Gen 1 - Lonnnng term maintenance, when to replace engine.

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mpbowyer

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I have a Gen 1 and Gen 2 Raptor. The Gen 1 was the best vehicle I've ever owned and I've owned a lot so I bought another. I bought the 2011 fairly clean in 2016 with 88k miles and a T-bone accident on its record and repainted/repaired driver side doors and B pillar. You can't notice the repair unless you're looking, the A-pillar sits very close to the front fender (gap is small) and there is no B-pillar sticker.

Over the 8 years I've had it it has really only needed brakes, oil, and tires. I did choose to replace the trans fluid at 150k miles with zero symptoms. Diff fluids and spark plugs have been changed twice. I bent a rear axle shaft (where the wheel flange meets it) and had it replaced with OEM, and had rear wheel bearings replaced with new OEM at about 110k miles. The truck has 2023 raptor wheels and basically new OEM tires. I tow max capacity often, and the truck is airbagged. I also blast around in the desert often, but not as the primary use of the truck. It is a daily driver.

Both seat heaters are shot, the passenger seat perforated center section (back, not bottom) is torn. The power steering (all original) needs about a half of a reservoir every thousand miles or so.

I've started noticing that I think the motor mounts are shot. The truck lurches backing out of the driveway (surges maybe?) as I let off the brake partially and idle out into the road. It idles a little rough mechanically, the engine runs consistently without a misfire, but there is bumpy mechanical feedback into the cab. The truck clunks pretty hard sometimes shifting from reverse to forward. The truck has 225,000 miles.

My question is, with the 12-hour job of replacing the mounts, would you just get a donor low-mile engine or just replace the mounts? If it was the swap I think I'd do it myself. It would be my 3rd engine swap. At this point the engine runs great and I could sell it to recover most of my cost. The engine swap labor might be realllly close to the motor mount labor, but I haven't done both (or either) job on this truck. For some reason I think I'd have the mounts done at a garage, but I'd want to take my time and do the swap myself.

I'm not in a hurry, but I don't want to be wasteful of my time, or of my remaining mileage. I want to keep the truck for about 3 or 4 more years.

What would you do?
 

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MurderedOutSVT

Brodozin
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Problem is going to be finding a donor motor. They are few and far between. When i blew a hole in the side of the block it took somewhere around 6 months to find an 80K mile motor. That was several people hard hunting. Lucked out with an insurance total that got hit in the rear.

Checked the u-joints? That could be the P to D or R clunk. Check Trans mount too.

I'd do the mounts and tune it up
 

FordTechOne

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A 225k mile engine with regular maintenance is better than a 25k engine with no maintenance. No sense in taking the risk of getting a neglected or damaged engine. If you have no engine issues just replace the mounts.
 

mprice1234

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Best bet would be to verify if the motor mounts are truly bad or if it's other like mentioned above. Finding a good 6.2 will be tough and not cheap so I would leave the motor and who knows it might be good for another 50k or more.
 

EricM

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You can still buy reman 6.2L engines.

I saw dozens for sale last time I checked. Ford built the 6.2L and put it in Super Duty trucks until 2022 so there are a bunch out there still.

No, these are not "Raptor" engines as they have the cams that come in a Super Duty truck, but the difference is so minor.

 
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julien194b

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What is the best way to check the mounts? This is great advice thanks everyone for chiming in.
Not easy , but for exemple when you stop engine it can shake all the body when mounts are broken or look under hood when someone stop engine and see what's happen , or may be , make a comparison with another gen1 owner...
 
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Donovan

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Problem is going to be finding a donor motor. They are few and far between. When i blew a hole in the side of the block it took somewhere around 6 months to find an 80K mile motor. That was several people hard hunting. Lucked out with an insurance total that got hit in the rear.

Checked the u-joints? That could be the P to D or R clunk. Check Trans mount too.

I'd do the mounts and tune it up

I remember this.

And that long ass thread of us wondering whether you sold the truck and went Prius...
 
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