97 f150 4.2L stick 225,000 KM and nothing but problems, the first week i had it everything went! then fine for a few months and here we go again with the problems!
im pretty sick of fords, all my winter beaters have been fords and they always give me probs but i keep buyin em cuz their cheap and im broke...

****, i should have bought that nissan!

 

I jsut picked up a 97 with 325,311kms origin tranny....

 

200,340 miles

 

yeah it converts to about 201,000miles on mine, I am swaping a 99 power train right now into a 97 body, really cool, my uncle has 200,000 miles on his 4.2L, (201,000) miles

 

The 4.2 in my '99 150 4wd threw a rod last weekend @ 236K. It certainly could have made it twice that if I would have been a bit more dilligent in changing the oil after it hit 150K. It had Valvoline Durablend 10W30 with Napa Gold filters it's entire life. I didn't baby it either. More than once it hauled a 4,000 lb tractor on a 2,000 lb trailer. On one particular occasion it hauled a 6,000 lb capacity fork truck (weight unknown) on said trailer @ 60 mph on the highway. It's seen 100+ on the speedo several times as well. It owes me nothing.

 

Aaron, that is pretty impressive.

I am currently at 162,500 miles on my 05. I have yet to have any problem with the engine or transmission.

I still have the original serpentine belt on

 

I see folks are still answering this.

I bought my 1997 ('96 build year) 4.2, 5-Spd Manual new and it currently has 308,500 miles on it. Something finally blew up on it the other day, still in the process of tearing it down, but appears to be a valve problem in No 1 intake. I did replace the timing-chain cover gasket a while back because the leak kept getting worse and it was annoying to keep adding coolant.

Unfortunately, I never did replace the lower intake manifold gasket because there were never any signs of a problem so I am waiting to get the head off to see if the valve is the only issue or I hydrolocked it. The truck had set for three weeks (longer then ever before) and this issue arose as soon as I restarted it.

Either way, hard to complain -- was considering naming it "Christine". LOL

 

374000 out of my 4.2l 99 4x4 5speed with FACTORY SERPENTINE BELT. yeah. no lie. i heard negative stuff when i ordered the truck the way i wanted. and more negative stuff about longivity from others whom had/have 4.2. i always did routine oil changes with 5w30 castrol. after 75000 i added the lucas oil stuff. it got plugs/wires at 150000, it lost alternator at 185000, lopey vacuum leak at 200000? (90 vac fitting under upper intake as i remember), clutch and throwout bearing at 255000, started leaking water about 275000+- i never fixed figured screw it (dealership said timing chain slack rubbed cover with water jacket), 330000 steel 90 pipe rusted and pretty much blew out at midnight. out of desperation, i dug through my truck and took plumbing copper and fittings and soldered under the hood and drove home later. i never removed the 1/2"copper plumbing- seemed like 180.00 quoted for the new o.e.m. pipe. i made it to 374000 and had bad bearing noise. turned out it was alternator again. havnt bought one yet. driving my s10 now (gasoline) over a year. debating on spending money to repair (which is really only a patch) or replace motor with a new ford 4.2 crate motor. almost forgot, rear axle seal leak probably around 355,000. time for a lower mileage rearend or axle. but believe me the belt really is 99 o.e.m. that came on the truck. if any ford hater wants to prove me wrong, pay me my hourly service rate of $79/hr and i will take off work and let them officially eat their ego. but its time people stop bragging on their toyotas.

 

Not bad...

But them yota lovers will still claim they will last a billion years give or take
I think most of the 4.2L issues were resolved by 98 if I recall. I can only hope my new 6.8L will be as reliable as my 4.2L, think I got about 150k on it now (the 4.2 I mean, the 6.8 has about 6k).

 

this engine has served me very well. driven hard and put up wet...

mine's a '98 4.2, 5 speed, short cab, short bed(6'), 4x2 driven daily

 

2003 stick short-bed w/150k. One clutch pad, coil pack, and alternator. It's been a good lil' truck - I've certainly put it through hell.

 

I've got a 02 XL 4.2 with a little over 213,000. Bought it from a local cable company. It was under a Fleet Care program and every receipt for every piece of service for it was in the glovebox. No oil change over 4,000 miles. Every piece of paperwork there from when it rolled off the line.

It's in excellent shape and I cant wait to put another 200,000 miles on it

 

Interesting as time goes on to see reports of high miles trickle in.

My '05 is currently at 185,000 miles.

Still, no problems. Still original serpentine belt. :-o

 

My 03 F150 just rolled over 400,000 kms today. Upper intake gaskets and isolator bolts are all that have been done to it

 

finally replaced the alternator. and dead battery. and awful oil. truck started luckily after sitting way too long. maybe it makes 400k.