Thread: Need some help quick, 1996 Grand Marquis problems

Well my dad is hounding me to "google" everything known to man as to what could be wrong with his car, but honestly he doesn't get the idea that you can't just google anything and find exactly what you are looking for. Anyway, my dad has a 96 Grand Marquis and over time it has developed a coolant leak somewhere. He always has to top it off every other week or so. Anyway, today he started it and white smoke is pouring out the exhaust. The oil on the dipstick is fine, however the oil on the fill cap is puddinglike. My concern is that he and his brother changed the upper intake gaskets a while back along with the t-stat back in october. I'm not too knowledgeable on the 4.6 Ford motor but is there anyway those gaskets failing can cause a coolant leak into the heads/block? Like I said I'm dumb when it comes to the motor in his car, so any help is extremely appreciated. It's his DD and we have no other cars for him to get to work and back. It has roughly 150k or so miles on it, not too sure since the odo doesn't work anymore. We are just trying to eliminate everything before blaming a cracked head or a headgasket.

I'll give it... head gasket.

But do a coolant system pressure test to find where the leak is first if you like.

Pressure test will def. help here.

Does that car still have the factory plastic upper intake on it? If you take a look at the very front of the intake there should be a coolant crossover. If this is aluminum then you are good. If not, then it is probabaly a cracked upper intake manifold and it will need to be replaced with the updated version.

Since he's so stuck on using Google for this, google "mercury grand marquis intake manifold failure" and see what that gets you.

All else fails stroll over to www.GrandMarq.net and do a quick search for cracked intake or something along those lines. This was a common issue with those years of Mod motors. Head gasket failures on the 4.6L is NOT a common issue, and is usually only a result of severe overheating.

Check this thread out as well... http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://p71interceptor.com/intakemanifold/replace/pictures/cracks/PICT1538-vi.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.crownvic.net/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php%3Fubb%3Dshowflat%26Number%3D2112628 &usg=__IU5wn7AAPo8SLbmkpfSGdmsyJwo=&h=500&w=458&sz =64&hl=en&start=15&zoom=0&tbnid=wzU-UL2ollTXmM:&tbnh=130&tbnw=119&ei=-M81TYWiDsGC8gbduv3FCA&prev=/images%3Fq%3D1996%2Bmercury%2Bgrand%2Bmarquis%2Bcr acked%2Bintake%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26tbs%3 Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1


This is probably what you will be installing, along with a NEW gasket (this is a must)




If you end up going this route, be sure to check the spark plug wells for cooalnt, as they often get cooant in them which will kill plug wires and make the car miss. Blow the coolant out BEFORE removing the spark plugs. We don't want coolant and dirt getting into the cylinder. And if removing the plugs, be gentle as there is only 4 threads in the aluminum head that the plugs use. Too much torque WILL strip them out.
Jay