I tried to post this under the hood

[mountnmonty]

But your hall pass monitor redirected me and here it is. Im a gear head living in Vegas. A friend asked me to take a look at his 2003 4.6l Ford Explorer XLT. The check engine light has been on ever since he ran the engine out of oil last week.

The starter motor can barely turn the engine over but not fast enough to start. She goes grrrrrrr, grrrrrrrrrr, grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr so slowly that... HEY NEIGHBOR! You are going to roast the starter motor too! Never crank a starter motor longer than 5 seconds at a time and allow a cooling interval in between and stop after the first attempt to start any motor that sounds like that OMG! Is your clutch slipping too?

He said; Huh? Oh, no no no no no no, my Explorer has an automatic tranmission. Uh, Why does it sound like the clutch is going out?

Al Righty Then... I need the Pet Detective for this job.

Nevermind, Ill just Google it myself and get with my neighbor later... after I determine the following;

Is it worth the effort to try and save the engine that is trying to seize? If so, please advise how to do it?

Should I advise chasing after a worthy replacement motor

What Is a worthy replacement motor for the 2003 4.6l Ford Explorer XLT, and where can I get the best price on it in my area?

Will someone plsssss slip me a link to the service manual on the 46l engine in the 2003 era explorer.


peace out dudes

 

[OneLever]

he ran the engine out of oil last week.

How?

What Is a worthy replacement motor for the 2003 4.6l Ford Explorer XLT, and where can I get the best price on it in my area?

Im a gear head

Shouldn't you know this?

Will someone plsssss slip me a link to the service manual on the 46l engine in the 2003 era explorer.

You can buy an online version at AllDataDiy.com

 

[arco777]

If the motor has been run dry of oil, there's going to be significant damage that will require a full teardown to repair. It will actually be easier (and in some cases cheaper) to do an engine swap.

The 4.6 motor is extremely common. Look for a junkyard unit from an F-150, Explorer, Crown Vic, etc. Remember that the head design varies on car/truck 4.6 applications. You don't want to have to take the heads off the motor if possible, as you'd need new gaskets and bolts.

Use the old Explorer intake and accessories and sensors. Try to get a low mileage unit from a close year. A motor from a wrecked car will indicate that it was in running condition. Observe oil, general cleanliness of the motor, air filter, anything you can to tell that the motor has been well taken care of.

The swap itself will not be too hard as long as you mark and label all wires you remove. Don't unbolt stuff you don't need to. Take it slow and only replace what you need to, which is why I suggest a short block with heads.

I would not recommend swapping the motor for anything other than another 4.6 if your neighbor is keeping the truck. A stock 4.6 will improve resale value, is very reliable and will be relatively cheap and easy to replace.

 

[ThePhoenix]

rookie mistake 101