I have a 2000 f150 with a 5.4 with a plastic intake and egr. It blew a headgasket about a month ago. I have searched various junk yards and I can only find them with the aluminum intakes. The guys at the junkyards say its more of a hassle than its worth to put one of those engines in my truck. I was just wondering if anyone knew what the main differences were and why it would be such a pain? I am pretty mechanicly inclined but dont know much about these modular motors. I am going to put a new motor in it cause it has 225,000 on the current motor not worth my time to do a 10 hour job on a headgasket. Would rather just drop in a lower miles motor and go. Can anyone explain why it would be such a "hassle" to put in a motor with an aluminum intake?

 

could be the difference in metals aluminum will expend faster then cast so you get a lot of movement between the 2 metals

 

I realize that. My question is why couldnt I swap out my motor which has a plastic intake for one with an aluminum intake.Are the sensors in different locations? Are there more or less vaccum lines? Is the EGR different? Or could I swap out intakes and put my plastic one one one of those motors? Im just wondering what the difference is in the two motors?

 

OK so I tracked down some usefull info in case anyone cares. 99 and up f150's have PI heads in 99 they used an aluminum intake then went to plastic in 2000 to 2003 so if you get a 99 motor with PI heads you can swap it over to your plastic intake. Anything before 99 Is non PI and could be done but with alot of work.

 

I was watching this thread to see if there really was a difference, I remember a few people swapping their plastic IM's to the 99' aluminum one but supposedly the plastic does flow better. Who knows... the aluminum IM is probably the one and only good thing about a 99', I know mine has had every little problem imaginable, short of major replacement (engine, trans, rearend, etc...)