Ford prototyping team "won't this be hard to work on?" Ford engineers "yeah, but that won't be our problem."

I appreciate your vent for the day as I have the same feelings about automotive design engineers in so many situations. That's why the used to say FORD meant "Fix Or Repair Daily"

Your son Justin is a good cameraman, far better than most KZfaq videographers. He doesn't have the shakes (comes from being sober) and keeps things in focus (ditto.) You can be proud of him.

Ron, and Justin, thank you for the great video. My daughter has an ‘04 Expedition I passed down to her. The water pump went out, and she continued to drive it. I changed out the thermostat, hoses, and water pump. All good, right? No!!! The antifreeze was getting low in the expansion tank daily. I thought maybe there was air in the system I didn’t bleed. Then, when I drove it I could smell that sweet, hot antifreeze odor. Did some looking, and found it was leaking at that manifold corner on the opposite side you referenced in your video. I did saw a piece of black plastic laying in the valley under the manifold in antifreeze but thought nothing of it. Figured it was trash. I used compressed air to clean out the antifreeze to have a fresh place to investigate before I started the engine. That’s when I saw it flowing from that area (right side of the manifold). With the info you provided I’m wondering if that small piece of plastic I saw was a broken edge from the manifold. I’ll check in the morning with an inspection mirror. I do you believe you set me on the right path!!! Thank you.

Ron you just might be 1 of the greatest of all time

I want to personally thank you very much. I purchased a '98 F-150 with the 4.6L engine about 6 months ago and I would have given up on it if not for this video. I started by replacing coil packs, plugs, plug wires, injectors, fuel pump, and several sensors. When I saw the slush on the bottom of my oil cap I thought it had blown a head gasket. It turns out the problem the whole time was a leaking intake manifold gasket in 3 places including the crossover tube. So, Thank-you and you make great videos.

Ron, I agree with you regarding the difficulty getting to the bolts on the underneath of the thermostat crossover part of the intake manifold. I do disagree that it could have been redesigned with the bolts going in from the top. The reason I disagree is that if the bolts were made to go in from the top, the nuts to hold the bolts would have to be made to be contained within the plastic part of the manifold and I think it would be too fragile and you would likely twist the nuts out of the plastic when removing. Of course making the entire intake out of metal would have resolved the issue entirely. Great video!

I got 4.6 engine on my 1997 Ford Expedition when I was changing out the spark plugs and the original plug cables just the other day I noticed some coolant green fluid on there and a lot of corrosion. You video helped me figure out my next steps. Seems like the work on this old is never ending but with 72k miles and in great interior and exterior shape for it is worth it for me. Thank you sir!

Great video. I just wanted to add that I have a 98 F150 5.4 Triton V8 with the two valve configuration. My intake manifold is all aluminum and does not have those two secondary gaskets held on with a 3 - 8 m m v

I'm a very competent mechanic but don't have too many of these under my belt as they say, thank you for the insight. It has been highly enlightening.

Thankyou for the videos you have been a big help! I agree with you about the knuckle head engineers who probably never turned a wrench a day in their lives, I'm in the process of taking a broken spark plug out of the#4 cylinder on a 2001 2 valve 5.4 and I'm not a engineer but I see a lot of stuff that could be designed different so wish me luck!!!

Thanks for the video lesson, real helpful. My triton is leaking coolant left side under the heater tube. Sick of making repairs on used vehicles but new ones are too $$. Interesting on the jb weld 'rigging' - I'm just going with a whole new manifold from Amazon since I have to take the whole thing off anyway.

Hey Ron, I have a 2002 Ford F-250 5.4L 2V CCLB 4WD with 227,400 miles on the clock. I noticed the tell tale signs too. Coolant pooling under the air Intake, wetness on the crossover tube, coolant dripping from the Bell Housing, coolant in the tailpipe, yeah it was a mess. I ordered a Dorman, because there were no Ford Manifolds in the country during December 2022. I was getting the Night Terrors thinking about the Dorman failing after all the work needed to take out and put in. Called Ford again and found one in Indiana!!! Shipped, delivered (to Florida) and we replaced about 2 weeks ago. Working great so far, yeah, there was coolant in the valley, typical piece on original Ford Manifold had cracked allowing coolant to leak. Replaced the plugs, some of the boots and cleaned the valley good. Thanks for the video!

Just found this video and it’s the best one yet. My 08 f150 4.6 started leaking and misfiring 3 years ago and JB welded it and it worked. It is now acting up again but I’m gonna do it again bc I’m not changing that intake. Thank you sir

You are awesome for putting these videos out for all of us. Thank you.

Thank you for your videos! I've learned a lot. Did a job on my Expedition with busted spark plugs and now it's running like a champ.

FYI, it was what you said, Ron. Again, on the opposite side of your example. Got the new part, and putting it all back together. Thanks again!!!

It’s about time someone post a good video. Great job guy

love when people know how to speak clearly good job buddy

Realized I was having this issue. After thinking it was oil (dummy) I took apart my valve cover to replace that gasket... but it was fine. I eventually realized it was dirty coolant, thought maybe the intake man gasket was leaking but after close inspection I saw it was the thermostat housing where some run out was coming from... popped the top housing unit off and noticed no gasket or gasket maker seal was there. Someone most have replaced the therm before I bought it didn’t seal it and got frustrated and sold the thing because it was low power from the spark wells being drowned lol. So 2000 f150 xlt 4.6L thermostat seal missing, leaking coolant under pressure down the drivers bank flooding the spark wells. Fix was to add a gasket sealant to housing. Easy

Just watched your video and you answered my question about my coolant leak. I now know what to do. Thanks

Hi ron this is ron up in the upper Michigan having the same problem on our truck good video very helpful thanks

Thanks, Ron. This is what's wrong with my 2003 Grand Marquis leaking right at that gasket in between the thermostat housing and the intake manifold

I'm currently in the process of doing this to my 2008 F150, 4.6. Great tip on the gasket that located underneath the thermostat area. I still have my intake off, and I will definitely look at that gasket tomorrow. Since I had the upper intake removed, I went ahead and replaced the valve cover gaskets. That's another job in itself.

Awesome video I've been looking for this exact situation because mine is doing this exact thing a lot of people told me it was the rubber over the back of the hood and I tested that theory and it didn't Pan out so thank you very much

Thank you SIR.for breaking it down...i.m on my 3rd manifold fix...07 ford f150 .bought this truck new...NO MORE FORD TRUCKS FOR ME....1200.00 dollars a pop

Your video gave me the opportunity to be able to work on my own truck. And for that I am very greatful.

Thanks. Just got a leak from the thermostat housing on my Crown Vic.....I think I'll just replace the whole intake and save myself having to do it twice. lol I take it that the Dorman intakes are junk.....without brass inserts for the coil pack screws, etc.....so it would be better to get a Ford Intake....?? Keep up the great videos.

Excellent video, thanks Ron and Justin. From Austin Texas.

One of the best videos yet on the cause/repair of the mysterious coolant leaks on Ford's 4.6 engines! Similar to GM's notorious leaks on their 3.8 V6 engine's poorly designed manifolds, I found that the ungraded aftermarket parts are the way to go...had good luck with Dorman parts on many a 3.8 leak repair! (But this 4.6L repair is a whole lot more involved labor-wise.)

I watched your video and it was about the same thing that was wrong with my moms truck. Thank for the helpful videos. Keep up the good work.

For anyone wondering - our Mitchell labor guide says 4.8 hours to do this job so it's somewhat labor intensive. If you have the aid of an air compressor and pneumatic tools you can cut the time down quite a bit.

Question: Can a leaking intake gasket cause coolant to leak into the #4 cylinder on a 2000 ford 5.4 two valve engine. It cranks and runs bit after a minute or so light grey smoke comes out of the exhaust, watch your vids alot, you are the best I've seen on the internet..Thanks..

Great info. Keep the videos up very helpful. Did my 1997 5.4 #8 insert after watching your video on them. Have 8k on it and still running.

Thanks Ron for answering my call and question! You're awesome!!

My 2000 f150 5.4 i bought new shot craps at the cross over at 285,000 miles. I installed the Dorman 615-188 myself a yr ago and to be very honest,i was impressed with it..no problems. As for the self tapping screws i like them better. Before installing i put a dab of grease on them and using a 1/4inch drive ratchet put all the screws in all the way and backed them out...made installing brackets and coil packs easy...no reason to over tighten them. If people are stripping them out,they probably don't need to do the install. I used a 1/4 ratchet inch drive on all of it. *Do Not Use Air Tools*Follow torque and sequence instructions that come with it. I also used the thermostat that came with it. I noticed No loss of power-No noise...couldn't tell any difference between it and OEM....runs smooth. The old plugs had 7000 miles on them but installed a new set while everything was off and easy to get to. The bypass tube under the old intake looked good so i left it alone,they are Not easy to remove even with the old intake off. You Will Need a torque wrench that measures in inches and pounds...*Do Not Skimp On This*...and play it by feel. All brackets,fuel rails,air intake fit perfect. I spent all day taking it all off separating it all on the bench and cleaning what went back on and cleaning around all the ports surface. Spent 1/2 day the next day putting it all back together taking my time. If you try to hurry...don't do this job...you will probably be disappointed in the end results. The intake was 112 $ at o'riley's plus tax and comes with instructions and torque diagram.

Thanks Ron &Justin .

Cool video , really informative I have a 2008 Ford F-150 STX, I noticed that the top of the intake housing that's seen in the video that it definitely have something to do with thermostat on the driver side so the top and facing it to the left with the hose connector I'm noticing a lot of build-up antifreeze out through the top left side of top motor

I just performed this repair with JB weld mine had this exact issue the wall that holds the gaskets in place had been blown out broken from the inside I carefully built a wall back up using JB weld and then a small Dremel tool to very carefully cut out the valley for the gaskets let it cure very well and it worked well but I took my time and did it carefully and it's still working well today

Very informational keep it up Mr. Ron

Hey Ron, just had this issue with my truck the motor hydrolocked and I have coolant in cylinder 1, I’m trying to order the thermostat housing seal that you showed in the video and can’t find it for the life of me, not sure if I’m looking for the wrong thing or if I have to make my own gasket, this video is very very helpful and I thank you very much, keep up the great work👍🏻

Great heads-up on the two gaskets when removing the 6 bolts underneath

Great video, just bought the 5.4 expedition and it’s in real good shape, but that exact point is leaking, looks I’ll be able to get to know my truck real well fixing those gaskets! Hopefully that back wall is still intact, thanks for the help!!

great video thanks, this help me save costs with keeping my old truck on the road

Very good explanation of a Triton motor intake issue---I learned a lot Ron!

Had a slow leak in the “V” in my 2002 Ford 5.4l. Appreciate the video. Now to decide if I want to attempt this. Lol

Thanks for the video Ron (and Justin). I've got an 04 Expedition with the Triton and I was admittedly dreading doing this fix. I appreciate you guys breaking it down step by step. Its always a process, but now it looks like it will just be a weekend or so. Thanks again.

Thanks, Ron. And Justin.

Thank you for the video I have a 03 Expedition with the same problem I wish I come to you but I live in NC

Great info and sad I didn't find this video back when I was starting my DIY trip through a '02 5.4L intake manifold job. Used an SKP since it met OEM and had good reviews unlike Dorman, added grey RTV gasket maker where there were gaskets and even put it inbetween the plastic plenum and aluminum piece along with tightening the bolts for it (they weren't tight and caused a leak).

This helped me soo much! Thanks for posting this video. Exactly what I needed.

And thank you for the information you are amazing. looking at a 2001 f150 that is misfiring. But ran great before that.

much appreciated ! intake is off and im making sure i dont make a mistake not going far enough with 'while we're at it' additional replacements etc. hmmm i might want to just get a new manifold for insurance i dont need to do this ALL OVER AGAIN should the plastic manifold fail or has an invisible defect

Couldn't figure it out until I seen this

Well, on behalf of all unsupervised engineers, lol.... THE REASON they did that, is so that "knuckle dragger mechanics" who have their air tools at max pressure don't strip out those bolts, by over torquing, which is EXACTLY what would happen if you came at those bolts from the top and the brass inserts were embedded in the plastic. There is no way to get those things tight enough so that the pressurized system won't leak by screwing into the plastic. So, once the leak happened, what would a "knuckle dragger" do? He'll get his 8mm socket, and torque the hell out of those bolts, right? Thereby stripping the brass inserts out of the plastic, and needing to replace the manifold. So, to work around the knuckle draggers, the engineers had to come in from the bottom and torque into the Aluminum so that they can hold a pressurized system. So, why the plastic in the first place, right? That's the root of the problem. There again, that's not the engineers, that's the damn accountants. To make those intakes out of aluminum, they would be quite expensive to cast. Injection molded plastic is MUCH cheaper. So, AS A TEAM, with the head Fred being an ACCOUNTANT, the "unsupervised engineer" had to "give in" and say, "ok, boss, if we MUST use plastic, then we have to embed some brass inserts in them if we ever want to get any type of warranty out of these things." And so, welcome to the inner workings of how engineers, are always the "bad guys" but reality is, they just have to work around all of the other constraints that are put on them. This is coming from a 25yr experienced Mechanical Engineer.

You may have solved my problem! The engine doesn't start shaking until the vehicle heats up. I think coolant is being sucked into the combustion chamber.

Two years ago, I traded in an 01 f350 5.4. The engine had a misfire in #3 cylinder that had no code. I also noticed the coolant reservoir darkening. Not knowing what to do, I took it to the dealer and they recommended a new engine. I believe the intake gasket was the real problem all along. The odd thing I thought was the engine wasn't burning coolant, but the oil was getting in the coolant system.

For the looks of it it sems like ill be doing some repair on my 01 f150 5.4,i see some coolant coming out from the corner close to the thermostat,not alot but we will se,good vid by the way.

They fixed this later on. On my 11' Expedition 5.4, you can change the crossover tube gaskets on the engine.

Thank you To teach me how I can fix my own car

This may be a silly question but ...I think you have a good knowledge of these vehicles with so much hands on experience. I have a 2003 F250 5.4 L - 2 valve with 118,00 miles and the engine has not given me a single issue, not even a check engine/ code! It has started up everyday since except for a fuel pump failure a few years back. With this intake seemingly so prevalent, is it only a matter of time it fails and do you recommend replacing the gaskets as a preventative measure? It's usually good not to repair unless its broke, but I will if necessary. Just glad it's not a 3 valve! Also thanks for an informative video!

Great info Brother and i like the details. Very Helpful. Keep up the great work.

I have a 2008 p71 with this very problem. I am planning to replace the manifold. However, I want to make sure I get the proper one. I contacted ford and they no longer carry a different one for the civilian or police. I was told by the parts guy the newly available one is civilian. I also know there is a Dorman replacement available but read bad reviews both in quality and loss of performance on the p71. there is a Ford Racing M9424P46 Intake Manifold but it says that it is for 1999 to 2004. I am kind of stuck on how to proceede I do not want to invest all the time and money replacing this intake only to find out I lost some performance or it will not match up correctly. I wish there was a way to talk to you by phone for quick advice. Keep putting out these great videos Thank you they are very helpful.

Good info. Thanks to you and your son.

It is not the engineers were unsupervised but were told by Ford to make it impossible to do for the shade tree mechanic and make them take it to a Ford dealer and charge 1500.00 (guessing) to fix it. Planned Obsolescence.

Life saver and heart breaker at the same time. My 2009 4.6 is leaking under the thermostat housing and figured it would be easy to change the gasket until you made me realize how those sneaky Ford engineers designed this engine to fail at these points right around 125,000 miles so it's out of warranty and the dealership shops can charge triple for mechanics hours. Or more, and a whole new intake because it's PLASTIC. I loved this truck because from 30k-115k miles it was rock solid and outside of regular maintenance it never needed any attention. The engineers were doing just fine unsupervised.. The green team supervisor told them to do it this way because it will profit ford X million over X years doing it this way.

Dont mess around with JB weld trying fix a broken plastic intake manifold people...sure it might hold for a little while but that old plastic manifold has many heat cycles over the years and has become compromised in its strength. Start over with a fresh new OEM intake manifold, they aren't that expensive.

Yes all is true!! My 02 Mustang GT 5speed car has 4.6 every where this man said leaks happen are truly correct!! My car leaked for years but leaked very little , finally got the nerve up n money saved for parts if needed to do job!!! No biggy Just took longer to clean up the engine for new gaskets then the actual work

I have a 1999 f150 5.4 triton having a coolant leak in the back of the motor I think that it coming from the metal tube going to the heater core.Question can I by pass that tubing by running a heater hose from the front of the motor back to the heater core.

Wow, I have an e150 with the 4.6 and just got done putting new plugs and coils in. A nightmare on the passenger side. I have a leak too but think it's the heater crossover pipe. I don't see water in the valley pan but did have some water in 2 spark wells on the passenger side. Luckily I can get too the rear of the engine easily. Not sure how the intake manifold comes off in a van. There's not much headroom. Adding to my comment, I found the water leak. There is an heater hose connector on the front of the intake manifold. A 5/8 inch nipple about 5 inches long and it has a pinhole leak about 2 inches from the end. Sprayed water directly on the fuel rail on the passenger side bank of plugs. I put a temporary fix of heater hose clamped over the pinhole, and no more leaks. Ford says they don't sell the tube, have to buy whole manifold,,, ridiculous, right? You can buy aftermarket but not same configuration, but should work. Still 45 bucks for a 5 inch piece of pipe with a press in fit. So don't remove less your sure the new one will fit. At least for now, no leaks. And especially, I found out my upper manifold is cast, not plastic. So should not crack or break loose.

My manifold was broken on the other side. So I just ordered a new one from Amazon. It was $120. The Napa and AutoZone wanted $235 for the same thing

I wish I was able to go to your shop. I had that exact problem but they took me to the cleaners and had to replace instead of doing the welding and fixing the part.

I've got a leak on that cross over and the d rings don't come with the manifold gasket set so where do I get them what are they called and a part number the video was a lot of help thank you

A piece of mine broke off and got stuck in the thermostat. The piece was keeping the thermostat from closing. At the time it didn't dawn on me where it came from. I haven't replaced the intake manifold yet because it's only leaking a little bit.

Great video Ron...pretty much confirmed my suspicion that the intake manifold will need to be replaced. My 5.4 is leaking coolant from the passenger end of the coolant crossover. You indicate this is a "suplementary" video, but I can't find the video you reference that shows removal and (I hope!) replacement of the intake manifold. Pointer?

What is the torque specs for those 6 8mm bolts

Thank you

If you have a opportunity, make a video of the intake manifold charge motion control valve replacement on a 09 5.4 3v f150 Ty Sir Excellent Videos

Thank you Ron, Appreciate your information.

Theres a video out now showing hiw to replace gasket without removing the manifold.

What do you typically charge to replace the head gasket and plugs on that exact truck ?

Ron would this coolant leak from a cracked intake manifold cause the truck to burn white smoke.

Have you ever tried to drill out the bolts that are for the cross over and retap new in from the top saving from having to take the whole thing off?let me know what you think about this idea please

Is it possible to reinstall the crossover bolts face up? I was just working on my spark plugs (P0300 cylinder 3,4, and 7 leak). Not sure that its coolant leaking into the wells as it's just oily smelling sludge... but I'm about out of DIY fixes until I take it into a shop

Replaced manifold and gaskets, put back together, and coolant is still going somewhere, but not on the ground. Every 3 days, the bottle is empty. I can't keep buying coils and plugs, and these misfires are driving me crazy....

Thanks for posting! Helps alot on my problem! Great! Job.....

The next generation 5.4 SOHC (2009) has the same weak point. Good news is they put the bolts in from the top, bad news is they overlapped the intake over one of the bolts. Die grinder and 20 seconds allows removal of the crossover without lifting the intake.

Awesome video. Have question my daughter truck f250 5.4L started leak coolant from the housing. Would it best to buy the OEM intake with housing or would the aftermarket be ok to use just in case its broke inside

If i did this job as as a diy project, i think i would buy a aluminum intake manifold to replace the plastic one. What are your thoughts on that?

Thank you Ron!

Great video, thanks

Hey Ron what will cause oil to get inside #7 spark plug hole? I have a 2008 Ford F-150 FX2 4.6. Thanks

Very informative now I know what I got to do

Great stuff guys

Wow! Great video. We have to do this repair to one of our own service trucks. We are throwing Bar's Leak into it for now and it seems to have slowed the leak but not stop it. We're carrying gallons of water with the truck to ensure no overheating plus monitoring the ECT on our scanner. It's difficult to take this truck out of service but we'll need to soon. Thank you so much for this informative video. On the part of Ford engineers - yeah! We've never been a fan of Ford engineering. We love working on GM vehicles. I can't tell you how many times we've wanted to give a swift kick to the nuts of a Ford engineer and say "What in the FUCK were you thinking?" LOL

Great video

What do you call that gasket between the manifold and thermostat? the D ring gasket, what to ask for when purchasing these two gaskets ? Or do they come with the gasket set?

Hello Ron, I truly appreciate your videos and sound advice. I have a 2003 Expedition 5.4 Triton, I have replaced the thermostat about a year ago, recently the water pump and intake manifold. After a few minutes driving I get a spike on the temp gauge for about 10 seconds before returning to the normal position, thankfully it remains there for the journey. I have also replaced the reservoir cap to no avail. It seems to point to the thermostat, any other ideas before I change out again? Also wanted to get your opinion on a 'failsafe' version of the thermostat.

Hey Ron Thanks for sharing this video with me. i have e350 5.4 triton also. i did an overhaul on the engine. I now find oil mixing with water but my heads have been checked at the machine shop and they are ok. what do you recommend?

Its a pain in the @$$ to take off the intake just to replace that hiding gasket in the aluminium tube if u take the intake out for sure that plastic is cracked or gasket r worn so to avoid doin this job twice better place a new intake manifold with new gasket.