QuestionHi James!
I have a bit of a back history leading up to today's question. 2001 F150,
purchased at 90k miles, dropped a valve into the number 1 piston, needing a
rebuild at 99k or so. Two years later, driving home last weekend I felt that
the truck was running just slightly slower than usual, but I thought it was the
AC pulling on the motor (first time using AC this year). Ten minutes from
home, heard a loud noise from under the hood like a mower. Blew the
number three plug right out of the head and pushed the coil into the fuel rail.
I disabled fuel for that cylinder and limped in to auto parts store to try to get
a new plug to thread. It stripped the head and old plug had no gap. My
mechanic did a helicoil two days later, and he heard something and he pulled
the plug and the gap was closed again. His diagnosis is that the piston is
hitting the plug because of a bad bearing on the crankshaft. What is going
on? Why did the first plug blow and why was the gap closed on it? Could he
have caused damage doing the helicoil? What now? Can I have the motor
rebuilt from the bottom only? I am having it towed tomorrow to the mechanic
that did the first rebuild but he is about an hour away. Your help is greatly
appreciated. My mechanic wants to put a Jasper reman in and I don't have
5000 dollars for that. Also, still owe 2700.
Thanks again, Mike.
AnswerMike, a jasper engine is going to be high. Nut it is worth the money. Yes you can have a short block installed, but until the engine is disassembled, the mechanics diagnosis is a theory, not a fact. To save an extraordinary amount of part cost, contact your local Advance Auto, and ask for a price on their salvage parts program. I don't know the displacement, so I cannot give you an approx. price. The engine will come with a warranty, so the mechanic can recoup his labor if it goes bad. I know that the warranty on a transmission through their program is 18 months. The engine warranty may be different.
