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The bigsert has proven to be very successful,Ford does not like it because they sell heads.Some ford owners have installed the Big Sert in all the plug holes before they have problems.Just google Bigsert for information. "The OTHER Kevin in San Diego" <skiddz "AT" adelphia "DOT" net> wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

Good to hear 'cuz the 2 dealers I spoke to today told me $1400 for the head and 14 hours at $65/hr for labor. Roughly $2300 out the door.

I'll take a look at Big Sert and see what's up with that.. If I can pull the head and fix it myself, I can have the truck back up and running in a few evenings instead of "at least a week" like the dealer is telling me.

Just spent several minutes looking at that Bigsert kit. Defintely the ticket for me. I think since I'll have one valve cover off and the kit comes with 5 inserts, I'll see how the 1st one goes and if it's fairly straightforward, I'll go ahead and do all 10 jugs just to be safe.

Gonna order on Monday for overnight delivery and hopefully get to wrenching Tuesday. $200 and 4-5 hour labor for me sounds a lot better than $2500 to get the same crappy head design...

Called Ford first thing this morning. Nothing promised, but the guy I spoke to said he'd received a lot of calls about this problem and would "See what I can do for you."

Called my mechanic (the only other guy on the planet I'll ever let work on my vehicles) and he said "I've done dozens of those insert fixes. Bring in on over and we'll have it out of here Wednesday at the latest" Just waiting on the tow truck right now...

Talked to the mech today.. Right side of the engine is done already. They're gonna do the left side tomorrow and think they'll be done late afternoon.. Thay haven't had to remove the head(s) so I may be back in biz for less than $500 total... Much nicer than the $2500 I was quoted on the phone Saturday for the same screwed up head design.

Still gonna hit up Ford for the fix...

Kevin,

What is the mileage on your truck, and build date if known?

"The OTHER Kevin in San Diego" <skiddz "AT" adelphia "DOT" net> wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

Just a tick over 71k. It was built mid-late summer of '01. I special ordered it and took delivery 11/19/01

Got it back this afternoon and had the shop go ahead and do the 70k service. $678... Not bad considering the dealer's alternative. Of course, my ears were perked for any "odd" noises as I drove it home.

Really? Back in 'the day' when I was riding MCs and VWs, I used heli-coils to fixed stripped spark plug holes. I always had to remove the heads, because the holes had to be tapped which would put metal shavings into the cylinder. Are these new kits different from the old heli-coils I use to use? Just have a great curiosity about this....thanks

Dave S(Texas)

Evidently the tap used with a helicoil pushes the cut material ahead of the tap. The tap (fluted?) used with these Time Serts doesn't do that. I asked my mech about shavings. He said they fill the hole with grease to catch any shavings then use a shopvac with a tiny hose to stick into the cylinder and suck out anything that may have fallen in.

Pretty cool fix if you ask me..

Yikes, I am at 63.4K. Purchased mine off the lot in November '01. Now you've got me worried. Had you ever changed your plugs prior to this?

"The OTHER Kevin in San Diego" <skiddz "AT" adelphia "DOT" net> wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

Nope. Did the maintenance at the appropriate time and put gas in it.

I did read on some forum where a slight ticking or exhaust leak like sound may be indicative of a potential problem and I did notice a slight "ticking" sound that began earlier in the year. I thought it was just the engine loosening up with the mileage or I'd perhaps had a partial exhaust maniforld gasket failure. I drive the truck pretty hard and it does haul large (2,000+ lbs) loads in the bed several times/year.

I've also pulled my buddy's truck/toy hauler out of the sand with it a few times when he's buried himself to the diffs...

Up until the plug blowout, it's been a damned reliable truck.

I experienced such a sound this past summer, towing a trailer at freeway speeds on a hot day, noticed it when I stopped to eat. Sounded like it was coming fron th ebottom of the engine, though, not the spark plugs, and it disappeared while I was under the truck trying to locate it...hasm't come back since. You're getting me more and more worried. :-/

"The OTHER Kevin in San Diego" <skiddz "AT" adelphia "DOT" net> wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

I think the head repair has enabled the "auto rough" feature in the ECU. I swear I hear a new and odd noise each time I leave a stoplight.. (Even though it's running as well as it ever has)

No real consolation, but if yours does blow, the inserts will do the trick and not require head removal. - Well, they probably won't require head removal. :)

Yeah, hopefully if it does happen it won't be on the freeway between here and nowhere. I do have a mechanic I can trust, don't rhink I would trust myself to do it. Do you have a link to a URL describing the fix?

"The OTHER Kevin in San Diego" <skiddz "AT" adelphia "DOT" net> wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

I had my guy do it simply as a matter of convenience. I just don't have the time right now to tackle a job like that.