Ford V10 Engine Replacement Cost: 2023 Price Guide

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If your engine is going out, replacing it is one way to prolong the lifespan of your vehicle.

Unfortunately, prices are high, so you’ll always have to decide if the engine swap is worthwhile or if you’re better off getting a new car.

That’s especially true with the Ford V10, which stopped most manufacturing in 2019 and is officially out of production as of 2021. You’ll have trouble finding a new motor and you’ll pay a premium for a rebuilt long block, simply because it’s hard to find.

That means the average cost of replacing a Ford V10 engine is $5,500-$12,500. That includes $3,500-$10,500 for the engine itself and an average of $2,000 in labor.

However, depending on where you go, the cost of labor can as much as double, because you can expect the full job to take 8+ hours, and you can pay $40-$200 per hour for labor.

The table below shows a quick price comparison of Ford V10 engine replacement cost estimates from reputable suppliers:

Supplier	Engine	Labor
YourMechanic	$3,500-$12,000	$1,800-$3,500
Dealer	NA	NA
Pep Boys	$3,530-$5,729	$1,449-$3,000
AutoZone	$2,839.99-$10,473	NA
Scrapyard	$3,000+	NA

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How Much Does A Ford V10 Engine Replacement Cost?*

The cost of replacing your Ford V10 engine will depend on a few different factors, but mostly the cost of labor and where you go. For example, the three cars equipped with the Ford Triton engine (V10) all cost about the same to swap the engine on.

The only real price differences are in where you get the long block and what you pay for labor.

Vehicle	Triton Engine Cost	Labor Cost
Ford E-Series Econoline	$3,500-$12,000	$920-$2,750
F-series Super Duty	$3,500-$12,000	$915-$2,278
Ford Excursion	$3,500-$12,000	$950-$2,347

*Note: Prices are estimates and were correct at the time of writing (June 2023). Cost estimates may have changed since, our figures should be used as a starting point for your own research

What Is The Ford V10 Engine?

Ford’s V10 engine, the Triton, was produced between 1997 and 2021. However, it’s no longer available new and Ford no longer uses it in any of their vehicles.

That’s because modern V6 and V8 engines now run more smoothly and more efficiently than the V10 and provide similar power output.

The V10 was never an ideal engine, because while it provides more power than the V8, the V12 is much more efficient and runs without many of the hiccups inherent in V10 engines. Therefore, most manufacturers don’t use them or phased them out.

What does that mean for you? If you want to keep your V10 engine, you’ll have to search for a remanufactured model.

Alternatively, you can search a scrapyard for a vehicle with a Triton equipped and then rebuild your own.

Ford V10 Engine Replacement Price Factors

The cost of replacing your Ford V10 engine will mostly depend on factors like how much you pay for the engine.

However, the actual cost of labor is also very important.

Short or Long Block

Any Ford V10 engine is going to run between $3,500 and $10,500 (or potentially a bit more) for the long block. Of course, you can save money by going for the short block, which doesn’t have the cylinder heads, camshafts, valves, valve springs, or head gaskets.

It’s highly unlikely you’ll be able to buy a crate (fully assembled) engine, but if you find one, you can expect the cost to be much higher.

In general, it’s usually a good idea to swap out the parts that are bad and to keep the rest of the engine. However, going for a long block can save you a great deal on installation costs.

Used or Remanufactured

You can’t buy a brand new Ford V10 engine anymore. So you’ll have to choose between secondhand/used and remanufactured/refurbished. The former is cheaper and will typically be as low as a few thousand ($3,500+).

On the other hand, a factory-remanufactured long block will typically run upwards of $8,500. Here, the engine has been disassembled, resurfaced, fitted with new gaskets, and is as close to new as you’re going to get.

In fact, many remanufactured engine blocks even have a warranty. With a used engine, you have no such guarantee.

Cost of Labor

The cost of labor may be the most significant part of replacing the engine in your V10 Ford. For example, you can expect it will take 8-15 hours to swap the engine out. This means you’ll pay the mechanic’s rate times that amount of hours.

The national average mechanic’s rate is about $70 for a general technician. On the other hand, you can get away with paying as low as $15 at a mom-and-pop mechanic. But, if you go to a chain shop, rates start at around $94. It’s unlikely you can have a Ford dealer swap the engine out for you.

In general, expect to pay between $50 and $200 per hour for the technical work completed. That works out to an average of $900-$3,500.

Finally, there will almost always be shop fees, which are usually 5-20% of the total bill. That can be quite a significant fee if your total bill is $3,000 in labor.

6 Symptoms Of A Bad V10 Engine

It’s usually easy to notice when your engine is failing. But, how do you tell when it’s time to replace the engine?

Usually, the only real decision point is when it costs more to repair or rebuild the engine than it does to replace it – and you want to keep the truck.

1. Knocking Engine

Engine knock can cost over $3,000 to fix. And, it’s usually caused by thrown bearings.

When that happens, you might need new cylinders and new rods. That can cost significantly more than a new engine, especially if you have trouble finding new engine parts for your V10.

2. Fluid and Coolant Issues

An engine that is wearing out will go through fluid at a significant rate. You might see gasket issues, constant mixing fluids, and constant issues with having to refill the oil.

If you can’t find the leaks or the gaskets are new, it might just be that the engine is wearing down. You could always try a resurface, but dismantling and rebuilding your engine can cost as much as a new one.

3. Seizing

If your engine has actually seized, you’ll have to replace it or at least rebuild it.

You might need a new block, new rods, or even a full new short block to repair a seized engine. And chances are, the new V10 will be cheaper.

4. Smoke from the Exhaust

Your exhaust should never smoke. If it does, you may have a leak or an airflow issue. Therefore, fixing the issue could be a simple matter of changing gaskets or filters.

On the other hand, it could mean the cylinders are going out, the timing is off, or the injection system is failing. In each case, you could try to replace the one part, but replacing the engine might be a better call if other parts are failing as well.

5. Overheating

Your vehicle should not overheat as a regular thing. However, as connections start to degrade, the gaskets start to wear down, and parts wear down which means they are looser and create more heat from friction, your engine will overheat more often.

You can simply refill the coolant more often and be more careful with driving. However, you might also want to replace the engine.

6. Power Problems

Engines wear out as they age. This is mostly friction causing the parts to literally wear down.

You’ll also get clogs and built up grease, which can interfere with the efficiency of the engine. And, power connections degrade in your car just like they do in a house or a computer.

So, your engine will lose power over time, meaning you’ll eventually want to replace or rebuild the engine.

How To Replace A Ford V10 Engine (Videos)

Replacing an engine is not an easy job. In most cases, it will take you 2-4 days to replace an engine on your own. You may also need someone to help with stabilizing the engine block as it goes in and out of the car.

In addition, you’ll need specialty equipment, although you can often rent this.

Things You’ll Need

Wrench and ratchet set with sockets and deep sockets
Breaker bar
Drain pans
Pry bar
Floor jacks (at least two)
Transmission jack OR floor jack with a support
Disposable gloves
Replacement fluids (oil, cooling, power steering, transmission)
Cherry picker (lift) or engine jack
Lifting bracket for engine
Power steering pump pulley

Process: Removing the Engine

Remove the 4 bolts holding the hood on.
With the engine in neutral, position it on a hoist/cherry picker.
Remove the intake manifold.
Take off the accessory belt drive.
Remove the cooling module.
Slide the power distribution box forward.
Take off the starter.
Undo the 2 bolts underneath and remove the flexplate inspection cover.
Remove the cylinder block opening cover.
Take off the torque converter-to-flexplate nuts and then discard them so you don’t reuse them (they are single use).
Remove the lower five transmission-to-engine bolts. Leave the upper 2 transmission to engine bolts in place.
Drain the engine oil into a drain pan. Replace the drain plug and tighten to 22 Nm/17 lb-ft of torque.
Disconnect the A/C compressor’s connector and wiring harness retainer.
Remove the Crankshaft Position Sensor electrical connector.
Undo the bolts on the AC compressor and slide it to the side.
Remove the bolts on the starter rear support bracket and wiring harness.
Disconnect the block heater if your vehicle has one.
Detach the Engine Oil pressure switch.
Remove the wiring harness retainers from the oil pan bolt, power steering pump stud bolt, and engine block.
Take off all four Y-pipe flange nuts on the exhaust.
Undo all four engine support insulator nuts by hand, starting with the right side and then the left side.
Loosen the 2 transmission mount nuts.
Remove the left nut and position the transmission cooler tube support and starter wiring harness bracket out of the way.
Remove the power steering pressure tube support bracket nut.
Drain the power steering fluid.
Remove the bolt and detach the power steering fluid tubes from the steering gear. Mark the pulley with paint so that you don’t reinstall it more than once.
Loosen the bolts and stud bolts and remove the power steering pump and reservoir together.
Remove the electrical connectors and wiring harness retainers and the engine wiring hardness for the PCM electrical connector.
Remove the ground strap bolt.
Disconnect the connectors including right and left knock sensor connectors, cylinder head temperature, right camshaft position sensor, variable camshaft solenoid, right radio ignition interface capacitor, right ignition coil electrical connectors, right valve cover, left CMP sensor, radio interference capacitor, VCT solenoid connectors, transmission wiring harness, etc.
Disconnect the heater coolant hose.
Support the transmission with a flat board and a floor jack underneath, being careful to distribute weight so that you don’t punch a hole through the oil pan.
Undo the bottom transmission to engine bolts.
Install your engine lifting bracket.
Attach your cherry picker, lift, or floor crane to the bracket and support the motor and lift the engine from the frame.

Process: Installing the Engine

Position the engine block into the vehicle.
Apply thread lock and tighten the support bolts to 350 Nm/258 lb.-ft torque.
Remove the engine lifting bracket.
Tighten the lower 5 transmission-to-engine bolts. Tighten to 48 Nm / 35 lb-ft.
Tighten the 2 transmission mount nuts to 103 Nm / 76 lb.-ft.
Install the torque converter to flexplate nuts (36 Nm/27 lb.-ft).
Install the cylinder block opening cover.
Install the flexplate inspection cover and tighten to 34 Nm / 25 lb.-ft.
Install the A/C Compressor (25 Nm / 18 lb.-ft).
Position the transmission cooler tube support bracket and wiring harness support bracket (10 Nm / 89 lb.-in).
Install the starter wiring harness and rear support bracket (10 Nm / 89 lb.-in).
Put the starter in.
Install the Y-pipe flange nuts on the exhaust (40Nm/30 lb.-ft).
Put in the fuel and EVAP tube support bracket.
Tighten the upper 2 transmission-to-engine bolts,
Reconnect the wiring harnesses.
Install the ground strap (10 Nm / 89 lb.-in).
Connect the power steering pump and reservoir (25 Nm / 18 lb.-ft).
Install the power steering pump pulley.
Install the bracket and the fluid tubes for the power steering pump.
Reconnect the sensors and their wiring harnesses.
Replace the accessory drive belt.
Position the Power Distribution Box.
Place the cooling module.
Replace the hood.

Be sure to refill the fluids and allow the vehicle to idle for at least 30 minutes, refilling fluids as needed, before heating the engine.

Conclusion

If your Ford Triton engine is going out, you may be able to rebuild it. However, it may be cheaper to replace it. Replacing a Ford V10 engine typically costs between $5,000 and $12,500, depending on what you pay for the engine and what you pay for labor. In either case, the engine itself should cost $3,500-$10,500 depending on the condition and whether you’re buying the short or long block. From there, you’ll have to pay for about 15 hours of labor, and you’ll have a new engine in your truck.