Interesting E450 Problem
Never heard of this occurring, but according to my dealer it is a frequent issue, that at least happened to me 20 miles from home at the end of a 2500 mile trip, because otherwise we'd have been stran...
Forum Discussion
j-d wrote:Where I volunteer in a "CARS" ministry in our church, we get a fair amount of decent looking Ford Rangers. That dang 4.0L engine is always the reason they get donated. You are 100% correct concerning that engine j-d. The cost to get the engine right is more than the vehicle is worth. I would never purchase any Ford vehicle with that engine.
If you have a Ford with the OHC heads on a 4.0 V6, be warned about that engine's longevity. One camshaft drive chain is at the REAR of the engine. Engine, maybe Transmission, has to come out to replace that "pack" of Chain, Tensioners, etc. Job will cost more than the value of the vehicle. Anything north of 100,000 would make me nervous. Explorer, Sport Trac, Ranger... The 4.0 push rod engine is OK.
The 3.8L-V6 was another BIG looser with a very common head gasket problem. Our ministry received so many with lots anti-freeze in the engine oil. The engine was fine as long as the cooling system worked. If the water pump failed or a hose popped and the owner continued driving, the engine could not handle getting over-heated at all.
I personally loved Ford's 3.0-V6 engine that went into many different Ford vehicles, from the Taurus to the Ranger. That was a winner.
Ford's big winner is the V10 in motor homes. It is one exceptionally good engine, especially since their 4th or 5th year (around 2003) when they increased the amount of threads in the heads for the spark plugs.
