My ecoboost has the common head gasket coolant leak into the cylinder issue that the 2.3L has. My car is out of warranty ( only have 60k miles ) and Ford doesn’t have any recalls for the issues on the ecoboost but it’s common.
The Ford mechanic said that the head gasket needs to be replaced at the minimum but they recommend a new engine which is 7k. I owe 9k on the car and I have a dealership that is willing to take the car as is and pay of the rest of the loan (9k) but in working order the car is worth 15k.
A guy in a car racing/repair Facebook group in my city said the big shops are exaggerating and overcharging for the issue. He said that the engine can probably be saved. He would charge me $900 to put in a new headgasket, new ringlands, bore the engine, etc. Looking at his page he actually has done alot of engine repairs and has nice work.
I have 2 options…getting a new engine is not one.
Sell the car to the dealership and wash my hands of the car.
Trust the Facebook mechanic to fix the issue and risk messing up the issue worse. If new can fix the issue, I have a car worth 15k again. If he can’t fix the issue and makes it worse or steals my engine…I’m out of 9k with a useless car.
We tried “helping” out a customer who was down on her luck. Not a 2.3l but the same symptom on an eco boost escape. Coolant intrusion into cylinders
The deck on the block was warped ever so slightly, We re assembled and it lasted 2 weeks until the same symptoms re occurred.
Never again!! The amount of labour we wasted on trying to save the customer money ended up being a frustrating experience for everyone involved
Exactly, that’s why they just replace the engine for this issue over just swapping gaskets. A new engine is the route safest but most expensive.
Did the car ever overheat with the blown head gasket?
It got really hot ( 340F) for about 5 seconds a week age and I turned it off. That’s about it heat wise.
It’s definitely a gamble with a Facebook mechanic. If he doesn’t have a shop/business then don’t expect any sort of warranty on his work.
its due to a poor design of the engine block by ford. The TSB has you replace the long block and head gasket. It will happen again if you only replace the gasket.
Yup. That’s what I’ve been told.
900 dollars wouldn’t even be enough to cover the parts and thr machine shop sublet for the “engine bore”.
So, no, I wouldn’t trust.
OP probably meant engine hone which you can do in a garage. And probably meant rings not ring lands. Still seems too cheap.
What car is it exactly? Mustang or explorer? I’m a ford tech in cleveland and I might be interested in buying it from you for more than the dealership is offering… i do sidework too but that would be a hefty towing bill
Mustang
If you’re looking to sell dm me and we can talk
As a tech of 40 years I am confused by replacing the ring lands? anybody got an explanation as to how one does this? to my mind they are part of the piston between the ring seats.
He probably meant rings and honing. I don’t know all the terms.
Sounds like either way it’d be good to get rid of the car. I also wonder why the dealership will essentially pay 9k for a vehicle that allegedly needs thousands of dollars of work to be able to sell it for 15k. Seems like small profit margins for them unless the fix is in fact easier and cheaper than a new engine. I would try to see what they think needs to be done to it and go from there. Maybe it is as simple as a $1000 fix
You’re taking a huge gamble with the Facebook guy.
There’s a lot of variables here and you probably need to take it to another (non dealership) repair shop for a second opinion. Tell them you have a head gasket leak and ask for a quote on labor and parts for that.
Did Ford inspect the cylinder walls and find cracks or damage? Is something warped from heat damage? Why are they wanting a new engine?
What happens when homeboy opens up the engine and the damage is way worse than expected? How is he honing the cylinders? $900 is getting you a drill attachment and hopes. Maybe he does good work and is just hustling, or maybe he’s going to take your $900 and block you