how long will the 4.0 last???

[sport trac 01]

Hey guys,as you can see i'm new here. hello to everyone and i posted an intro in the new members section as well. I am a new owner of a 2001 sport trac with the 4.0 V6 engine. it's super clean and has no wet spots underneth at all for it's mileage. it has 204K on it now, if it's taken care of how long can i expect it to hold up? i don't drive it a whole lot of miles all the time just to work and back and maybe around town.once in awhile i'll go an hour and a half one way to visit my mom and thats it. this thing is so clean i hope it last till atleast 300k anyway.what are some common problems i can expect and some to look for on this truck? the carfax doesn't show any dealer has serviced it over the years but I don't guess that means much HUH? what oil is reccomended for this high mile engine? it's extremely clean for the mileage and absolutely is clean underneth the truck.when i got it they replaced the VC gaskets for me and thats the only problem i've seen.thanks and I hope you guys have GOOD news for me!

 

[sport trac 01]

no one???

 

[RyanMc]

Well, what you have there is a loaded question and a ticking timebomb.

There is no engine that is going to last forever, so keep that in the forefront of your mind. That said, there is NEVER anyway to tell how long something is going to last. Far too many factors involved there. All you can do at this point, is take the best care of her that you can, and while you hope for the best, you should start planing now to replace the engine and the transmission, or at the very least rebuild what you have.
What oil is recommended? Engine oil. Aside from that you would get just as many answers as ther eare members of this site because everyone has their own opinions on what is the best to use. However, I think 99% would agree that you need to be running some sort of synthetic.
Also, you need to check that oil OFTEN. With that many miles on her, those rings are more than likey getting pretty worn.

 

[slmdrngr]

Is it the OHV or the sohc? Not sure which they offered that year, mine has the OHV 4.0 and I have around 312k on it, it had 260k when I got it 3 years ago. I always use Mobil 1 5w20 synthetic in mine, I just acquired a lifter rattle last week when I change my oil, which I change every 5k miles. Not sure if the engine was ever replaced so I'm not 100% sure it's original , but I'm happy with the engine nonetheless. Just my experience with mine.

 

[interscope8]

The sport trac is a SOHC. Mine is at 108k, so I wont be much help, but I have been reading a ton on the forums for a couple years now.

Most members have few drive train issues, the 4.0 SOHC is pretty solid if taken care of. My thermostat housing went bad about 40k ago. Only issue for me. Other members have a couple issues with some random codes, there is a stickied thread at the top of the ST section. Things to look for are in the front end suspension. And dont freak out if it is leaning on the drivers side... they all do that after so long. Use the search bar at the top of the page for any other questions!

 

[sport trac 01]

thanks guys,and i have tried the search tab and it just didn't tell me what i was wondering.i have been hearing about the timing chain guides on the sohc engines.are they as common to go out as i read?? is it an issue with every sohc engine or just a select few? I hear it's costly to repair and thanks again for the replies.

 

[BigGreenV10]

Maybe start a post how many miles you have on your Trac. Then the high millage guys will come out bragging how far they have gone.

 

[05dakotatrac]

like any vehicle whether gas or diesel, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, or 12 cylinders will eventually break down. now how bad of a break down is all realitive to your driving habits, and your maintenance habits. if you are super hard on the vehicle and not so religious on maintenance then it will show. if you are very gentle and uber religious on maintenance and driving habits then you will more than likely get more out of her. but at the same time there is always that case of the unknown.

 

[swshawaii]

Two of the larger weaknesses with the early Gen 1 ST's are timing chain guides and the 5R55E tranny.
220 pages of everything Sport Trac related in the EF sub forum, and a dedicated ST only site linked. GL

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=120

www.mysporttrac.com/