Revised Head Bolt Torque Procedure On
                                     1996-03 Ford 3.8L VIN 4 Engines

The AERA Technical Committee offers the following information on revised head bolt torque procedure used on 1996-99 Ford 3.8L VIN 4 engines. Premature failure of the head gasket may occur along with engine coolant leakage if this procedure is not observed. If coolant leakage is not addressed, failure may result when the engine is allowed to continue operating.

To reduce the likelihood of this condition, Ford now offers a revised head bolt torque procedure. Correctly following the steps listed below and observing the sequence shown in Figure 1 will help in preventing head gasket failures.

Step 1) 15 ft/lbs.  (20 Nm)
Step 2) 30 ft/lbs.  (40 Nm)
Step 3) 37 ft/lbs.  (50 Nm)
Step 4) Long bolts: (One Bolt at a time)
           a) Loosen long bolt and back out 2 to 3 turns.
           b) Retorque long bolt 30-37 ft/lbs (40-50 Nm).
           c) Rotate long bolt an additional 175-185° degrees.
           d) Go to the next bolt in sequence.

              Short bolts: (One Bolt at a time)
          a) Loosen short bolt and back out 2 to 3 turns.
          b) Retorque short bolt 15-22 ft/lbs (20-30 Nm).
          c) Rotate short bolt an additional 175-185° degrees.
          d) Go to the next bolt in sequence.

Caution: Do not loosen all of the bolts at one time. Work on one bolt at a time in the sequence shown in Figure 1. Failure to loosen bolts in proper sequence 
could cause the cylinder head to warp.  Note: This procedure can also be used on 1994 Continental, 1994-95 Taurus/Sable and 1995 Windstar equipped with a 
3.8L FWD engine.

                                                                          The AERA Technical Committee

                                     Engine Oil Recommendations For
                                    Ford Vehicle Applications & Engines

The AERA Technical Committee offers the following information supplied by Ford Motor Company on recommended engine oil for Ford engines. Previously AERA published Technical Bulletin TB 1738, the information in this bulletin is an update to that bulletin. This latest information should be highly considered as quality improvements have been made to most engine oils. The current engine oil used by Ford during the vehicle manufacturing process is SAE 5W-20 Motorcraft oil. This oil may also be used for older vehicles described in chart 1 below. 

The engine oil recommended for use in 2001 vehicles is SAE 5W-20 motor oil. This oil has an improved formulation to improve fuel economy. This oil can also be used to service some previous model year vehicles. 
 
Use SAE 5W-20 engine oil at recommended oil change intervals for 2001 vehicles, with the exception of the following vehicles listed in the Exception 2001 Vehicles chart. 
All 2001 vehicles other than those listed in the Exception 2001 Vehicles chart are being filled with SAE 5W-20 motor oil at the factory and should also be serviced with SAE 5W-20 oil. 

Chart 1
1995-2000 2.5L Contour/Mystique
1999-2001 2.5L Cougar
1996-2001 3.0L 4V Taurus/Sable
1999-2001 3.0L (Vulcan) Ranger (Flexible Fuel & Gas), Windstar, Taurus/Sable 				                                                                                          (Flexible Fuel & Gas)
1996-1997 3.8L Thunderbird/Cougar 
1996-2001 3.8L Mustang and 3.8L SPI Windstar
1997-2001 4.2L (SPI) F-150 (under 8500 GVW only), Econoline
1996-2001 4.6L 2V Mustang
1992-2001 4.6L Crown Victoria/Grand Marquis
1991-2001 4.6L Town Car 1994-1997 4.6L 2V Thunderbird/Cougar
1996-2001 4.6L 4V Mustang Cobra
1995-2001 4.6L Continental
1993-1998 4.6L 4V Mark VIII
1998-2001 5.4L 2V/4V Navigator 1997-2001 4.6L 2V Triton F-150/250 (under 8500                                                                       (GVW only), Econoline, Expedition
1997-2001 5.4L 2V F-150/250 (under 8500 GVW only)                                                           Expedition,E- 150/250/350, E-350 Chassis/RV/Cutaway
1997-2001 6.8L E-250/350, E-350 Chassis/RV/Cutaway
1999-2001 6.8L Super Duty F-Series 250 HD/350/450/550 Motorhome
2001 2.0L Zetec/2.0L SPI Focus
2001 2.0L Zetec/3.0L Escape
2001 2.0L SPI Escort
2000-2001 5.4L/6.8L Excursion
2000-2001 3.0L Lincoln LS
2001 2.0L Zetec Escort ZX2

NOTE: The following  EXCEPTION 2001 VEHICLES should be serviced with SAE 5W-30 motor oil. 

Chart 2
2001 2.5L Ranger
2001 3.3L Villager
2001 3.9L Lincoln LS
2001 4.0L Ranger, Explorer/Mountaineer, Explorer Sport and Explorer Sport Trac
2001 5.0L Explorer/Mountaineer

NOTE: If a vehicle is not listed in this application, SAE 5W-30 oil is recommended.

                                                                        The AERA Technical Committee