Okay, so here is what just happened to me. On my way home my Oil Pressure gauge starting jumping from L to the middle, then back. Every so often it would go to L, then back to middle.

Well, I get off my exit and the truck stalls(low RPMs). I restart it, but there is a BAD knock coming from under the hood. I get it to a gas station(stalls again at low RPMs) and look at the dipstick. NOTHING on it, mind you, I haven't seen a lot of smoke out of the tailpipe AND I am still not over my 3K for my oil change. When I was pulling into my driveway it stalled for a 3rd time at low RPMs.

I have NO clue what happened and what to do. I was hoping someone on here had a similar problem and knows what it is. I searched the forums and didn't find anyone with this problem. God, I am hoping my engine isn't shot. I will be VERY unhappy.

Any help would be MUCH appreciated.

 

Do you do your own oil changes? Or do you entrust your truck to a JiffyLube or some oil change rip-off joint?

Any engine that would burn roughly 4 quarts in <2,000 miles would be smoking like a diesel.

 

I used to do my own, but now I usually go to a place. I did go to a place with my last oil change.

That's what I was thinking. NO WAY I could burn through THAT much oil without a BIG cloud of smoke behind my truck.

 

Not ignition related. No idea what that is exactly though.
_________________________
Taux calculette pret immobilier |
Calcul emprunt pret immo |
Taux interet calculette credit immobilier

 

check your oil filter.

if i were desperate enough to go to a place to have it done, i would be under there with a fine-tooth comb and a flashlight before i drove away

 

Okay, when I stopped at the gas station, I added 6 qts, because I was freaking out. I just went out and checked my dipstick and it was WAY over the Max line, leading me to believe that the crankcase wasn't bone dry. I still have the knock though.

 

sounds like its done

 

Sue the oil change place.

 

Any CEL on? Since you stated you added oil and that put you "WAY over the Max line" then I'd say you had the proper amount of oil. Perhaps your oil pump\sending unit is going or already is bad?

 

Well, after doing some more checking, I think it is a bad rod. That's a rebuild or replace the engine. I have a cousin who can rebuild it. I'm just wondering which is better, rebuild or replace? I'm sure it is much cheaper to rebuild, but I don't know by how much.

Anyone rebuild one of these? If so, how much did it run you?

 

I have no experience with rebuilding these 4.2's but I build 5.0 based engines so the following comments are based on that experience.

If you trust the person doing the rebuild that may be the better alternative. Many places selling reman motors just slap them together with little regard for tolerances. I've seen reman motors from supposedly reputable shops (including Ford Crate engines) that were not put together properly. Just because you get a warantee does not mean you get a quality build. I built a 347 out of one of the last new 5.0 blocks from Ford. The mains were out of round and the deck was out bank to bank and front to back. This was a new block so the chances that a used block is off is pretty good and the reman companies don't always fix these issues as it is expensive.

If you in fact do have a bad rod bearing and want to rebuild this motor do not run it any longer. Believe it or not the copper from the bearings can destroy the cylinder walls requiring the engine to be bored. A refresh can be done pretty inexpensively, if you have to bore the motor that means new pistons and that means a rebalance. This really drives the cost up.

 

personally, I would do a V8 swap.

 

If you are still driving it does the knock go away after a few minutes?