The 4.6L Ford engine is one of the most reliable Ford engines to ever be built. It was used from the 1990s all the way to 2014. The 4.6L engine can commonly be found in the Mustang, the Expedition, the E-Series of cars, the Explorer, and a few other Ford mainstream models. Many people praise the 4.6L to be one of the best Ford engines of all time.
When it comes to common issues, the 4.6L seems to be suffering from a decent few. The most common Ford 4.6L engine issues are associated with the intake manifold failure, timing chain issues, spark plug issues, and drop in engine oil pressure. These can sometimes be fairly cheap to fix while some might cause even a few thousand dollars to fix.
The good thing about the 4.6L is that it was constructed in a way to make it easy for you to work on your own engine. The spark plugs, the coils, and all the wiring harnesses can be accessed really easily which also made this engine a favorite among many Ford owners.
Therefore, maintaining this engine is easy so it’s really difficult for someone to get away with not maintaining one. With that being said, if you do take proper care of this engine, it is likely going to last a really long time.
Ford 4.6L V8 – Intake manifold issues
The 1996 to 2001 Ford Mercury and Crown Victoria models are known for their intake manifold issues. Both of these used the 4.6L V8 and the intake manifold issue is one of the worst issues with this engine. The issue here is that Ford designed the manifold out of plastic which isn’t the most durable material, especially while placed near a really hot engine.
These manifolds wear out really quickly and cause coolant leaks which inevitably lead to engine overheating. This eventually leads to a bunch of other issues associated with warped rings and warped heads. It costs around $750 to fix this issue, but some Crown Vic and Mercury owners even got a free fix from Ford.
Ford 4.6L V8 – Timing chain issues
The 4.6L engine was designed with a bunch of cost-saving techniques. Some of them were intended for the engine to be cheaper while others were intended to make the maintenance cheaper. The timing system on the 4.6L isn’t the best because parts of it are made out of plastic which is likely to fail at one point.
This can cause a myriad of issues down the line which can end up catastrophically for the engine. If the plastic chain guides break, your chain will go out of alignment. If this is not taken care of early enough. The chain could slap around the engine and cause a lot of additional issues. To make matters worse, to fix this issue you have to take out the entire engine which in itself is likely to cost close to $1,000.
Ford 4.6L V8 – Spark plug issues
Spark plug issues are mostly associated with the Ford F150 and the Ford Expedition. The reason why these fail is because of a thin casting on the top of the aluminum cylinder heads. The spark plug can withstand pressure from the combustion process, but when the compression reaches its peak, there is a great deal of chance that the spark plug could fly off through the cylinder head.
Repairs are possible, but the best thing you can do is replace the entire cylinder head. If you are able to do so safely, you can re-thread the head, if not, be prepared to pay around $1,000 for a brand-new cylinder head.
Ford 4.6L V8 – Engine oil pressure issues
According to a bunch of Ford owners, the 4.6L engine also suffers from engine oil pressure issues. It seems like there are many potential causes and low oil pressure can even result in many parts of the engine not being lubricated properly. If your engine isn’t properly lubricated, various engine parts could bang against each other and even destroy the engine completely.
Common low oil pressure symptoms are oil pressure warning lights, the smell of burning oil, engine overheating, engine failure, or poor engine performance. A faulty oil pump seems to be the cause in most instances. A potential cost to fix this ranges between a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars depending on how affected the engine is.
FAQ Section
How reliable is the Ford 4.6L V8?
The Ford 4.6L V8 seems to be one of the most reliable Ford engines ever, at least according to a bunch of owners. However, the only way to avoid these issues is to maintain the engine properly. This means changing all the fluids whenever necessary and doing all the services according to Ford’s recommendations.
If you do that, the engine is likely to last a really long time. Either way, be sure to always do a pre-purchase inspection while considering buying any car as that is going to tell you if there are any issues worth considering.
Is Ford still making the 4.6L V8?
Ford first introduced this engine in 1990 and at that time, the engine found its way into many different Ford models. The engine was around for decades because it was a popular choice for many owners. It may not be the best engine according to modern-day standards, but back then, it was a really impressive engine.
Ford finally stopped making it in 2014 when it was replaced by smaller, downsized engines that are powerful enough to even beat the 4.6L V8.
How much power can the Ford 4.6L V8 engine handle?
According to multiple sources online, the 4.6L V8 Ford engine is able to handle around 500hp maximum. Some say that 450hp is the true limit, but experienced tuners can take the engine to 500hp without the engine blowing up.
A built 4.6L Ford engine is somewhat of a ticking bomb, at least as far as many Ford forums tend to say. Some say that the block can endure around 600hp while the pistons are limited to about 400-450hp.
