Ok so I have been on here a lot regarding blown head gaskets. I recently blew them for a third time a month ago. Long story, but now I have a new motor. Not installed by a Ford dealer but by the guy that did my Suncoast tranny. The only other place I have had repairs done is at my Ford dealership.

The guy I had install the motor ordered glow plugs using my VIN. Installed them etc. etc. Before starting motor they hand turned the motor to check it. The motor would stop dead. So they checked things closely. Apparently the glow plugs were hitting and stopping it from turning over. So because I had the head gaskets go three times in 2.5 years my mechanic wanted to see what was going on with the original motor.

He checks the old motor and the glow plugs were almost impossible to remove. Finally got them out with vise grips and elbow grease. They are all bent and looking real bad.

He checks VIN number and prt number again. Turns out my VIN number says to use the wrong glow plugs. So he ordered the shorter ones for the 6.0 and it worked fine.

People are telling me that the dealership should be compensating me for the repairs and the new motor. What do you think? Is a dealer liable if the wrong parts go in that lead to engine failure. I think either the dealer or Ford should be accountable for something. Wouldn't a tech be aware that my truck is a grey zone on some parts? As in they may be early 03 or late 04 parts.

I plan on writing a letter to the dealership and showing the records of repairs, including the glow plugs that were replaced a while ago.

 

Let me see if I understand ..... You are saying that it was the ORIGINAL 04 motor that had the glow-plugs that were too long? You are also saying that they had been installed for a long time? Assuming they had been changed in the past, how long had they been in the engine before you swapped engines (ie they weren't factory originals were they)? It is hard for me to believe that your engine could run very long w/ glow plugs that were too long.

What is your truck year model (I assume it is an 04) and what is the original engine manufacturing date?

 

So the Ford dealer didn't do the repairs? If that is the case, I wouldn't see how they could possibly be liable for that.

 

I think he is saying that they discovered the issue w/ the new motor (clearly not Fords fault since a VIN is vehicle specific and not engine specific). However, as I understand it, is that the real issue is that the original motor ALSO had glow plugs that were too long. I will admit, I do not fully understand the post ......

 

Please explain why you think your blowing head gaskets has anything to do with glow plugs being .047 too long?

 

I'm trying to find the repair bill. I had the FICM and glow plugs replaced about 2.5-3 years ago by a Ford dealer. Same one that has done all repairs on the truck. So they aren't original plugs.

I had someone else put a new motor in because I was fed up with Ford not being able to figure out why the heads blew three times. At 4-6,000$ a repair I wasn't risking it. So had a trusted performance shop install new motor.

I have pics of plugs. I'll post later. Can't from cell phone. They are all bent and there was dents in the tops of the pistons from the plugs. I figure that if there was metal to metal contact then the plugs were probably getting HOT! Possibly causing improper combustion and increasing cylinder pressures. With nowhere for the pressure to go but out the gaskets.

Inthink either the dealership or FoMoCo. Is responsible since they installed the wrong plugs. If it's not the tech's fault then who's fault is it? Ford, because VIN and part numbers don't match? I paid over $12,000 in head gasket repairs Canadian and the motor was about $9,400 Canadian. That's a lot of money that could be do to a wrong part.

The truck got good good mileage before the new FICM and plugs. They didn't change the strat. when installing new one. I just figured oh well. But thinking about it now it males sense. If the plugs were causing combustion issues that probably affected mileage.

Also the truck always needed to turn over longer to start after the "fix".

New motor is quieter, less of a ticking noise (glow plugs hitting?)

My motor installer said the plugs didn't look that old. He guessed about two years. He's close. It was about 2.5-3 years.

Hope that clarifies a bit.

 

I would still like to know the manufacture date of the original engine.

An early 04 w/ the 03 engine seems to me that it SHOULD have the longer plugs.

 

I think you do have a course of action, but writing a letter to the dealership may hurt you in the long run. This is a high dollar screw-up, so I think you would be best off to lawyer up before any correspondence with Ford or the dealership.

 

But is it possible that the glow plugs hitting would cause head gasket issues?

 

Blue sticker says '03 motor. Truck is 04. My ICP is under turbo

 

Who knows. The force of the piston pushing on the glow plug until it bent could have distorted the head, especially since it would occur during combustion. Also, the fact that they made that mistake makes me question the quality of their work, so I would definitely go after them for liability.

 

I would try the ford customer service first then I would get a professional failure engineer to write a report and depending on his findings a lawyer for court however the canadian law system is different so not sure you would need a lawyer for this ?

 

The glow plug part confuses me. If my truck has icp under turbo = early build 04 with 03 motor?

So shouldn't longer plugs be the right ones?

Vin calls up longer plugs too. So I see how a tech would expect them to fit if he ordered from Vin. So I don't blame tech but FoMoCo for improper sync between Von and motor?

 

Bismic, if Vin isnt motor specific how do you determine parts?

Then tech may have goofed?

 

The VIN number is not on the engine (at least mine isn't that I know of). It is on a plate attached to the cab - visible at the bottom-drivers side of the front windshield.