Debating: replace engine, or sell truck...
 

1997 f150 4.2l v6 154k miles.

Rod knockin! Yes the lower intake and timing chain cover gaskets have been replaced. No sign of coolant getting in. May just be a coincidence. Who knows....

Anyways, the truck is in great shape otherwise.

Here is my debate that has been going on in my head. Keep in mind i have very limited funds.

Senario A: fix the engine. If i can get away with pulling it out and only fixing what it needs (cyl #2 rod bearing), then great! But is it really worth all that work??? What if its also a wrist pin??? Or other things?

Senario B: replace the engine. If im going through the hassle of pulling engine, why not throw in a different one? Do i roll the dice and get a junkyard engine, OR spend a little more and get a reman? LKQ seems to have a good price on remans. Anyone had any luck with a reman engine? I've heard mixed reviews. Either way, i can afford to put a different engine in.

Senario C: sell truck as is and get something different. This option makes the most sense, but a few problems. If i sold truck and cobbled together my funds (approx $3k), i could not get as good of a truck with that money because used trucks are very expensive for some stupid reason. $3K around here gets you a 10+ year old truck with over 200k miles on it. I just dont get it....

I feel stumped. Im leaning towards fixing what i got, but it feels odd to be investing money into an old truck with over 150k miles on it.

Has anyone else experienced a similar issue? Thoughts?

If it were a v8 truck if it were me I'd fix it but seeing how its a 6 I'd sell/part it out and get something else. You could tack a look around and see if there are any lower milage engines around. The 4.2 was made into the late 20xx's so you might fine one thats newer and low miles..

Yeah, id like to get something different. The problem i've been coming across is the used truck market is expensive. Im in minneapolis mn, and $3k gets you a high mileage, usually rusted truck.

I cant imagine my truck is even worth much at all with a knock. It is very clean and solid for its age though.

Its a crap shoot either way. I think i will just wait until spring to decide what to do....

Just curious, Anyone ever had any luck with a reman engine? Any recommendations?

If you get another engine, I'd recommend a 99+ so you don't have gasket issues.

If it were me I'd find a good rebuildable core and rebuild/have it rebuilt. Reman want exchanges anyway and you have to pay shipping (twice) so that pays for a core.. I'm in the process of doing that with the GM Van I have.. Get a core find a local machine shop..

I'm under the impression that paying a machine shop to rebuild an engine cost about the same, if not more, than purchasing a reman engine. I will call around anyways just to price out that option.

A funny side note, i took my truck to a local shop and had them listen to the knock to get their opinion, and they said "yeah, it needs work, but you could throw some lucas oil in there and drive it until it blows up." If the truck was a beater i totally would, but i'd prefer not to get stranded somewhere, lol.

Its not very loud yet, but its there. Around the 2500rpms, load or no load on engine. It goes away when i remove spark from cyl 2.

Another question, anyone ever tried just replacing the connecting rod bearings on the bad cylinder(s)?

If it is knocking, you most likely will have to get the crankshaft reground and use undersized bearings. If you run it until it blows you will need a new engine for sure then and it won't take long if it is a bearing knock.

Way back, I heard a rod knock in my 65 Chevelle 300hp 327 V8. I heard it as soon as it started and knew what it was. I took it to the craft shop at Ft. Bliss the next day and pulled the engine. Sent the block, crank, rods/pistons to a machine shop and they polished the crank and told me to put standard bearings back in. They installed new cam bearings. I put new rings on the pistons, new standard rod and main bearings in it, ground the valves in the shop and did the rebuild for $98 back in 1968. Prices have changed a bit since then. I was out running it from 0 to wide open and it usually ran 140mph. That day it would only run 130 and I soon found out why. The #6 rod bearing looked like it had been scorched.

Well that answers that question. Didn't think about the damage to crankshaft.

I'll probably end up putting in a used or reman engine, unless a really good deal on a used truck pops up on craigslist. I have until spring to make up my mind.

In the meantime ill price out remans. So far LKQ seems to have the best deal at about $1800. Any other recommendations for reman engines would help. Thanks.

I'd be wary of the cheapest engine remans. there is a reason they are cheap.

I had my oe 305 V8 engine in my 86 Monte Carlo SS replaced with a new Chevy GM Goodwrench engine at 124k miles. They had a 3 yr, 36k mile warranty. Made in Mexico. Cost only $1200 in 1997. The first one was replaced under warranty after about 5k miles. the second one was replaced at about 10k more miles and the third one had bad valve seals or too large valve guides. If it sat for a month without starting, it would smoke like a forest fire for 5 minutes or so on startup. I sold the car to a good home. I had long before bought a replacement car and didn't drive it much any more. It was going to be a retirement project but I finally realized I would never get around to it and basically the car was a pos.

My personal opinion... I'd drop the pan, replace the bearings and see what happens. It's cheap and you can take a good look at the crankshaft. I have never done the V6, but the V8 and V10 can be done with the engine in the truck. It's worth $60 - OK $80 if you don't reuse your oil. :)

I'd rather have a used Ford OE engine with 75k miles on it than a cheap rebuilt engine.

If you are stubborn and meticulous, rebuild that sucka! I rebuilt my first engine at age 19 and the second one at age 24. But, cars were simple back then, 1956 265 V8 Chevy Convertible, and 1965 Chevelle 327.

The V-6 is easy to work on, unlike the Triton V-8's.

Made a few calls to some local salvage yards. A few quotes they gave me:

$850, ~150k miles, $100 core
$1000, ~100k miles, $50 core
$1800, ~71k miles, $100 core

These are approx prices and mileage. Different places had different core charges.
Why in the hell are these prices so high?! Why are used trucks so expensive?! What am i missing here
here?! Probably people buying trucks who dont need a truck. Now someone like me who needs a truck for his business is stuck.... Lol, i should just buy a cheap minivan to haul around my supplies. Probably wouldnt last long, but im running out of options.
How ironic, the ppl who really need a minivan are driving their families around in crew cab trucks (jacking up the cost of the truck market), and then ppl who NEED a truck for work have to make do with a minivan. I'm starting to see more contractors in old minivans at home depot crammed to the top with supplies. Wtf... Oh well, i suppose its a free country and ppl should be able to drive what they want rather than what they need.

Thanks for letting me vent.

I have a theory on the engine prices. In these trucks, I think the engines tend to die before the trucks die so there is more of a demand. In my old Lexus with the famous 2JZ or 1UZ, you can get them for $500 because they run forever and the cars tend to get totaled or wear out when the engines are still good. I had over 200k on that Lexus when I sold it and half those miles were boosted.

Anyway, like I said earlier, drop the pan, stuff bearings in, see what happens. If you're unethical, sell it after replacing bearings with an ad stating "fresh lower end rebuild!" I couldn't do it, but...

I went through this same sanerio 5 years ago engine was trash so sell or replace? well I was short on funds also and truck was sitting around untouched for 3 years. I decided to invest in having a shop rebuild and replace the engine. If you take a chance with a used engine 3 years later you could be in the same boat. Not worth taking a chance so I went with them rebuilding mine. I paid a fare price but I also had the warranty and piece of mind that it was reliable. its been five years truck is running like new and best investment I ever made. If your keeping the truck and its in good shape inside and out I would go with replacing the motor. I had no body damage and interior was in great shape.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.f15...5e5da16345.jpg


My f150