Long story short my engine isn't really worth the money to fix it anymore after it spun a camshaft bearing... At least not compared to a rebuilt or a used engine.

However I have come across a 2003 3.0 with lower KM's on it and am wondering if it is a direct drop in? No in the case that it isn't I am wondering what would be different. Since I have every part with exception to the camshaft I doubt this would be an expensive issue to fix.

I appreciate any help on this :)

 

Aside from wiring they should be the same i would suggest using the pcm from the 03 to avoid any possible issues. But also not sure of your emissions laws but here you cannot use an older engine in a newer vehicle so may want to check into that if you have testing.

 

Edit to that in 04 they switched to all digital gauge clusters so you won't be able to swap PCM because it won't be able to drive the odometer.

 

As long as it's mechanically the same I have could swap everything over. Not sure about the older year thing here for e-testing. However as far as I knew they didn't care as long as it passed.

 

Just take the heads with block from the other engine.
So Swap upper and lower intake(so wiring will match), and oil pan/pick up tube if both are not 2x4 or 4x4

CKP(crank position) sensor and CPS(cam position sensor) should be the same.

Also replace front and rear main seals, they are inexpensive and hard to change in the vehicle.

 

yeah I planned to replace most of the seals anyways since all of them are easier with it on a stand lol.

I had also planned to use the block and internals from the 2003 engine. I wasn't sure if I should use that engines heads or mine. But I have a feeling ford isn't so into head modifications between years as toyota was for the old corolla's. I didn't think the oil pans were different but wanted to swap in the new oil pump I bought for my engine before I parked the truck.

 

3.0l regular and flex-fuel engines did have different dome designs inside the head at the beginning, but people have swapped them back and forth without any issues, and there is just one design after 2002 I think.
In any case the anything bolted to the 3.0l head would match up for any year.
I think they changed the blocks in 1999 to use longer head bolts, but that was the only major change.

 

I was thinking the different power rating for the 03 engine and the 06 engine might just be ECU related and due to trying to get a better mpg rating on them.

 

In my experience, just use your old upper and lower intake manifold and you'll have no problems so long as that 8th VIN digit is the same. There may be a sensor or two that bolts into the motor with a different plug pattern and one of the front drive belt pulley's may be a different depth, but all things you can take right from your old motor.

 

I picked the engine up last weekend and the only thing I saw that was different (don't have the upper intake for it) was the fuel rails and injectors. Had everything else apart on it and it looks like their cracked head or blown headgasket issue was just an intake gasket leak from being torqued down incorrectly.

Going to change the main bearings in it and use the lifters from my engine along with a gasket kit, timing chain set, my new oil pump and cam syncro and at that point the engine should be good to go. Then I just need the other pile of parts for the rest of the truck lol.