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Anything else to look forward to?

Factory cap, had to get it today. Picked up a thermostat on Saturday evening. All they had at Ukrainian Wheel was a 88c instead of the factory 92c. No bubbles in the rad, no white smoke exhaust and no water in the oil so far. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
 



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Well well well, its been a while. 3 months or so since I have had to fix something. Last night I got to add something to the list. The truck has pretty much been a garage hunk of garbage since we moved into our new house. It doesnt spend nights outside. Anyway, we got a good rain yesterday, close to 2 inches in the afternoon. On the way home from picking up the kids my oldest asked me "daddy, why is it raining in your truck?" I will give you 3 guesses as to where it was coming from but I bet you only need one.

Anyway, a good bead of silicone under the edges of the cab light and it should be good. Just another thing to add to the list. That is pretty much every reported common failure. I have had to take care of every one except one...

Of all the common failures on this piece of junk, the only thing I haven't had to look at yet is the transmission. Something to look forward too I guess.

Its not even really a Ford anymore, more of a Chinese Ford. I guess the Chinese cant do a much worse job than ford on making parts.
 






Ha Ha,
Went to give the ol pig an oil change last night. Nothing but the best, Pennzoil Platinum and a Napa gold filter. Low and behold if the bushings on both sway bar linkages were shot again. Luckily I still had a complete sway bar linkage from the last change. Too bad the driver side was welded with rust. I ended up having to wiggle my way in there with a hack saw and cut the top of it out. I managed to have just enough good bushings that I didn't have to go pick up a new linkage for the other side. I did notice the sway bar bushings (on the bar itself) were loose too. Looks like a good job to take care of after work.
 






Went last weekend and gave the ol pig a transmission fluid and filter swap. After towing the trailer this summer I figured it wasnt a bad idea. While, after fighting with one of the pan bolts between the transfer case and the pan, I took a grinder to it and took care of the problem. When I got it apart, it was actually quite clean. Much nicer than the first time I changed it 3 years ago. the fluid was a bit dark, but not much on the magnet. I torqued down the valve body bolts and the solenoid bolts for good measure, but they were all good anyway. Buttoned it up with a filter and threw in 6 quarts of mercon v and off to the races. She was shifting smooth as butter. I figured I would adjust the bands anyway.... wow. After that, the only way i can tell its shifting is by watching the tach. Is it ever smooth now. I am actually quite impressed. If nothing else goes wrong I may actual enjoy driving it this winter.
It was a bit of a battle to get at the band adjust bolts, but after pulling the front drive shaft out of the way and taking off the gear select harness it was easy as 1 2 3. Definitely recommended if you are looking for smooth as silk shifts.
 






Did my sway bar linkages on the front and back last weekend. Just waiting on rear pads, the front were in stock. Had to put new guide pins in and boots as they were seized on in the front. Hopefully the back aren't as bad. Another 150 bucks on general maintenance. I don't mind paying for this kind of thing.
 






Spoke to soon, god damn door handle broke in my hand, for the second time in 3 years last night. Luckily I can get it for about 30 bucks shipped from the US. Cheapest is 90 before tax up here and a couple days wait. Might as well wait from the US. JUNK i tell you, JUNK!
 






Water pump was on its way out. Weeping around the seal down on to the sway bar bushings causing the most annoying creeeeeeek when I would hit bumps. Anyway, after a quick swap the pig is back up and running. With any luck this will be it for a while more.
Oh yeah, I did my other front wheel bearing with a cheap Chinese one a couple months ago too. The first one has close to 100000kms on it and no signs of an issue.
 






Spoke to soon, god damn door handle broke in my hand, for the second time in 3 years last night. Luckily I can get it for about 30 bucks shipped from the US. Cheapest is 90 before tax up here and a couple days wait. Might as well wait from the US. JUNK i tell you, JUNK!

So you think the ST is junk, what car is not today, even new F150 is not what it used to be and it starts out at 30K up to crazy 70k lol

I agree with you, but what else do you go after a few year older Toyota Tacoma. Not much in this segment worth buying at the price, yet anyway. Seems to be coming back, but a long way off IMHO and way way over priced for sure.

40k US gets you a fully loaded lol 3 year / 36,000 miles warranty for a mid sized truck that will fall apart before it's time.
 
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Well ****e, my pile of junk is back at it. Going to tow the boat to the lake and I notice a rattle at around 2500 RPM. Hopefully I will get lucky and it will be the jackshaft chain tensioner or the balance shaft. If its the balance shaft the chain is getting cut. Will find out when I get some time to pull the valve covers and confirm the cassettes. Just rolled over to 230000 kms so that is almost 50k kms on the engine tech timing kit. What a Pile OF JUNK! the kit and the truck.
 






Wow, Over 140k miles!

I've never even owned a car with that many miles. And yet you still have it running! Granted, I've owned 11 vehicles and 2 motorcycles. (thank you Air Force for the travel)

If it is such a piece of junk in your eyes, why keep it? Are there no other vehicles that could satisfy your expectations?

John
 






Wow, Over 140k miles!

I've never even owned a car with that many miles. And yet you still have it running! Granted, I've owned 11 vehicles and 2 motorcycles. (thank you Air Force for the travel)

If it is such a piece of junk in your eyes, why keep it? Are there no other vehicles that could satisfy your expectations?

John
My 07 sunfire was still running like a top when I sold it for $1200 at 300k to order my 07 ranger from the factory, expanding family made me have to trade it in on this piece of junk. My 1976 chevy got rolled by my ex at 180k miles and still ran like a top (2 engines due to upgrades and abuse). My only pig was my 88gmc that I sold at 220k kms when the transmission went because the modulator was sucking transmission fluid into the rad without my knowing. Buddy nursed it to 250K before it went. The plan is 1.5 more years before I can get what I want, if I don't have to put any more money into it. Then I will be buying a full sized Toyota.
 






Popped off the valve covers and had a boo today. A little luck for once, looks like the cassettes are golden. Passenger side is tight all around. Looks like the front driver side hydraulic tensioner that came with the engine tech kit is shot. The spring anyway, is sloppier then a street walker on a Friday night. The traction side of the chain was able to move in an out, and when I put force on the tensioner it wouldn't pop back out. Luckily I had an ebay special sitting on the shelf of spare parts to hold me over until I get a good one. Not sure about the primary chain tensioner, I guess if I still hear a rattle after replacing the hydraulic tensioner, I will be pulling the timing cover.
That primary tensioner shouldn't have changed much between the OHV and the SOHC in the 50 plus years that this block was made. You would think Ford could have gotten that right in the life span of the cologne.
 






Well, I haven't got my good tensioners yet but my ebay special seems to be quieting things up. I ran a seafoam treatment in the oil before the oil change last weekend. I had swapped the tensioner the weekend before and still had a rattle at 2800 rpm. After I changed the oil last weekend and installed a new Wix xp filter in place of my Mobil 1 filter and formula 1 synthetic in place of quakerstate synthetic I have no more rattle, at start or at 2800 RPM. It was there before the change. Any chance the Mobil 1 filter could have been starving the system? Better backflow valve in a Wix holding oil higher? who knows.... Either that or the Seafoam loosened something up and the new oil quieted it. I guess I could pull the valve covers... Again .... and have another look but if it ain't wrecked don't fix it...
 






what did u use to glue door seals? been meaning to do mine for years. dam wind noise
 


















Good luck dude mines not as serious but it seems like its one problem after another sometimes
 






Well, its been a little over a year with my sport trac, And I do like the truck a lot. The repairs though, do suck. I think I have taken care of most of the common repairs listed on the site as well as the regular maintenance. I was wondering if their is anything else I should be looking out for?
Here is all that I have taken care of so far,

Cracked Rad replaced, PCM flash upgrade, Wheel Bearing, Jammed up 6 disc changer replaced, alined and glued door seals.
as for maintenance, Regular Oil Changes, Transmission filter and fluid. Plugs and air filter (4.0L), Brake fluid change, and $1600 worth of tires. With just over 150k kms:ca: I am into it for about $2000 including tires, and another $500 in accessories, by doing the labour myself.

Any other expenses I can be looking forward to in the next year, or have I taken care of most of the weak points in this truck?


- Hanger bearing witch consist of the drive shaft, alloy wheels corroding on the inside, rocker panels and lower cab corners get rusty, now the heater / ac is acting up. Love the truck but its a money pit
 






Yeah, Just rolled around to 230k kms, figured I should order up some 02 sensors from rock auto, as well as a transmission filter for my annual fluid and filter. Christ, I got 2 denso sensors and a filter for what they wanted for a single upstream at Part Source up here. Gotta replace a spark plug wire that was smooching with my egr pipe as well.
 



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Well well well, woke up to a smell, the smell of boiling antifreeze. Looks like the doorman housing bit the bullet after being removed 4 times, 3.5 years and 80,000 kms. Lucky me, the same one has increased in price to 69 dollars Canadian after shipping from 49 at rock auto, but now it comes with bolts and a thermostat. Guess I know what I will be doing when it arrives on the 20th.
 






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