A engine miss
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New User
Joined: Apr 2009
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A engine miss
Hi everyone, I'm a newbie here and I thought I'd throw this question out.
I have a chance to buy a 97 F150 4x4 4.6L. for a good price. The guy says it has a bad valve. All I know is he said he took it to a mechanic for a tune-up, (for $475), and a while later it devolped an engine miss. His mechanic says it'll cost $1100 to repair it. and now the trans is shifting erracticly, which I think is due to the miss.
Could something have gone wrong with the tune-up? I didn't think these mod. motors were proned to burned valves. The truck has 181000 on it, but the engine was replaced at 100,000. not sure why.
The truck is 200 miles away and I'm going to look at it this weekend.
If it is a burned/bad valve and I have to replace the head, is the truck worth it?
Everything else on the truck seems good.
Any help is greatly welcomed.
thanks
PJ
I have a chance to buy a 97 F150 4x4 4.6L. for a good price. The guy says it has a bad valve. All I know is he said he took it to a mechanic for a tune-up, (for $475), and a while later it devolped an engine miss. His mechanic says it'll cost $1100 to repair it. and now the trans is shifting erracticly, which I think is due to the miss.
Could something have gone wrong with the tune-up? I didn't think these mod. motors were proned to burned valves. The truck has 181000 on it, but the engine was replaced at 100,000. not sure why.
The truck is 200 miles away and I'm going to look at it this weekend.
If it is a burned/bad valve and I have to replace the head, is the truck worth it?
Everything else on the truck seems good.
Any help is greatly welcomed.
thanks
PJ
Lead Driver
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 7,907
Likes: 143
Not much help we can give when you don't have the truck.
Take a reader and look for any codes before you buy it.
A cylinder out should show up as a code 301 thru 308 if is a v8.
Then you still don't know if it is a plug, a coil, a fuel injector or cylinder issue unless more tests are done.
Good luck.
Take a reader and look for any codes before you buy it.
A cylinder out should show up as a code 301 thru 308 if is a v8.
Then you still don't know if it is a plug, a coil, a fuel injector or cylinder issue unless more tests are done.
Good luck.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,354
Likes: 31
From: Winnipeg
You may luck into it being an easy fix for a price you think is reasonable. For me a truck being on it's 2nd engine and possibly a 3rd tells me it's more than likely been poorly maintained. These truck models were made from 1997-2003. I'd be looking for a later built one like 02-03 as Ford has had a chance to fix production flaws to some extent.
Look over the TSB's from 1997 to 2003 and you'll find many problems have been resolved for the later model years. For each problem you found in 97 that isn't in 03 is one less problem for you to be bothered with or have to spend extra cash repairing.
Look over the TSB's from 1997 to 2003 and you'll find many problems have been resolved for the later model years. For each problem you found in 97 that isn't in 03 is one less problem for you to be bothered with or have to spend extra cash repairing.
