Easy repair or shortblock?!

[CDW6212R]

...but it sure seems that I definately have some kind of a Ford vodoo curse on me.

hope the SOHC in my Ex goes awhile before it comes apart,sure makes a heck of racket when I start it up in the morning until it gets good and warmed up;can't afford to re-do the chains/guides in it.. (LOTS more pwoer in the Ford than the 4.3 in the Blazer too)

I think that you have had bad luck, with proper maintenance my Fords have not died yet.

With that SOHC you need to do something about the valvetrain. The parts are less than $200, labor will be a short day of work(plus required timing tool set). That's a lot better than waiting until it does fail, those parts will wear out and the cost will be an entire engine. Search on here for "timing chain cassette SOHC" to see a thread about others. If the work is done before problems happen, the engine may easily go 200k or more like the OHV 4.0's do. Regards,

 

[TedJ]

If it was really abused, you're much better off just replacing it IMO. Used 4.0s are cheap.

 

[35Remmy]

Fair Lawn, NJ huh? I live in NY state now but lived most of my life in Midland Park.

 

[TedJ]

Yep... Midland Park is pretty close...