After 10 1/2 years and 74,000 miles, I'm forming a different opinion of my truck.

It started last week. I have oil leak issues. I can smell it burning off the exhaust while I'm in traffic, and I can see it leaving spots on the garage floor. It's on the back of the heads, dripping down. I bought some new valve covers, but I injured my shoulder a short time and couldn't do the work. I'd just replaced the vacuum pump a couple years before, then replaced the vacuum pump seal last year.

So, off to the local, highly rated independent shop that I trust. I explain the issue, and drop it off. The next day I get a call explaining their findings. So, as I suspected, both valve covers (not uncommon), AND then they found the front crank seal, along with the rear main. The only major thing not leaking is the oil pan. They used dye in the oil to confirm.

Since the front cover has to come off the engine, a lot of stuff has to be moved. And while in there, it would make little sense not to go ahead and do the cam phaser update, and the water pump. Also, the transmission/transfer case has to come out, to get to the rear main. That would include a transmission service, since it's coming out. That's a lot of surgery, and shop labor.

Total estimate was right around $12k. Even though my truck is in great shape, with lowish miles, I can't justify that kind of money for a vehicle with a trade value of about $20k.

So, All I'm having done is the valve covers. The main, the crank seal, and the phaser/timing chain job, will not get done. I use no oil between changes, so I can't justify it. It gives me a new opinion on boosted, small displacement engines though. I did a lot of research this weekend and found this is not uncommon. My son-in-law had a 2.7 that leaked like a sieve, from every orifice, and after several attempts to stop the hemorrhaging, gave up and traded it in.

So, I'm at a crossroads with this truck. My decision is to have just the valve covers done. That will keep the oil off the exhaust. I suspect that with nothing dripping down, the oil collecting at the bottom of the bell housing will be reduced. The front crank was nothing more than oily residue, no drips.

I can't spend $12k on it, just to still have a 74k mile engine. Then there is the RnR of the transmission, and if it has an issue down the road, that's another $4-5k. Just can't make it make sense. My gut is telling me to trade it after the valve covers are done. I hate to even think about it, because there isn't really a new truck on the market that appeals to me. Ford still has the troubled 10 speed, most Rams don't look good to me. GM and Toyota isn't even worth considering due to an entirely unacceptable rate of engine failures. Not to mention that GM uses the same 10 speed as Ford. There are 3/4 ton truck to consider, I guess. I'm not sure if the heavier duty version of the 10 speed is any better.

Anyway, my truck has always ran excellent. Never used oil, pulls like a much bigger engine, and never has had any issues other than maintenance, a vacuum pump and the IWEs. I always took great care of it. In my opinion, if you use the EcoBoosts to pull, or haul, it's a matter of when, not if, the pressure in the engine pushes oil past the seals. The valve cover replacement is all I'm willing to do right now.

A remanufactured engine from Ford is about $6,500. If I did that, I'd spend a little more. But I'd still have the old transmission. So, I've got a lot of thinking to do. If the dripping stop with the valve covers, the need to trade it will become less urgent. And yeah, if I'm not using oil, what's a few drips. But, the truck will never be worth more than it is now, and I don't want to need to buy a new truck 5 or 10 years from now.

 

See what happens after the valve overs are done. Might solve all the leaks right there.

 

I can only hope.

 

Sorry to hear that. Sounds like you are saying these things age out even if you don't wear them out. Planned obsolescence at its finest. Crossing my fingers that my gen 5 4runner will not age out like that. Hoping for 20 years on that truck.

 

I don't think I've owned a Ford that didn't have rear main seepage so I wouldn't even concern yourself with that. Like Steve said I would just do the valve covers and see what happens.

-Dan F

 

Thats what I’m having done. Hopefully, the valve cover replacements will stop the dripping, I can live with the seepage.

I really dislike all the plastic parts used these days. It gets brittle when it ages, no way to avoid it. At least my oil pan is aluminum. Modern engines aren”t built for ease of service. The labor, by a major amount, is the most expensive part of the job. Just getting the valve covers off is PITA. I hate that I had to have a shop do it, but I’d rather my shoulder heal than to wind up having surgery on it.

 

I would not write off a 10 year old truck for having a valve cover leak. I've had 3 ecoboosts and all have been used to tow 8k or more lbs. I would personally fix the valve cover leak and monitor. Sometimes not driving is worse on trucks.

With my ecoboosts I've only had a few issues, a 6 speed with a failing torque converter, and our current expedition has 180k miles and has developed a valve cover leak.

The 10 speeds from my experience owning one was good, no issues. I sold truck to get higher tow capacity than the 2.7/10 speed combo offered.

You shouldn't have boost in your crankcase, so how would the turbo cause an oil leak anywhere else?

 

Rubber components age out in the 6-10 year zone. I imagine the valve cover gaskets are silicone, and they should last longer. I'm surprised as valve cover gaskets don't really see pressure like the end seals do.

 

PCV issues can cause pressure in the engine. I changed the PCV about 5 years ago from one that was discontinued, to an updated improved one. And, while all engines made in the last 70 years, or so, have a PCV system, boosted can be more susceptible to internal pressure variances.

I noticed the PCV issues about 5 years ago. White smoke on every start up, and a slightly fluctuating idle. After I changed the PCV, I noticed that the smoke on start up eventually went away, and the idle smoothed out quite a bit. I'm not using oil, so there is likely not much much a pressure boost in the crankcase, but I am noticing a more strong smell of gas in the oil.

 

Your truck dilemma sounds bad. Worse though to me is that your shoulder injury sounds very bad. I am currently dealing with the same kind of shoulder problem. Last week I preemptively changed out my truck's purge valve, only two bolts, two hoses, and the sensor connector, but on the back center of the engine, and just that long reaching with the bad shoulder was excruciating pain. I am biased against putting a lot of repairs money into older vehicles nowadays, so I would also just do the valve covers and look to trade before the next major repair. Easy for me to say that since I am not paying. Good luck.

 

I have a partially torn rotator cuff. I had an MRI done a couple months ago that discovered that. So, I've been easy on it. And laying across an engine bay, or on a creeper, contorting into weird positions, will put me right back to constant pain fairly quick. I hate that I have to pay someone to do something that really isn't that difficult.

Anyway, as far a trading it goes, that is definitely on my mind. This truck has been great for the most part, but will never have collector value, or be an heirloom. I really wish Ford would have taken the 10 speed transmission issue more seriously. I've been bit hard by it once, with my wife's Navigator. Also, my son-in-law recently bought a 2025 F150 Tremor, and the transmission had to be replaced after a month with about 950 miles on the odometer. So, experience tells me that I'm better off avoiding a new Ford (or GM) at this time. Someone will say "that's what warranty is for", but I have kept most new trucks I've bought well past the warranty. either in miles or years. And, it's just generally a pain in the *** to have warranty work done. Especially on a problematic vehicle, which are the ones that get traded before the warranty expires.

At least taking care of the valve covers buys me some time. There is no urgency, as I don't need to use the truck everyday.

 

I don't blame small displacement boosted engines, I blame poor engineering/design/manufacturing.
Valve covers and vacuum pumps should not need to be replaced at 70k miles but on most F150s they are almost a must. I've had several vehicles that went 250,000+ that didn't get leaks like these. One was a 2.0 turbo running 21+ psi.

Hopefully you recover soon! I've got torn rotator cuffs in both shoulders and an ac tear grade 3 in one - no fun. With some physical therapy (most can be done at home without a therapist) you should be good as new in a couple of weeks unless those tears are BAD.

 

that is so crazy given the miles. But I like you also questioned when ford and gm went with small engines in large trucks. It just isn't common sense to me. Seems to be against physics. I know those who have them say it isn't an issue and they put 500k hard miles on a small turbo engine pulling a 5k lb truck around and didn't even replace the tires.

Have you considered looking at 15 to 17 f150's with the v8 6 sp? I found mine about a year ago. I paid a little more for it because it was low miles and well taken care. Close to new as possibel. I had to drive a few hours to get it. Thanks to this blog I was swayed to find one these years and with the coyote engine and you may have even helped me.

 

I hear ya. Good luck, keep us posted. My 2020 at 72k is starting to have occasional goofy shifts, that concerns me. Thankfully no drips or seeps yet.

 

I'm sure that I prob helped sway you towards a 5.0/6 speed. Problem is that my expectations are high. I take care of every little problem, as quickly as I can after noticing it. Also, I keep it very clean, and it lives in a barn. I'd be hard pressed to find a low mile truck, nearly a decade old, that is anywhere close to the condition mine is in. Yeah, I'm picky, i know it.

And to respond to the comment above. Until this truck, I always bought the biggest gas engine available. 460s, 6.8 V10s. 5.4 in the F150. If I had bought a year sooner, I could have got the 6.2 in an F150, and I doubt I'd be having these problems. Maybe a spark plug issue, but there are ways to deal with that.