2007 Sport Trac 4.0 death rattle

[sb69mustang]

I've had my truck for 7 years and has ran great, but recently it started to have a rattle sound. It has 173000 miles. Had my mechanic look at it and the timing chains are the issue. To do both chains you have to pull engine and have special tools. I've found out you just can't change the chains, there is an issue with camshafts and heads when rattle starts. My mechanic won't touch it. Talked to a friend, also a mechanic, he said get a used or reman engine. Re-manufactured engines cost over $4000 for a 2007 4.0 V6 "K" engine. plus another 4 grand for labor and additional parts. I love the truck, getting a loan to fix. Even the local Ford dealership said at least 5 to 6 grand to repair current engine. I guess these are notorious for timing chain issues. Looked at used engines and they would be at least $2000, and no guarantee no timing issues.

 

[brentbaldwin]

I had an '07 4x4 with the same miles and the same issue, except it also misfired frequently. My "cheap" mechanic said it was internal, so I took it to a mechanic in Watertown (TN) who is a former Ford mechanic. He diagnosed it as a burned valve from a misaligned plug. He recommended that I change out the chains while he had the top end open. He charged me $4K to fix the head and valve and to replace the timing chains. It ran great for another 30K miles but then the tranny went out (the truck was rough and rusty and had many other nagging issues, so I sold it and just got an '05 with few miles). So, if you find the right mechanic, I say fixing it is the way to go if the rest of the vehicle is sound.

 

[sb69mustang]

I just put down $5000 for my mechanic to order a reman engine. When its down I'll be on another 4 grand. Rest of truck in great shape. Still cheaper then a new used truck. I know what I have in this one, so I'll keep it.

 

[brentbaldwin]

There's great value in "knowing" a vehicle. I've bought a dud before and had to learn all its idiosyncrasies and deep-set flaws over time. If you have one with good bones, it's worth the investment.