INTRODUCTION
Use this article to quickly find specifications related to servicing and on-vehicle adjustments. This is a quick-reference article to use when you are familiar with an adjustment procedure and only need a specification.
CAPACITIES
| Application | Cranking Amps |
|---|
| Continental | 850 |
| Cougar 3.8L | 540 |
| Probe | 580 |
| Sable & Taurus |
| 3.0L SHO, 3.2L SHO & 3.8L | 650 |
| 3.0L Except SHO |
| Standard | 540 |
| Heavy Duty | 650 |
| Tempo & Topaz | 540 |
| Thunderbird |
| 3.8L Except SC | 480 |
| 3.8L SC |
| A/T | 540 |
| M/T | 650 |
| Application | Quantity |
|---|
| Crankcase (Includes Filter) |
| 2.5L | 4.2 Qts. (4.0L) |
| 3.0L Except SHO | 4.5 Qts. (4.2L) |
| 3.0L SHO & 3.2L SHO | 5.0 Qts. (4.7L) |
| 3.8L | 5.0 Qts. (4.7L) |
| Continental, Sable & Taurus | 4.5 Qts. (4.2L) |
| Cougar & Thunderbird | 5.0 Qts. (4.7L) |
| Cooling System (Includes Heater) |
| 2.5L | 7.9 Qts. (7.5L) |
| 3.0L Except SHO | (1) 11.0 Qts. (10.4L) |
| 3.0L SHO & 3.2L SHO | 11.6 Qts. (10.9L) |
| 3.8L |
| Continental, Sable & Taurus | 11.1 Qts. (10.5L) |
| Cougar & Thunderbird | 12.0 Qts. (11.3L) |
| Man. Transaxle (Type F, Dexron-II Or Mercon ATF) | 6.1 Pts. (2.9L) |
| Auto. Transaxle (Mercon ATF) |
| Continental, Sable & Taurus | 12.8 Qts. (12.2L) |
| Cougar & Thunderbird | 12.3 Qts. (11.6L) |
| Probe | 9.3 Qts. (8.8L) |
| Tempo & Topaz | 8.3 Qts. (7.9L) |
| Differential (SAE 80W-90) | (2) 3.75 Pts. (1.9L) |
| (1) For station wagon models, capacity is 11.8 qts. (11.2L). (2) For Traction-Lok differential, add 2 ozs. of friction modifier. |
| (1) | For station wagon models, capacity is 11.8 qts. (11.2L). |
| (2) | For Traction-Lok differential, add 2 ozs. of friction modifier. |
SERVICE INTERVALS & SPECIFICATIONS
| Component | Interval (Miles) |
|---|
| Air Filter | 30,000 |
| Coolant | 30,000 |
| Oil & Filter | 7500 |
| PCV Valve | 30,000 |
| Spark Plugs | 30,000 |
| Timing Belt | 60,000 |
| (1) Mileage intervals are for vehicles driven under normal driving conditions. |
| (1) | Mileage intervals are for vehicles driven under normal driving conditions. |
REPLACEMENT INTERVALS (1)
| Application | New Belt | Used Belt |
|---|
| 2.5L |
| A/C & Alternator | 160-190 (71-85) | 110-150 (48-67) |
| P/S Pump | 130-150 (57-67) | 88-120 (40-53) |
| 3.0L Except SHO: Sable & Taurus | (2) | (2) |
| 3.0L SHO & 3.2L SHO | (2) | (2) |
| 3.8L Except SC |
| Continental | 160-190 (71-85) | (3) |
| Cougar & Thunderbird | 110-120 (48-53) | (3) |
| Sable & Taurus | (2) | (2) |
| 3.8L SC |
| Jackshaft | 56 (26) | 50 (24) |
| Supercharger | 69 (31) | 65 (29) |
| "V" Belts | 135 (59) | 130 (57) |
| (1) Tension In Lbs. (kg) Using Belt Tension Gauge. (2) Automatic tensioner is used; adjustment is not required. (3) Information is not available. |
| (1) | Tension In Lbs. (kg) Using Belt Tension Gauge. |
| (2) | Automatic tensioner is used; adjustment is not required. |
| (3) | Information is not available. |
DRIVE BELT ADJUSTMENT (1)
ENGINE COMPRESSION
Warm engine to normal operating temperature. Check compression at cranking speed with throttle wide open and all spark plugs removed. On engines with dual plug cylinders, remove exhaust side only. Ensure crankcase is at correct level and oil is correct viscosity. With compression gauge installed, use remote starter to crank engine.
Crank engine 5 revolutions (minimum) and record highest reading. Repeat procedure for all cylinders using approximately same number of revolutions. Lowest compression reading should not be less than 75 percent of highest compression reading. Cylinder compression readings should not be less than 100 psi (7 kg/cm 2 ).
| Application | Compression Ratio |
|---|
| 2.5L | 9.2:1 |
| 3.0L Except SHO | 9.3:1 |
| 3.0L SHO & 3.2L SHO | 9.8:1 |
| 3.8L Except SC | 9.0:1 |
| 3.8L SC | 8.2:1 |
COMPRESSION RATIO SPECIFICATIONS
VALVE CLEARANCE
Note. On 3.0L SHO and 3.2L SHO models, valve clearance is adjustable. On 2.5L models, valve clearance is zero and adjustment is not possible. On all other models, hydraulic valve lifters are used and valve adjustment is not required. If incorrect valve clearance is suspected, lifter must be collapsed before clearance can be checked.
| Application | In. (mm) |
|---|
| 3.0L Except SHO | .085-.185 (2.16-4.70) |
| 3.0L SHO & 3.2L SHO |
| Intake | (1) .006-.010 (.15-.25) |
| Exhaust | (1) .010-.014 (.25-.35) |
| 3.8L | .089-.189 (2.3-4.8) |
| (1) DO NOT collapse valve lifter for clearance check. |
| (1) | DO NOT collapse valve lifter for clearance check. |
COLLAPSED VALVE LIFTER CLEARANCE
IGNITION COIL
| Application | Primary (Ohms) | Secondary (Ohms) |
|---|
| 2.5L | 0.6-0.9 | 1150-18,500 |
| Distributorless Systems | (1) | (1) ** |
| All Other Systems | .8-1.6 | 8700-11,500 |
| (1) Resistance value is not available. For testing, see IGNITION SYSTEMS in I - EEC-IV SYS/COMP TESTS article in the ENGINE PERFORMANCE Section. |
| (1) | Resistance value is not available. For testing, see IGNITION SYSTEMS in I - EEC-IV SYS/COMP TESTS article in the ENGINE PERFORMANCE Section. |
HIGH TENSION WIRE RESISTANCE
| Application (1) | Ohms |
|---|
| 2.5L | 4000-7000 Per Foot |
| 3.0L & 3.8L | 7000 Per Foot |
| (1) Distributorless systems are 30,000 ohms total per wire. |
| (1) | Distributorless systems are 30,000 ohms total per wire. |
HIGH TENSION WIRE RESISTANCE
SPARK PLUGS
| Application | Motorcraft No. |
|---|
| 2.5L | AGSP-33C |
| 3.0L Except SHO | AWSF-32C |
| 3.0L SHO & 3.2L SHO | AGSP-32PP |
| 3.8L Except SC | AWSF-44C |
| 3.8L SC | AWSF-34P |
| Application | Gap: In. (mm) | Torque: Ft. Lbs. (N.m) |
|---|
| 2.5L | (1) | (1) |
| 3.0L Except SHO | .044 (1.12) | 10 (14) |
| 3.0L SHO & 3.2L SHO | .042-.046 (1.07-1.17) | 16-20 (22-27) |
| 3.8L | .052-.056 (1.32-1.42) | 11 (15) |
| (1) Information is not available. |
| (1) | Information is not available. |
SPARK PLUG SPECIFICATIONS
Firing Order (2.5L). Scheme 1
Scheme 1: Firing Order (2.5L)
Firing Order & Timing Marks (3.0L Except SHO). Scheme 2
Scheme 2: Firing Order & Timing Marks (3.0L Except SHO)
Firing Order & Timing Marks (3.0L SHO & 3.2L SHO). Scheme 3
Scheme 3: Firing Order & Timing Marks (3.0L SHO & 3.2L SHO)
Scheme 4
Scheme 4: Spark Plug Wire Routing (3.0L SHO & 3.2L SHO)
Firing Order & Timing Marks (3.8L - Continental). Scheme 5
Scheme 5: Firing Order & Timing Marks (3.8L - Continental)
Firing Order & Timing Marks (3.8L Cougar & Thunderbird - Except Supercharged). Scheme 6
Scheme 6: Firing Order & Timing Marks (3.8L Cougar & Thunderbird - Except Supercharged)
Firing Order & Timing Marks (3.8L Thunderbird SC - Supercharged). Scheme 7
Scheme 7: Firing Order & Timing Marks (3.8L Thunderbird SC - Supercharged)
Scheme 8
Scheme 8: Spark Plug Wire Routing (3.8L Thunderbird SC - Supercharged)
IGNITION TIMING
| Application | (1) Degrees BTDC @ RPM |
|---|
| 2.5L | 9-11 @ 600-700 |
| 3.0L Except SHO | 10 @ 770-830 |
| 3.0L SHO & 3.2L SHO | 10 @ 550-725 |
| 3.8L | (2) ** |
| (1) With SPOUT in-line connector disconnected. (2) Refer to underhood decal for specification. |
| (1) | With SPOUT in-line connector disconnected. |
| (2) | Refer to underhood decal for specification. |
DISTRIBUTOR SPECIFICATIONS
Note. All models use computed timing advance; adjustment is not possible.
FUEL PUMP
Note. Fuel pump performance is a measurement of fuel pressure and volume availability, not regulated fuel pressure.
| Application | Specification |
|---|
| Pressure | (1) |
| Volume |
| Except SC | 1.0 Pt. (0.5L) In 30 Seconds |
| SC | 1.5 Pts. (0.7L) In 30 Seconds |
| (1) For fuel pressure specifications, see FUEL PRESSURE SPECIFICATIONS article. |
IDLE SPEED & MIXTURE
Note. Idle mixture is not adjustable. If idle mixture is incorrect, see appropriate G - TESTS W/ CODES article in the ENGINE PERFORMANCE Section.
| Model | RPM |
|---|
| 2.5L | 600-700 |
| 3.0L |
| Except SHO | (1) 780 |
| SHO | 800 |
| 3.2L SHO | 720-780 |
| 3.8L |
| Continental, Sable & Taurus | (2) ** |
| Cougar & Thunderbird | 750 |
| (1) For M/T vehicles, idle speed is 800 RPM. (2) Information is not available. |
| (1) | For M/T vehicles, idle speed is 800 RPM. |
| (2) | Information is not available. |
IDLE SPEED SPECIFICATIONS
THROTTLE POSITION (TP) SENSOR/SWITCH
| Throttle Position | (1) Volts | (1) Ohms |
|---|
| Closed | 0.5 | 400 |
| 1/4 Open | 1.3 | 600 |
| 1/2 Open | 2.2 | 1600 |
| 3/4 Open | 2.9 | 2200 |
| Full Open | 3.7 | 3000 |
| (1) Values may vary by 15 percent. |
| (1) | Values may vary by 15 percent. |
| Throttle Angle | (1) Volts |
|---|
| 0° | .50 |
| 10° | .97 |
| 20° | 1.44 |
| 30° | 1.90 |
| 40° | 2.37 |
| 50° | 2.84 |
| 60° | 3.31 |
| 70° | 3.78 |
| 80° | 4.24 |
| (1) Values may vary by 15 percent. |
| (1) | Values may vary by 15 percent. |
