Marauder needs a new engine. Options?

[Fishman]

OK, my car's engine is the latest to have been killed by hydo-lock. It'll get it towed to a dealer tomorrow and the insurance adjuster will meet the car there to assess the damage. There appears to be several options, or at least opinions, on which way to take the engine upgrade. Some won't be feasbile technically and some won't be feasible economically. Still, I'd like to get your opinions. After getting the insurance settlement, here are some ways to go:

- have dealer replace stock engine
- buy new 4.6L crate motor and add s/c
- buy new 4.6L crate motor, massage components and add s/c
- buy used 4.6L engine with the same options as above - seen some for ~ $1K at Kar Kraft
- buy new/unused 4.6L engine off eBay with the same options as above - seen one for ~ $2.5K
- rebuild existing motor, beef it up, add s/c
- buy different (larger, more hp/tq) engine that will bolt in (Cobra, Lightning, Ford racing, etc.)
- buy package from Dennis
- buy package from Lidio

There are probably others, so I'm open to hear them.

Thoughts?

[jgc61sr2002]

Hydro lock doesn't necessarly mean that the engine is N.G. Have seen several vehicles with hydro lock where the sparkplugs were removed, the engine turned over to flush out the water. The oil was changed several times, new plugs installed and engine was good as new. There are many variables and there could be serious engine damage.

[2003 MIB]

- buy used 4.6L engine with the same options as above - seen some for ~ $1K at Kar Kraft

They didn't seem to know much about the history of these units. They said they tell people the have between 60-80k on them "just to be safe" and they recommend a rebuild after buying. This may not be a drop in and go option.

- rebuild existing motor, beef it up, add s/c.

I like this idea the best. If S/C is for sure, better rods, better pistons (lower compression), better crank would be the best setup.

My $.02

[SouLRioT]

Money not an issue, get the Lightning engine. Ofcourse then you'd have to make sure everything else would fit. But you would deffently have a monster of a car.

[2003 MIB]

Money not an issue, get the Lightning engine. Ofcourse then you'd have to make sure everything else would fit. But you would deffently have a monster of a car.

If I remember correctly...It fits but would require a custom hood to clear the additional deck height. It would ba a runner, though...I'd like to change my "vote". Oh, see your PMs Fishman.

[BK_GrandMarquis]

If I remember correctly...It fits but would require a custom hood to clear the additional deck height. It would ba a runner, though...I'd like to change my "vote". Oh, see your PMs Fishman.

I read a post about a guy who did this to a Mustang. He needed a hood scoop to clear the engine too. He wasn't 100% happy with it afterwards. The Lightning engine is heavier and it made the car slow and sluggish in regards to handling.

[BillyGman]

More details would be nice.......first off, what the heck is "Hydro-Lock"??? I've never heard of that. Sounds like some conjured-up fancy name for water in the oil due to a blown head gasket. But please correct me if I'm wrong, and elaborate.


Secondly, if infact the engine is history, then please specify how many miles you had on it, and if it's still under warantee. You're leaving out some key details here that would effect your choices in this matter.

[Marauder8]

Hydrolock is when the cylinders in the engine fill up with water (usually), and the piston cannot compress the liquid, thus locking the engine up. Some times the connecting rods will bend. Sometimes you get lucky and nothing happens after removing liquid by removing spark plugs.......

[SouLRioT]

I read a post about a guy who did this to a Mustang. He needed a hood scoop to clear the engine too. He wasn't 100% happy with it afterwards. The Lightning engine is heavier and it made the car slow and sluggish in regards to handling.

Addco front and rear sway bars, metco watts link and controll arms, should help the handling, but I've seen it in hot rods and none of that was mentioned. As for hood clearance, if a couple of inces were added to where the hood already rises, then more than likely no one would beable to tell its a different hood. I'm sure it could be done, and with the more hp/tq should make up for it beeing a heavier engine.

[Joe Walsh]

The BMW 540s had a history of 'Hydro-locking' because of the low positioning of the air intake...go through a deep puddle while on the throttle and UH OHHHH! I've not heard of this problem in the MM...were you driving in a hurricane???

[bugsys03]

We had some huge storms here the last couple of days with flooding under the bridges. I hazard to guess he tried to plow through?

[SergntMac]

Presuming you are cash ready to upgrade your MM right now, I suggest you buy a Ford Racing Cobra crate engine (M-6007-SC46), and call Paul, Jeff, or Carl, at www.paulshp.com for a set of his conversion motor mounts that will allow you to install this Cobra engine in an MM without changing your stock appearance.

Budget 12K for the crate engine alone, and 3-5K for the install details, and you're done.

In one hefty upgrade, you get everything we lust for, the Cobra internals, a roots blower, and a lot more goodies related to putting 400+ HP to the ground. You will have some crankshaft/tranny mating concerns, but it will get fixed. I'm just telling ya it's not a drop in, but it can be done in one step too. This will require some patience, and endless planning on your part, nonetheless, in one move, you're done. (LOL like any of us will ever be done modding our MMs...LOL!).

OTOH, you could always sell your MM "as is" with a broken engine, and start over?


BTW y'all..."Hydrolock" is not only "water clogging cylinders" and blocking the compression stroke. It is also a result of engine oil splashing up against the crank and pistons from underneath, blocking retreat and with likewise results.

Hydrolock is an extreme load of fluid applied directly to the piston, from one end, or, the other, and the connecting rod takes this punch. The "positive load" is something pushing against forward piston movement. The "negative load" is something holding it back against retreat. From beneath, the most likely suspect is our engine oil not getting out of the way of the downward piston at high RPM, and probably because the version of our 4.6L DOHC selected for the MM does not have an adequate windage tray in place. This makes me wonder about our messing with oil weights, but think what you want.

This is just IMHO, my very own personal .02c. on this, fire when ready...

[jgc61sr2002]

I use the recommended Ford Synthetic blend 5W20. IMO that is the way to go.

[BillyGman]

Well MAC, as for me, I don't like experimenting w/different oils or oil weights anyway. I just use what Ford calls out for in my Marauder, and that's it. But about your comment of putting "400Hp to the wheels" w/a Cobra crate engine. I believe the spec on that is 400HP(or actually 390HP if we're splitting hairs) which actually taken at the crank just like the 302HP figure for our Marauders is. Right? I'm not knit picking. I'm just clarifying. Because 400HP at the crank is substantially different than 400HP at the wheels since the drivetrain as you know is said to absorb about 20% of the HP. Therefore 390HP at the crank of the Cobra engine and the Lightning engine would really yield about 330 or 340HP at the wheels. Unless ofcourse you were speaking of him modifying the Cobra engine or S/Cer once he dropped it in the car. Ofcourse all of this is mere speculation anyway since he hasn't yet mentioned how many miles were on his car, nor if this would be warantee work or not.

[dwasson]

I've heard from many sources that the Lightning motor has many clearance problems. The steering column is in the way, some wheel well needs to be cut away and the hood is too low.