Only 8 months old and 103k miles later comes my first break down. Overall on a scale of 1-10, I would give this thing a 9.9 for the first 100k. No signs of trouble, all maintenance completed ahead of schedule and the truck has done an amazing job for us. Hoping this will end up be the exception, not the rule! <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
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I was towing with the cruise control on @ about 68mph and first heard a pinging noise that almost sounded like a chain dragging on the highway, check my mirrors, everything seemed fine, so I backed off and started to pull over to check everything out and as I was backing off noticed that the truck was skipping and idling rough, kind of like my 6.0L when it had a bad injectors or bad FICM. I shut it down and jumped out to take a look. Everything seemed fine other that the strong odor of exhaust fumes, like the black smoke smell of unburned fuel without the smoke. No check engine lights, nothing. So I started it back up and it fired up on the first turn like always but was not firing on all cylinders, just like a bad injector would cause. I was thinking either injector or maybe the dreaded HPFP pump quit and wasn’t pushing enough fuel to fire all the injectors. Still no check engine lights. I shut it back down and had another one of my trucks tow it back to our selling dealer. <o></o>
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When we arrived at the dealer, they wrote up a repair order and one of their mechanics fired it up and pulled it into a bay and the CEL light was on. Scanned for codes P0269, P0272, P0275, P0402 & P0674. Still running but skipping! Time to perform the power balance – Cylinder #4 dropping off! Performed relative compression and cylinder #4 down 23% and #3 down 12%! Time for the manual compression test #1-320, #2-345, #3- 250, #4-0, #5-310, #6-350, #7-360, #8-350. Well time to pull the motor and peak inside. #4 Cylinder had a valve crack and drop; the piston pounded it into next week. <o></o>
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And the motor is toast! Time for a long block! But, wait! I have 103k and am out of warranty! Ugh!!! So the big question is HOW MUCH DOES A 6.7L LONG BLOCK COST INSTALLED??? I can’t unfortunately tell you, its 13k when you don’t have a warranty. <o></o>
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My feelings, the truck is only 8 months old, have all service records show all service done at or before severe duty schedule, Fresh oil and fuel filters done within 700 miles, this is should be on Ford, not me! My dealer feels it should be on Ford too! Nothing I could have done to prevent a cracked valve. Truck is 100% stock and the only thing I am guilty of is working the bag off it 24/7. <o></o>
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So let the games with Ford begin! First pass – you’re out of warranty, but we will cover 6k of the 13k repair. WTF! Not even 50%, perfect! My dealer beat it into the ground, but that was it. So, I called Ford customer service hotline. I basically got some college intern reading a script, telling me 6k was game set match and no one in the company had the authority to change that. Perfect! Time for the supervisor! Same deal, talk to the hand, I hear ya, but talk to the hand. 6k was it, wasn’t going to change. She gave me an address in Dearborn to mail my sob story to and may be in the next six months they would respond back. Awesome! <o></o>
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Stuck @ 6k! My dealer was completely in my corner and determined to assist me in getting this motor covered. My dealer went back and forth with his Ford zone parts and service area manager, back and forth, still nothing, Part and Service manager says 6k is it, and nothing is going to change. It’s take it or leave it! Frustrated my dealer called a meeting with the Zone Manager for the entire region and held it @ the dealership to show them the old motor and how it was a manufactures defect not something I caused. A few days after the meeting the number of 6k that GOD himself could not change went from 6k to 10k. Well, at this point the truck being down for three weeks has cost me a lot more than 3k, it’s time to get back in service. So 3k it is! Ouch! <o></o>
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My dealer had order the long block a few weeks back when the truck was diagnosed, to expedite the repair when the issue of warranty was resolved. My dealer is awesome! The got the truck back together over a few days, had the mechanic take it home a few nights while he was tweaking it and it was time to pick it up. My dealer went beyond above and beyond and knocked my bill down to $2,200. Very Happy! Also, in the process of the new long block I avoided the 125k coolant service, which would have been $3-$400 and I was planning to do it anyway. So a little under 2k net, new motor and I hope this never happens again!
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I have always said, it all comes down to your selling dealer in and out of warranty claims. If they are in your corner, they can move mountains. The Factory? Don’t really care about the brand cause they all give you talk to the hand! <o></o>

 

Glad Ford came through, especially when you were technically out of warranty! Good on them and you. Happy endings are nice to see. $2K still sucks but no manufacturer is perfect and the odd batch of parts will be faulty.

 

Nemo- what was the manufacture date of you truck?

 

dude I think you should be pretty happy with what ford did. I know it easily could have happened with less mileage, but the warranty is for 100k miles not 100,001 miles. goodness sakes what are you doing to rake up that many miles?? wouldn't a medium duty truck be better than wearing out a 45k truck in 18 mos??

 

Was that happened when it start regen? Only way I could think what cause crack valve is those Emission exhaust system restriction flow too much.

What was your EGT reading? What highest you could hit EGT before it disable down?


I am happy it only $3K to replace whole engine.

 

Good deal!
they could have taken a hard line and said your out of warentee and thats it.
looks like you got a great dealer that was willing to go the extra mile.

 

I am glad Ford came though too! Regardless of miles at the end of the day it was only 8 months old and it was a manufactures defect, beyond my control. Still a Ford fan for life! Even though Ford customer service line is a script driven waste of a call, Ford came though in the end like they should have! My dealer walks on water in my book. They pounded Ford in an MMA match to take care of the customer and saved me $4,800 more they they had too.

 

DOB is 2/11/11, she's a Friday truck!

 

Nice write up, enjoyed reading your story. Now it would be good to know your info, like epic asks, manufacture date?

I have already spent the $3K on an extended warranty so if it happens to me I should be good to go. I don't run the miles your truck has, 82,000 right now, but I run 'em pretty close. Hope I don't have to deal with this too....

Oh, and how many hours on the engine? Idle hours? Probably a more important figure for something like this.

 

The truck is fine and was never the issue and the F450/F550 has the same engine and valves with less HP. With 100k in 8 months you want comfort, so the 2011 F350 Crew Lariat gives you all of that and more. In the end I am please with what Ford did, but my dealer is the true champion in this case!

 

Don't have an EGT gauge, so I am not sure of the readings.

I was wondering myself if Ford's inward placement of the exhaust manifolds was going to heat up the heads and cause value issues long term. The manifolds on outside of the block get a lot more air circulation to keep them cooler. I have noticed that under heavy loads climbing long hills the oil temps get way too hot, it runs in the high 240's, like 244-248 at peak, in my opinion that is too hot and not good for the motor long term. Either the engine design makes too much heat under heavy load or the oil cooler is insufficiant. I have read about the high oil temps in other threads while towing.

 

DOB is 02/11/11. At the end of the day, I should have bought the 3yr 125k powertrain warranty, it was only like $1,700 and it would have paid for itself. I just spent $2,200, $500 more than the warranty and I had to sweat it out for 13k over three weeks.

Has far as the valve issue, I would have been alot more concerned if it had mutiple valves cracked, it was only one of the 32, but that's all it takes. Chances are pretty slim that anyone else has the unlucky valve that I had.

Not sure of the hours/ idle time, the truck is back out on the road. I will check it an post it a little later.

 

I would have argued that the odometer was off 4% and your actual mileage was less than the 103k shown.

 

No rush on the hours, just curious. I have always traded for a new truck when I hit the 150,000 mark and was hoping to keep this truck longer. With the new (since 2008) diesel engines I am generally uneasy about their longevity since the way that they are made and required to run is so drastically different. Might take another generation to see about going 250,000 miles with one but we will see. I am still confident that this motor will last with only maintenance. I want to see if I can get about 200,000 miles without a repair. Would be nice.

 

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