Ford Pickup = "Found On Road Dead"

[Bird]

Re: Ford Pickup = \"Found On Road Dead\"

Like you, Robert, I doubt that it's a Ford problem. In the northeast you have the chemicals used on the roads, while in Texas we have the rusted out vehicles that spent time along the coast. When you raised the hood on one of my Dad's Chevrolet pickups, after spending 5 years at Port Aransas, it just looked like solid rust under there.

 

[HGM]

Re: Ford Pickup = \"Found On Road Dead\"

Jim,
I feel for your frustration, just keep in mind, none of the things you have mentioned have anything to do with Ford. You have an 11yr old truck that has presumably spent its complete lif in the rust belt.

First off, the Champion plugs are about as cheap as you can get. They only belong in lawn mowers, and another brand(that shall go unnamed). You also have to keep in mind the installation. Ford has had other issues more recently that was also mentioned in your post, regarding their modular engines.They have been know to blow the plugs out of the alluminum heads due to improper torque when they have been replaced. Be glad you didnt have this on a new one.Since you live in New England, I would highly recommend using an anti sieze on the threads and Motorcraft plugs. You should always use the factory ignition components.

I would be willing to bet, that if you researched the life of your new "truck" you would find that it has been used in more heavily salted areas than you think,maybe some snow plow work??

Since you have a Windsor style engine, you should be fine with the head job. I would recomend though that you go ahead and have the heads machined while you have them off. At 90k miles in those conditions, it would be well spent money to have the valves done and they could also handle the drilling and tapping for you.

I live in the south where we dont see that kind of stuff often but, when we do, their all like that regardless of brand. If you havent seen the vehicles in Detroit, you'd also be surprised. Even the "Almighty imports /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" are air conditioned by rust preforation. It's just a cancer that effects them all, some more than others due to the envirionment they are subject to. Luckily the newer vehicles use much better steel than was used in the past.

Good luck with your project.

 

[LarryRB]

Re: Ford Pickup = \"Found On Road Dead\"

the mechanic at kaitebensky's DID USE neverseize on the plugs. Still, the dealer had to remove the heads. I maintain it is limited to the Ford product as I have yet to hear Chevy/Dodge/GMC/Toyota and the rest of them having to remove the heads because of spark plugs. If it is winter chemicals, again, why isn't the problem with other mfg's? I am sure all have some kind of problem, but no where in the numbers these Ford pick ups are having here.

 

[SnowRidge]

Re: Ford Pickup = \"Found On Road Dead\"

I wonder what sort of event occurred to cause two plugs to blow out simultaneously. Something must have happened that stressed all of the plugs, and two of them that were particularly weak let go. Perhaps there was a momentary advance in the timing due to a flaky module.

Just a thought.

 

[slowrev]

Re: Ford Pickup = \"Found On Road Dead\"

Ford going and coming.
Going:
Found On Road Dead

coming back:
Driver Returned On Foot.
Ford Backwards /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Ben

 

[MJB]

Re: Ford Pickup = \"Found On Road Dead\"

I have personally seen the same thing happen, only it was on my uncles 15 year old Chevy 4x4 that ran its whole life in the rust belt with little or no maintenance. It blew out one plug while just driving down the road. We were able to get the base out using an easy out, an acetylene torch, a breaker bar and a long enough extension to reach the plug through the wheel well opening. Once the base was heated red hot with the torch it came out fairly easy. The rest of the plugs looked almost as rusty as the failed one but we figured we better quit while we were ahead. My uncle left with the truck but was back in less than 10 minutes when another of the plugs blew out on the way home. We ended up having to use the easy out on all four on the left head. The right side ones all came out with a socket wrench. I suspect that the shape of the inner fenders allowed more road salt to get on the left side ones than the rights.

 

[_RaT_]

Re: Ford Pickup = \"Found On Road Dead\"

Holy socks Jim, how often do you look under the hood of your car? It would sure seem there would be signs that things are rusting. I know that when I was doing some work back in Maine I was amazed at the condition of the cars there and it wasn't limited to Ford for sure. I was driving from California, a 1963 truck, no rust at all, folks thought it was amazing. I got out of there before winter. It's scary what happens to vehilces back East. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

PS I changed the plugs on my 98 van at 101,000 miles and got them out not only easily but was amazed at how little the electrodes had worn. The van was a Ford.

 

[HomeBrew2]

Re: Ford Pickup = \"Found On Road Dead\"

I've driven most all makes in my life, though most were Fords starting with a '52 F-1 pickup flathead V8. My commuter is a Nissan but my real vehicle is an Exploder. Believe it or don't, it was delivered with a "gift" from Ford ... 2 nice folding camp chairs!!!! I had to figure they were trying to tell me it WOULD be found on the road dead so, in addition to tools, spare parts, supplies, my standard equipment also includes the nice Ford camp chairs, a folding camp table and ice chest full of beer ... just in case. Oh, yes, everything is strapped down in case it decides to roll over /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[hobbyfarm]

Re: Ford Pickup = \"Found On Road Dead\"

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Ford going and coming.
Going:
Found On Road Dead

coming back:
Driver Returned On Foot.
Ford Backwards )</font>

Now, I'm no big Ford fan, so you can take this two ways:

First
On
Race
Day or,

Fix
Or
Repair
Daily

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[slowrev]

Re: Ford Pickup = \"Found On Road Dead\"

No real Ford fan here neither, My wife currently has a Lincoln Town House /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif And she came from a devout Ford family. All I know is that Fords have twice as many visits to my workshop for repairs as any other brand I have owned. Maybe I am just lucky /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

My FIL was bragging on his old Ford truck having over 200,000 miles on it. I asked him how many engines he had had in it ? In a lowered voice he said 3 /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Ben