Truck issues

**deathgodusmc** · 10-27-10, 08:41 AM

Well she an 99 f150 has 238 thousand miles and those were hard miles towing trailers and carrying absurd amounts of weight she simply was not designed for. I've had a few issues with her. Rebuilt the rear end twice(my fault 1/2 ton trucks aren't meant to put 2 to 3000 lbs in the bed), cam shaft position sensor, figured out that if the o2 wire touches the exhaust you blow the tranny fuse, and an alternator. Now out of the blue shes burning antifreeze on the number 3 cylinder. Which means head gaskets are gone.

Hard to believe it would just go out just like that. Still isn't over heating and still has the original water pump. So lucky me i get to rip the top of the engine apart today. Talk about sticker shock. I've done head gaskets at least a hundred times on vehicles. I have 2 on stands in the garage i could buy the kit for the job for about 60 bucks. Not this time 4.2 liter ford head ghasket kit 186 dollars. Then you have to buy 2 sets of head bolts because they are not reusable at 20 bucks a shot.

I'm undecided on replacing the lifters while im at it. If they were normal lifters i would have them sitting with the rest of the parts but at 17 dollars a piece and needing 12 of them makes me take a step back on it. I guess its going to come down to what the rollers on them look and act like once i have them in my hand. Gonna be a fun day lol.

**Alundil** · 10-27-10, 08:52 AM

Ouch - have fun?

I've got an 01 F-150 4x4 with 135k miles and am waiting/fearing one of the remaining 3 original ignition coils since I've replaced the other 5 over the last year or two.

**deathgodusmc** · 10-27-10, 08:57 AM

Originally Posted by Alundil

Ouch - have fun?

I've got an 01 F-150 4x4 with 135k miles and am waiting/fearing one of the remaining 3 original ignition coils since I've replaced the other 5 over the last year or two.

Yup fun thats probably why i haven't got off my ass and started lol. My brother had issues with his coils going bad as well. I havent replaced a coil on any of my vehicles yet. I wonder why that is. I know i clean my engines every once in a while use to be every week but other then that what could really be the difference?

**Alundil** · 10-27-10, 09:05 AM

not sure - what the little reading on the coil issue that I've done - a lot of people seem to think it might be water related. getting into the plugs perhaps through the wheel well or perhaps from a bad gasket on the hood/windshield. Other than that - no idea, but they get expensive.

**deathgodusmc** · 10-27-10, 10:35 AM

Cant be water related. Like i said i use to pressure wash mine every week.

**dex71** · 10-27-10, 10:47 AM

Originally Posted by Alundil

Ouch - have fun?

I've got an 01 F-150 4x4 with 135k miles and am waiting/fearing one of the remaining 3 original ignition coils since I've replaced the other 5 over the last year or two.

I've replaced three of my coils on my 01 Expedition (~120k miles)......Spendy little bastards, too. The last one went out while I was ~100 miles North of home deer hunting...so I had a two-place trailer with two ATVs on the back.....made it home, though.

@ Deathgod.......Could it be that you have a blockage in your cooling system that would put undue pressure on your headgasket? Just thinking out loud.......

**Alundil** · 10-27-10, 11:02 AM

Originally Posted by deathgodusmc

Cant be water related. Like i said i use to pressure wash mine every week.

Not saying your's is related - just mentioning that it was a frequent comment related to ignition coil issues with the F-Body Ford trucks

Car Talk - F150 ignition coil in the rain

There are a lot of discussions out there about Coil failures and F-150's sadly

**Toker** · 10-27-10, 11:55 AM

Damn man... good luck with all that...

Maybe it's time for a:

**Alundil** · 10-27-10, 12:05 PM

lol - yeah - not sure how I'm gonna go with the next truck. Either Siverado or F-150 again. The F-150 has been good to me. Other than the last year or so with the ignition coils.

Orrrrrrrr.....

HD Night Rod....we'll just have to see

**ems_goof** · 10-27-10, 06:36 PM

I had coil issues with my F-150 (01 model with the 5.4L) also. At the time, I read it was a problem with most of the coil packs Ford was using at the time. I think it was the #2 and #8 cylinders that went bad at the same time. I told the cursed dealer to just do all of them since they had the truck apart any ways.
Unfortunately, for the past 10 years or so (until last summer), I wasn't allowed to work on my vehicles (damn rentals and draconian landlords!) so I had to take it out for repairs. Talk about expensive... yes, the coils are a pretty penny, and the shop laughs all the way to the bank! Just started doing minor stuff again on our vehicles, and it's nice!

And Toker, I feel dirty for saying it, but I kinda like that Chevy. If it was a dark blue or dark red it'd be even better!