Iwas wondering if a 4.2 liter truck engine was a good one.

 

This thread will be moving to the ENGINE forum that covers this engine.

The GAD forum is ONLY for those Topics that AREN'T already Covered in the Tech forums

 

Billybob,
Check out this thread:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/s...d.php?t=318323

I am very found of the 4.2. My 2000 model has 155,000 miles on it. The most trouble free engine/vehicle I have owned.
I recently developed a minor coolant loss problem. I have dbeen driving it like this for 3 months or so. That is an indication of how minor it is.
Suspicion is it is a leaking intake manifold gasket.
I just bought a new '05 with the 4.2 and plan to have the gasket replaced on the 2000 model soon.

look thru all the posts here. You'll find plenty of good/bad experiences and opinions.

 

It's a pretty good engine. It moves the truck pretty well. It's not a tourque monster like the 4.9 it replaced as the base engine in F-150's. ALso don't think you are going to save gas by having a V-6. A 4.6L V-8 will get as good if not better mileage(17mpg average). But I like mine. I have dual exhaust and it sounds decent for a 6 cylinder, unlike the 4.9. I don't tow anything, but it will move whatever you can put in the bed. With over 200 hp and 220? ft-lbs, it does OK. Hope this helps.

 

I've been very happy with my 4.2. I average around 20 MPG on the hwy and 16 to 17 in the city. It has decent power and it's reliable. I can't remember what year you were looking at but the 97 and 98 models had some gasket problems.

 

Iknow my intake gasket is leaking

 

I'd recommend getting the gasket fixed as quickly as possible. The leak could cause your truck to hydrolock. Even a small amount of antifreeze in the oil will eventually damage your bearings.

 

Its a very flexible motor with acceptable power output in stock form. The great thing about the 4.2 is the ease of modifications, and it responds extremly well to them. I have over double the stock power, and my engine is still holding together.