what to do?
02-25-2018, 11:01 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: ks
Posts: 1
what to do?
my ol lady has a 4.6 ltr v6 99 ford mustang. late dec i noticed a major decrease in performance as well as a ton of mechanical issues have popped up since then. its been misting antifreeze out of the heat vents and overheating which could be one of many issues and more recently developed a oil leak somewhere and is now causing a smoking issue. she loves the car and wants to keep it as it is her first mustang. however the cost to keep it running may be extreme. it has approximately 200,000 miles on it. would a motor swap be within reason or should we try to find a new mustang? open to suggestions and ideas here. thanks in advance.
02-26-2018, 12:15 AM
#2
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: SE Michigan
Posts: 939
Welcome!
If it's been otherwise well-maintained these past 200,000 miles and needs just an engine (or engine work) and a heater core, then it may very well be worth keeping. I don't know where you would find parts for a "4.6 ltr v6" though, haha. At any rate, there's a lot of money to be saved if you're willing to do the work yourself.
The misting coolant has got to be the heater core, which will require pulling the dash apart. As for the engine, you may not even have to swap it out if she's been careful to not let the engine run at overheat temps. There's a chance that it might need nothing more than a new heater core in order to keep the coolant from leaking and triggering the overheating. You'll have to poke around and narrow down where that oil leak is coming from, and you'll also have to be more specific about the reduced performance. When was the last time it had a tune-up?
If it's been otherwise well-maintained these past 200,000 miles and needs just an engine (or engine work) and a heater core, then it may very well be worth keeping. I don't know where you would find parts for a "4.6 ltr v6" though, haha. At any rate, there's a lot of money to be saved if you're willing to do the work yourself.
The misting coolant has got to be the heater core, which will require pulling the dash apart. As for the engine, you may not even have to swap it out if she's been careful to not let the engine run at overheat temps. There's a chance that it might need nothing more than a new heater core in order to keep the coolant from leaking and triggering the overheating. You'll have to poke around and narrow down where that oil leak is coming from, and you'll also have to be more specific about the reduced performance. When was the last time it had a tune-up?
02-26-2018, 03:04 PM
#3
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SoCal
Posts: 1,826
I realize that it is still winter, but in the meantime you could easily bypass the heater core and that should stop the overheating and coolant loss issues for the time being. Hopefully she has a warm jacket.
Replacing heater core on these cars is no joke and requires complete removal of the dashboard. I'm not jealous of you at all. On the plus side, new heater core is only about $50 (I got bored one time and looked it up).
Replacing heater core on these cars is no joke and requires complete removal of the dashboard. I'm not jealous of you at all. On the plus side, new heater core is only about $50 (I got bored one time and looked it up).
03-07-2018, 07:58 AM
#4
Foghorn Leghorn
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: I reside in a near constant state of amazment.
Posts: 2,923
An engine swap is a heckuva lot cheaper than a payment book. You can get a solid used engine for under $1000.00, drop it in and be on your way or if you don't feel like doing the work yourself figure another grand for somebody to do it for you. Either way, it's cheaper to keep her.