4.2 wont start

blackout150 · #1 (**permalink**) 06-08-2009, 05:14 PM

So I am sitting here in the parking lot at work, waiting for my wife to come get me. Came out to go home, and the truck wont start. It will turn over, but it doesnt sound right at all. At first I thought the starter wasnt engaging, but the oil pressure started building up, so I knew that wasnt the problem. I am thinking it may have jumped time, it has 143,000 on it. I dont know how to explain the sound it makes turning over, but it isnt normal sounding, it isnt firing or attempting to, and it doesnt have the normal "rythm" when I try to start it. I am going to have to tow it home and pull it apart in the morning I guess. great fun.

bokker · #2 (**permalink**) 06-09-2009, 05:12 PM

hi, i encountered the same problem myself yesterday. it would not start with a jump from my car. i found the battery down on power so i removed it, added water and fully charged it and hey presto it started.
when my last battery failled, it turned the engine over but no way would it start.
i am convinced the power is turned off the sparks when the battery is down on power. it may be worth checking and good luck bokker. ps could any one give me the physical size, the cold amp rate and the amp hour of a standard battery so that i can match it to some thing here in the uk as my battery does not fit the tray!

blackout150 · #3 (**permalink**) 06-09-2009, 08:53 PM

update: I tried one more time to start it, and it did. Sounded awful, alot of clattering, so I shut it right off. After spending a few hours tearing off the front of my engine, the timing is not off. So at a loss as of what to do next, I decided to do a compression test. Result: 0 psi on cyl 6; P.O.S. 4.2. Anybody want to buy a decent truck, only needs a new or rebuilt engine.

bokker · #4 (**permalink**) 06-10-2009, 12:31 PM

sorry to hear that, bokker.

blackout150 · #5 (**permalink**) 06-10-2009, 04:28 PM

update to my update. Intake valve on #6 is stuck wide open. Looks like I will have to pull the head off and figure out why. this sucks. Wish I hadnt sold my backup car a few months ago, we are down to one vehicle til I get it fixed.

blackout150 · #6 (**permalink**) 06-10-2009, 08:51 PM

well I put the front of the engine back together, and since I have had experience pulling the intake off, I think I got it off and the drivers side head in record time. maybe I should join a pit crew in the NHRA. not. So the valve was stuck open and bent. Had to pretty much use a hammer and a metal rod to get it out of the valve guide. Once I had it out, I sprayed a little wd40 in the guide to clean it out and the valve would pretty well slide in and out with little resistance. So now I have the question of was there poor lubrication that caused the valve to stick open when I shut it off last? That would explain why it hit the piston and bent. The piston looks ok, you can see where it hit, but I dont see any cracks or disfiguring. If it wasnt stuck open, what caused the piston to hit the valve? chicken or the egg? This one really baffles me. The timing chain and gears are perfectly lined up, the chain doesn't appear to have excessive play. Should I just get a new valve and bolt it all back up or do I replace the heads? Maybe I put full coverage back on it and let it roll down the hill?

BlueOvalFitter · #7 (**permalink**) 06-10-2009, 10:43 PM

I would just replace all the parts for that valve.(Rocker arm,spring,valve,etc.) Make sure you have the head checked for any warpage before re-installing it!

blackout150 · #8 (**permalink**) 06-15-2009, 09:51 AM

Well, I did just that, replaced the valve, head gasket, bolts, etc. Rocker arm, valve and pushrod were ok. Started it up saturday, was running, but had a miss at low rpms. I remembered that a plug dropped out of the socket when I was pulling it apart, and I probably bent the tip. I neglected to check that when putting it all back together. So I let it cool off overnight and pulled the plugs sunday morning. Sure enough had bent tip. Re-gapped all plugs, checked the wires and such. Went to re-start it and it was back to sounding funny again. I could have strangled someone. Pulled off the valve cover and this time it was #4 that was stuck open. It seems at shutdown, something is going haywire. It doesnt sound normal and then go out of wack at startup, so it must being at shutdown. Different cylinder, same problem. I am really out of ideas. The timing chain marks lined up perfectly, so I dont know whats next.

blackout150 · #9 (**permalink**) 06-26-2009, 09:25 PM

Well for a second time I had it all pulled apart. This time I had 3 stuck intake valves, one of them just barely open, but two of them all the way. So I have replaced a total of 4 intake valves, the timing chain/gears, gaskets, head bolts. For the first two days I have driven it this week, it starts but sounds strange, which I have attributed to sticky valves (no compression, turns free, sounds strange) but it does start and after a few seconds smooths out. It runs great at that point, good power, no signs of anything wrong at all. Of course after it is parked a couple of hours, it does the routine all over again. Wednesday afternoon, it didnt do it. It started normal, ran normal all day and almost all day thursday. Started back thursday afternoon with the rough starts again. I was sure I either had some bad gas or somebody has poured something in my tank, gumming up the valve stems. I did use some seafoam in the intake and gas tank Monday which did help it some plus filled the tank with gas too. My dad talked to the Ford mechanic who lives next door and he said he had a similar problem in 3.0 Ford and it was "warped valve guides". Never heard of that before, but after he had his replaced it was fine. I am hoping that is not the problem, I do not want to pull the heads off for a 3rd time. I dont know if I can afford it, but I have my eye on a 01 Ext cab Flareside 5.4 with 62,000 on it. I dont know if I can get much on trade in, and I dont think I would feel good about selling my problem to somebody. Anybody have any other advice on what I should look for? I think I am going to buy another can of additive and get more fresh gas to see if it helps.

blackout150 · #10 (**permalink**) 06-28-2009, 11:16 PM

I am a little shocked if this was a problem that nobody else had posted anything about it. I have a second Ford Mechanic mention that there was problem with valve guides. I wonder how widespread a problem this really was.

BrianA · #11 (**permalink**) 06-29-2009, 11:05 PM

I've been in the 4.2 forum for about 9 years and don't ever recall hearing about valve guide problems being common.

If it is a common failure, this is the first I have heard of it.
Maybe you just got unlucky?

blackout150 · #12 (**permalink**) 06-30-2009, 08:17 AM

how's that song go, "if it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all", I think its a country song.!!! It's just one of those things I have never heard of, so I am chalking it up to a unique circumstance, or it really isn't the problem. For all of the mornings I start it and it runs like crap for a few seconds, it is still running, so I am hoping it goes away. I dont know what else to do at this point! I haven't completely ruled out trading it before something else happens or it does it again, I have my eye on a replacement, I just haven't talked myself completely into it. I frequent 3 different Ford truck forums, and have to say two of them (FTE being one of those two), have been helpful. The third not so much. I may not have gotten a lot of advice in this post, but there is plenty of info to search in this forum.

BrianA · #13 (**permalink**) 07-01-2009, 12:55 AM

Is it possible you have a flakey Idle Air Control (IAC)?
Or maybe a bad MAF sensor?
Something not related to valves / valve guides that is just messed up at the same time?

If it were me, and I was convinced it was sticky valves, I'd pour Marvel Mystery Oil in with the crankcase oil and see if that helped.