MY 1997 F-150 (74000 MILES) NOW HAS A BLOWN HEAD GASKET AND NEEDS A NEW ENGINE. THIS IS THE SECOND GASKET PROBLEM THAT I HAVE HAD IN LESS THAN TWO YEARS. THE FIRST WAS THE TIMING GASKET. I WAS TOLD BY A FORD MECHANIC THAT FORD RAN A "PROGRAM" REPLACING THE TIMING GASKET BUT WHEN I CALLED THE FORD HOTLINE THEY KNEW NOTHING ABOUT IT.
I REALLY LOVED MY F-150, BUT SINCE I STILL OWE ON THE TRUCK I HAVE NO OPTION, BUT TO TRADE IT IN ON SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE RELIABLE.
HAS ANYONE HAD ANY GASKET PROBLEMS OR DID I GET THE ONLY LEMON? A COUPLE OF MECHANICS AND PARTS SUPPLIERS HAVE TOLD ME THAT THE 97 F-150 4.2 ENGINE WAS NEW TO FORD AND IT PROBABLY HAS SOME BUGS TO WORK OUT. IT HAS BEEN ALOT OF FUN TRYING TO LOCATE A NEW MOTOR!!! I AM TRULEY AGGRAVATED WITH MY F-150 AND THE DEALER WHO SOLD IT TO ME!

 

Hey I'm sorry to hear of your woes. I got one exactly like it. Let me tell you what I have learned.

This engine did have a problem for Ford in 97 and some of 98. The main trouble they had was the timing gear cover leaking coolant into the crankcase and the antifreeze attacking the bearings which resulted in lower end knocks. I know that the 3.8 engine was notorious for head gasket problems (this is a variant of that engine) but I don't know of any trends of this in teh 4.2. Ford seemed to have solved it in the 3.8 generation in about 93 or so.

Ford did release a TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) addressing the timing cover leak issue. In 98 they addressed the gasket leaking problem in the production line and seem to have solved it for the later part of the 98 year run. But early 98 and all of 97 have this as a known issue. It doesn't affect all engines but it does affect enough to have gotten their attention. Not enough for them to issue a recall but enough for them to do an inspection such as what you experienced. As far as what that does to you now is sort of mute.

I don't have the number of the TSB handy at the moment. Where are you located? I'm in Florida. We can compare notes. I'm in the middle of an engine re-do at this very moment. Maybe I can offer better condolences.

Drop me a line at Tom_Gibbs@hotmail.com if you want to compare notes on what I learned and what my Ford dealer has acknowledged about it. In fact drop me a line and I can maybe help you decide which way to head on this.

Wait till you see what they are going to offer you for trade-in value.....

Good luck and yes they are nice trucks past that problem.

 

Yes finding an engine for it isn't the easiest. But they are out there or you can buy a rebuild kit for them.

You do NOT want to know what Ford will charge you for a new engine. It will really start to make you mad.

 

Toms right. They did inspections and if yours was faulty Ford replaced it. My truck had the timing cover replaced at 50,000 miles. $700. I paid $100 and the warrenty paid the rest. Ironiclly 2 weeks later I recieved a letter from ford addresing the problem and suggesting you have it inspected. But being that it was already replaced, they refunded my and the warrenty company the money. 3 weeks later I get my check for $100 back.

 

i just sent my 4.2 1997 fi50 to the shop for a coolent leak.i was told it is from the timeing cover and it looks like a external leak now but i will find out more monday when they tear it down.i am glad that i bought a warrenty for it as it will be covered no matter what they have to do.

 

On mine also. I was lossing coolent, and took it to the dealer here. The said timing cover gasket needed replaced from a re-call on the 97 V6's. They did that, but it still leaked. So I took it back, that's when they found the #3 cylinder head gasket leaking. They fixed that. (Had to rebuild bottum of the motor, the #3 crack bearing was shoot and the crack was almost cut in half from hte anti-freeze in the oil) I have had no more troubles from it though. A real strong motor for a V6.

 

update on my 97 4.2 got it back from the shop today and it was only the timeing cover gasket.out of pocket cost 150.00 the extended warrenty covered the rest.called ford customer care and told them i was not pleased with the problem never given a complete recall to the customer.after all that i still like my truck but had to vent my flustrations.great to have it back got sick of driveing a car.

 

What is that Ford Hotline number?

 

the number to customer assistance is 800-392-3673

 

Add me to your list of dead 97's. Our truck was running fine one day and the next day sounded like a diesel. Sure enough, engine blown due to leaking coolant. We never had a recall notice. We're still paying for this truck and I gotta tell ya we are steamed. These engines are not "built Ford tough". Our dealer quoted us $7,000.00 canadian for the repair. We had another mechanic put in a rebuilt for $3,000.00. I wonder how long this one will last!

I talked to a friend who works in Ford Customer Service who told me this is a known problem to Ford and to their dealers and to register a complaint and to document all our repairs since their may be a recall in 8 - 9 months. I think we should inundate them with complaints. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

 

I had a similiars leak with my timing chain cover on my 5.4. I was leaking oil and the cover was the culprit @ about 40,000 miles. Luckily it was under warranty and cost me nothing, other wise it was at least a $400 job if I remember right. I now have 95,000 and no leaks and no missing coolant but I do have an odd knock or ping that Ford cannot figure out.

 

Got my Dads '97 in the shop and it had leaked water 'til the oil pump locked, stripped and then bottom end came apart. Found a new 30m '01 and got it in but having trouble deciding if I need to use the old wiring harness, if injectors on '01 are the same as '97. If not I guess it is replace the PCM. Any ideas

Add some to this:
Actually tore dpown the 4.2 and both heads were cracked in the center, not repairable on the bottom end. It is built to be discarded if it breaks. Hope I can stay lucky with my PS 250 and will go back to an engine that will stay together and can be rebuilt. Guess I may end up driving the '75 454 Chevy again some day?

 

I just dropped off my 97 F-150 4.2 at the dealer today and received a call back telling me that I have a blown head gasket, and that they will need to send the heads out to a machine shop to see if there are any cracks. I was told that if the heads are cracked or warped, that the heads will be replaced and not machined. I also had the timing gasket leak fix about a year ago, all I can say is thank god for the extended warranty. I also had a problem with the door locks and a loose clamp on the rear leaf springs all of wich are being replaced under warranty.

 

Don't bother too much with the 800-customer service #. It's alright to call but don't expect them to be the least bit helpful. They have very little information and no power at all to help you.

What you do depends on how important your time any money is to you. It's always best to try to work with the dealer that you purchased the truck from. They have responsibility to listen to you and help fix your problem, even if your warranty has expired. Thay can speak on your behalf to get Ford to help pay for a new engine. Deal with the service manager, customer relations, and owner. No one else has the power to have your engine replaced out of warranty.

Ford is aware of the 4.2L's leaking timing chain, intake manifold, and head gaskets. The TSB is an admission of their knowledge of the problmes they've created. They built and sold an inferior engine and should be held accountable. www.lemonaidcars.com even states that Ford has an unofficial 7yr/100,000 warranty for '97 engine failures due to leaking gaskets. Coolant Loss/Engine Oil Contamination, 3.8L, 4.2L
Article No.
99-20-7

Ford Regional Contacts http://www.bonforums.com/contacts/contacts_fordreps.htm

If anyone is up for a law suit the "IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY" may help, depending on your states Uniform Commercial Code statute of limitations. Under the law, the dealer and Ford are both responsible for the vehicle you purchased living upto normal expectations. Read the definition and see if you believe the engine has lived up to even your most conservative expectations

I would also hope that anyone here who's had a failed 4.2L is willing to share their repair orders with anyone else in the same situation looking for proof of a design flaw. I would really like to see the work orders scanned and posted here.

More fun links:
http://www.bonforums.com/legal/lawsuit_38_engine.htm
http://philip.greenspun.com/politics...-disputes.html
www.fordreallysucks.com

 

This is an EXCELLENT post.

I have discussed this very same thing with more than a few people in my travels.

Ford knows of these engine problems. Your ability to approach Ford is the key to getting a satisfactory fix to this problem. No they won't graciously offer you a new engine and thank you for coming. But they do have the ability to recitify or at least help defray some of your expense. Don't expect them to have bags of cash sitting around to hand out with a smile, but if you stay sane, professional, persistent and knowledgeable as to your options, you can get Ford to see things your way.

This isn't a small problem. It has affected a lot of 4.2 engines. It does appear as though Ford addressed this and upgraded the headgaskets used in the 98 model year production.