Will a factory 2018 Mustang Ecoboost engine also fit my 2015 Ecoboost Mustang for a potential swap!?

[EcoJesus7]

Hey guys. Before i get into specifics, let me briefly introduce myself and my situation. I am a 20 yr old from Dallas, TX and i own a 2015 Ecoboost Mustang Premium. With that out of the way, let me get straight to the point.

As of yesterday, and according to the dealership, my engine is useless, due to my fault in not knowing what i was doing to the car and fixing it the right way at the right time. I have already posted a thread on the Ecoboost Mustang forum and pretty much describing the same thing im about to describe here, but since I got limited feedback and still generally not sure on what action to take, i would also be open to suggestions on here.

So my question is, will a stock factory 2018 engine also fit into my 2015 stock mustang without needing to change the transmission and other major components? I have tried searching for a 2015-17 engine, but they are too overpriced or high mileage for my liking, and i have seen a couple of 2018s for cheaper and with way less mileage. Is it an easy swap and go? What about the difference in VIN #. Im sorry if this post is lengthy. I generally dont know a thing about cars and how/ what makes them run, but i am willing to learn, even if it is the hard way. I appreciate any and all feedback. Thank you.

Edit. Welp, here are the two diagnostics, the most recent one are the screenshots and the other is from 3 months ago. Will need a new motor for sure. But i dont know where to get one and a fair price for one

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[Balr14]

The engine will fit. Without knowing which transmission you have, that could be an issue. The ECU and wiring harness would be my biggest concerns. How about Texas emissions rules?

 

[NoVaGT]

......I have already posted a thread on the Ecoboost Mustang forum..........

You should copy & paste it here, so we can understand what happened, and what to suggest to you. There might be a lot of other very good suggestions that can be offered, but without knowing what happened, what the state of the engine is now, you'll never get those suggestions.

...I generally dont know a thing about cars and how/ what makes them run, but i am willing to learn, even if it is the hard way......

Well.....you say that. But you've already ruined one engine, and now you're considering swapping in another engine from a different model year car. Learning the hard way sucks, and it's expensive. And since you're not just letting the dealership fix/replace the existing engine, I'm guessing money is the key issue.

...I appreciate any and all feedback. Thank you.....

Don't do a single thing, until you post what happened, and what state the engine is in now. Maybe there are other alternatives.

ETA; you're saying you've already got a thread on an EB forum going. What are they saying there?

 

[EcoJesus7]

Hey guys. Before i get into specifics, let me briefly introduce myself and my situation. I am a 20 yr old from Dallas, TX and i own a 2015 Ecoboost Mustang Premium. With that out of the way, let me get straight to the point.

As of yesterday, and according to the dealership, my engine is useless, due to my fault in not knowing what i was doing to the car and fixing it the right way at the right time. I have already posted a thread on the Ecoboost Mustang forum and pretty much describing the same thing im about to describe here, but since I got limited feedback and still generally not sure on what action to take, i would also be open to suggestions on here.

So my question is, will a stock factory 2018 engine also fit into my 2015 stock mustang without needing to change the transmission and other major components? I have tried searching for a 2015-17 engine, but they are too overpriced or high mileage for my liking, and i have seen a couple of 2018s for cheaper and with way less mileage. Is it an easy swap and go? What about the difference in VIN #. Im sorry if this post is lengthy. I generally dont know a thing about cars and how/ what makes them run, but i am willing to learn, even if it is the hard way. I appreciate any and all feedback. Thank you.

To add context to the engine, before i took it to get inspected, the coolant level was low even after adding coolant 2 weeks prior. The car would have a slow and cranky start up, and when left idle it would shake, as well as white smoke coming out. when i went to get a diagnostic at the ford dealership, it states that cylinder 2 and cylinder 3 have coolant in them which warrant a engine replacement. As far as codes go, i dont think they put it in this diagnostic, but i have a older diagnostic from 3 months ago, with the same issues. Thinking back at it, i should have fixed it there and then as i could have possibly just needed a cylinder head replacement, vs now i might now need a whole new engine. Here is the paperwork of the diagnostic 3 months ago

 

[ORRadtech]

If it's any consolation. The engine was history at the first diagnostic.
What were the modifications mentioned and who did them?
You need a new motor, which you know.

 

[EcoJesus7]

You should copy & paste it here, so we can understand what happened, and what to suggest to you. There might be a lot of other very good suggestions that can be offered, but without knowing what happened, what the state of the engine is now, you'll never get those suggestions.



Well.....you say that. But you've already ruined one engine, and now you're considering swapping in another engine from a different model year car. Learning the hard way sucks, and it's expensive. And since you're not just letting the dealership fix/replace the existing engine, I'm guessing money is the key issue.



Don't do a single thing, until you post what happened, and what state the engine is in now. Maybe there are other alternatives.

ETA; you're saying you've already got a thread on an EB forum going. What are they saying there?

I added what had happened to with the engine and its current state is it wont start up. On the EB forum, not much advice was given if it will work or not. Here is the thread to that forum

https://www.mustangecoboost.net/threads/advice-for-replacing-damaged-engine.23010/#post-247387

In all honesty, this is purely about bad financial decisions. I bought a car i could not afford and because of dumb decisions i have to pay for a new motor as well as still make payments on the car. Im trying to find the cheapest solution right now. I am currently looking at these engines

https://enginespro.com/store/ford/m...0f5f9d36fa2829a1bacf11ac9c&prod=EC259436885KP

But since all engines are only online and i couldn’t go in person to see, Im a bit sketchy to even try. These are looking like my cheapest option. But i dont want to do anything without knowing 100% if it’s going to work

 

[EcoJesus7]

If it's any consolation. The engine was history at the first diagnostic.
What were the modifications mentioned and who did them?
You need a new motor, which you know.

The modifications were a blow off valve installed by me and straight pipe done by a muffler shop. After talking to some people on reddit, i came to the conclusion that these two factors most likely led to a blow head gasket, which i prolonged to cause even more damage and its where i am at right now

 

[Zooks527]

Your best path may be to find a trusted independent repair shop who will work with you on selecting and installing a replacement engine. It's easy if you have a long-term relationship with a mechanic, which is unlikely in your case as you're just 20, but it's doable if you have friends or family who can steer you to one.

Trying to DIY may look like less money up front, but can quickly get away from you if you don't have a fair bit of mechanical experience and aptitude. You need to have a realistic expectation of your skills and chances to do it properly. Please don't take this the wrong way, but if you ignored a blown head gasket for 3 months, you may not have the mechanical background to pull it off.

Going through the dealer is probably your most expensive option.

One other thing to consider, painful as it may sound, is to determine if your best financial option is to sell the car as a parts car, eat the remaining payments, and start over after taking the financial hit. Not knowing the particulars of your situation make it hard to know if that's the best of a list of bad options, or not optimal for your case.

One last thing - delete the picture above and replace it with one where you've covered your personal information. You probably don't want that out there in the clear, especially the phone numbers, as you'll get scam calls up the wazoo.

 

[EcoJesus7]

Your best path may be to find a trusted independent repair shop who will work with you on selecting and installing a new engine. It's easy if you have a long-term relationship with a mechanic, which is unlikely in your case, but it's doable if you have friends of family who can steer you to one.

Going through the dealer is probably your most expensive option. Trying to DIY may look like less money up front, but can quickly get away from you if you don't have a fair bit of mechanical experience and aptitude.

One other thing to consider, painful as it may sound, is to determine if your best financial option is to sell the car as a parts car, eat the remaining payments, and start over after taking the financial hit. Not knowing the particulars of your situation make it hard to know if that's the best of a list of bad options, or not optimal for your case.

I was thinking the later. No way am i willing to trade the car, and with current rate, i should be able to pay off the car sooner now that i recently got it refinanced for a much lower apr (saving 200 a month). If i sell it for parts, It really sucks but its better to stay with something than nothing. I have started to call around shops. All seem to have a hard time finding me an engine like this for a good price with labor included, almost the same amount as the dealership which is $8k for a whole new engine.

 

[IrishStallion]

Well if a refi saved you 200 per month you are in a world of hurt. You need some basic financial training/under standing like yesterday. Buying a car you could not afford in the first place (you admitted) was a big mistake my Man...

A reliable and reasonable auto repair shop is probably your best bet. How many miles on the car?

 

[NoVaGT]

The dealership should be giving you a better diagnoses of what is actually wrong with the engine.

A blown head-gasket can easily and relatively cheaply be repaired. If the internals of the engine (valves, rings, bearings) are shot, then you do need a new engine.

Someone needs to scope the engine and look at the condition of the pistons/rings/cylinder walls, and possibly do a compression test of all 4 cylinders. A compression test is DEFINITELY something you could do yourself. The testing equipment is cheap. The test is really easy.

If the engine still has good compression, then a head-gasket replacement might be all that you need. Hell, there's probably a YT video that could walk you through the entire job in detail.

You might be looking at a $2000.00 cost for a head-gasket replacement, versus $8K to replace the engine.

 

[EcoJesus7]

Well if a refi saved you 200 per month you are in a world of hurt. You need some basic financial training/under standing like yesterday. Buying a car you could not afford in the first place (you admitted) was a big mistake my Man...

A reliable and reasonable auto repair shop is probably your best bet. How many miles on the car?

The car only has 55k miles. Warranty was voided from the first diagnostic. Made a really bad financial mistake that i believed i could manage, and while i can, its causing alot of stress and much money than i could have thought of. I will ask right now, hopefully to get a good response soon. I am currently looking at this engine

https://enginespro.com/store/ford/m...n=u2ab8110f5f9d36fa2829a1bacf11ac9c&seq_num=1

however, i wont move an inch until im for certain it will fit my mustang. Its my cheapest option par labor, and i just want my car running before i just kick the can and start selling the car in parts

 

[EcoJesus7]

The dealership should be giving you a better diagnoses of what is actually wrong with the engine.

A blown head-gasket can easily and relatively cheaply be repaired. If the internals of the engine (valves, rings, bearings) are shot, then you do need a new engine.

Someone needs to scope the engine and look at the condition of the pistons/rings/cylinder walls, and possibly do a compression test of all 4 cylinders. A compression test is DEFINITELY something you could do yourself. The testing equipment is cheap. The test is really easy.

If the engine still has good compression, then a head-gasket replacement might be all that you need. Hell, there's probably a YT video that could walk you through the entire job in detail.

You might be looking at a $2000.00 cost for a head-gasket replacement, versus $8K to replace the engine.

I posted the diagnostic results on an edit of this post. Says that coolant in the cylinders is a result of a warped block and cylinder head. Also, they found the purge valve stuck open. I dont think they did a compression test, but would these warrant a new engine ?

 

[NoVaGT]

I posted the diagnostic results on an edit of this post. Says that coolant in the cylinders is a result of a warped block and cylinder head. Also, they found the purge valve stuck open. I dont think they did a compression test, but would these warrant a new engine ?

Don't ask me and others to go looking for the diagnostic results you've posted somewhere else. Post them here and let us look at them.

Coolant in the cylinders could just mean a blown head gasket. Let's see the complete information. Also, I've heard of a warped cylinder head (which can usually be milled to make level), but not a warped block.

It's all about the condition of the cylinder walls, rotating assembly, and head. Best case scenario; remove head, send to machine shop to be milled, then re-install with a new head-gasket.

Worst case; new engine.

Where is the car now?

 

[EcoJesus7]

Sorry about t

Don't ask me and others to go looking for the diagnostic results you've posted somewhere else. Post them here and let us look at them.

Coolant in the cylinders could just mean a blown head gasket. Let's see the complete information. Also, I've heard of a warped cylinder head (which can usually be milled to make level), but not a warped block.

It's all about the condition of the cylinder walls, rotating assembly, and head. Best case scenario; remove head, send to machine shop to be milled, then re-install with a new head-gasket.

Worst case; new engine.

Where is the car now?

Sorry if i sounded like a douche. I posted them on the edit of this post, but i will show the diagnostics once again

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