dealer and they can only give their opinion on the very last question I have about the Ford remanufactured engines, so I am hoping you can answer them or you can direct me to someone who can help.


I have a 2000 Explorer XLT AWD with the 5.0L engine. It has 177,000 miles on it. The body is in good shape and it fits my 4'10" wife very well. We have not have had any issues with it beyond regular maintenance, but it has started to develop some oil leaks. I have taken it to the dealer and they quoted me $3800 to replace all the seals and gaskets and a local shop quoted $3,100.

Based off of these quotes I feel that I am left with 4 options.

Buy a used car that may have many of its own problems.

Pay to replace the gaskets, but I'm not sure if this would be wise with 177,000 miles on it.

Have a local mechanic to put in a remanufactured engine in it for $4,500. Where they gets their engines they come with a 7yr/100,000 mile warranty, but I do not know where they get them.

Have a Ford dealer put in a Ford remanufactured engine it. Your warranty is only for 3 years.

With those options I was hoping that you could answer some questions for me.

First, is the Ford remanufactured engine the exact same as the original engine?

If not, what are the differences/upgrades?

If I remember correctly the original sticker gave an estimated MPG at 15 city and 20 highway. I never came close to seeing these numbers. I would get 12city/14.5 hwy. Would the remanufactured engine get better, the same, or worse gas mileage?

The Ford website states that on all of their remanufactured engine they oversize the cylinder bores. Is this a good thing?"

Would you say that the remanufactured engines from other places are better than Ford's because they offer a better warranty?


My last question is that if I replace the engine, should I replace the transmission as well? The transmission has not had any issues and still shifts smoothly, but it does have 177,000 miles on it.

 

[intelisevil]

With the 5.0 engine and 4R70W transmission you've got the strongest, most reliable set up for Gen 2 Explorers. I've read stories of many going strong after 300,000 miles, your's is barely broken in!

My '99 Mercury Mountaineer has the same drivetrain. I recently turned over 275,000 miles. It's my daily driver and I get 16-17 MPG in combo driving year round. I lose about a quart of oil every 3000 miles. I say 'lose' because there's no sign of burning the oil (I can put a white paper towel into the tail pipe and it comes out clean) but I can see where I've got some drips on the ground.

Are your oil leaks internal causing smoky exhaust? If so, can you still pass your local smog test? Keep up with your oil changes and use a "high mileage" oil to help swell the seals, I use Valvoline MaxLife 5W-30 and a Motorcraft filter (less than $20 out the door at Walmart).

Are your oil leaks external causing your Explorer to mark its territory? Buy a large drip tray to park over!

It sounds like you still have a good running vehicle that you're happy with. There's no reason to get paranoid because "it has started to develop some oil leaks". Nothing you've stated warrants spending $3100-4800 on a vehicle that's probably worth less than $3000.

Keep up with the maintenance. Fuel filter, air filter, spark plugs and wires, when were they last replaced? Put some good fuel injection cleaner in your gas tank.

It's not going to be perfect, it's 16 years old. Just keep on driving it and laugh every time you drive by a new car dealership!

 

[Josh P]

177K is low mileage for a 302 that has been cared for. Determine the source of the oil leak(s) first. I had a bad oil pressure sending unit leak oil all over my engine. If you decide to replace the engine, justify to the wife the car needs a 363 stroker engine.

 

[martlynn]

The explorer loses about 1 quart every 3000 miles as well. I have been using 10W-30 Pennzoil High-Mileage Oil since about 80,000 miles. I have tried the Lucas Engine Oil Stop Leak, but I still have the leaks. I do not notice any smoke or oil coming from the exhaust. According to the mechanic I have the following that needs replaced: Rear main seal, oil pan gasket, timing chain cover gasket, and the intake manifold gasket. I was going to try to do some of them myself, but according to the manual I need to remove the engine to replace the timing chain cover and oil pan gaskets. I have done a lot of work on cars, but removing an engine scares me. I replaced the spark plugs and wires at 120k. I would being replacing them again in August along with the air and fuel filter.

 

[tchalm]

I agree with the others. As for the transmission - get it serviced by a shop that everyone trusts - ask around to find a shop that will give you the straight scoop. They should drop the pan to check for wear and give you some input as to its health.

I've got 272K miles on my 98 and it's still going, but getting to the point where there are other things to fix. If you make a big investment now, then you're setting yourself up to start doing all the other repairs. If you're not interested in spending time fixing things, then you might be better off continuing to drive this one and save your $$$$ for a good replacement.