Engine whine

[jstickney83]

Hello everyone.
I have a 2006 Ford Explorer Limited V8 4.6L. I recently made the following repairs to my Explorer:
New Radiator and Heater Hose Assembly
New Transmission Lines, Oil Cooler and Hoses
New Front End: Upper and Lower control arms, shock, strut, springs, sway bar and links, drive axle shafts, intermediate drive shaft, wheel hub Assemblies, rack and pinion w/ pump. I also replaced the Thermostat and Housing.

I posted previously that I was losing coolant but couldn't get it to duplicate the issue but I did find the culprit and it was the heater hose assembly and I replaced it. I'm still losing coolant but I can't find the leak anywhere. It's a very small leak somewhere but all I can notice is the coolant smell. I'm now getting a small whine from my engine at times. Typically when my vehicle is cold and after it heats up it goes away.

I rinsed my enitre engine bay to help pinpoint a potential leak and after it dried I had a small pooling of water left behind around my spark plugs and when I started up my suv I noticed when I was looking for the potential leak I had tiny air bubbles coming from one of my spark plug wells. I've never seen that before and was wondering if that could be part of the problem? I'm not seeing any creamy mixture on my dipstick or under my oil cap. Also I took into consideration that I might have air pockets that are still in my lines which could make it look like I'm losing coolant but why the smell of coolant then?

Any help would be greatly appreciated tha ks in advance

I'm currently looking for some options to help guide me on my next moves. I plan on swapping out the gasket and plugs tomorrow.

 

[94Eddie]

Hello everyone.
I have a 2006 Ford Explorer Limited V8 4.6L. I recently made the following repairs to my Explorer:
New Radiator and Heater Hose Assembly
New Transmission Lines, Oil Cooler and Hoses
New Front End: Upper and Lower control arms, shock, strut, springs, sway bar and links, drive axle shafts, intermediate drive shaft, wheel hub Assemblies, rack and pinion w/ pump. I also replaced the Thermostat and Housing.

I posted previously that I was losing coolant but couldn't get it to duplicate the issue but I did find the culprit and it was the heater hose assembly and I replaced it. I'm still losing coolant but I can't find the leak anywhere. It's a very small leak somewhere but all I can notice is the coolant smell. I'm now getting a small whine from my engine at times. Typically when my vehicle is cold and after it heats up it goes away.

You might want to put some florescent dye in the coolant and search around with a black light to spot the leak.

I rinsed my enitre engine bay to help pinpoint a potential leak and after it dried I had a small pooling of water left behind around my spark plugs and when I started up my suv I noticed when I was looking for the potential leak I had tiny air bubbles coming from one of my spark plug wells. I've never seen that before and was wondering if that could be part of the problem? I'm not seeing any creamy mixture on my dipstick or under my oil cap. Also I took into consideration that I might have air pockets that are still in my lines which could make it look like I'm losing coolant but why the smell of coolant then?

There is a known problem with 4.6L 2006-2010 Explorers/Mountaineers with water dripping from the cowl in the #8 cylinder spark plug well. If your issue is with the rear plug on the driver's side then this it your problem. Use the search term "2006-2010 Ford Explorer P0308 Cylinder 8 Misfire" at YouTube for the fix regarding this problem. For some reason I can't get the video to link here.

Any help would be greatly appreciated tha ks in advance

I'm currently looking for some options to help guide me on my next moves. I plan on swapping out the gasket and plugs tomorrow.

Watch some videos on removing the spark plugs. The 2006-2008 4.6L engines have two piece plugs from the factory that have a habit of breaking off and leaving the tip of the plug in the head. To get them out you need a special tool. You might be lucky and someone has already replaced them with the new design plugs that prevents this problem. If you are going to have the valve covers off then check the VVT solenoids. The screens can get dislocated or gummed up with carbon. It wouldn't be a bad idea to replace them if the engine has some miles on it. Also, while the valve covers are off check the followers on the rockers as these can wear and can become lose and eventually fail and can take out the engine. It isn't a super common problem but worth checking if the cover is off. If you haven't done this then do a transmission pan drop, filter change and refill. The 6R60 transmissions are picky about the quality of the fluid and old fluid can cause issues. Doing 50k mile interval transmission services will go a long way to keeping the transmission going for many miles. The 6R60/80 transmissions are quite durable if maintained well. Wherever you can, check the condition of the wiring insulation for deterioration. Many 2006-2008 engines can have these problems and they can make diagnosing issues very frustrating. A few other things are drain and refill the transfer case, differential(s), brake fluid and power steering fluid. Doing this can go a long way in heading off expensive problems as the miles rack up.

 

[Bazz270]

The 2006-2008 make engine head spark plugs remained the same.no one changed em.they are still totally the same two part spark plugs.Ford changed the overall dimensions a bit,thats all.the old stupid design remains the same.

The newer ones updated (AKA the good design) are fit only the newer engine heads.

See spark plug V8 triton TSB.soak with carburator liquid cleaner and release the plug slowly acc to the TSB instructions.

In case of spark plug broken,If you are not capable working with the spark plug extractor,take the head out.