Oversize Main Bearing Housings On Some
                                             Ford 2800 CC V6 Engines

Oversize main bearing housings have been found in some Ford 2800 cc V6 engines.  the subject engines had main bearing saddles in the block with .015 oversize housings.

Ford Motor Co. supplies .015 oversize OD bearings for this engine with Standard, .010, .020 and .030 undersize ID.

                                                                          The AERA Technical Committee

                                                Bearing Failures On
                                Ford 5.0 & 5.7L (302 & 351W CID) Engines

AERA members have experienced premature crankshaft bearing failures on 5.0 & 5.7L Ford engines.

Investigating these failures disclosed that all of the machined components were on size and the proper tolerances had been achieved.  Closer inspection of other engine components revealed a crack in the exhaust crossover passage on the bottom side of the intake manifold.

Exhaust gases entering the crankcase through the crack not only contaminate the engine oil, but the oil itself is super heated to the point where it no longer lubricates resulting in contact between the bearing and the crankshaft journal.

Pressurizing the crankcase with exhaust gases should also overwhelm the PCV system leading to excessive oil consumption or oil in the air cleaner.

For additional information see AERA Technical Bulletins: TB 519 &
SB 146

                                                                      The AERA Technical Committee

                                          Oil In The Cooling System On
                                           Ford 3.8L (232 CID) Engines

AERA member machine shops have reported multiple instances of vehicles with cooling systems contaminated by engine oil.

One possible cause cited in many of the reported cases was that the engines were permitted to freeze up during cold ambient temperatures.  Usually one or more of the core plugs was pushed out of the cylinder block, but the damage is not limited to that alone.  The ice inside of the cylinder block water jacket expands and partially crushes an oil gallery.

When the core plugs are replaced and the cooling system is refilled, oil finds its way into the radiator.  The cylinder block is no longer serviceable and must be replaced.

                                                                     The AERA Technical Committee

                         Intake Manifold Coolant & Vacuum Leaks On
                                Ford 5.0L, 5.0L HO and 5.8L Engines

Intake manifold coolant and vacuum leaks have been found to be quite common on Ford 5.0L, 5.0L HO (High Output) and 5.8L engines.  For this engine, following the proper intake manifold torque values and torque sequence is very critical.

Installation of the aluminum intake manifold should proceed as follows:

    Clean all gasket surfaces of debris and oil residue.

    Apply a 1/8 bead of silicone sealer in the 4 corners where the cylinder heads 
    meet the cylinder block (Figure 1).

    Install the intake manifold side and end gaskets and apply a 1/16 bead of 
    silicone sealer in the 4 joints formed by the gaskets.

    Mount the manifold and torque the bolts in sequence to 15-20 lbs.ft (Figure 2).

    Torque the bolts in sequence to 23-25 lbs.ft.

    After the engine has reached operating temperature, retorque the intake 
    manifold bolts to 23-25 lbs.ft.

                                                                                  The AERA Technical Committee

                                     Ignition Firing Order On
                            Ford 5.0L HO (High Output) Engines

There seems to be much confusion about the firing order on Ford 5.0L HO (High Output) engines. 

Contrary to the plain 5.0L engine, the HO (High Output) version uses the same firing order as the 5.8L engine.  This is probably the case because early 5.0L HO engines used a 5.8L marine camshaft.

The firing order for the standard 5.0L is: 1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8.  The firing order for the HO engine is: 1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8.  The rotor inside the distributor rotates counterclockwise on both engines (see illustration).

Using the plain 5.0L firing order on the HO engine does work, however the engines will have low vacuum and very poor idle.  At higher rpm it appears to smooth out, but is very low on horse power, not at all what the customer will expect from this potent power plant. 

                                                                        The AERA Technical Committee

                                       Mysterious Coolant Loss On
                                  1997-2000 Ford 4.0L VIN E Engines

The AERA Technical Committee offers the following information regarding coolant loss on 1997-2000 Ford 4.0L VIN E engines. The amount of loss reported varied depending on the driving habits of drivers. The area of coolant leakage has been in the exhaust port of the cylinder head. This engine is a V-6 SOHC design and either head may be suspect of leakage.

It has been reported the head casting temperature is a contributing factor on the amount of leakage. Short trip driving produces different amounts of loss than extended highway driving. Pressure testing suspect heads may not produce leakage until the head is heated. In these instances, a submergible type tester that has heated water in it is preferred. The vehicle diagnosis may be accomplished by loosening the exhaust manifold bolts on both heads and looking for coolant in the exhaust port. 

In most instances there is no evidence of moisture (coolant) coming out the tailpipe until the leak gets bad enough to leak all the time. The cracks in the exhaust port(s) leak coolant into the hot exhaust flow and almost all traces of coolant are removed by the catalytic converter. Using a fluorescent dye in the coolant may show the coolant trail when checked with a blacklight at the tail pipe opening.   

If the coolant leaks long enough an exhaust restriction may be created in the converter. It is suggested an engine exhaust backpressure be taken after this type of cylinder head failure. 

                                                                            The AERA Technical Committee

                                 Piston Caution For Standard Size Bore On
                                       1988-96 Ford 1.9L VIN J Engines

The AERA Technical Committee offers the following piston caution regarding standard size bore Ford 1.9L 1988-96 VIN J engines. Ford offers three different piston diameters to adjust piston to wall clearance.

When the measured piston to bore clearance is in the lower one third of the specified clearance .0012-.0028 (.3040 -.0711 mm) use a RED (smallest) color-coded piston. If the measured piston to bore clearance is in the middle of the specified clearance, use a BLUE color-coded piston. Finally, be aware that there is a .004 (.101 mm) oversize YELLOW piston available from Ford. Any combination of the above piston sizes may have been installed in the original production engine. If the pistons are being considered for reuse during engine disassembly, keep them in order and save time later.

Desired Piston Clearance .0012-.0028 (.030-.071mm)

Color Mark                  Diameter
Red                             3.224-3.225 (81.90-81.92 mm)
Blue                            3.225-3.226   (81.92-81.92 mm)
Yellow +.004             3.226-3.227   (81.94-81.96 (mm)

                                                                             The AERA Technical Committee

                                       Front End Engine Noise On
                                   1992-94 Ford VIN X 2.3L Engines

AERA members have reported front-end engine noise on 1992-94 Ford VIN X 2.3L engines. The noise has been described as a ticking or clanging coming from the front crankshaft on some vehicles. A loose center hub of the vibration damper pulley could cause this noise. 

Ford offers a replacement vibration damper pulley with a revised vibration damper pulley kit. The replacement parts kit can be purchased under Part #F6PZ-6312-AA. Ford also includes the following service procedure to change the revised parts. 

When replacement is needed on the vibration damper pulley is to be replaced, remove the vibration damper retaining bolt and vibration damper. If necessary use bearing puller T77F-4220-B or equivalent. The bolt and washer included in the vibration damper pulley kit must be used with a torque specification of 123-143 ft/lbs when securing the revised pulley to the crankshaft. Do not use the original bolt and washer. 

The vibration damper pulley kit, Part #F6PZ-6312-AA, includes the following: 

1-Crankshaft Pulley Assembly
1-Flatwasher: 14 X 14.7 X 6.35 mm
1-Hex Flange Bolt: M14 X 1.5 X 44.7 mm
1-Instruction Sheet

                                                                            The AERA Technical Committee

                                                     Cam Timing Caution For
                                            1997-2003 Ford 4.0L VIN E Engines

The AERA Technical Committee offers the following information concerning the cam timing for 1997-2003 Ford 4.0L VIN E engines. This information should be referenced before obtaining service manual information as some publications have erroneous content.

Ford published the correct information in a service bulletin dated May 2001 as part of a cam chain guide campaign. Subsequent year manuals should have the updated information depending on their source. Basically, the left and right side camshafts require 180° difference in their phasing. The engine, however, will run if both banks are timed in the same position. When correctly timed, the right bank camshaft valve timing should be 180° from the position the left bank camshaft is presently at.

                                                                       The AERA Technical Committee

                                   Balance Shaft Gear Set Caution For
                            1982-2000 Ford 3.8L VIN 3, 4, C & R Engines

The AERA Technical Committee offers the following information regarding a balance shaft gear caution for 1982-2000 Ford 3.8L VIN 3, 4, C & R engines. There are currently two different gear sets available and inter-mixing those components is not advised.

The previous design gear set used an 18° helix and the current design uses a 21° helix. The current design is also manufactured using the latest powdered metal (PM) technology, which offers similar or better product reliability. It has also been noticed while testing the 21° helix gear set that it may operate quieter than the previous design. 

While either gear set can be used, the two gear sets shown below should be replaced in sets only. 

                                                                             The AERA Technical Committee