rewmer
Well-Known Member
The 4.6 is bigger therfore better. Some argue that the 4.0 is smoother but on the other hand the 4.6 could be argued to be stronger as its cross bolted. Both can suffer from head gasket failure and there appears to be an urban myth that the liners are fragile and slip at the drop of a hat, but in reality your far more likely to find a diesel with overheating problems. A well maintained (coolant changes, no rad weld) V8 will perform beautifully and give no trouble.
Begin debate..
Begin debate..
j the range
New Member
no debate from me, i agree hardly any diffrence between them, if you can get a thor engine..
j the range
New Member
in later rangies, can tell them by big fingers on top of engine..:doh:
j the range
New Member
your welcome the thor is fitted to 1999 and above. befor will be gems engine. now you know..
Irishrover
Well-Known Member
oldskool
Well-Known Member
Irishrover
Well-Known Member
Personally, if like myself you are a petrol head,go for the 4.6. Stay away from LPG conversions, looking at the number of posts on here with LPG problems they are nothing but trouble (Open can of worms !!).
Irregardless of whether you go for GEMS (Pre '99) or THOR (Post '99), if there are problems, it's with overheating more often than not.
Parts for both engines are easily accessible and reasonably priced but be aware that you are talking about the servicing costs of a conventional 4 cyl engine compared to a V8, e.g. 8 plugs instead of 4, Design wise, both engines are basically identical and perform very well.
When you buy a P38, you are dipping your hand blindfold into one of two pots, one contains ****e the other chocolate. Be sure that you take the car on a good run and get the engine up to temperature, check the coolant for loss and pressure, inspect under the oil filler cap for signs of milky deposits. Check the condition of the oil..is it clean, check for oil leaks around the engine and underneath. The V8 should be as smooth as silk, if it sounds rough...walk away. A good V8 will not burn oil, it may leak a little but they are not "Smokers" An oil leak can usually be easily fixed but oil burners will set you back big bucks and is a sign of serious neglect.
Both the GEMS and THOR are reliable units apart from overheating problems that occur to a small percentage of engines. Despite the occurance of slipped liner syndrome in some engines, it is not something that happens to all V8's, percentage wise it's low. However it's a hard call to make between a blown head gasket and a slipped liner, a head gasket change will cost around £100 as a DIY job...a slipped liner is a major job which can cost £2000+
That said, the V8, 4.6 is some awesome engine and beats the 2.5 diesel hands down both for performance and reliabilty when it's looked after.
Irregardless of whether you go for GEMS (Pre '99) or THOR (Post '99), if there are problems, it's with overheating more often than not.
Parts for both engines are easily accessible and reasonably priced but be aware that you are talking about the servicing costs of a conventional 4 cyl engine compared to a V8, e.g. 8 plugs instead of 4, Design wise, both engines are basically identical and perform very well.
When you buy a P38, you are dipping your hand blindfold into one of two pots, one contains ****e the other chocolate. Be sure that you take the car on a good run and get the engine up to temperature, check the coolant for loss and pressure, inspect under the oil filler cap for signs of milky deposits. Check the condition of the oil..is it clean, check for oil leaks around the engine and underneath. The V8 should be as smooth as silk, if it sounds rough...walk away. A good V8 will not burn oil, it may leak a little but they are not "Smokers" An oil leak can usually be easily fixed but oil burners will set you back big bucks and is a sign of serious neglect.
Both the GEMS and THOR are reliable units apart from overheating problems that occur to a small percentage of engines. Despite the occurance of slipped liner syndrome in some engines, it is not something that happens to all V8's, percentage wise it's low. However it's a hard call to make between a blown head gasket and a slipped liner, a head gasket change will cost around £100 as a DIY job...a slipped liner is a major job which can cost £2000+
That said, the V8, 4.6 is some awesome engine and beats the 2.5 diesel hands down both for performance and reliabilty when it's looked after.
Derek Ward
Active Member
Seconded with bells on
jonny427
New Member
After 97 the 4.6 should have a red graded engine, these are supposed to be the blocks with thicker flanges between cylinders, and therefore not so prone to cracking. With regard to the Gems and Bosch (thor) engines, the thor engines had slightly more power but not alot, but can't be tuned as much as the gems engine.
