I've got a 1997 F150 with 300,000 km that is getting kind of tired.
It's been a pretty good truck and I'd like to go a while yet without a truck payment which is soooo nice but I'm really starting to smell blow by and the lifters chatter like squirrels under load.
My question is, are any of these products that you add to the oil like restore worth using and are there any downsides to adding something like that to and engine?

 

I don't put much faith in liquid fixes.

I'm sorry to say but it sounds like you are looking at serious engine work or maybe even a complete overhaul.

 

Look for a low mile used engine,,then swap in what you want.
That's probably about the cheapest fix.
I think you'll just be wasting money on additives!

 

I have to recomend bearin seal by gunk----looks too thin to do anything when you pour it in, but it can calm chatter/stop leakage. worth a few bucks to try. use it with oil change and drive it like the bottle says.

 

Most wrecking yards can tell you what engines will swap right in with no modifications or computer changes. Find a low mileage engine and swap if your tranny, electrical, interior, paint, tires, brakes, hoses, accessories, etc... are all in good shape. If not, probably not worth the money for the swap.

A temp fix to quiten it down some would be to up the oil viscosity a little. If your running stock 5w20 oil, then go to a 10w30 or even a 10w40. It will help.

 

I have to agree

 

There are several of us swapping in new-used engines right now, currently just on ebay you can get one around 100K miles to your door for under $1K.

 

what are the 3 valve 6.8 (V-10's) going for???

 

Couldn't tell you since they didn't come in F150's.

 

but they do pull well and perform decently when swapped into the F-150's

 

You don't even wanna attempt this in a non-ETC application like a '97-'03 F150, and it wouldn't be fun in a newer model. I'm not saying ti isn't impossible, just will be obscenely expensive and time consuming, and will nickle and dime you to death before it's completed. Plus, it will NOT be emissions compliant anywhere in the US.
JL