Hello all,

The engine on my 1998 F150 with 120K miles on it suddently stopped while idling at a stop light.

The engine made no noises, vibrations, or any other kind of warnings prior to this happening. The oil gauge was normal and no dummy light was lit.

I took the starter off, pulled all spark plugs, and tried turning the engine from crankshaft bold (near pulleys). The engine just will not turn. Is this a seized engine? Should I try something else?

If it is a seized engine can anyone tell me their experiences with getting a salvage engine or rebuilt? I heard Motorcraft sells engines, has anyone every purchased one as a rebuilt from Motorcraft?

Any suggestions and advice is greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

 

The only reason i want to say it's a fuel line problem is because you say the car was idling at a stop light with no warning symptoms at all..... But that's just my guess. Hope you figure it out though and if you do let us know what the hell happened.

 

no noises? not a sputter?? could be a electrical problem maybye a major ground came loose?? as for not it not cranking by hand ... how does the oil look??

 

The oil level seemed low, maybe by 1 quart or so. It needs to be changed if this engine ever runs again.

I read a few stories about the ac compressor or alternator or power steering pump being frozen that would not allow the motor to turn. I will try turning it with the belt off tonight.

I also read something about a fuel injector continuously leaking fuel into the cylinder that would cause "hydrolock". I removed 6 of the 8 spark plugs as I can't seem to reach the two in the back.

I think I have to research a rebuilt engine??

 

i heard hydrolocking is rare. even 1 quart low on oil wouldnt do that.even if a pulley did seize while driving your belt would have probably snapped,then it would have died, youd have a little warning. it can run with no belt until battery dies. you said it just died all at once right? no sign of a problem?

 

Check out those big grounds over by the batterey side on the firewall - Check out those big copper maxi fuses on the firewall as well - your inertia switch will trigger if these are disrupted.

 

Did you have the defroster running ?????

I know that this may sound strange, but on my wife's minivan the ac compressor seized. When tried to run the defroster it would cause the the ac clutch to engage and it stalled the engine without snapping the serp. belt.

The remedy was to remove the ac relay from the fuse block until I was able to get the compressor replaced.

Good luck !!

 

I think Tiny1 is on the right track. Pull the belt and try to start it. If it doesn't start, try a breaker bar on the crank pulley. If you tried cranking it while locked up lots of times, the starter may be burned up. Also check the positive cable at the starter. The cable connection corrodes through at the starter in cold climates.

 

Thanks for your suggestions.

I pulled the serpentine belt off and tried to turn the motor with a breaker bar on the crankshaft bolt (with starter off and spark plugs removed). Unfortunately no luck, the motor will not budge. I am certain that the engine is seized. I added 2 quarts of oil, thinking that the dipstick will actually have oil on it, but still nothing. I originally thought the oil was 1 qt. low, but it looks like the engine is toast.

I am looking for a rebuilt engine now and I would like to know if what kind of experience to expect.
So far I saw Jasper Engine ($3044), PowerPro2000 Engine($2375), Rhino Engine ($2375)... What others should I be looking at?

Which one should I choose? I am not familiar with engine rebuilders, so how do I know which one is better than the other? Is Jasper much better, does $600 more get me a much better engine? I notice that there are Ford OEM engines, which are even more expensive.

If anyone has any experiences, I would appreciate knowing (good or bad).

Thank you.

 

I've always had good results with the Jasper units I've installed. Jasper's got a cool install kit you can buy with the engine, it's like another couple hundred bucks or so, comes with hoses, belts, clamps, filters, etc. - saves a lot of time running back and forth between the parts stores.

 

I've gotten screwed by Jasper on the last 3 engines I tried to install. They sent the wrong engine on one; they didn't tighten the rod caps on another & then refused to pay the labor to pull their trashed one out & put another one in; & another was just too @*#&$ noisy - it got sent back, but they still didn't want to pay the labor for R&I. My shop won't be buying any more Jaspers, but IDK of any better source. Whichever one you get, check their warranty stipulations & coverage. If they won't pay to remove THEIR engine if it turns out to be bad, I'd be REALLY suspicious.

Personally, I prefer a good junkyard engine. At least you know what you're getting, and you can choose how much (little) you want to spend. My Bronco is still running fine 10 year after installing a junker, and my '94 CV w/'00 engine installed 2 years ago runs better than my '99 CV.

Of course, you have to KNOW what you're buying...

 

If the engine won’t turn over with a breaker bar on the crank bolt and the serpentine belt off then it is seized. If all you want is a replacement engine then this is a great deal:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/FORD-...QQcmdZViewItem
You will probably have to forfeit the core as your engine is not rebuild-able.
If you check eBay you will find many good deals.
If you get a PI long block you can use it with your plug wires and wiring harness/computer with no problem. I ran mine for a long time stock after installing the PI rebuild and my A/F gauge indicated everything was running perfect.
Good luck. I have changed my engine and it is not that difficult. You can pull it from the top with the radiator out.

 

This looks good too. They have great feedback.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/FORD-...QQcmdZViewItem

 

when we replace a ford engine in our municipal garage we are required to bid the replacement engine.

we have had many different rebuilders bid, the main respodents bid either Ford genuine reman or jasper brand

so far Ford remans have been the main one with a very few jasper wins
the fords are bid as drop ends, the jaspers always need extra parts, so we prefer the Ford remans, they are the low bid 95% of the time from a Ford dealer

 

+1 I agree if it is a 4.6 or 5.4 both engines have very little in the way of issues. Both regularly make well beyond 200,000 miles. If it is a 4.2, buy a reman, as it seems to have many more issues than the modulars.