Ford Repair: 97 ford f150, head gasket, open valves

Question
QUESTION: Hi,

I have a 97 Ford f150 we were on a road trip and it started running rough and lost power all of a sudden it just died.  We had it towed and a diagnostic run, they told us it didn't have any compression on cylinders six and eight, we thought maybe it was a head gasket until we realized that in fords those two cylinders aren't next to each other.  Do you have any suggestions on what this might be?

Thanks,
KYle

ANSWER: I need to know which engine is in this vehicle.

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QUESTION: Sorry I forgot about that it has the 4.6L v8 engine

ANSWER: you have either of 2 things going on, either the valves on those two cylinders are sticking open or the rocker arms fell out of place and are keeping the valves closed. if the repairing technician removes the valve cover for that side he will probably find the rocker arms just sitting there. this is usually caused from carbon build up on the valve seats and stem.. cylinder head replacement is the most common repair for what you are experiencing

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QUESTION: Okay, is there any specific reasons I would need to replace the heads, or can I just clean off the carbon buildup on the seats and valves.  The issue is I have time but I don't have money.

Thanks,

Answer
yes you could, if you removed the cylinder head, and valves you could clean valve seats, stems and guides. I only gave the replacement of cylinder head as an option and i apologize because we have to assue 90 percent of the time that the people who are asking don't have all the necessary tools to do the job. but first remove the valve cover and inspect for stuck open valves, ( you'll know because the rocker arms for those cylinders will have fallen off )..