Make it Last Forever

[Cj02mercurymounty]

Own a 02 Mercury Mountaineer 4.6 liter V8 And

Drive shaft is off due to

( I'm guessing)

Viscous Coupling
Will fix later.

Tranny is newly rebuilt with less then 5000 miles on it

Timing chain is next on agenda....... Thinking about it and I'm wondering if a rebuilt engine would be good....You know, keep it going strong. I mean a new chain goes on when you do the build....... Is it best to only do the chain also head gasket possibly.........any suggestions.....Would to make this car last
For short trips, beach, camping, yada yada.....because I really Don't want a new car payment.......

 

[Mbrooks420]

I’d fix just what’s broken. If the motor is fairly fit, and doesn’t smoke, I see no reason to replace it. I’d change the oil in the diffs, add a large transmission cooler, do any overdue tune up items like plugs and wires, and run it. If the mileage is way up there I’d consider a set of injectors.

 

[Tech By Trade]

I agree, the bottom end on the 4.6 is pretty solid. If you have concern you may just want to send the oil away for analysis and find out if its eating bearings. If not don't bother. Its all that timing control garbage up top that causes problems.

 

[IPcamper]

If it is not smoking, just go ahead and replace the timing chain, etc. The plastic chain guides crack over time and probably need to be replaced. When you have the timing cover and valve covers off, you can get a good look at engine and see if it is building up varnish / crud. An oil test will tell you if there is significant metal in the oil. Look at the intake manifold, they sometime develop coolant leaks, otherwise the engine is fairly solid, no need to replace the engine until something major develops.

 

[JW]

If the truck is new to you, or you've had it for a while and have not done the timing guide/tensioner arms at a minimum, definitely do those. The chains and hydraulic tensioners, I think, are optional, depending on their condition and your budget. You can get a complete Cloyes set from Rock Auto for a decent price. I wouldn't bother with head gaskets unless you know there's a problem, confirmed with a compression check (change the plugs while you're at it). It can all be done in a day or so if you have decent mechanical ability and a good metric tool set.

 

[Cj02mercurymounty]

I’d fix just what’s broken. If the motor is fairly fit, and doesn’t smoke, I see no reason to replace it. I’d change the oil in the diffs, add a large transmission cooler, do any overdue tune up items like plugs and wires, and run it. If the mileage is way up there I’d consider a set of injectors.

Ended up getting engine rebuilt vehicle has been very damn good to me...............

 

[shane10]

Ended up getting engine rebuilt vehicle has been very damn good to me...............

Beats a new car payment. I went through the same dilemma early this year, do major work (engine rebuild/diff rebuild), or buy a new vehicle. Love my X and didn't really want to be driving anything else, couldn't be happier with my decision. Hope you get many more years out of yours