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I bought a 2011 Crown Vic with 300k miles 12 mos ago and I'm wondering how to approach servicing the timing belt. I know very little of it's past maintenance records other than what I've done with it this past year. Basically I'm wondering if I should go ahead and attempt to replace it now, or wait til something starts to go wrong. I don't know how timing belts typically go bad...if they just break or start to stretch or what. If this is an interference engine I'm imagining a fairly bad event so I'd like to get educated and be pro active about it.

Second...Scotty Kilmer teaches that the worst wear an engine sees after changing the oil is before the oil gets pumped back into the filter and then into the engine components during the first engine restart. But he says if you disable the ignition spark somehow when cranking for the first time again, the lack of combustion in the cylinders helps with reducing this kind of wear quite a bit. I don't have an owner's manual and I'm not sure what fuse to pull to disable combustion ignition, or if removing a fuse would be the best way to do this. Any opinions on how this should be done?
 
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Well for starters the Crown Vic doesn't have timing belts, it's chain driven. In fact, as far as I know (and I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong) all newer Ford engines use timing chains. You might need to replace the tensioners and guides if it's running screwy but if it seems to be running just fine I wouldn't worry about it. 

What I would do if I were you not knowing it's service history is start with a basic tuneup of spark plugs/wires and oil change to check for typical signs of stuff going wrong internally (metal shavings in the oil for instance) and do a coolant flush as well, if nothing else fresh coolant will help keep the water pump bearing lubricated properly. 

As far as that Scotty Kilmer or whoever that is thing is concerned, it sounds like a load of overly paranoid hogwash to me. 

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7 hours ago, fuzzymoomoo said:

Well for starters the Crown Vic doesn't have timing belts, it's chain driven. In fact, as far as I know (and I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong) all newer Ford engines use timing chains. You might need to replace the tensioners and guides if it's running screwy but if it seems to be running just fine I wouldn't worry about it.

The Modular engine, especially those with variable cam timing do seem to have "issues" with the entire cam drive system, especially on high mileage engine.  This is not a cheap repair as the much (all ?) of the front end accessory drive has to be removed as well as the front engine cover.

If you are going to replace the timing chain, besides replacing the tensioner(s) and guides, you should also replace the oil pump.  Make sure to get an upgraded oil pump like the one from Melling.  Only a few dollars more.

Not related to the timing chain, but it would be a good time to replace the serpentine belt, water pump and tensioner.

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51 minutes ago, theoldwizard said:

The Modular engine, especially those with variable cam timing do seem to have "issues" with the entire cam drive system, especially on high mileage engine.  This is not a cheap repair as the much (all ?) of the front end accessory drive has to be removed as well as the front engine cover.

If you are going to replace the timing chain, besides replacing the tensioner(s) and guides, you should also replace the oil pump.  Make sure to get an upgraded oil pump like the one from Melling.  Only a few dollars more.

Not related to the timing chain, but it would be a good time to replace the serpentine belt, water pump and tensioner.

Crown Victoria never had variable cam timing. They were pretty robust. Not many chain and guide replacement on those. 3v modulars has the issues with tensioners, which led to the upper wear due to lack of oil pressure. Unless it makes a chain rattle at first start up. I wouldn’t worry about it. 

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11 hours ago, fuzzymoomoo said:

In fact, as far as I know (and I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong) all newer Ford engines use timing chains.

Timing belts in the 1.0 Ecoboost, 1.5 Ecoboost , 1.6 N/A, 1.6 Ecoboost, and the 3.0 Diesel uses 2, one for the main belt and one for the HPFP.   

 

Fordtech is right. Leave a 2 valve alone unless it rattles on startup or you find guide parts in the oil.

Edited by YT90SC
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  • 2 weeks later...
On 5/16/2019 at 11:02 PM, bradleyheathhays said:
I bought a 2011 Crown Vic with 300k miles 12 mos ago and I'm wondering how to approach servicing the timing belt. I know very little of it's past maintenance records other than what I've done with it this past year. Basically I'm wondering if I should go ahead and attempt to replace it now, or wait til something starts to go wrong. I don't know how timing belts typically go bad...if they just break or start to stretch or what. If this is an interference engine I'm imagining a fairly bad event so I'd like to get educated and be pro active about it.

Second...Scotty Kilmer teaches that the worst wear an engine sees after changing the oil is before the oil gets pumped back into the filter and then into the engine components during the first engine restart. But he says if you disable the ignition spark somehow when cranking for the first time again, the lack of combustion in the cylinders helps with reducing this kind of wear quite a bit. I don't have an owner's manual and I'm not sure what fuse to pull to disable combustion ignition, or if removing a fuse would be the best way to do this. Any opinions on how this should be done?
 

FYI - the moderators moved this thread to the proper forum, while there is no specific forum for your "tire dressing" question, it would likely go to "off topic" discussion forum...but with that said, here is a 31 minute video that should help you decide what the best tire dressing would work on your Crown Vic tires...you didn't say what brand tires are on it because some tires do not respond well to some tire dressings, so knowing what brand tire you have would really help....good luck.
 

 

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On 5/16/2019 at 10:02 PM, bradleyheathhays said:


Second...Scotty Kilmer teaches that the worst wear an engine sees after changing the oil is before the oil gets pumped back into the filter and then into the engine components during the first engine restart. But he says if you disable the ignition spark somehow when cranking for the first time again, the lack of combustion in the cylinders helps with reducing this kind of wear quite a bit. I don't have an owner's manual and I'm not sure what fuse to pull to disable combustion ignition, or if removing a fuse would be the best way to do this. Any opinions on how this should be done?
 

Scotty Kilmer is a Youtube click whore. He plays fast and loose with the facts so he can put a lot of content online.

70 percent of engine wear is on COLD start. If you warmed up the engine and put some oil in the filter before starting it's fine. Yes, you can put oil in a horizontal filter, just don't fill it up. Do it on my motorcycles all the time.

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