Head gasket

Byron · Sep 14, 2021

I just found out I have a blown head gasket. I don't know very much about it but the mechanic took the old cap off and I saw the white plastic melted looking substance inside the oil cap. He checked the oil and said there was not water in the oil which is supposedly a good thing. My truck is a 2005 Sport Trac with 140,000 MI. I had a engine replacement at 70,000 miles so the engine is relatively new. Would you pay for the repair of a new head gasket or trade it in or what? Does anybody know about how much it would cost to have the head gasket replaced in my 05 Sport Trac?

JC2008SportTrac · Sep 25, 2021

I only know about the 4.0 V-6 what my mechanic has told me about it, and he said it's a throw-away engine (meaning, not worth rebuilding). The reason is the timing chains all over it (have some front and back, making it a really expensive motor to rebuild).

Don't want to tell ya what to do, but if it's still running, I'd suggest driving it to a stealership, and allow them to over-pay for a trade in right now. I know I won't be re-building my '06 Explorer 4X4 limited. It's just not worth it, as they want 5-8K just for the motor.

My '08 ST, I'll probably keep around, but ONLY because it's got the V-8. I've already dropped $800 in it, just on the tune-up. But the 4.0 V-6 is a VERY expensive motor to work on, because of the location of the timing chains.

Todd Z · Sep 27, 2021

I HATE your mechanic...… poor diagnostics….

you have to pull the engine to replace the gaskets...….

GO BILLS Jake · Sep 27, 2021

Currently in the process of having my old engine pulled and a donor engine rebuilt and installed. The market is SO UPSIDEDOWN that even finding a truck at a good price point is impossible. That's one reason I've started to notice open barn doors, back field "retired" vehicles and none registered Sport Tracs in an effort to bring them back to life. Most mechanics I spoke with find that 4.0 "bulletproof" and swappable in Gen 1. Your car, your decision but my suggestion is get the head gaskets replaced and run the wheels off of it once back on the road. Best of luck.

electrician · Sep 27, 2021

My son has a 2002 ford explorer with the 4.0 V6. Its chains started rattleing about 100k. It now has 357k without anything done to it. Trans if a different story.

christopher shears · Jun 17, 2022

Your not going to believe this but my mechanic… changed my head gasket with out pulling engine ohc4.0
On sport Trac charged $1400 in fla. this I do remember that the head was warped bad…. So he put 2 head gaskets together and put it back together….I was not happy…
However we’re in 4 th year 25 k
Still runs great
he only does 4.0 ohc
Lives in Spring Hill fla
On Craigslist