are the 4.2L's....
 

A pretty good engine? Are the heads pretty good or are they crap? And does the superchip, really help on MPG and HP?

thanks for the imput guys,


Fake

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Ford vs Chevy
www.fordvschevy.com
Moderator: Road Kill, Mustang vs F-bodies
2000 White F-150 Sport 4.2L 5-speed,3.55 rear end gears
No Mods Yet

The 4.2l is an underrated engine. Obviously, its not as good as the V-8's but they do a credible job. Some say that the V-6 don't have power. Actually, they do have power, its just not on demand. The V-8's, when you want power, BOOM its there. The V-6, you have to wait till it builds up RPM's then you start to haul A55. Highway miles are great, as long as you cruise at 60-70 mph. Above that expect to cut 2-5 mpg's. Hauling with a heavy load (6500 lbs GVW) with 60-70 mph highway cruising, I can get 18-20 mpg's which is very credible. Haven't towed anything so I don't have anything to say about that. The V-6 gets great highway mpg's (even with overloads) but city mpg's even with no load, I have gotten as low as 12.9 mpg. 26,000 overloaded miles and still going strong. I hear the Superchip adds greatly into the performance of the V-6, making it comparable to the 4.6l V-8. I see you have the manual. From what I hear performance as far as quickness is concerned is quite respectable with the V-6. I have an automatic, and the feeling was that what I am driving is no car. Hauling with an occasional overload would be no problem for you. I will however urge you not to do towing cause the manual tranny is weak.

Leo dC

I'm pretty happy with the 4.2. Last fall I ran down to Charlotte (from Rochester,NY) and with the cap and tailgate off I got 18 mpg. As for the power, as in the last post, It has it but with a slight delay. Remember that it is pushing a 5000 lb truck. I have to say to go with 3.55's rather than the 3.08's. Around town the mileage sucks up here in the cold weather. (13.7mpg). The $500 rebate instead of the +750 made for an easy $1250 decision as I dont tow anything. With all that said, yep, It'll do in a pinch!!

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"99" F-150 4x2,ext, med red / silver, 4.2L, auto, 3.55's, 265x16's premium snd w/cd, 4 wheel antilocks, leer "too heavy" matching cap, Mobil 1.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot, I was assured that the 99 model does not have the head issues that have plagued the 3.8's in the past. Beleive me, after our Taurus boned us at 62Kmi, I was a bit skeptical. Time will tell. C-ya...........

Ford frequently has incentives on the V-6, and I figure mine was $1,800 cheaper than a similar 4.6L, plus cheaper registration and insurance. Otherwise, its the exact same truck, so that $1,800 was a lot for 0.4 liters and 2 cylinders. A 4.2 w/5 speed should be close to $3,000 cheaper than a 4.6/w auto. I know, the 4.6 has greater resale value and is a better engine, but I bet my Superchip & K&N will let me keep up with a stock 4.6.

Just put my chip in last week and don't even have a full tank of gas through it yet, but eyeballing the gauge it appears to be getting better or the same fuel mileage, and I've been driving it much harder than normal to feel the chip.

It is not a fire breather w/the chip, but it does pretty well when the revs are up. If you need a fast truck, get a 5.4.

If you get the 4.2, get the 3.55 gears & Superchip. BTW, mine took a long time to break in, and seemed much faster at 10,000 miles than it did at 3,000 miles.

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1999 XLT S/C, 4.2 V-6, auto, 3.55 rear, dark torreador red/harvest gold, bed liner, Sony 10 disc CD, Edelbrock IAS, K&N filter, Superchip

Dave, I agree that the 4.2 seems a bit hotter after 12Kmi. At first mine seemed like a real rag, but now after the first year, it does seem like there is more initial response. Sure its no tire sizzler and it may be worth less at resale (as I so often hear), but I didnt buy it to sell it. DRIVE IT,, ENJOY IT!!.

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"99" F-150 4x2,ext, med red / silver, 4.2L, auto, 3.55's, 265x16's premium snd w/cd, 4 wheel antilocks, leer "too heavy" matching cap, Mobil 1.

Thanks for the imput, guys. I think some of ya'll thought I was going to buy a new ford. But I bought one 3 weeks ago. (read the sig)
It is a 5 speed, 3:55's, and a sport.
Haven't calculated the MPG yet. I have gone 50 miles in town driving and the gas guage just moved off Full. SO I guess I'm getting 18 to 19 in town...


fake

------------------
Ford vs Chevy
www.fordvschevy.com
Moderator: Road Kill, Mustang vs F-bodies
2000 White F-150 Sport 4.2L 5-speed,3.55 rear end gears
No Mods Yet

Check my post in the "Any trouble-free 4.2s?" thread.

The 4.2 is great on the highway, I find. Gas mileage is not great but a little better than all the rest (what do you expect).

I drove from Ottawa to Toronto and back, probably 300 miles each way, all on 4-lanes and cruised at 130 km/h (80 mph). Engine really smooths out at speed. Doesn't mind a steady pace between 2,500 and 3,000 rpm. Very smooth sounding, with lots of pedal left.

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Black 2000 SC XLT short-box. 4.2 V-6, 5-speed, 3.55 Limited Slip. Side steps, CD, remote entry, FORD box liner. Add-ons: Older Windstar driver's side wiper blade (with the air scoop, because I don't slow down when it rains), back-up beeper, "f150online.com" sticker and snazzy Tweetie Bird floor mats.

My third F-series: '73 F-100, '98 F-150 and '00 F-150. Great trucks!

4.2 liter engine owner and love the truck. and w/ my gears, it HAULS BOOTY !! MPG is 15-16.7 in town, higher on the open HWY.

F&B's

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98 F-150 XLT, SC, SWB, 2WD, 4.2L auto, 4.10 gears w/ LS, Tow Pkg. BFG AT 265/75/16, K&N air filter, Dynomax muffler, Superchip, Edlelbrock shocks, Hellwig sway bar, 3" body lift, signal mirrors...tons of cosmetic products


[This message has been edited by franks&beans (edited 01-22-2000).]

Hummm.... Lets see
No piston slap
No spark knock
No ruff idle from wire harness
No cold start belt noise

Sounds good to me.


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98 F-150 XL 4x4, 4.2L, 5sp, 3.55 LS, tow package, 8 ft box, P255x70 R16

Well for 2000, the V8's problems are pretty much gone. Had no trouble with my 97 or 99 4.6l v8.

F&B, give me a little info on the Dynomax exhaust you put on. Is it a cat back system, or just a muffler replacement. I was thinking about the Gibson with the two out the rear. I'm undecided.... Thanks..

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"99" F-150 4x2,ext, med red / silver, 4.2L, auto, 3.55's, 265x16's premium snd w/cd, 4 wheel antilocks, leer "too heavy" matching cap, Mobil 1.

I dont know which engine I prefer. I owned a 97 F150 5.4l and now I own a 99 F150 4.2l. Boy do I miss that V8!!! But the discount for the V6 sold us on it. The V6 has power, just seems to me that you can only get the most of that power at higher RPMs. I hope to get exhaust, and super charger. What do you guys think about putting a SC on a V6?

Josh

About the "cold start belt noise", I have the V-6, and I hear a noise on cold starts until it warms up, and it will also happen when the heater is turned on...has anyone heard of this happening on the V-6's?

Thanks,
Chris

I had a '97 4x4 with the 4.2L V6. That motor was a piece of crap. It never had any power and it bent a rod and cracked the oil pan at 20,000 miles. This was during 65mph highway driving. Factory warranty covered it but I traded the sucker in as fast as I could after that. I have a 99 Lightning now and that truck is scary strong.