newbie owner looking for advice on 07 v8

[Mike Alarie]

Hey guys, this is my first ST and I have to say so far i'm really liking it. I will give a bit of info on it before jumping to questions.

It is an 07 4.6 4X4 limited. It has LOTS of miles! about 173000. That is more miles than I would like, but the truck is really clean, and you can tell it has been looked after. Tryed to post a pic here but it won't let me...It has an aftermarket exhaust that rumbles, and 22's for summer.

The way it goes - the owner passed away, and left this truck to his neice. Unfortunately she did not know much about the history. I like to keep my vehicles in top order, and use premium products for the most part.

I have the dreaded 4.6 3 valve, so I will be pulling the plugs to have a look at them in the next few weeks. It is just too cold out here in Canada now.

The truck seams to lack some power compared to the previous 5.0 mustangs I have owned. I understand this is not a Mustang, but she seams tired. She also hesitates to start on first crank unless the engine is warm. I figure i prob need to change plugs and coils? I will go with oem Motorcraft plugs, but I have seen guys using Accel coils. Any thoughts there? How often should coils be changed? I am not having misfires, just poor starting, and lack of "jam" haha!

My factory radio does not light up, so I will be hopefully swapping that for a 6.1 . How is the sub in these? I can't adjust mine to find out, my radio sounds like a vintage am radio.

Thanks, any pointers would be appreciated even if off this topic- cheers

 

[RedRanger 7]

Try changing the fuel filter for some more pep. Been a lot of talk on here lately about not wasting money on aftermarket coils. Factory are more than adequate. I believe photos have to be reduced by about 60% when posting. Congratulations on a purchase of a cool truck! :driving:

 

[A1cntrler]

I went with the Accel Coils on my '07 because I had one that was likely bad and didn't want to spend time chasing trying to figure out which one was causing my intermittent issue. The OEM coils are more than sufficient, but the cost between 8 of them vs. the Accel ones was a pretty big difference. You might just try replacing the boots/wires before you do the coils. A lot cheaper if that turns out to fix the issue



Of course it is going to be lacking power compared to a 5.0 Mustang. It is geared different and weighs a lot more.



When you do the spark plugs make sure you at least have the broken plug removal tool on hand. Even if you don't have to open it, you'll be better off than trying to run around to find one.



Can't help you on the Sub question. I ordered mine with the basic radio in it. Within 30 minutes of me having it home for the first time I already had it all out and started putting in my system I took out of my '01 Trac. Today it still is working like new.

 

[Johnny O]

Tune up, filters, and change ALL the fluids. Oil, coolant, both axles, tranny flush, t-case, brake fluid.

On 4x4's the front wheel bearings don't last real long but at 173,000 miles they've probably been replaced four or five times already. Just something to keep an eye out for.

The Trac V8 setup is still about 75hp shy of what the Mustang gets and it's a lot heavier. I would advise a cat-back exhaust from Gibson or Magnaflow.

 

[Doctor CAD]

Xcal tuner



You won't believe the difference!

 

[blksn8k]

Mike, nice choice of vehicle.:haveabeer:

My reason for going with the Accel coils was the same as A1cntrler's, they were much less expensive than the Motorcraft coils and they do provide a hotter spark. Is the hotter spark needed? Maybe not, but if it comes at a lower price with no ill effects its kinda hard to argue with the logic.

You already mentioned an exhaust upgrade. I installed the Magnaflow system on my 2007.

You might also consider one of the aftermarket cold air induction systems. I am currently using a KTM open element cone type air filter but I have a new K&N CAI on order. I also installed one of Todd Z's modified throttle bodies along with a tune from Torrie via an SCT Xcalibrator II. Most of my current mods were made way back in the summer of 2007 so some of the parts are probably outdated by now but most are either still available or have been updated. My truck has over 92k miles but still manages to put a smile on my face every time I push the loud pedal. It may not run like a Mustang but it doesn't have to since I have a couple of those too. :driving:

 

[Jackson Ellis]

Ditto on the tuner from Torrie. Just follow the links on the left side of the home page for sponsors untill you find Unleashed Tuning.



When I bought my 2010 V8 Sport Trac, I expected it to run like the 2004 Mercury Mountaineer I owned a few years ago. I think Ford detuned the 4.6L and mapped the shifts for optimum fuel mileage. I had no problem with WOT, but couldn't stand the hesitation to take off for normal driving. It felt like a 4 cylinder. The tuner fixes all that.



I also added a Flowmaster, CAT back, but I will likely change it out to a Magnaflow. The Flowmaster seems a little loud, especially cracking the silence in the mornings.



Spend some time reading old posts and searching the site for specific issues. This place is loaded with resolved issues, projects, and pointers. It also has a lot of :btddhorse: and :soap:, but mostly :bwahaha:!!



Welcome!



Jackson

 

[Gavin Allan]

At 173,000 miles, I would probably want to do a good compression test and leakdown test before spending much money on performance accessories or even maintenance. That would be my first step- then if OK, put the new plugs in and start doing your thing!