2002 Engine Maintenance over 100k miles

[Retro4ever]

It seems I am less than six miles away from the big flip. I was just looking for recommenedations to extend the engine life as long as possible.Whoever had this car before me...they drove it. Possibly even as a daily. Having rebuilt the suspension front and rear and a total brake job the only mechanical thing I am concerned about is future engine problems so I am all about preventive maintenance. Any suggetions would be appreciated.

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[Jim'sRed2002]

Remember! There is a substantial amount of information on maintenance in the owners manual. Seems like a great place to start, and don’t forget to document what you accomplished.

 

[cochon]

Based on my own experience with 190,000 miles on the same drivetrain and suspension in an early ('00) Lincoln LS, there's nothing special about the 100k mark, except that you should expect that things will continue to wear out more quickly on the bird's design than on 'other' cars (thank you, Ford, for sourcing the drive train and suspension from the Jaguar design book).

IIRC, Ford specifies a 100k spark plug replacement, though that was presumably done already in connection with coil ("COP") replacements.

Since you've already redone the suspension (no surprise), the usual engine proactive issues would be the degas bottle and black 'plastic' cooling systems parts -- don't worry about the small rubber hoses (mainly the heater system) as they seem to wear forever. The serpentine belt is another possibility, and whenever you replace it, maybe a good idea to check the idler pulley as well.

Otherwise, just keep up with the fluid changes and enjoy ...

 

[TJJIM]

It seems I am less than six miles away from the big flip. I was just looking for recommenedations to extend the engine life as long as possible.Whoever had this car before me...they drove it. Possibly even as a daily. Having rebuilt the suspension front and rear and a total brake job the only mechanical thing I am concerned about is future engine problems so I am all about preventive maintenance. Any suggetions would be appreciated.
View attachment 34151

I changed the factory oil and filter at 1,000 miles after I bought it new in 02. I’ve run Mobil 1 5W 20 full synthetic with Motorcraft filters.
If you plan on driving less than 7000 miles a year just change the oil with full synthetic annually. I had a 2001 Lincoln LS with the same 3.9 L engine and changed the oil every 7000. I sold the car at 189,000 miles and it ran like a tap. I just got tired of the car after 10 years maybe change all the fluids including the brake fluid. You’ll enjoy the car for many years to come.

 

[gchalphin]

Hi. I have a 2005 50th Anniversary Special Edition with about 109,000 miles on it. It's not my regular, everyday car, but I want to keep it for at least another 5 years putting about 2-3,000 miles on it each year. Toward that end, I'm trying to do sensible long-term preventive maintenance in addition to every 6-month full synthetic oil changes, tire rotations, fluid checks, cosmetic body work and the like. Does anyone have any thoughts, recommendations or experiences to share as to the priority for or relative importance of a spark plug change (which I assume is what used to be called a tune-up), fuel system cleanout, transmission fluid flush and change, or timing chain replacement? So far as I can tell, none of these was done by any of the previous owners. At the moment, the car seems to be running just fine and I'd like to keep it this way. I can't afford to have all of these done at once; I'm merely trying to prevent or avoid a major disaster. Thanks for any help.

 

[Pat Finlon]

It seems I am less than six miles away from the big flip. I was just looking for recommenedations to extend the engine life as long as possible.Whoever had this car before me...they drove it. Possibly even as a daily. Having rebuilt the suspension front and rear and a total brake job the only mechanical thing I am concerned about is future engine problems so I am all about preventive maintenance. Any suggetions would be appreciated.
View attachment 34151

I have 180,000 on my 2003, yes replaced suspension parts already, coil packs and plugs twice and the dreaded plastic thermostat housing 3 times. I do normal maintenace and really don't have any problems besides the thermostat housing 🙁 @150,000 I dropped both the oil pan and trans pan just to check for wear, both looked like brand new. We do drive the car regularly in the summer and store in the winter

 

[biddle]

and the dreaded plastic thermostat housing 3 times.

You didn't replace it with a Motorcraft OEM thermostat housing, because those last for decades. Aluminum thermostat housings get pitting and start having issues after the same period of time, nothing lasts forever.

OEM Automotive engine cooling plastics, such as radiator end tanks, water pumps, and coolant reservoirs, are primarily made from high-performance thermoplastics designed to withstand high heat, pressure, and chemical exposure. Key materials include glass-reinforced Nylon (Polyamide - PA), Polypropylene (PP), Polyphenylene Sulfide (PPS), and Polybutylene Terephthalate (PBT).