A question for you guys. I have a 1998 F-150 with a 4.2 V-6. It has 75k miles and has always run strong. A week ago it developed a problem. Apparently the intake gasket let coolant leak into the #1 cylinder on the passenger side, causing the engine to hydro-lock, and it developed a bad knock. I took it to my local Ford dealership for the repair. When everything was tore down, the mechanic found that the connecting rod bent, and was the cause of the the knocking. Also, when he got the old piston out, it was missing a small piece (1/4 by 3/4 inch) of the skirt, which he couldn't find. The truck is covered under a pretty reputable after-market warranty. The mechanic suggested JUST putting a new piston, connecting rod, rod bearing, and gaskets into my old motor, and submitted that estimate to my warranty company. This DIDN"T include checking the head for cracks or surfacing, or any work on the cylinder.
I didn't agree with this repair. To me, it seems like a pretty cobbled idea, even the representative at my warranty company seemed to think so. But unfortunately they HAVE to go the recommendation of a "knowledgable and reputable dealership mechanic". But he isn't the one who has to rely on this vehicle every day.
So, what I am asking is:

#1 Is this a reliable repair, or am I being too cautious?

#2 Is there anything I can do to get work done the right way?

P.S. In case you're wondering, the dealership is Rochester Ford, Rochester, MN.

 

check www.leakingfords.com about this problem. tons of good info.

 

ok after checking again, i always thought it was the head gasket that was bad but i guess im wrong. Ok so .. .. hmmmm, yeah i would say yes you definately want to check the head, but its not really necessary in term of repair depending on exactly what happened. If you actually filled the entier cylinder (which it sounds like you did, i would think you would pretty much need a rebuild. But if actually ran after the incident, well maybe your ok. I know the mechanics but i lack the experience, hopefully someone will chime in.

Why wasnt your engine fixed during the tsb? or was it?

 

Just found the LeakingFords.com site. You were right. Lots of good info, but unfortunately none that can help me now. All it did was add to my frustration. What good is a TSB for faulty gaskets if Ford won't stand behind it? They picked only certain models and manufacture dates, even though it affected MANY more, including mine. Thanks anyway.

 

Although I'm not an engine builder, this doesn't seem like a sound rebuild to me.

The 4.2L engines built prior to 1/15/1998 have very serious issues with their lower intake gaskets. It's major problem, so it's not a shock that this happened: www.leakingfords.com

Somebody else, who's rebuilt a 4.2L will be along in time, but this repair really sounds fishy. I find it very unsettling that there may be a 1/4"x3/4" chunk of metal floating around someplace inside that engine.... It just doesn't sound right.

What really sounds awful though is that they didn't say anything about checking the heads. The head gaskets are most likely fine unless you've overheated the engine, but Ford specifically states that: "Main bearing caps must not be removed and then reinstalled without also removing the cylider heads and retightening to the proper torque. If the cylinder heads are not also removed, cylinder block distortion will result." That is from the 99B29 Ford Recall pages, so you can quote that to the adjuster or tech and see what they have to say about not removing the heads now that you're aware of the danger.

You would be a whole lot better off with a FQR (Ford Quality Renewal) engine. Are you getting anything more than a 12 month/12,000 mies warranty on this rebuild? I know that warranty co. is picking up that tab, but this doesn't sound like the correct way to repair an engine if you want it to last.

You should read your warranty contract to see what your options are on this.

Also: You may want to call Ford Motor Co and ask them why they built an engine they knew had a good chance of failing with less than 100,000 miles

 

If I am reading the article from leakingfords.com right, the TSB only covered certain models and certain manufacture dates, even though it affected many more. The 4.2 engines in the f-150's were only covered if manufactured before may of 1997. Mine was manufactured later 1997 (1998 model year), and didn't qualify, even though it had the same problems. Secondly, I wasn't even aware of this until I had the problem and started doing the research. thanks.

 

AjRagno, I agree very much. Luckily I raised enough of a stink about the head, that they are having it checked (at my expense). The engine never overheated, and luckily it doesn't appear that any coolant got into the oil, but who knows how long it was circulating in the engine? The dealership didn't even pull off the head unitl the warranty company specifically asked them to. And that was AFTER their estimate of the repairs. How can they determine what condition the cylinder is in BEFORE they pull off the head?
Unfortunately, my warranty company already accepted their estimate. They had to go with the "recommendation of a qualified dealer mechanic". I have other options, but they will cover this repair, or only that value ($1310) toward what ever else I decide to do, such as a reman engine, which would add up to about $2000 out of pocket. So, I am kind've hosed either way.

 

When you think about how Ford Motor Co operates, it's important to consider that most of their decisions are made by accountants, looking at quarterly profits, not the big picture.

The limit of the recall was an economic decision. It was easlier for Ford to lose billions of dollars in non-repeat customers, over a few decades, than it was to replace all of the obsolete gaskets, on all of the affected engines at once.

As for the recall and TSB(s): Ford recalled all F-Series trucks built from November 1995 through December 1996 to replace the faulty engine front cover gasket. When you read the TSB though, you can see that they actually used this same gasket on engines built through 5/1/1997. The trucks built from January through May of 1997 have an engine built with the same gasket, but Ford didn't recall them. It's easly enough to conclude that his was an attempt to save money.

Before Ford issued the recall for the engine front cover, they issued the TSB stating that the lower intake gaskets on 4.2L engines built prior to 1/15/1998 are also prone to premature failure. It is very obvious now that the concerns were real, as you can easliy find hundreds, if not thousands of 4.2L engines that failed as the result of engine front cover and lower intake manifold gasket leaks.

The front cover recall was for 4.2L F-Series trucks built prior to 1/1/1997. Ford paid to have these gaskets replaced. The TSB lists which engines also have the faulty gasket, yet were not recalled and also states which engines have the obsolete lower intake gaskets. Remember: we are going by engine build date rather than vehicle build date here.

Your engine was built with the faulty lower intake gasket (Ford never issued a recall for this gasket). You don't have to worry about the 99B29 recall of the front cover gasket though. Ford stopped using the faulty gasket in May 1997. You should already have the updated version.

 

I think the orginal question was repair or replace the damage. The sound from the bent rod was the rod hitting the crank. I would be suprised if the head had any damage. I have seen many of thes COBBELED repairs last a long time witn no problem.Any problem that might be there should show up before it leaves the shop. I did not understand the comment about the main bearings caps , since you dont touch them to replace a rod. As far as the esp, they can be hard to deal with because there are looking to save money not spend it.

 

honestly your situation is reversed from my experiances with aftermarket warranty companies. usually they only want to pay for the least expensive option. sounds like you allready have your boubts about the option your dealership has givin you and i agree. there are several engine builders out there that offer 3 year 100k mile warranty reman engines . sounds like you would be better served by finding an independant garage with a great word of mouth reputation to estimate the installation of one of these engines.

 

Thats the problem with some of these aftermarket warranty companies. Most of them are just insurance companies selling them & they try to get the repairs done as cheaply as possible. Believe me I've delt with several of them(such as AUL). I would demand a rebuilt engine in your case. Sure, they're not wanting pay for that , but read your policy that you got with your warranty & see what it states about engine replacement. After all you paid good money for this warranty & you should be able to use it----IMHO BTW, IF you can't seem to make them replace the engine at least make the extend the warranty on the repairs---get it in writing!

 

Call Ford and tell them....
We need everyone with problems with the 4.2L engines to do this. They CLAIM to me that if they get enough complaints of the same that something will be done. So call!

 

Don't waste your time calling Ford If your over 75,000 miles and never did any work with the dealer. Ford pretty much ends all after warranty goodwill adjustments at 75,000 miles. I work for a dealer and did engine work untill I became shop foreman and I've seen it happen time and time again with aftermarket warranty companies wanting to cut corners. Replacing the one rod will work provided the water in the oil has not damaged the bearing on the crank and cam, don't be to surprized if they end up putting one rod in and a few weeks later you wipe out a crank I've seen that several times. With the history of the 4.2 I would want at least a short block then when its done I would drive it straight to the new car dept and trade that baby off.

I would also try calling the warranty company yourself and raise a little hell.

 

UPDATE-UPDATE-UPDATE-- Well guys, I thought I would write and let you know how the repair ended up. I had the truck fixed at the dealership, replacing the parts they recommended (piston, connecting rod, rod bearing, hardware, gaskets, fluids). The dealership pretty well tied my hands with the warranty company. They rely on the "recommendation a of qualified ASE dealer mechanic", and will take that estimate because it is the cheapest repair available to get the truck runable again. The dealership recommended the cheapest repair available because they knew it would get the least resistance from the warranty, EVEN if it were not in the best long term interests of the customer. EVEN if I had taken it to another qualified mechanic who said that it was junk (and probably would have), they would ONLY cover the original estimate of repairs, OR apply that amount toward a replacement engine, or comparable repair.
But here is the real kicker. The warranty policy basically says that they will repair the vehicle to the same or comparable condition that it was before the breakdown. Roughly translated: The engine had 75,000 miles on it, so replace the damaged parts if that will make it runable. EVEN if the engine were in non-repairable condition, the warranty company may have only authorized a "salvage yard engine" with comparable mileage (this came right from the warranty representative).

So boys and girls, todays lesson is: If you opt for an extended warranty, read it very carefully FIRST. Many have stipulations that may exclude coverage or make you pay for several things out of pocket (diagnostic labor, tax, fluids,etc.), or even allow for a less than adequate repair.
Secondly, it seems that many repair shops are afraid of not getting paid for repairs from the warranty company, so they will automatically do the cheapest repairs possible, even if it is not in the customers best interest. So having an extended warranty may be more of a problem than a help.