Due to Ford engineers, they designed heads, head gasket, really cheap. The engine induced radiator fluid into combustion chambers thru the bad design of the heads. The short and simple catch? Is to notice your radiator fluid is getting low, you smell radiator fluid when you get out of your van. You have to remove heads to install a new thicker gaskets for front of engine, and top of engine to prevent further extensive damage to engine. I go out to van turn engine over, all of a sudden I hear this horrible loud engine noise! It gets better. I buy two different shop manuals, both manuals tell you to loosen engine motor mounts, remove spider(upper intake manifold). Just to be able to remove oil pan. Guess what on this engine and chassis you must remove the engine just to remove the oil pan! I remove the engine, remove oil pan. And find bent connect rods, piston damage from water in the upper combustion chamber. I get on the phone and call Ford Motor Company. They tell me the engine recall was for only 1997 engines! I take engine completely apart, take short block to machine shop. I have to go next size over on pistons, replace two bent connecting rods, went ahead and rebuild the heads, all new gaskets, o rings, water pump, oil pump, found some cracked valve guides, replaced them too. Assemble engine ran for years. It amazes me how auto manufactures get away with such cheap, quick thinking mechanical engineers, that design crap, and hide behind closed doors, and make six figures!
Due to Ford engineers, they designed heads, head gasket, really cheap. The engine induced radiator fluid into combustion chambers thru the bad design of the heads. The short and simple catch? Is to notice your radiator fluid is getting low, you smell radiator fluid when you get out of your van. You have to remove heads to install a new thicker gaskets for front of engine, and top of engine to prevent further extensive damage to engine. I go out to van turn engine over, all of a sudden I hear this horrible loud engine noise! It gets better. I buy two different shop manuals, both manuals tell you to loosen engine motor mounts, remove spider(upper intake manifold). Just to be able to remove oil pan. Guess what on this engine and chassis you must remove the engine just to remove the oil pan! I remove the engine, remove oil pan. And find bent connect rods, piston damage from water in the upper combustion chamber. I get on the phone and call Ford Motor Company. They tell me the engine recall was for only 1997 engines! I take engine completely apart, take short block to machine shop. I have to go next size over on pistons, replace two bent connecting rods, went ahead and rebuild the heads, all new gaskets, o rings, water pump, oil pump, found some cracked valve guides, replaced them too. Assemble engine ran for years. It amazes me how auto manufactures get away with such cheap, quick thinking mechanical engineers, that design crap, and hide behind closed doors, and make six figures!
- David G., Houston, US