4.6L Intake Manifold heater core nipple Broke?

[SwampSurvivor]

The Mercury let me down again. I'm just getting tired of old junk at this point.

My mom lives in a retirement trailer park and the road just does not get maintained in the winter. It was a few inches of solid ice and then we got some snow last night. Snow is never a problem for the mercury but the ice was bad. We got out of my mom's driveway no problem but then slid slowly into a snow bank and the car wouldn't move. Even with weight and new snow tires.

I was rocking it and really getting on it to get the thing to move. Then out of nowhere, coolant starts coming through the vents. I thought the heater core exploded. Got the car unburied, then tried to head home. All of 3 miles.

On the way home it kept going into failsafe mode. I'd shut it off, coast. Start run etc.

Got it home and saw that the intake manifold broke at the heater core nipple. I've heard of it happening when people install / remove the heater core hose but weird that it just happened when I was on it.

Worried that a head gasket may have let go and pressurized the cooling system. I can't even kinda rig it back up temporarily to see if it blows off again because there's nothing left of that.

Unfortunately for me, the car isn't worth paying a shop the parts markup and 10 hours of labor to change the manifold. And my garage is filled with a disassembled Jeep missing axles ... can't move right now .

I have a cheap dorman intake on order just got see if the things' any good. Going to have to make a temporary shelter to heat / work on the car.

 

[KGMtech]

These things never break when the weather is pleasant and time is plentiful. I send kind thoughts and hope all your knuckles are left intact.

 

[AZjeff]

These things never break when the weather is pleasant and time is plentiful. I send kind thoughts and hope all your knuckles are left intact.

Sure they do, you just deal with it never break stride and don't look back.

@SwampSurvivor are you down to the Polaris for transportation?

 

[ripcord]

The plastic intake manifolds on the early mod motors were a common failure point. I have seen them let go in the exact same place. Unfortunately, it needs a new manifold.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=872487&cc=1428207&pt=5536&jsn=636

 

[Brian123]

The plastic intake manifolds on the early mod motors were a common failure point. I have seen them let go in the exact same place. Unfortunately, it needs a new manifold.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=872487&cc=1428207&pt=5536&jsn=636

Is this a failure point that happens no matter what you do with Maintenance on the car? Meaning the person who gets a coolant flush every 5 years versus someone who does not change the coolant until 100K or so? These motors seem easy on Motor Oil, but maybe coolant is a different story?

 

[ripcord]

It's not from being neglected. It's because the plastic that the intake manifold is made out of gets brittle and develops stress fractures. It's very common on these with age and once the miles get up there. Very frustrating, for sure. This happened on my father-in-law's Town Car.

 

[Chris142]

On the way home it kept going into failsafe mode. I'd shut it off, coast. Start run etc.

Does that car have a fail safe mode?

 

[LDM]

I did the intake manifold on a 2000 Crown Vic a few years back. It isn't a terrible job, just takes some time to get the old one off and the new one on. Issue with the pre-03 intake manifolds were that all the coolant passages were plastic, the updated manifolds they used aluminum so they don't end up failing from fatigue or wear.

But I also had the luxury of doing it in my nice warm garage during the winter, not being outside in the freezing cold. 4 hours in a warm garage isn't much time but 4 hours in below freezing weather is an eternity.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

I did the intake manifold on a 2000 Crown Vic a few years back. It isn't a terrible job, just takes some time to get the old one off and the new one on. Issue with the pre-03 intake manifolds were that all the coolant passages were plastic, the updated manifolds they used aluminum so they don't end up failing from fatigue or wear.

But I also had the luxury of doing it in my nice warm garage during the winter, not being outside in the freezing cold. 4 hours in a warm garage isn't much time but 4 hours in below freezing weather is an eternity.

If it wasn't. For that stupid crash bracket on the left fuel rail, I could have had it out in an hour. I have to take the wiper cowl off to get the bracket off and ... Of course the wipers are frozen on. And I managed to crack the wiper cowl prying. Ughhh. Its supposed to warm up and rain later today so I'm going to try then.

Intake is supposed to be in on Tuesday.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Sure they do, you just deal with it never break stride and don't look back.

@SwampSurvivor are you down to the Polaris for transportation?

I have the F350. But its undriveable in the snow, even with studded snow tires. And its so rusty it may break in half if it sees more salt. I do have my fiance's Sentra so that's what I'm using for now.

The Cherokee has been liberated from its steering box since October , the Wrangler has no gas tank, transmission or transfer case and I removed the rear axle.

Is this a failure point that happens no matter what you do with Maintenance on the car? Meaning the person who gets a coolant flush every 5 years versus someone who does not change the coolant until 100K or so? These motors seem easy on Motor Oil, but maybe coolant is a different story?

Brittle old plastic. With that said, the original owner did not keep up with cooling system maintenance. I've owned this car a bit over 4 years and flushed the cooling system multiple times and its just full of crud.

It's not from being neglected. It's because the plastic that the intake manifold is made out of gets brittle and develops stress fractures. It's very common on these with age and once the miles get up there. Very frustrating, for sure. This happened on my father-in-law's Town Car.

This is the original manifold. From 2001, almost 170k miles and on its 2nd engine.

Does that car have a fail safe mode?

It does. Any of the coil on plug 2v engines will alternate cylinders if it overheats. It was also 15 degrees out and the car wasn't running for more then 20 minutes when this happened. As soon as it would hit failsafe cooling, I'd kill it and coast to a stop.

 

[supton]

the Wrangler has no gas tank

Never stopped Derek.

no… transmission or transfer case and I removed the rear axle.

Dalton’s driven worse…

Go have a beer about it, and get to it. It might not be fixed, but it’ll be different.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Never stopped Derek.


Dalton’s driven worse…

Go have a beer about it, and get to it. It might not be fixed, but it’ll be different.

I am going to enjoy how cobbled this thing is once I get it together !

I was able to straighten out the body so the drivers door shuts! Unfortunately the jack post punched through the firewall in the process but hey ... More leg room !

Those 20 year old bias swampers would rival nokians in the snow ! The heater ... Might have to run the buddy heater because the blower motor caught fire on the last trail ride.

 

[D60]

So.....I'm only familiar with the 4.6 2V in the bay of a bubble body or '04-08 F150.....

.....but is it crazy to ask about motor mounts? OP's testimony was "rocking it and really getting on it." Then this?

Things that make you go hmmmm.....

 

[AZjeff]

When you drive 25 YO high mile cars things breaking come with the territory, more so when you don't baby them. If you drive them by choice you kinda signed up for the inconvenience, if by necessity hope things get better and newer cars can be had. Character building.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

So.....I'm only familiar with the 4.6 2V in the bay of a bubble body or '04-08 F150.....

.....but is it crazy to ask about motor mounts? OP's testimony was "rocking it and really getting on it." Then this?

Things that make you go hmmmm.....

That's a good point. I may see if the engine is rocking around once I get it running again. It's possible that it was and that motion is what snapped the nipple off.

When you drive 25 YO high mile cars things breaking come with the territory, more so when you don't baby them. If you drive them by choice you kinda signed up for the inconvenience, if by necessity hope things get better and newer cars can be had. Character building.

That's part of the reason I've been truck shopping for 6 years now. Can't pull the trigger. Towing through the hills with a 25 YO truck that has a 250,000 mile engine ... I'm waiting for the day that it fails spectacularly. It routinely sits at 4500 with my foot firmly planted on the floor once I get in the hills.

Definitely by choice. I'm a cheap SOB. I could go out and buy a new midsize or used full size comfortably and not have to finance but I do like having that money in the bank and lack of bills. Right now I'm living on a bit less than 1/3 of my take home pay. It's a comfort zone thing. If I end up unemployed for whatever reason (not a worry at the moment), I have a nice nest egg to keep lights on for a long time .. or this year I dropped $15000 into the house without having a second thought.

 

[Exhaustgases]

Same thing happens to the nice plastic radiator tanks and hose nipples too. Can't make stuff like the old days as it lasts too long.

 

[Number_35]

If it wasn't. For that stupid crash bracket on the left fuel rail, I could have had it out in an hour. I have to take the wiper cowl off to get the bracket off and ... Of course the wipers are frozen on. And I managed to crack the wiper cowl prying. Ughhh. Its supposed to warm up and rain later today so I'm going to try then.

Intake is supposed to be in on Tuesday.

I can relate.

About a year and a half ago I replaced the LIM gaskets on our 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan 3.3.

The hardest part of the job was removing the wiper arms.

 

[Donald]

I have the F350. But its undriveable in the snow, even with studded snow tires. And its so rusty it may break in half if it sees more salt. I do have my fiance's Sentra so that's what I'm using for now.

The Cherokee has been liberated from its steering box since October , the Wrangler has no gas tank, transmission or transfer case and I removed the rear axle.



Brittle old plastic. With that said, the original owner did not keep up with cooling system maintenance. I've owned this car a bit over 4 years and flushed the cooling system multiple times and its just full of crud.



This is the original manifold. From 2001, almost 170k miles and on its 2nd engine.



It does. Any of the coil on plug 2v engines will alternate cylinders if it overheats. It was also 15 degrees out and the car wasn't running for more then 20 minutes when this happened. As soon as it would hit failsafe cooling, I'd kill it and coast to a stop.

Your in central NY where the highway supervisor gets paid based on how many tons of salt he can dump on the road. So expect salt and rust if not treated for rust. Some vehicles really suck in the snow regardless of tires. My 1999 Dodge Ram 3/4' ton diesel was one of them. Could not get out of its own way in snow or ice.

No idea of your finances but sounds like you need a reliable vehicle. Not sure if a vehicle with a plastic intake manifold qualifies as a reliable vehicle. Maybe don't take anything else apart until you put one back together?

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Your in central NY where the highway supervisor gets paid based on how many tons of salt he can dump on the road. So expect salt and rust if not treated for rust. Some vehicles really suck in the snow regardless of tires. My 1999 Dodge Ram 3/4' ton diesel was one of them. Could not get out of its own way in snow or ice.

No idea of your finances but sounds like you need a reliable vehicle. Not sure if a vehicle with a plastic intake manifold qualifies as a reliable vehicle. Maybe don't take anything else apart until you put one back together?

This car is actually great in the snow. I was pushing snow up to the headlights last year driving to work in a lake effect band. It was snowing so hard I was driving on the rumble strips to tell where the road was. But 5'' of powdery snow on ice was just too much for it. Granted I don't think my former Subaru would have done much other than spin as well on the ice.

I'm not a c-level or even management, but I'm in a senior type IT role. A few times now, my choice of old vehicle has drawn comments from people. But this is the second time this year the car has let me down.

What's going to be next? Computer .... transmission ... heater core? Engine and rear axle along with the entire suspension and steering components have been replaced.

 

[Donald]

This car is actually great in the snow. I was pushing snow up to the headlights last year driving to work in a lake effect band. It was snowing so hard I was driving on the rumble strips to tell where the road was. But 5'' of powdery snow on ice was just too much for it. Granted I don't think my former Subaru would have done much other than spin as well on the ice.

I'm not a c-level or even management, but I'm in a senior type IT role. A few times now, my choice of old vehicle has drawn comments from people. But this is the second time this year the car has let me down.

What's going to be next? Computer .... transmission ... heater core? Engine and rear axle along with the entire suspension and steering components have been replaced.

I am a senior IT guy (IBM mainframe) or was. Now I am a part time contractor bridging the gap between identity management and mainframe security.

My F250 is pretty much unstoppable in the snow. It's got M&S tires. Engage 4WD and the axles lock and it can go almost anywhere.

Beyond that I had a Bomadier SW48 snowcat with 7' tracks. It really could go anywhere in the snow.