2004 FX45. Need to buy engine overhaul parts

[redsautos]

Hello all! I Have a 2004 FX45. I need to get valve covers and oil pump. Does anyone know where I can get these other than dealer? Dealer is 1000.00 for all parts. Does the M45 or any other vehicles have the same parts? What years can I go with? I love my Fx 45. It has 195k and running good. Rear main seal started leaking a little. Pulled the whole engine and decided to take off heads and due a full overhaul. The valve covers and oil pump are taking me way higher than what I wanted to spend. Thanks for your help!!!

[EdBwoy]

Hello and welcome to NICOclub.
There are some components that I do not bother to deal with anything other than OEM suppliers for. The parts you mentioned are such example for me.
I use an online catalog and so far, this website has proven to be way cheaper than any other sources for OEM parts 99% of the time I look. What I'd do is get the part numbers from there and try to find these parts cheaper through any other sources.

For example, I can find the parts you asked for for approx $750 on it versus the $1,000 you were quoted.
your oil pump: https://www.infinitipartsdeal.com/parts ... tem,,15010
your valve covers: https://www.infinitipartsdeal.com/parts ... m=111_B001

If I may ask, why do you want to replace the oil pump? It will keep pumping healthily until your car goes to heaven.
The valve covers might start leaking whereby VC gaskets/ seals will take care of the external seals. With these composite VCs, the spark plug tube seals are usually not replaceable and thus it requires replacement of the entire unit, but again, in my experience VK45DE spark plug tube seals don't leak often. I have a few spares from M45s with as high as 190K miles and I would not hesitate to reuse any of them.

Out of curiosity, what is the spend so far on all the other gaskets?

[redsautos]

Thanks for your response. I paid 129.00 for gasket set and 103.00 for timing chain kit. I figured if I had the engine out I would replace the oil pump. If you say don't then I will leave it. I replaces the valve gaskets about 6 months ago and then my car looked like uncle bucks car every morning. My mechanic did a bypass to stop that from happening. He said the valve covers were warped a little. Now he has the engine out and said if I replace them he can undo the bypass. Thoughts?

[redsautos]

He did say the pressure from the oil pump is good. But labor would cost A lot to replace later. He would include it now. What kind of spark plugs do you recommend? I hope to hit 300k on this sucker and not have a car payment for another 3-4 years. The body and interior are super clean.

[EdBwoy]

Thanks for your response. I paid 129.00 for gasket set and 103.00 for timing chain kit. I figured if I had the engine out I would replace the oil pump. If you say don't then I will leave it. I replaces the valve gaskets about 6 months ago and then my car looked like uncle bucks car every morning. My mechanic did a bypass to stop that from happening. He said the valve covers were warped a little. Now he has the engine out and said if I replace them he can undo the bypass. Thoughts?

What's "the bypass"? Were the PCV valves replaced then? Obviously your mechanic has the engine in front of him and might be in a better position to judge what needs replaced, but to me it sounds like too much busy work is going to the engine. Don't get me wrong - It is good advice, and will save you labor in the long run if he addresses B and C while working on A, but what I am saying is that most of these things will outlast the vehicle itself.
If you want to do it for peace of mind, then why not.
Things like rear main seals, crankshaft seals etc... I would replace, with OEM only because it is not fun to go back under there.
Has he recommended opening the oil pan and checking your bearings?


Sparkplugs - NGK PLFR5A-11 is what I would use
Look in the factory service manual linked in my signature, maintenance or general info section for other spec recommendations.
Also, you can download the owner's manual online by typing in "make year model owner's manual pdf" in case you don't have a physical copy

[redsautos]

The bypass thing was done after he replaced the valve cover gaskets. The car would put out a big puff of smoke after the car sat awhile. I took it back and he did something he called a bypass to make it stop. He said for me to get new valve covers and he could put it back the way it was. We have a language barrier. Ha! I have a transmission sometimes. I trust him. He has done work for me for years. What you were saying about the valve covers earlier, could you explain that so I can understand please.

[EdBwoy]

Sorry about that.

Valve covers.
Simplified, I meant to say that the valve covers for these V8s don't typically need replacement as often/as soon as the (early) V6 ones.
Our spark plug tube seals seem to last way longer, which is the common reason for needing replacement of plastic valve covers.


Bypass.
Yep! These engines can be oil burners, but if this hasn't been done, I recommend replacing the PCV valves.

[redsautos]

Ok, replace pcv valves. Are you sating replace the valve covers or use the spark plug seal stuff? Thanks for all your help!!!

[redsautos]

Any other suggestions while I have the engine transmission out?

[EdBwoy]

I am saying that it is not common to need to replace the valve cover for our VK45DE V8 engines.
However, the 4 spark plug tube seals are not replaceable, so if they are leaking... or the valve cover is too warped as he said, I would replace it.
*Anything I say is opinion based on my experience. Your mechanic will be in a better position to judge what needs replacement.

With that out of the way, if I had an engine in front of me that I wanted to install in my vehicle, these are the things I would replace at minimum:
Thermostat OEM only
Water valve (rear thermostat) OEM only
Water pump gasket
Rear main seal OEM only
Front crankshaft seal OEM only
Valve cover gaskets
Spark plugs OEM only
Intake gaskets
Exhaust gaskets if they have been removed
Redo leaking silicone gasket seals - RTV
Maybe take a look at the rod bearings

I feel like your mechanic will address all these anyway since the engine sounds like it will be torn down pretty extensively