Okay...first off this is my first time on the site and I have been reading like crazy....I'm also new to messing with my truck period. I've just never really had them explained to me. So anyways like anyones story I count every penny. A few months ago My check engine light came on. I took it to autozone to run the codes and one was a misfiring spark plug and the other said something about manfold intake switch stuck open....Something along thoses lines. Anyways I replaced the spark plugs and wired myself and took it to Ford for the other "thing" My parents were in charge back then so all was good and paid for by them. Don't really know what they fixed but I don't remember them saying anything about fixing anything to do with the manifold. I'm gonna see if somehow I can find out what they fixed. it was my irresponsibility for not knowing....but anyways Now for the real problem.

I came out to my truck one day and It wouldn't start. I would turn and nothing would happen. Took the starter off and took it to get it tested and autozone. It turned when he flipped the switch but he said it took too long for it to do it and I needed a new. So I took his advice and bought a rebuilt one (maybe i needed it maybe i didn't, it's done with) When I was putting the new starter on i noticed some clear stuff that was about to drop. Underneath there was a pile of something that had been dripping. Checked my fluids and my oil was perfect and my coolant was a lil lower but i had noticed for a few moths it had a leak somewhere but couldn't pin point. Just made sure I kept it full cause it didn't seem to be a huge leak. I tried to start it and it did the same thing. I walked away in frustration and then turned around it gave it another shot and it cranked.

Then it clanked and clanked and i shut it off. Looked under the truck, oil was everywhere. There was a hole in the oil pan the size of a half dollar. I have read about the manifold gasket leak on these engines and it sounds like I have made all the typical mistakes. My parents are having the engine replaced and I'm not going to get the truck back because of my irresponsibily of "racing the truck" The mechanic who diagnosed the problem, a close frien of my dad said the only way to blow an engine at 85,000 miles like that is buy reving it too high or running it low on oil. They insist that its completely my fault and I was racing it everywhere. i can honestly say that i may have red-lined that thing one time when i first got it a few years ago. It was not mistreated as far as "racing" everywhere. It's hard to look past the fact that a 20 year old college kid was driving. I'm just looking for some hard evidence that this could be the problem. The guy who worked on it had to replace some tranmission parts and the clutch. Anyways... Thanks for reading my post if you made it this far and thanks for your help in advance. I appreciate your knowledge and I hope to gain it. Thanks

jcoxe

 

please see my posting a few days ago "4.2L engine in 1997 F150 bombed at 80k miles". The 1997 F150 4.2 engine is a lemon.