Tilting the engine

sir_loin · 06-19-2009, 11:05 AM

Howdy!! I own a 2002 taurus and my pretty little workhorse at 180,000 km has finally decided that it's gonna start misfiring and chugging at low rpm's. we did the squirt bottle test under low lighting and discovered that the ignition wire harness needs replacing (lots of nice blue sparks) and i checked the front plugs and they're pretty sad looking, so i might as well replace them all.

the problem, as anyone who owns a 2000 era taurus knows, is that the rear 3 cylinders are pretty well unaccessable with the engine in its normal position. I asked around and a few people mentioned to me about "tilting" the engine.

the hell?? how do i pull that off? has anyone changed the plugs and/or harness before?? does anyone have insight as to how i might accomplish that? i could pay someone 4 or 5 hundred to do it for me, but if i can do it myself (cause everything looks fairly simple aside from the tilting portion) why not?

canuck623 · 06-19-2009, 01:11 PM

I have never had to tilt an engine. Some of the GM products I work on you can do that to help get to the rear. What engine do you have in the Taurus? If you have the 3.0 OHV engine I just put a fender cover on it and lay across the engine to work the rear plugs. If it is the DOHC engine you need to move the upper intake for access to the rear plugs. Tilting involves undoing engine mounts etc. to accomplish.

mark v · 06-19-2009, 01:18 PM

Yeah on some GM engines you have to tilt them, had to on my 88 Grand Prix.

ncfurnitureman · 06-19-2009, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mark v

Yeah on some GM engines you have to tilt them, had to on my 88 Grand Prix.

I had a 91 regal. I don't know if you had to tilt it but it sure made life a lot easier.

sir_loin · 06-19-2009, 07:07 PM

it's the 3.0 DOHC. so i have to rip the top of the engine first?? (*)&#$*(&@#)$(*& I was really hoping to avoid that. how big of a job is that for a novice??

canuck623 · 06-19-2009, 07:44 PM

There are a couple bolts in back for a bracket and then the 6 or so holding the upper intake to the lower. It should pull the few inches you need to access the plugs. You don't need to unhook fuel lines or anything like that. I don't even remove the air intake hose from the throttle body. Be careful with the gasket and make sure it doesn't move. You can use it again but I wouldn't just because I have seen them leak after.

sir_loin · 06-20-2009, 08:44 PM

ok so there's a gasket under the upper intake....is this simply an air intake and a simple rubber gasket?? or is it comparable to the head of the engine....am i going to encounter a head gasket whose failure will result in the death of my engine??

canuck623 · 06-20-2009, 11:36 PM

No it is a plastic and rubber gasket. I have reused them but if I have the choice I will do a new one.

sir_loin · 06-23-2009, 06:22 PM

now...i'm thinking i'll reuse it....what happens if this gasket fails?? catastrophic engine failure?

or will it just be a matter of poor engine performance??

canuck623 · 06-23-2009, 11:00 PM

Just a vacuum leak and an engine light will come on.