We have 14 1999 5.4L vehicles. Three have had their heads replaced for oil leaks over the starter. Ford states that the heads are not machinable because the shops cannot get the finish they require, so they must be replaced at 1300 each. We just discovered another five with oil leaks in the same spot. Ford refuses any help because they are out of waranty. Anyone having similar troubles? Jim
Sounds to me like Ford can't get it right either! If the heads truly do need resurfacing, then look for an automotive shop that has a cutter type head resurfacer. A lot of the shops now use a belt type machine because it is faster, but they don't get as good a finish as the machines that have a carbide cutter head. These machines, if used properly, will achieve a better finish than the factory heads have on them. The next thing I would look at is the gaskets. Find out if Fel-Pro makes their blue Teflon gaskets for this engine. These are about the best head gaskets out there. It's sad that 8 of
14 of these vehicles had problems and Ford doesn't seem to care. Good luck.Chris
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