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Stazi's words of advie for all newbie engine builders

Great write up Tourko.

Copy list and hit print button.



Also that sucks pud, i hope you figure that mess out.
 
1. So you drop some down the head through the plug hole and then install plugs?
2. I could see on a new engine but why a used 3L?
1. A sprayer with a long tube works if you are not removing the heads. Then after everything else is lubricated you hand spin the engine multiple revolutions. Also if you are not removing the heads I would shoot compressed air into each cylinder when both the intake & exhaust valves are open. This will blow out any drek that may have formed or dropped into them while not in use. (do this before the lube of course.)

2. How long has the engine sat without active lubrication?
How long has it had to evaporate and drain any remaining traces of lubrication?
How long has is sat with above conditions and changing ambient moisture levels? :blackeye: (i.e. condensation + metal)
Many good reasons why any engine should get a fresh layer of lubricant on all the moving, much less rubbing, parts.
 
Demon, the reverse is actually true.
Not from the Ford bulletin I was given to read thanks to TH and information from another friend. The suspect engines did have an engine date code of 2003 and were slotted for middle 2003 to early 2004 MY vehicles. Mainly all Escape/Tributes and not in Taurus/Sables. (yards sell engines by vehicle date and not engine date) As you certainly know engine dates always preceed vehicle MY dates by months. Sometimes many months.
No earlier engines were in the suspect list. From what I read it was narrowed down to a single forging run. (which does cover a lot of engines in total number) I have a 3L from a 2002 Taurus and an engine date of 5/02. It was not included in the suspect list. Also I have not heard of any suspect engines after that point either.
 
just as reference, I did EVERY point he posted on that and my motor has been perfect with near perfect compression and etc. for nearly a year and 12,000 miles. I didn't put in clevite rod bearings, but im fine with stock. No need to mess with it (yet).

Good advice.. and I preoiled the engine with a syphon-type device.
 
Pud, I wouldn't think it was a bent valve unless you're getting a LOUD PING or POP randomly. I had 3 bent valves on my 3L at first, and it was easy to tell it was a bent valve.
 
I just want to add this....

BUY THE FORD SERVICE CD AND FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS EXACTLY.

This was my first entire tear down and rebuild (minus taking apart the heads). I had done a few top-end and front end rebuilds on older RWD cars but this was my first time building a whole engine (minus heads).

I followed the directions on the ford cd and my 3L has been running fine for the last year. And for those of you thinking you can't build it in a hurry when you refer to the cd, it took me 2 days (about 4hrs a day) to pull the engine. I had already prepped and had the lower end all ready for the svt parts. It took 2 days (about 3 hours a day) to swap everything and get everything PROPERLY TORQUED, then I had to wait 2 weeks for my new water pump and DMD, then about 6 hours to drop in the engine and secure it and hook everything up, then the last day I took about 3 hours to install the axles and hook those up and make sure everything was connected, and fill with fluids.

That really isn't a lot of labor time for a first time rebuild.

And to all the people asking a billion questions about the swap, ALL the information in performing the swap was found in the old forums (they were old a year ago, but ya know what I mean). I belive I made 2 posts regarding little problems I ran into, 1 being advice on getting out the damper bolt on the 3L. All the info is here. I know this because its what I used. Take a couple hours for a few days and read the old posts, try searching more than "3L swap" or anything else thats vague. Try searching using more than 1 or 2 specific words. All the info is there.

But as I originally said, if you follow the directions on the CD, and assuming there was nothing broken or wrong with the engine in the first place, you should have no worries.
 
I did the swap for the first time in 10 hours never looking at the manual, and my build was pefect :shrug:
 
So you drop some down the head through the plug hole and then install plugs? I could see on a new engine but why a used 3L?

I think he means when you put it together if you've had the heads off.

I always pull the pistons if the heads come off. I've found two junk yard 3Ls in otherwise very good shape that had gunked up oil in all the ring lands. All I did was pull the pistons one at a time, carefully remove the rings without twisting them, inspect and clean everything. If the ring edges show any sign of wear I replace them with new Ford rings otherwise I just reinstall them. Then I lube everything with motor oil to include the cylinder walls. Install new rod bolts and clevite bearings with STP engine treatement for bearing lube, or prelube, and reassemble. Then I move on to the next cylinder. When all are done and the engine cranks through by hand nicely with the damper stuck on the end, I'll torque all the rod bolts and crank it through again. Then the heads go on.
This is an economical way of ensuring that the rings are in good condition and/or not binding in the piston ringlands and preventing a good seal or excess wear. The nice thing is you don't need to and shouldn't rehone the cylinder when doing this even if installing new factory rings.
 
Not from the Ford bulletin I was given to read thanks to TH and information from another friend. The suspect engines did have an engine date code of 2003 and were slotted for middle 2003 to early 2004 MY vehicles. Mainly all Escape/Tributes and not in Taurus/Sables. (yards sell engines by vehicle date and not engine date) As you certainly know engine dates always preceed vehicle MY dates by months. Sometimes many months.
No earlier engines were in the suspect list. From what I read it was narrowed down to a single forging run. (which does cover a lot of engines in total number) I have a 3L from a 2002 Taurus and an engine date of 5/02. It was not included in the suspect list. Also I have not heard of any suspect engines after that point either.
Well, in your earlier post you said a 2003 would be ideal which does not agree with your post above. Based on what I have seen, I would recommend using a 2004 over a 2001-2003 MY engine. Late 2004 MY would be preferred.
 
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I just want to add this....

And to all the people asking a billion questions about the swap, ALL the information in performing the swap was found in the old forums (they were old a year ago, but ya know what I mean). I belive I made 2 posts regarding little problems I ran into, 1 being advice on getting out the damper bolt on the 3L. All the info is here. I know this because its what I used. Take a couple hours for a few days and read the old posts, try searching more than "3L swap" or anything else thats vague. Try searching using more than 1 or 2 specific words. All the info is there.

Frankly, shouldn't this information have been collected in one place? There are several archives at this point, and significant effort is needed to go through it all and to sift the wheat from the chaff. We should have a Wiki on the swap.
 
FYI, you can subscribe to it without posting to it. Click on Thread Tools. Or simply bookmark it in your browser.


or if people are searching and reading posts before building a 3L they should cross this post much as you did. it will just drop down over time anyway ....no need to bump the post.
 
Frankly, shouldn't this information have been collected in one place? There are several archives at this point, and significant effort is needed to go through it all and to sift the wheat from the chaff. We should have a Wiki on the swap.

Back around May I posted every link I used to build my engine. These links combined with the factory build file off of neco should get most people through the swap. If that doesn't take most of the leg work out I don't know what will.

Edit: Here it is:

http://www.contour.org/ceg-vb/showthread.php?t=31792
 
To add to an old post.

Id never buy another pre 2004 motor!. 2004+ are the best, I've yet to hear / see anything about the zircon problem for a looooong time.
 
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