Home > TECHNICAL > Swap F150 4.6L for Later Model Lincoln 4.6L Flex That Can Be Found Much Cheaper

F150 Engine Swap

Bagwell Automotive / Nov 2019

Customer’s 2006 Ford F150 4.6L 98,970 miles Engine Light came on. He takes to the dealer 2 years or more (20,000 miles) before I checked it. Dealer told him he needed a new motor, but suggest he could still drive it. Started a ticking sound by the time he brought to me to check. I checked: Code Pulled P0302 - Cylinder 2 Misfire

Troubleshoot fun time:

#1 Swapped Plugs and coils between different cylinders and misfire stayed on Cylinder 2
#2 Run Compression Test: Cylinder 2 at 85 PSI (as opposed to 200ish PSI on other cylinders) *More on what might have happened/ caused this later!

Now the ticking:

1-Check Oil Pressure -It’s Good.
2-Check Oil Passages- They’re Clean.

Narrowed down to Lifters or failing Timing component.
The dealer is correct (it can happen) that he needs a motor due to compression of cylinder 2, so timing or lifter issue will obviously be addressed with the engine swap.

Customer is cost conscious and we start looking at salvage yards www.car-part.com for 2006 F150 4.6L engine. $1000+ for motors with higher mileage than this damaged one!! BUUUUT WAIT the 2010 Lincoln Town Car 4.6L Flex Fuel engine is only $600 with 50K miles. Shows it wont fit, but I look at part numbers between the Block, Bare Heads, Crank, Camshaft, Timing Pieces and these all match. I figure I can make it work with a few swaps.

Receipt for 2010 Town Car 4.6L Flex Fuel I plan on using in 2006 F150 4.6L

Plus I will pretty much be resealing the whole motor and not worry about leaky used motor. These must be so much cheaper because of lack of demand and too many available... I’m guessing

Clean 50K 2010 Town Car Flex Fuel!

Comes in super clean and without the intake. Maybe this was damaged in the original vehicles accident. I think they normally include the intake, but no big deal.

Parts added to this project - (from Rock Auto)

Old 2006 F150 4.6L Engine comes out

Have to swap intake, valve covers, timing cover, oil filter adapter, oil pan, coolant tube (waterpump to heater core buried by intake),

2010 Town Car 4.6L Flex Fuel Motor

And decided to Upgrade Plastic timing hydraulic tensioners to all metal better sealed versions.

What happened to the 2006 F150 4.6L with less than 100k miles!?

Piston Collage from original 4.6L Motor

How did this happen? The Engine install went smooth. One of the least problematic engine swaps I’ve done (less the forgotten bolt holing the transmission dipstick to the motor causing small transmission leak when yanked with the motor. Fixed with 1/2 quart of fluid and jabbing the dipstick tube back in the transmission) Fuel Trim seemed off a bit, but no codes on long test drive. We are good!

Customer brings truck back in 4 days for much needed Suspension work.

And Oh Yea, Engine Light is On.

Yes, Code P0302. Cylinder 2 Miss-Fire. Fuel Trims show Bank one rich and trying to lean out taking away fuel. Bank 2 shows good.

Trouble Shoot:

Took Injectors and swapped from bank one to bank 2 AND Trim followed suit.
This rules out Computer, Oxygen Sensors, ENGINE!, or bad wiring or harness.
Has to be injector -- Barring information I either do not know yet or doesn’t exist,,, the injector.

I am done troubleshooting and replace the injector.
Hey, its never a 100% in this profession until it is.

Fixed !

Replacing the injector in Cylinder 6, exactly the same injector that was in Cylinder 2 before last troubleshoot procedure. Trims all good and no codes after a few weeks now.

Back to original bent rod. Cylinder 2 injector failure floods cylinder and creates a hydro-lock at start-up one day and BAM - bend rod.

I’m guessing this is probably the case.

Engine Lights are a necessary diagnosis and troubleshoot procedure. Just pulling the codes as the parts stores do is only the first part of repair. The codes give you a starting point for the trouble shooting process.