[geezerb]

I'm new to this forum so if this has been beaten to death before, forgive my ignorance.
I am an advocate of the top-side oil change using the Mity-vac or pela 6000 or whatever brand to get the oil out. I have had people say that it doesn't work. This could be true if it isn't done properly but nothing done wrong comes out right. That might not be true with conception but that's an entirely different story.
My process involves doing a gravity drain every so often to get the big chunks out but changing the filter every time.
Have any of you had experience with this method on the Aerostar with the 4.0 Cologne engine?
Also, I have a desire to use synthetic oil instead of dino oil. I do not have an Owners Manual but on the internet I am able, at times, to bring up the manual but haven't found too much regarding synthetics. One thing I did read was that synthetic was alright but the oil had to be changed on a 5000 mile schedual the same as dino oil. Has anyone who has used synthetic oil adhered to this or do you change at greater distances?
In case you were wondering, my Astrostar is 96 EXT w/EAWD

geezerb

[phantom]

I wouldnt recomend synthetic oil on a high mileage motor.

[mark v]

I also dont recommend Syn oil in an old engine.

I also dont recommend changing oil in any other way than removing the drain plug. The vac will never get all the old oil out and it will never get the sediments in the bottom of the pan out that get flushed when removing the drain plug. If vacuuming the oil was a good idea all MFG's would recommend it and the drain plug would disappear!

Also you got to get under the car to remove the filter so why not drain the oil?

[Poppy]

Geezerb,
You mentioned this to me in the past, and I guess I was thinking that you were referring to transmission oil. I recall one gent mentioning that he sucks out a quart of trans fluid (through the filler tube) with a mity-vac and replaces it, each time he does an oil change.

Can you get all the oil out through the dip-stick?

[geezerb]

Poppy; I've only had the Aerostar for a about a month so I have never done it to this car. However, the top-side method is quite acceptable on the VW TDI diesel engines. Of course, the oil filter is on top too so everything can be handled from there. Incidently, the VW"s only have about four inches of road clearance and I prefer the top-side because I am considerably thicker than four inches. The Aerostar has more road clearance so either method is doable. The thing is, I'm getting to that point where I can get down real quickly but assuming the upright position is another story.

[geezerb]

In replying to my orginal question, Phantom refered to a" high miles engine" and markv refered to an "old engine" My engine has just over 96,500 miles and has 15 + years under its belt. I realize that, back in the day of the carbruatered and no computer controls, engines had a hard time getting to 100,000 miles. Am I wrong in thinking that todays engines will, with the right maintenance, go well beyond 100,000 miles easily. It's like the new 100,000 is like the old 30,000.
I know I have seen Aerostar vans for sale on the internet with over 200000 mile. Of course, they could have had several engines over those miles.
What I'm really asking is, what is the life expectancy of the 4.0 Cologne engine.

geezerb

[mark v]

96,000 is high miles and an old engine, 1996 is an old engine even if it was a crate engine that was brand new with 0 miles on it a 1996 engine is old technology and was designed to run on regular oil. I dont see any benefits running syn oil unless you rebuild it with tighter tolerances.

[Kruser]

Originally Posted by geezerb

Poppy; I've only had the Aerostar for a about a month so I have never done it to this car.

I'll also put in another vote for dropping the plug.
BTW, I'm on my fourth Aerostar. My current three each made it to over 250K miles and my fourth currently has 220K.
Use a good filter, like a Wix or Motorcraft, change the tranny fluid regularly and you'll be a satisfied owner.
While I've used synthetic oil in other applications, my Aero gets dino oil. Currently the area Orscheln stores (a farm and ranch chain) has TropArtic on sale for $1.99 a quart. This oil is made by Conoco-Phillips and is a very close Motorcraft oil clone. (Also made by Conoco-Phillips) My Aerostar loves the stuff and will go over 2500 miles before I need to add another quart.

P.S. Get your spark plugs changed and do it yourself. It's a rite of passage.

[geezerb]

KRUSER;
I'll agree that Dino oil is doing the job with the miles you have run up. I just got scared from driving VW diesels where dino will kill the diesel. I intend to use WIX filters and replacing the K&N air filter as soon as I do the oil change. Regarding the spark plugs, is there plug that's better than the others? Also, I read something somewhere about the spark plugs on one ford engine tending to snap or do something vulgar. Is the Aerostar engine one of these?
geezerb

[Kruser]

Originally Posted by geezerb

Regarding the spark plugs, is there plug that's better than the others? Also, I read something somewhere about the spark plugs on one ford engine tending to snap or do something vulgar. Is the Aerostar engine one of these? geezerb

The spark plug that snaps off is in the 5.4 engines. Aerostars have no worries. HOWEVER, if you've never changed plugs before, don't do your first one on an Aero. They are a PITA the first time. IMO, Motorcraft platinums are a good choice. Autolites platinums are the next choice. Use only Motorcraft plug wires. RockAuto is a good source.
Get the tranny oil changed in your Aero. Regularly.

[geezerb]

Many plug changes over the years. Recall being defeated by the job on my first Aerostar (85 or86). I don't think anyone had invented the extensions required for the back cylinder on the right bank. Fortunately, the transmission puked before I really had to do the job.
geezerb

[mark v]

Do not use platinum plugs unless it is called for. Platinum plugs burn hotter and that is the last thing you want in an engine that is not designed for platinum plugs!

I recommend Motorcraft plugs only if the engine is stock. Any built engine that was built for higher HP can use aftermarket plugs.

[Boghog]

What makes good ignition?

Ignition occurs in a modern automobile when an arc is struck and current flows between the electrodes of a spark plug, or when current migrates across the conductive medium in a surface gap plug. While that may sound simple at first, the process becomes progressively more complicated as engineers try to optimize the type of spark plug with the ignition system generating the required voltage.

The amount of voltage necessary to arc the electrode gap is set by the following characteristics:

* The size the gap... arc-over voltage is roughly proportional to the gap size

* The air/fuel ratio within the gap... the richer the air/fuel ratio (more gasoline vs. Air), the lower the required arc-over voltage

* The compression at the moment arc-over is to occur... the higher the compression, the higher the required arc-over voltage

* The composition of the electrode... certain metals for all the same conditions stated above will require less arc-over voltage than other metals. For example, platinum requires less arc-over voltage, all other things equal, than does steel


* The shape of the electrode... the sharper and more jagged the shape, the easier it is for voltage to jump

* The amount of fouling deposits trying to remove the electron flow from the arc... more fouling deposits and lower resistance to ground pulls more energy out of the spark gap.

While it may therefore seem desirable to lower the required arc-over voltage, since without arc-over there is a total misfire and no ignition, low arc-over voltage produces low spark power because spark power is directly proportional to arc-over voltage. That is, by doubling the required arc-over voltage, you double the instantaneous peak spark power, and the higher the spark power, the better the ignition.


All ignition is, therefore, a balance between the requirement to have sufficient arc-over voltage and increasing peak spark power for better, quicker ignition.

What benefits to specialty plugs bring to this mix?


[B]One popular specialty type is platinum plugs. The primary advantage of these plugs, especially when used in an OEM ignition system (especially an older system, which may not be producing as much voltage as when it was new), is that platinum will require less arc-over voltage and therefore, particularly in a weak ignition, allows the gap to be jumped a higher percentage of the time.

For example, if at factory gap and with steel electrode plugs, it requires as much as 18,000 volts five percent of the time to jump the arc... due to the changing engine environment and running conditions... and if the OEM only produces 17,000 volts, then it follows that five percent of the time there would be a misfire.

Now, if one installs platinum plugs, which may only require, say, 13,000 volts to arc, the five percent misfiring with steel plugs would be eliminated. Since the ignition output on OEM ignition rolls off as rpm increases, platinum plugs in this case would allow the motor to reliably turn to higher rpm, thereby giving and increase in performance and possibly gas mileage.

The disadvantage of this method of reducing misfires is that the higher arc-over voltage, the better the spark when it does fire.

Therefore, platinum plugs will show a performance improvement with a weak ignition because the benefit from reducing the percentage of misfires more than outweighs the loss from reduced spark power.

[mark v]

The correct thing to do is correct a weak ignition system than band-aid it with a platinum plug.

Band-aids will always fail over time or make a condition worse.

[Boghog]

If you understood what I was trying to say and it's obvious that you didn't, is that,"especially when used in an OEM ignition system (especially an older system, which may not be producing as much voltage as when it was new), is that platinum will require less arc-over voltage ( arc-over voltage is the voltage needed to jump the gap in the plug) and therefore, particularly in a weak ignition, allows the gap to be jumped a higher percentage of the time."

This means that as a stock coil starts to degrade over time,as they all do, it's easier to jump the gap on a platinum plug that it would a steel or copper core plug. The weakened spark is the degradation of the stock coil.

[mark v]

I understood it fine.

It is easier just to correct the issue correctly than band-aid it. If the spark is weak it will eventually get weaker and fail altogether and still have the same issues before installing platinum plugs.

Just by replacing old plugs with new plugs will correct almost every issue 100% of the time, most people will even notice a HP gain and MPG gain with stock plugs because the old ones are so bad. This also goes true for the top end plugs where they say more HP and MPG will be gained. You can never tell any real gain just by replacing plugs unless you dyno the results.

If you have to install platinum plugs to fix an issue for an engine that was never intended to run on them you have bigger issues that need to be addressed first!

Most of the gains is a mental gain not an actual gain. I have had friends ask me to do tune ups on their cars because they say they have needed it. The car had low miles and no sign of issues with the plugs. I said I changed the plugs and wires and let them drive it for a week. They said it ran much better and smoother. I eventually confessed that I did nothing cause it was a waste of their money if I replaced parts.

I have vacuumed and washed my car and swore it was faster because of what I did.

[Kruser]

Originally Posted by mark v

Do not use platinum plugs unless it is called for. Platinum plugs burn hotter and that is the last thing you want in an engine that is not designed for platinum plugs! I recommend Motorcraft plugs only if the engine is stock. Any built engine that was built for higher HP can use aftermarket plugs.

Exactly what are you recommending for this application? You aren't going to recommend the old classic copper-core spark plugs on an Aerostar, are you? In reality, the copper cores were great the first few thousand miles, but are wore out or really compromised by 20K miles. In my old cougar, yes, copper spark plugs are great. In an Aerostar?
Who really wants to change spark plugs every 10K-20K in an Aerostar?
Looking at the RockAuto listings for a '96 Aerostar, it shows most of the selections are platinum, double platinum or iridium.
As far as a '96 Aerostar with a 4.0 engine, exactly what are the odds that the engine isn't stock? Exactly what percentage of 4.0 Aerostars are hot-rodded or non-stock?

I'll stick with my original recommendations.

[Boghog]

I give up.... it isn't worth the aggravation...Go wash your car again

[mark v]

What ever was equivalent to the stock plugs.

What is so special about an Aerostar engine VS any other engine?

I never changed plugs every 10 to 20k, if you are you have some problems.

Anywhere you look you will find a big selection of non stock plugs even though they never were available at the time. If you had a tune up done at a Ford Dealer they would put the original back in cause that is what they recommend.

FYI my 1992 Mustang GT was a supercharged 5.0, got approx 50 to 60k on the plugs with a High end Jacobs Ignition system and big coil. If your Aerostar cant last this long on the same type of plugs like my Mustang did you need to look into why they are needing more frequent changes since I was running 5lbs of boost with a big spark and higher octane fuel.

I always ran the stock type required plugs in my old engines and got at least 50k out of them before replacing. I tried Split Fire plugs once but they failed.

Originally Posted by Kruser

Exactly what are you recommending for this application? You aren't going to recommend the old classic copper-core spark plugs on an Aerostar, are you? In reality, the copper cores were great the first few thousand miles, but are wore out or really compromised by 20K miles. In my old cougar, yes, copper spark plugs are great. In an Aerostar? Who really wants to change spark plugs every 10K-20K in an Aerostar? Looking at the RockAuto listings for a '96 Aerostar, it shows most of the selections are platinum, double platinum or iridium. As far as a '96 Aerostar with a 4.0 engine, exactly what are the odds that the engine isn't stock? Exactly what percentage of 4.0 Aerostars are hot-rodded or non-stock? I'll stick with my original recommendations.

[mark v]

I will this week, maybe post a picture for ya!

Originally Posted by Boghog

I give up.... it isn't worth the aggravation...Go wash your car again