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Long Block for my 92 XLT

iteotwawki

Well-Known Member
Joined
June 24, 2010
Messages
130
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City, State
Beaumont, CA
Year, Model & Trim Level
'92 XLT 4X4
My X runs fair around town but it does not like long drives down the highway. Good compression but it's using oil like no manana (5 quarts between oil changes, no leaks) and the #5 sparkplug shows oil and it pings. I am trying to nurse the engine through till the end of the year.

Anyway, my local Ford dealer offers a rebuilt long block with a 3 year/100,000 mile warranty for $2400 plus exchange. The parts guy asked me if I have a automatic or manual transmission???

Question: 1) is there any difference in the block when paired with the A4DL as compared with one mated to a M5OD-R1?.

I plan on losing my A4LD and getting M5OD-R1 as soon as I can source all the parts. is there something I am missing here?
 



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You should be able to get a long block for cheaper than that. Yea that sounds nice but there are very few people that drive 100,000 in 3 yars. I was pricing long blocks here in oregon, not far off from cali, and I was finding the average price of 1800$ with 3 year warranty, I saw a couple for the price of 2400$ and I want to say they had 5-7 year warrantys. If I were you I would do some internet shopping and surf around for prices. Lowest price was from a local place that rebuilds engines $1495 and some kind of waranty, cant remember.

Sorry I cant help with the tranny questions.
 






You should be able to get a long block for cheaper than that. Yea that sounds nice but there are very few people that drive 100,000 in 3 yars. I was pricing long blocks here in oregon, not far off from cali, and I was finding the average price of 1800$ with 3 year warranty, I saw a couple for the price of 2400$ and I want to say they had 5-7 year warrantys. If I were you I would do some internet shopping and surf around for prices. Lowest price was from a local place that rebuilds engines $1495 and some kind of waranty, cant remember.

Sorry I cant help with the tranny questions.

Just did this same search and came up with the same prices that StryctNy9e came up with. Now for $2400 that better includes the removal and installed also as that is about the area I was finding for me towing it in and then driving it home. I also would have supplied all the new parts I wanted for it including a new complete cooling system.

Now just for fun did you do a compression test on the motor? Did you rule out every thing else it could be like bad valve seals a, guides and such?

I was using oil almost as bad at one time but after I retightened the lower intake bolts it stopped and now I use almost no oil but say may be 1.2 a QT in 3,000 miles. I also know that a bad head(s) can also do this and if that is the case not saying it is but if it was it would be a lot less to just replace the heads with new ones and have a rebuilt top end . My oil loss was between burning (Leaking into #5 cylinder) and also the lower intake leaking both in the front above the timing cover and along the back side over the bell housing.

Just a thought as I for one would make sure I need a long block or a full rebuild before I just went and did it unless I had that kind of extra cash to burn. Now if you’re not leaking the oil but burning it (should see a bluish smoke almost all the time) you most likely have toasted you cat and sensors also. if you do need a new motor you could also call around and see what some shops would charge to rebuild what you have also.
 






He said the ford dealer, there is no way that includes labor. I bet it they charge 5000$ for motor and labor. I would do some searching, I recently did a motor swap and searched everywhere for a month prior to my install. I also was going to get a rebuilt engine but I was calling around the junk yards one day and found a shop just got in a motor 75,000 miles and only 450$. I went down to hear it run and it was sweet, installed one week later and love it. Do some searching and dont jump the gun you will thank yourself with all the money you save and the right decision made.
 






Here in TN you can get an engine from autozone for 2108-2188 w/core complete long-block. This is also assuming you have time, resources and proper equipment to do the job yourself. The $80 difference in price was for automatic and manual transmission. (I guess the manual trans flywheel costs 80 more than the automatic trans' flex-plate?)

If yours is 4wd the price should be close. I'm used to saying 2wd.

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/pa...enw6?filterByKeyWord=engine&fromString=search
 






Just checked out rockauto.com and they have rebuilt long blocks for $1,494 plus a $387 core.
 






Now just for fun did you do a compression test on the motor? Did you rule out every thing else it could be like bad valve seals a, guides and such?

I was using oil almost as bad at one time but after I retightened the lower intake bolts it stopped and now I use almost no oil but say may be 1.2 a QT in 3,000 miles. I also know that a bad head(s) can also do this and if that is the case not saying it is but if it was it would be a lot less to just replace the heads with new ones and have a rebuilt top end . My oil loss was between burning (Leaking into #5 cylinder) and also the lower intake leaking both in the front above the timing cover and along the back side over the bell housing.

Just a thought as I for one would make sure I need a long block or a full rebuild before I just went and did it unless I had that kind of extra cash to burn. Now if you’re not leaking the oil but burning it (should see a bluish smoke almost all the time) you most likely have toasted you cat and sensors also. if you do need a new motor you could also call around and see what some shops would charge to rebuild what you have also.

Hmmm, it sounds like I have your motor. Compression is good. The number 5 cylinder is the one leaking oil. Also took a close look at the engine and saw oil on the front timing cover.

I don't see smoke all the time. I only see it after a long run down the freeway and then it feels like I'm driving a loaded up two stroke that's bogging down. If I put my foot in it to pass someone, "poof! crop duster." When that occures it's pinging really bad but then it clears itself out and the pining and poor performance goes away.

I am going to follow your advice and see if everything is tightened down on the lower intake bolts.

Thanks all for the advice. I'll look at Rockauto.com for the long block (if necessary). Are they relilable?
 






Can not say any thing about rock auto or any places long or short blocks as I have always rebuilt my own.

Now one reason that it could be bogging and then smoking is when you step on it you lower the vacuumed and as the piston is going down it can suck in some oil be it threw the valve guides or seals or gasket. That in turn can and will foul out the plug so the ping ( bad miss and low power as it away be more on #5 but may also be effecting other plugs also. now when it finally burns enough off then the plug(s) start to come back on line again and those the better power and no more ping.

as you said just like a 2 stroke that you may have to much oil in the gas mix they foul out the plugs under low power but rap the gas and push that motor and they some times clear them self’s enough and then start running okay that is tell you drop the rpms again . On a 4 stroke it’s kind of like that but with the pistons sucking in oil just like a bad diaphragm will on a trannys modulator.

Pull the plugs check the compression and if you can do a cylinder leak down test also. Back it all up with a good vacuum test and then go from there and see you still may need a motor but then again may be you only need a top end
Good luck
 






Just checked out rockauto.com and they have rebuilt long blocks for $1,494 plus a $387 core.

Shipping costs an arm and a leg though
 






...if you can do a cylinder leak down test also. Back it all up with a good vacuum test

I have a good friend that owns a repair shop; I will ask him about the tests. I would ask him to fix it but he has a busy shop and it wouldn’t be right to ask him to perform exploratory surgery and occupy one of his bays. If I could narrow down the issue and then I can minimize my repair costs.

No smoke at startup after sitting overnight so I think I can rule out the valve guides. Looks like there is nothing else to do but dive into it and see what can be seen.

Again, thanks all for the info.
 






Excessive pinging under load sounds more like a bad injector or some other fuel related item. You should rule all that out as well. The only thing that's baffling me is the oil on plug #5. I want to say injector #5 is overloading.

But back to the over-consumption of oil.... Still scratching my head.
 






Cylinder #5

Gonna throw this out there. After describing in detail all the issues I am seeing with my truck, my friend, the mechanic of 29 years told me that it is probably a cracked lower piston ring on cylinder numbre cinco and a clogged cat. He said he has seen it one time in all the years he's been wrenching on cars and yes it was a Ford.

It explains why i'm seeing oil on the spark plug, why the compression is still good, why it doesn't smoke when I start it first thing in the morning, and why it runs fine around town. When driving around town, the engine temp remains relativly cool, however after running down the highway, the engine heats up, everything expands, oil bypasses the rings and the engine starts to load up.

That all being said, I am still going to look into the lower intake bolts as huntman58 suggested.
 






your lower intake manifold... the bolts are loose. Tighten them. Just do it. (use a torque wrench, tighten in the proper sequence)
 












Wood1 great find! I knew I had seen it before I just could not recall were but this time I saved it for when I replace my gaskets as my 93 is doing it again and yes the bolts were loss once again ggrrrrr.
 












When I bought my ex it used about a quart of oil every week, pinged under load, etc. I changed the plugs while doing a complete tune-up (do that always when I buy a vehicle) and noticed plug #5 was the only one that was oil fouled. I was doing a great deal of reading and found the suggestion that the above noted issues are usually caused by loose lower intake bolts. I decided to check mine and found that mine were loose as well. Some were only finger-tightish. Retourqued the bolts and right away it stopped pinging and the oil use reduced to about a quart every couple months. Pretty cheap fix huh? BUCKOW!!!
 






Just to mention on your question between the manual and auto trans motors. The biggest one on a factory motor is the thrust bearing on the crankshaft. They only used half of a thrust bearing on the auto transmission motors the other half is just one of the regular main bearing.
 






Checking back in

Thanks Wood1. I'm probably going to dig into this Monday. I was out of town for a few days helping somebody move to Oregon. I got to drive a new U-Haul truck with the Ford V10 engine. There are not enough o's in the word smooth to describe the performance and power.
 



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Just to mention on your question between the manual and auto trans motors. The biggest one on a factory motor is the thrust bearing on the crankshaft. They only used half of a thrust bearing on the auto transmission motors the other half is just one of the regular main bearing.

Can you clarify what you mean by this. I guess I am dense.
 






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