Heres a little bit of info...I noticed a light oil leak at 33,xxx on my 1999 4.6L 4x4ORP. Dealer put a new head gasket on it, less than 5000 miles later, had the same leak again. Now they are telling me that Ford " had a little problem" with the machineing of the heads, they didnt tell me what months or years that are considered "scarred" but If I hadnt of noticed it 3000 miles before the warrenty was up then I would be footing the bill for the new HEAD!! they are installing. They said that there is a Tech bullitian out on it but I thought I would say some thing here because you know Ford won't tell you to look for the problem.

After fighting for 6 hours to get a loaner car because they wont have the part for three days (after having it for two) which is a whole nother thread in its self!!! I have a very "its us verse them attitude."

Keep the rubber side down.....

 

a ford 4x4 and a harley? you need a ol,lady with a sheep skin and a paycheck to kill two birds with one stone...looking good on the hog or in the truck(she cancome get ya when the hog breaks down in your truck) and help pay the bills ..the bills that kill.

 

That very same leak, (slightly out of warranty), caused me to ditch my 99' 4.6L. Thanks to Ford for NO HELP AT ALL on the repair, (only 38,200 miles when I noticed it).

I won't have another because of it !

 

Just got my Ravin z-55 muffler installed this morning by Midas. Great job and just the tone I was looking for. Midias tech brought to my attention a wet bell housing! Yep, passanger side head oil leak is Backkkk at 10,762 miles! I had the head gasket replacment done at 7951 miles for the same problem. The dealership that I did not buy the truck from (that's another story) is taking good care of me....total engine replacement! And not a FQR..a true off the line motor. This dealership also did the gasket repair, which I cannot fault them for. Did what Ford told them to do. I'll keep everyone informed of how everything goes.

JR

2001 F-150, 4.6L Auto, Ravin z-55 SI/SO. and hopefully a new motor!

 

Do you know which engine you have?

 

Yep! It's a 4.6 L V-8 Romeo.

 

I wonder how many heads are out there that are bad...10%, 20%, 60%. And how many are noticed after 3yr/36,000....damn well knowing the leak was there from the start.

My dealer ship did the head gasket fix first, if it would of held for 1 year or 12,000 then I would have to pay put of pocket when it went bad again.

Sounds like ford is instructing the dealerships to try the cheap fix and hopes to avoid a costly head repair. Which is bull $@# in my book. Especially since I was made to believe it news to them that the head was scratched.

 

Just got the news...I'm getting a FQR replacement engine. Who knows, I could be the recipent of one of my fellow F-150 Online pals old blocks? I feel like I'm getting hosed! I mean great people here, but I don't want to swap my problem for yours! And I wonder which one of you will get mine when it's re-maned??
Feels great!!! Don't it?

I purchased a new engine 9 months ago that was flawed..I want it replaced with a newly manufactured engine that is built correctly!

JR

2001 F-150, 4.6 L (x2) Auto, Ravin z-55, Sportsmasters, and a large payment on a hunk of recycled metal.

 

I'M LEAKING! Looks like I'm next in line to get yours! Yeehaaaw! I was just browsing the forums, and noticed the "Leaky Head Gasket" posts. Thought I'd go take a look under my hood to check things out - Sure enough, my 1999 5.4L passenger-side gasket has the infamous leak. If not for good quality, at least Ford should get a pat on the back for consistency!

A few questions....
#1) My Odometer reads 43,162 miles, and I am now out of warranty my friends. How has Ford been handling this "known" problem (I found the TSB on it) for the sorry suckers who wait until after 36k to discover their leaks? Any suggestions on a route to take that will get Ford to foot the bill on repair?

#2) I'm no expert on engines. Someone please educate me: What is the significance of this leak of mine (more of a seep actually)? What problems could it cause down the road if left untreated? I haven't noticed any effect on performance yet...the oil on dipstick is looking REAL dark after ~2500 miles though.

Thanks in advance for the help! I'm listening to anyone and everyone who can add a little info...
-JM

 

I've known about this problem with the trucks for a little under a year. Last year my Cobra 4.6l DOHC started to leak between numbers 1 & 2 cylinders. I have 31,000 miles on it. Took it in last week. Base warranty is almost up. Any way there is a TSB to replace heads if gasket leaks.
I have a friend at a merc dealer that tells me it's not the heads, but the blocks on the 4.6l and 5.4l truck blocks.

If I have to wait more than 5 weeks for a head?(the service writer was scaring me I hope). Then I will ask for a check, or trade it and my F150 in on a BFT Powerstroke. God, I'm going to go broke. On edit: I changed my mind, my F150 is still got 100K left in it. Maybe a V6 stang, and I'll put an IRS, and a 4.2l truck engine. Go find me some GT's to play with.

Mike

 

Took my truck to the dealership today ('99 5.4L - passenger side head gasket is "seeping"). They told me a seeping head gasket is not that serious and that I would be OK if I just leave it unrepaired. Is that true? What problems might I run into in the future if I don't get the seeping gasket fixed now? Will it significantly decrease my engine life? This is an important decision for me since I really like this truck and plan to keep it until it drops. I was hoping to get 200k out of the motor (at 43k now). Can I get another 167k on a seeping head gasket?

Anyone?

All help is appreciated,
JM

 

Jedi,

The seeping will only get worse. It will take about a year, or 10,000 miles to get to the ground. Once it hits the ground it becomes a nuisance. It wont go away on its own. One thing to confirm is that it is indeed leaking from the gasket, and not the valve cover seal.
I read you are out of warranty. All you can do is write a letter to Ford. Find out first the TSB numbers, and put those in the letter. Probably wont help, but it's worth a try.
There may be other answers on here.

Good luck,

Mike

PS. My cylinder head for my car should be in Friday. Maybe it will be done on June 4.

 

Thanks Mike-
When you say "nuisance", do you mean "engine problems" or just a little oil getting on the driveway, etc. My new best friend, The Seep, has already pretty much worked its way to the bottom of the engine. It stares back at me whenever I poke my head down there. No spots on the driveway yet though.
-JM

I'll check around the valve cover to see if The Seep lives there.

 

My 99' 5.4 has your friend too jedi! The dreaded seep! But for know it is just a seep and no seep or even a very minor leak (Another friend) won't cause engine problems unless it is leaking/seeping INTO the cylinders or seeping/leaking so much that your oil quantity goes down far enough to cause engine wear.

If your oil is getting real dark between oil changes its is caused by a chemical reaction from carbon blow by (The rings and valve seals) Make sure your PCV vavle is clean and working properly and don't use anything higher than 87 octane REGULAR gas (unless you have a chip) Other than that it is pretty normal.


peace-

 

What hcmq said.
Wipe it down as best as you can. And then observe it. How long does it take to hit the pan?

MK