Bought a new to me mustang

[clinebarger]

Originally Posted by caprice_2nv
Originally Posted by itguy08
Originally Posted by aquariuscsm
4.0 is a superior engine.


That's a first - calling the Ford 4.0 SOHC a superior engine. It was a boat anchor and had a lot of quirks especially with the timing components. (I owned a 2000 Explorer with it.) The 3.5/3.7 is superior in every way.


I have to agree. I worked at Ford when these were still sort of new and we were always doing timing chain tensioners. The older ohv versions liked to crack heads like the 2.9 that they replaced.
The 3.5 is great other than the internal water pump design.

However, I think the later ones may have fixed the timing chain issues and are otherwise a reliable engine.



RWD 3.5L & 3.7L engines have belt driven water pumps. The SOHC 4.0L was a lot better in the later years of production for reliability!

Ford was growing stagnant with the Mustang without the Camaro to push development.....The 2010 GT had a 3V 4.6L

 

[Ws6]

Originally Posted by clinebarger
Originally Posted by caprice_2nv
Originally Posted by itguy08
Originally Posted by aquariuscsm
4.0 is a superior engine.


That's a first - calling the Ford 4.0 SOHC a superior engine. It was a boat anchor and had a lot of quirks especially with the timing components. (I owned a 2000 Explorer with it.) The 3.5/3.7 is superior in every way.


I have to agree. I worked at Ford when these were still sort of new and we were always doing timing chain tensioners. The older ohv versions liked to crack heads like the 2.9 that they replaced.
The 3.5 is great other than the internal water pump design.

However, I think the later ones may have fixed the timing chain issues and are otherwise a reliable engine.



RWD 3.5L & 3.7L engines have belt driven water pumps. The SOHC 4.0L was a lot better in the later years of production for reliability!

Ford was growing stagnant with the Mustang without the Camaro to push development.....The 2010 GT had a 3V 4.6L

So did the 2005 Ford Explorer. Ford disappoints me time and again with their lack of dedication to performance vehicles. Only when dragged kicking and screaming by a far superior performer from GM, do they engineer something worthy of the segment it's in.

 

[Skeet6]

Sorry to dredge this, but if the OP hasn't upgraded exhaust - AND if still deciding on the exhaust, or deciding on going the dual route, I'd recommend the Ford Performance Parts single touring muffler/axle-back, that was made by Borla if you can find one. I had that for a few years, it sounded excellent. I was totally happy until... I got a few bucks burning a hole in my pocket and decided to change to a nice dual system. I really wanted the Ford Performance Parts true dual that comes with X pipe, two Bullitt mufflers, and nice covers for the cutouts on the bumper cover, and instead of looking aftermarket-y, it looks like it belongs on the car. It comes with clamps to assemble at home, but I had mine welded up at a race-oriented shop. This exhaust sounds like it should, too, no rasp or drone, but a deeper sound. On my first S197 (2006) I installed "Pypes" true duals and it was loud and drone-y. This is in a completely different league.

Regarding the drain fill on the manual trans, (it's actually a T5, by the way). I did mine with the required ATF, I used the proper Ford Mercon something. It was easy. Its a 2009 45th Anniversary carm only 40k on the ODO, so I had no real reason to do it other than this board makes me want to do such things, you know. I was upgrading my shifter to a Ford Racing/Hurst short throw, so I was already under there anyway.

Hope this helps.
Mike B

 

[panthermike]

Mike, looks sharp! Good recommendation on the exhaust, the 4.0's have a good sound. My brother had an '07 w/ dual exhaust, x-pipe and Spintech Super Pro Street mufflers. It had some drone and was loud, but sounded pretty good!

 

[Blinker]

Enjoy!

 

[92saturnsl2]

Years ago, I rented a 2010 Mustang convertible with the 4.0L and was impressed with it. The engine felt stronger than its hp rating would suggest. I thought it would be a turd but was pleasantly surprised. Had zero issues braking tires loose from a stop and doing smoky burnouts. They seem to have a lot of torque down low, it's just that power (torque) isn't sustained past 4500rpm or so, which explains the rather anemic hp.

Unfortunately those engines have a lot of problems with the timing chain guides wearing, sometimes breaking. Because the chain driving the right-side cam is at the back of the engine, it's nearly impossible to perform the repair without removing the engine. Dumb design by Ford, I've read that frequent oil changes can prolong the life of them. Problem usually manifests as cold-start rattle and gets worse from there.

There's also a TSB in those years for rough idle, which is actually due to exhaust vibration. The fix involves installing a damper kit to isolate the exhaust vibrations.