Originally posted by BOFH:
You've got nothing to lose by gutting the cat, changing the oil and just seeing how long the car will run. You can then locate an engine at your leisure.

Who's to say the gloom and doom story about the engine is not to get you to drop a load of money you weren't planning to spend.

Besides, whats the worst case scenario, you blow the engine? You are already planning to replace it. This seems a gamble worth taking on a car with 127K miles. Something else can break tomorrow. Gut the cat and see if it will run.

TB



Engine wouldn't run already. That was the problem. The backpressure from two completely clogged cats and the fact that the alternator was seized basically made the car un-useable. Would not start even with a new battery, you see.

I completely agree with you on all points. However, the engine is already installed and all I have to do is pay for everything that needed replacing.

The cost difference between this "almost-new" engine and just the exhaust manifold/catalytic converter was only $1,000. After checking out the Haynes manual for this car, I can see why it's such a pain in the ass to change the exhaust manifold. Basically everything has to come out in order to change this part. Thank you, Ford engine designers, for making everything as inaccessible as possible.