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Ford introduced its 3.0-liter V6 engine in 1996 as a replacement for their 3.8-liter V6. With dual overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, and cast-iron cylinder liners inside an aluminum block, this Duratec engine was unlike its predecessor. Although this engine progressed through multiple generations, all 3.0-liter V6 engines manufactured by Ford are more-or-less interchangeable, with only slight variations in components such as the knock sensor. Because of the construction of these engines, the cylinders are all located at a 60 degree angle from one another, regardless of the year in which the engine was produced.
Step 1
Verify the generation of your engine. Locate the casting number on the engine block. The options are: F5DE for engines built between 1996 and 1998; XW4E for those built in 1999; and XW4E-BA for engines for those built from 2000 until 2004. While this does not affect the placement of the cylinders, it is important to verify your equipment.
Step 2
Locate the left side cylinder head bank; these cylinders are numbered one through three. The head assembly contains approximately eight bolts, and should be at a sixty degree angle from the flat base of the cylinder block assembly.
Locate the right side cylinder head bank; these cylinders are numbered four through six. This head assembly should look identical to the left bank of cylinder heads, with eight bolts. It, too, should be at a sixty-degree angle from the flat base of the cylinder block assembly.
Warning
- If you are replacing a cylinder head, ensure that you indicate the side, left or right, of the block for which it is intended. The cylinder heads are different for these engines, with different part numbers.
