Buick35 Posted March 22, 2020 Share Posted March 22, 2020 I know it's not really old but my son bought a Ford Eplorer in great shape for $400 except for a small leak at the thermostat housing.It's an 8 cylinder. Turned out not to be the housing but the plastic intake manifold has a crack where the housing attaches. Why would they make a plastic intake? Anyway we changed the thermostat and "o" ring and J.B.Welded the intake and will let it cure overnight, hope it will hold. Plastic,Really? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Posted March 22, 2020 Share Posted March 22, 2020 (edited) Because it weighs less, doesn't corrode, and is less conductive of heat. Ford is not the only one, those have been around for years now. Fords do seem to have more trouble with them than others. A friend had to replace the one on his (2004?) Crown Victoria when replacing the steel coolant tubes under the manifold. The plastic manifold needed replacement at the same time. I don't remember why. It was a common enough replacement that aftermarket ones were available (Dorman, etc.). Edited March 22, 2020 by Bloo (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3macboys Posted March 22, 2020 Share Posted March 22, 2020 Even at the end of the run in 2011 for Crown Vics were still replacing them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhigdog Posted March 22, 2020 Share Posted March 22, 2020 31 minutes ago, Buick35 said: J.B.Welded the intake and will let it cure overnight, hope it will hold. Plastic,Really? Not likely..............Bob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buick35 Posted March 22, 2020 Author Share Posted March 22, 2020 No negative thoughts,please. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhigdog Posted March 22, 2020 Share Posted March 22, 2020 I wish you well but most plastics and non solvent type adhesives don't play well together. Adding a hot pressurized liquid to the problem is unlikely to make it better. Your results may vary................Bob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carolina Chevrolet Posted March 22, 2020 Share Posted March 22, 2020 I replaced the polymer intakes on a couple of 1999 Buicks with the 3.8, the coolant would fill some of the cylinders and it would lock up tight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plymouthcranbrook Posted March 22, 2020 Share Posted March 22, 2020 (edited) Same with radiators in newer cars. Unfixable in general(at least for me and anyone else I know who has tried).. Throw away and replace, American motto. Although if the current manufacturing cycle continues that may change. Edited March 22, 2020 by plymouthcranbrook (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NailheadBob Posted March 22, 2020 Share Posted March 22, 2020 The problem today is the mom and pop radiator and gas tank repair shops are all almost gone out of business, very hard to find one now. Bob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bryankazmer Posted March 22, 2020 Share Posted March 22, 2020 The plastic (usually polyamide) intakes also have a lower restriction flow. The GM 3.8 problem was widespread and was caused by the O-ring not being compatible the the antifreeze when the antifreeze composition was changed by GM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buick35 Posted March 23, 2020 Author Share Posted March 23, 2020 Thanks for the replies.Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W_Higgins Posted March 23, 2020 Share Posted March 23, 2020 Is the engine in your Exploder a 4.6? This was an issue on earlier Panther Platform cars like my '96 Lincoln. When I bought it as an eight year old car I replaced the intake as a preventative measure. My understanding is the problem with these first started showing up on Police Interceptor models. They would fail under hard acceleration and the front, integral, coolant crossover tube would split. It started showing up later on regular passenger models with many people experiencing failure accelerating hard at interstate on-ramps. On the extreme end, inattentive drivers suffered catastrophic engine failure when they ran low on coolant. Ford settled a costly class action suit over the issue. The solution was to redesign the intake with a separate cast aluminum coolant crossover. My car still had the original when I got it and I replaced it as a preventative measure. I think with passenger cars the designed was changed by 2001 but I can't speak to trucks. It's also possible they continued to used the all-plastic design on other engine models. I sourced a used FoMoCo replacement with the aluminum crossover when I did mine and haven't touched it since. I also did someone else's with a Dorman unit and it was every bit as good as the Ford manufactured intake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
46 woodie Posted March 23, 2020 Share Posted March 23, 2020 I had a crack along the seam of a plastic radiator top tank. I cleaned it off with lacquer thinner and scuffed it up with sandpaper and mixed up some J B Weld. That was five years ago and it's still holding. Give it a try, you have nothing to loose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete O Posted March 23, 2020 Share Posted March 23, 2020 These plastic parts are why we're not going to see these cars running 50 years from now. They're designed to last until the lease runs out. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bryankazmer Posted March 23, 2020 Share Posted March 23, 2020 yup, if only we'd stuck with wooden wheels, solid tires, and tillers 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W_Higgins Posted March 23, 2020 Share Posted March 23, 2020 Today everybody hails 3D plastic printers as the salvation of the hobby and now we're not going to be able to save cars with plastic parts in them -- you just can't win! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plymouthcranbrook Posted March 23, 2020 Share Posted March 23, 2020 7 hours ago, 46 woodie said: I had a crack along the seam of a plastic radiator top tank. I cleaned it off with lacquer thinner and scuffed it up with sandpaper and mixed up some J B Weld. That was five years ago and it's still holding. Give it a try, you have nothing to loose. You are the first person I have heard of having any success with that type of repair. Good to hear of something that might work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bryankazmer Posted March 23, 2020 Share Posted March 23, 2020 I think it's a thermosetting epoxy and if the radiator tank is polyamide it's got a shot - the polarities are similar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buick35 Posted March 25, 2020 Author Share Posted March 25, 2020 On 3/23/2020 at 11:03 AM, W_Higgins said: Is the engine in your Exploder a 4.6? This was an issue on earlier Panther Platform cars like my '96 Lincoln. When I bought it as an eight year old car I replaced the intake as a preventative measure. My understanding is the problem with these first started showing up on Police Interceptor models. They would fail under hard acceleration and the front, integral, coolant crossover tube would split. It started showing up later on regular passenger models with many people experiencing failure accelerating hard at interstate on-ramps. On the extreme end, inattentive drivers suffered catastrophic engine failure when they ran low on coolant. Ford settled a costly class action suit over the issue. The solution was to redesign the intake with a separate cast aluminum coolant crossover. My car still had the original when I got it and I replaced it as a preventative measure. I think with passenger cars the designed was changed by 2001 but I can't speak to trucks. It's also possible they continued to used the all-plastic design on other engine models. I sourced a used FoMoCo replacement with the aluminum crossover when I did mine and haven't touched it since. I also did someone else's with a Dorman unit and it was every bit as good as the Ford manufactured intake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buick35 Posted March 25, 2020 Author Share Posted March 25, 2020 Thanks,Its got the 4.6 motor. I told my son if he bought the intake Id change it for him to keep me busy. Hope it won't be too hard.Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLYER15015 Posted March 25, 2020 Share Posted March 25, 2020 Now where is Vic Edelbrock when you need him. Throw a nice dual plane high rise on there and a dual pumper and off you go.................. Mike in Colorado 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Posted March 25, 2020 Share Posted March 25, 2020 Have a good look at the coolant pipe(s) while you have the intake off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W_Higgins Posted March 25, 2020 Share Posted March 25, 2020 26 minutes ago, Buick35 said: Thanks,Its got the 4.6 motor. I told my son if he bought the intake Id change it for him to keep me busy. Hope it won't be too hard.Greg It is an unbelievably easy job, at least on a Lincoln. No doubt there is a tutorial on another forum or a YouTube video out there in the event you don't have the service manual. The suggestion below to check the coolant tube laying in the valley is a good one. I don't know if trucks are the same, but on cars there is a coolant tube that is mostly formed steel and replacing it necessitates removing the intake to do the job, so unless it has been done recently, it's a given that you do it at the same time. Whatever the case, replacing the intake is the smart money. If you chance it with epoxy and have to rollback the thing home, you just spent as much on the ride as you would have for the new intake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jubilee Posted March 26, 2020 Share Posted March 26, 2020 I’ve done a half a dozen of those in pickups with 5.4’s. Coolant tubes were always rusty. Just bypassed tubes with heater hose routed OUTSIDE of intake valley. Ford assembly line heater core quick connects at firewall a pita to disconnect and usually rusty and have destroy to remove. I just replace with hose clamps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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