4.2L V6 Major Engine Problems? Is this true?
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4.2L V6 Major Engine Problems? Is this true?
I have a 97 F150 4.2L V6 with about 89K miles on it, and it seems to run just fine. It has been using a little coolant, so I've been doing some research. What I found made me a little uneasy. Apparently, many owners of the 4.2L had a gasket go out, causing coolant to leak into the engine, therefore completely destroying the engine. Also, Ford dealers know about this problem, yet won't pay for the damages. Is all this true? Does anyone here with th 4.2L ever had this problem?
Cargo Master
Joined: Aug 2002
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From: Cajun Country
Yep,i've had to replace mine,along with many many more from here and elsewhere.You're losing coolant so you better get the lower intake gaskets replaced ASAP! 
Check this out;
http://forums.treemedia.com/fb/showthread.php?t=224
Check this out;
http://forums.treemedia.com/fb/showthread.php?t=224
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i guess my next question would be, if that was the case, does replacing the gasket keep it sealed up for the rest (or most) of the truck's life? Basically, is it the gasket itself that was defective, or the entire design of the engine block and heads that cause it to leak and go bad? I just hope if i do replace the gaskets, I wont have to worry about it anymore.
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ahh, another quesiton i just thought of. So, i bought this truck used with about 75K on it. Is there any way to tell if the former owner replaced the head gaskets on it when he owned it? I still am confident that it is an external leak....or maybe im in denile,hahaha.
Cargo Master
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From: Cajun Country
Don't touch the head gaskets;they are fine.Your problem is the lower intake gaskets.Each time you start your engine with the lowers being bad you're rolling dice.Sooner or later you're gonna roll craps!
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Fleet Mechanic
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From: Central Ohio
Was there a definite date at which this problem was fixed? Many years ago they were saying half way through the '98 model year or something like that. Sorry havent been on these forums much in the last couple years. I have a '99 and everything I used to read said the intake gasket problem was fixed by then, so I never worried. But lately I have been loosing a little bit of coolant which has my paranoid with this problem, though I did see some green on the outside of the oil pan so hoping whatever tiny leak I have is external as well.
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I would be interested to know as well. Is this issue common with all of the 4.2 engines or did it get "fixed" at some point? If so, is there a build date or some other indicator? We have a 98 and I have not had to do anything with this yet. We have only had it a bit less than 2 years so it might have been repaired before we got it. Right now, it has approximately 120 K miles.
Randy
Randy
Cargo Master
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From: Cajun Country
On the drivers side valve cover there is a decal which reads the engine build date.Any 4.2 with the engine build date after 1/15/98 has the upgraded gaskets.4.2 engines also had faulty timing cover gaskets until the month/year of May 97.There was a recall for 97s only,back in 99 for these faulty gaskets.
Posting Guru
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From: Northeast Nebraska
My 99 4.2 has 130k miles and never had a problem like this. I think they used better gasket material in the 99's. It seems every auto maker screws up head gaskets or in this case intake gaskets whenever they redesign a motor. Then a year or two later they get tired of the complaints and redesign the gaskets and fix the issue. You would think after 100+ years of building engines they would have this figured out. Moral of the story never buy a first year vehicle. If you have your gasket replace it will be with a redesigned gasket and the problem shouldnt come back.
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hahaha, this sucks for me, my 97 build date is 4/1/96! Probably one of the first ones of the assembly line. Funny thing is, aside from the issue of having to replace these two gaskets, the truck has NEVER given me any problems. Most of this is probably due to the fact that it has been maintained very well by the previous owner (which came out of the south where there is no salt). Plus, I baby it and maintain it as best as I can. I am curious to see how many miles this truck is going to go since it is so clean.
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oh, i forgot to ask, what is the worst thing that can happen from a leaking timming cover gasket? Would it just leak oil, or cause any damage? I am still a newbie for lower engine component parts. I am quite confident however that I can do the intake manifold gasket. BTW, is there a gasket(s) in between the upper and lower intake manifolds?
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From: Cajun Country
Originally Posted by metal13x
oh, i forgot to ask, what is the worst thing that can happen from a leaking timming cover gasket? Would it just leak oil, or cause any damage? I am still a newbie for lower engine component parts. I am quite confident however that I can do the intake manifold gasket. BTW, is there a gasket(s) in between the upper and lower intake manifolds?
The leaking timing cover gasket can either or both,leak internally and/or externally.Internally wipes out the bearings,resulting in a new engine.Externally,just an aggravating leak,which could turn internal.
Yes,there is a gasket between the upper plenum and lower intake.A new one comes with the lower intake gasket kit.