Engine Trouble...

[Graves]

Pride, In Littleton. I went up to Edwards over the weekend and started loosing power, rough idle, miss. Typical symptoms of a coil going out (I've replaced 3 in the last 15k miles/6months).

Indeed, I did have a bad coil on #2, but also a misfire on #7. Pulled the plug and it's melted... This can mean a valve or a piston. They went ahead and compression checked all cylinders. 7 are in spec, #7 is 30psi.

With 200k on the motor, it doesn't seem cost effect to spend a grand or two getting a head done or piston replaced...

I only asked because I know how how prone to failure those coils can be.

[Great-Kazoo]

I talk allot of sh*t about fords... but I have to say that only 11 years old I would have it rebuilt and run it for another 200k.

likewise, or see about a reman from Ford or even NAPA. for the time (LABOR) and money to swap out your boat anchor for a used motor is tossing money down the crapper. no matter what you are told or shown it is still a used motor that has been sitting in a scrap yard for who knows how long.
do you buy the 20K mileage motor that the owner did oil and pm's on it "when ever" or score on a 50K from someone with complete documentation that just totaled it. CL has salvage titled units all the time. A friend of ours scored not 1 but 2 cameros. 1 with a fully rebuilt motor and trans, with receipts and the other for spares. he's dumping the drive train in to his 51 merc. paid $2K for everything as the owner was ........going to be employed by the state for 3-5!.

[<MADDOG>]

Define "bad"... Can you sleeve it? Or are 5.4's to thin in the wall?

[jmg8550]

5.4 engines can be bored up to .060 over. I don't know about sleeves. I have rebuilt a few in my day. The blocks are about as tough as they get. I would say to get a reman from Ford or Napa. I've had good and bad experiences with used motors. If a 5.4 has been run low on oil even once, it really takes its toll on the bearings and chain drive system. Spend the money for a reman with a warranty. I've seen those engines go 450k miles with regular maintenance.

[streetglideok]

Missed the post about the low compression on #7. If doing a reman engine, you will want the shop to find out what happened. If there was a bad injector,etc that led to a burnt valve, and so on, you want that fixed. May want to look at either a Jasper engine, or a FoMoCo reman.

[gcrookston]

Thanks for everyone's input. After calls and crunching numbers, I think the best route is to through a new spark plug in the hole and hope it makes it by the used manager on a trade...

By the way, did find a remain long block for $2200 @ rydells. But shop rate is 18 hours.

If it will last a couple hundred miles maybe I can get me a newer, lower mileage Suburban (their prices are really depressed with $4/g gas)...

[blackford76]

May want to look at either a Jasper engine, or a FoMoCo reman.

Personal experience, I spent the big $$$ for a Jasper, it went 2k the first go, was replaced, went 50 miles, was replaced again under warranty, third engine made it out of the garage, was then told they didn't care about the warranty and I was on my own.
Seems like everyone else has great luck with them.

As for used 5.4's, seems that used trucks are a bit cheaper here (NE) because they use salt on the roads so cars rust early here. You could find a cheap used truck, I could verify it runs good and bring it out to Colo on my weekend returns home. Just a thought.

[jmg8550]

Personal experience, I spent the big $$$ for a Jasper, it went 2k the first go, was replaced, went 50 miles, was replaced again under warranty, third engine made it out of the garage, was then told they didn't care about the warranty and I was on my own.
Seems like everyone else has great luck with them.

As for used 5.4's, seems that used trucks are a bit cheaper here (NE) because they use salt on the roads so cars rust early here. You could find a cheap used truck, I could verify it runs good and bring it out to Colo on my weekend returns home. Just a thought.

I would agree, Jasper is garbage. And they don't stand behind the warranty. They will find every excuse in the book to get out of a warranty claim and tell you it's your fault.

[DFBrews]

If you decide to throw a used short block in it I would roll bearings in it while you are there.

The fractured rods and mains make that bottom end bullet proof for the most part but bearings are a wear item.

[gcrookston]

Got $4,900.00 in trade...