Comments: 1-15, 16-24
The engine threw a rod on the number 1 cylinder.
In researching the problem, I have found on the web that Ford has had many problems with this engine. I seem to have had the misfortune to have purchased one of Fords products where the public was used to test a new product.
This F150 is a truck that has given good service to this point. I have taken meticulous care of this vehicle, changing the oil every three thousand miles and watching normal wear items with an eagle eye. It has not been driven hard nor has it been used for heavy trailer pulling. In fact, I used the truck to pull trailers very few times and then it was a light-weight trailer.
While you may think that 110,000 miles is enough for an engine to last, I most definitely do not. There are many people who think the way I do, that a piece of equipment that is cared for will last a long time. I am not in the habit of buying "throw-away" vehicles, but that is what Ford is making.
These engines should have been recalled and fixed.
What engine do you have? Which model f150 do you have it in?
No offense intended, but how can you account for the first 95,000 miles on your used truck? I would be a little slower to swear-off Ford.
My 1997 super cab is still running fine. I just changed the oil and filter 3 weeks ago and it just as clean as when I put it in. With 212000 miles on the 4.6 motor my ford F150 4x4 is still running fine.
I too was very pleased with my new 1997 Ford F-150 when I bought it brand new. I have taken excellent care of it with oil changes, tune-ups and all general service items accomplished in accordance with Ford maintenance recommendations. I have the 4.2L V-6 manual transmission. I currently have only 63,000 miles on the vehicle and have never driven it hard and have not even towed anything with it. Recently, the service engine light came on so I took it immediately to the service station to have it checked out. They replaced the spark plugs and the plug wires and it ran great for about 1 week. I went out on a 28-degree day to start the engine and when it turned over it made a loud popping noise when it started and the check engine light came on and the engine made a slight knocking sound. I have a service appointment for it at the Ford dealer tomorrow, but based on everything I have read about this engine (1997 4.2L) I think it has blown a gasket and probably screwed up the engine. I will let you all know after tommorrow. It would have been nice to have received the recall notice about the weak gaskets before this happened.
I have driven my 1997 F-150 over 100,000 miles since I bought it used in 1999. I have also changed the oil and filter regularly and still haven't had any problems out of it. I believe you have gotten a lemon my friend. My father and I still have a bet going on which 1997 F-150 will last the longest. Both have over 150,000 miles on our trucks. I believe your decision to ban Ford products has been made in haste.
I have also had $1600.00 worth of work done to my 1997 F150 due to the motor locking up. What added to the aggravation, is we live in Texas and were on vacation in Colorado and had to rent a U-Haul to get the truck home. I have also done some checking around, there are at least five other trucks in our small town of four thousand which have had the same problem (the way I look at it, that's a fairly large percentage).
Hello,
I too have 98 F150 with the 4.2. Went to start it one day, and the engine started knocking. I found numerous cases on line of the same type. The 4.2 seems to have been built with faulty gaskets causing coolant to leak into engine and engine failure.
I am not dissing Ford, as it could, and does, happen in all companies. They knew there was a problem, they should fix it. My truck has around 115k, and was well maintained. I still owe quite a bit on it. email mw at: impalass@ tcac.net.
I too have a 97 F150 and guessed what happened to me last week. I started the engine and it sounded like a metal can was caught in my fan blade. Unfortunately, there was no can and the fan blades were the least of my problems. KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! I looked under the truck and there was all of my coolant mixed with some muddy looking oil and water mixture pouring on to the ground. The color of my oil on the dipstick looks like chocolate milk. I'm guessing from what I've read on this site that I have a blown gasket or a crack on the engine block... How much are these repairs? And does labor charges account for the largest percentage of the mechanics fee in this situation? Or is the truck trashed? Someone help before I swear off Ford forever...
One morning I noticed that the engine of my 1997 Ford F-150 (4.2L) was knocking. I had it towed to a repair shop, and had to have the motor replaced. This was about 18 months ago. Since then, I have had a number of problems with the truck. At this time, it is in the shop. The repair technicians cannot determine what is wrong. The truck is running very sluggishly until it gets to about 35 mph, then it runs OK. Years ago I had a 1980 Ford Mustang. After the repeated problems I had with that vehicle, I promised I would never purchase a Ford again, but I did. I will never make that mistake again.
I'm about to buy a 1997 ford f150 for like 800 dollars. It too is making the knocking noise... should I get it anyway?
I too have a 1997 F150 with 53000 miles. It was running fine. I went into work came back out and the engine was locked up. It turns out that the intake gasket had blown causing the #1 cylinder to fill with antifreeze and bent the rod. There must be a lot of problems with these engines. I still think ford makes a good product. I have a 1992 E350 with 294000 miles still running strong, but I think ford should accept responsibilty for the bad design of the 4.2liter if everyone seems to be having problems with them.
My 97 Ford F150 has been having many of the problems listed above. The sound of tin cans in the fan, the coolant leaking all over and not from the pump or hoses, and just yesterday I started hearing knocking sounds and it is running sluggish. Just 3 days ago I had the front timing cover gasket replaced as the source of leaking coolant. Thanks to all you I now know what to expect as my truck sits alone in the cold dark shop with it's engine riped apart. I did contact for and notified them of this and they said there has not been a recall only standard repair procedure. I think we all need to start complaining. Good luck to all! Thanks for all the info!
I agree with most posts on this comment. Ford has "engineered" many vehicles in this fashion in the past. Other ones include the Explorer, Focus, and Taurus among a long list of others. All the people sticking up for the company are not looking at the facts. When dealing with the 4.2, it has many deficiencies. Everyone else either is driving it to the grocery store or owns a different engine in their truck. Good luck with all, and I switched from Ford to Dodge and am loving every minute of it.
I just made the last payment on my 1997 F-150 with the 4.2L engine in November of this year (2004). I kept making a joke with my co-workers that this has been a great truck and as soon as I make the last payment something will go wrong. Well, my family and I were on our way to North Florida for Thanksgiving with some friends and the engine with 112K miles on it started to knock, the temp gage went high and the oil gagee dropped to zero. Luckily we were only two blocks from the repair shop that I use to work on the truck, they gave us a ride to our house and we were able to take my wife's Ford Taurus to our thanksgiving. However now I am looking at a very expensive bill on either replacing the engine or getting it fixed. I wish there was a recall on this engine.
Wow!!
Just started reading around the different forms &... GAZILLIONS!!! of 97'& 98' F150 4.2L V6 with this Gasket (also the burnt starters (hydro lock) same problem earlier warning signs we (owners and mechanics) didn't catch) problem. I bought my 97' with 12,000. Ball Joints 22,000, First starter 24,000. Coolant leak 24,500. Starter #2 33,000. O2 Sensors 37,000. Coolant smell Dealer stated it's burn off from work done. 300 later...BOOOMMM!!! Junked the #1 rod & block, Long Block @ 40,000."I wish I would have known before I blew up the ENGINE" I have So much Time, Money, Now I feel beat down that all this was known problems we (owners & mechanics) could have dealt w/. I am very willing to PAY & fix it if I would have been told (before I brought it in the 16th time) Always worked on by dealer!!! I have $4700 in receipts from this GASKET fiasco. *P.S. Darn tough engine to take the hydo lock (twice if not more) and keep running like nothing happened. I love this truck and have owned (3 other US trucks Dg, Chv & traded back all Since 2000.
I will keep my ford and fix it.