What is leaking?

[BobRob]

Even after calling corporate Ford, leaving a message for the service director, and calling one of the big bosses at the dealer I haven't heard back from anyone...

Should I just keep calling?

I had a warranty issue with Ford last year for the transmission in my 2011 Mustang. The dealership was a joke and couldn't fix the thing to save their lives.
I called Ford customer service 2 weeks in and was blown off with "Dealers are independent and are not under our control" It ended up taking them 6 weeks to repair my transmission.

Keep calling but I wouldn't expect any results.

 

[Tyleryac]

Good news! They are replacing the valve cover gaskets under the warranty. Dropping truck off on Monday at Ford.

 

[boominXplorer]

Sweet, get them to replace the injector orings and lower intake gaskets at the same time too and demand that they should have all been done in the first place. Also refuse to pay for anything more than parts and fluids.

 

[Tyleryac]

Sweet, get them to replace the injector orings and lower intake gaskets at the same time too and demand that they should have all been done in the first place. Also refuse to pay for anything more than parts and fluids.

I'm just happy to have them do the valve cover gaskets even though they should. I'll ask them if they think other gaskets should be replaced, and see what they say.

 

[boominXplorer]

I still think your initial posted picture could very well be a fuel leak from the injector oring.

If you go in with the attitude above they will run all over you and you will pay for things not needed to cover costs of all the work being done. I can't tell you how man times I have seen this happen before.

 

[Tyleryac]

I still think your initial posted picture could very well be a fuel leak from the injector oring.

If you go in with the attitude above they will run all over you and you will pay for things not needed to cover costs of all the work being done. I can't tell you how man times I have seen this happen before.

Can you drive up here and drop the truck off with me? lol

I will point out the injector o-ring and see what they say. The one guy at the dealer already looked and said it was the valve cover.

 

[Tyleryac]

Are the fuel injector o rings something that is easier to do when they take the valve covers apart?

 

[boominXplorer]

Are the fuel injector o rings something that is easier to do when they take the valve covers apart?

You have to take the intake manifold off to get to the fuel injectors and valve covers. Its like an hour and a half labor just to take the intake off and put back on. Since they have to take it off to do the valve covers you can save the labor time. Just say your concerned that you have 2 different issues with the workmanship of the timing chain job and want them to replace the injector o rings also since they were taken off when the job was done. I would at least do that one cylinder but preferably the whole passenger side or all of them.

Your main argument is you obviously had someone who was out to get the make the hours in a short amount of time and cut corners by not replacing the gaskets. A dealership pays around 22 hours for a timing chain job. He probably spent about a day and a half doing yours (about 12 hours) just throwing timing set in it and sent it back out the door. Your truck probably sat in the back parking lot for a few days before they started on it just to "seem" like they were not rushing it through. Its obvious at this point the guy doing the job was out to get paid and had no care for your vehicle other than to fix the ticking noise. I also recommend asking for a different tech to work on your truck than the first one.

It takes me and my partner together a total of 25-30 hours (2 working days) to refresh a 4.0 with all new chains, guides and gaskets. If I just wanted to slap some new timing guides in there without changing any gaskets I could probably do it myself in 10 hours. Then 2000 mi down the road everything would be leaking and you could repay me another big lump sum to fix an oil leak that could have been prevented. Its just the dealership way to nail things together to try to make over 60 hours only actually work 40.

 

[Tyleryac]

You have to take the intake manifold off to get to the fuel injectors and valve covers. Its like an hour and a half labor just to take the intake off and put back on. Since they have to take it off to do the valve covers you can save the labor time. Just say your concerned that you have 2 different issues with the workmanship of the timing chain job and want them to replace the injector o rings also since they were taken off when the job was done. I would at least do that one cylinder but preferably the whole passenger side or all of them.

Your main argument is you obviously had someone who was out to get the make the hours in a short amount of time and cut corners by not replacing the gaskets. A dealership pays around 22 hours for a timing chain job. He probably spent about a day and a half doing yours (about 12 hours) just throwing timing set in it and sent it back out the door. Your truck probably sat in the back parking lot for a few days before they started on it just to "seem" like they were not rushing it through. Its obvious at this point the guy doing the job was out to get paid and had no care for your vehicle other than to fix the ticking noise. I also recommend asking for a different tech to work on your truck than the first one.

It takes me and my partner together a total of 25-30 hours (2 working days) to refresh a 4.0 with all new chains, guides and gaskets. If I just wanted to slap some new timing guides in there without changing any gaskets I could probably do it myself in 10 hours. Then 2000 mi down the road everything would be leaking and you could repay me another big lump sum to fix an oil leak that could have been prevented. Its just the dealership way to nail things together to try to make over 60 hours only actually work 40.

Do you think I should get some Brakeleen and clean that area down, or should I leave it and let the dealer look again?

 

[boominXplorer]

Do you think I should get some Brakeleen and clean that area down, or should I leave it and let the dealer look again?

Leave it for sure. No matter what the guys from the dealer say you just say it wasn't like that before and you want the gaskets changed.

 

[808hawn]

File a complaint through the BBB in your area...

 

[Tyleryac]

File a complaint through the BBB in your area...

Right now, Ford seems to be taking care of the issue.

 

[lincolnshibuya]

I'd stay away from that dealership, who knows what will happen next.
When my trans blew up, my truck was in the dealership for over 3 weeks since they don't have a full time tech to work on the trans (it's under warranty so the there's a company that's pointing a gun on the dealership, so do it right once). Majority of the senior techs on ford dealership usually leave the dealership and you end up with fresh ones starting to learn.

 

[Tyleryac]

I'd stay away from that dealership, who knows what will happen next.
When my trans blew up, my truck was in the dealership for over 3 weeks since they don't have a full time tech to work on the trans (it's under warranty so the there's a company that's pointing a gun on the dealership, so do it right once). Majority of the senior techs on ford dealership usually leave the dealership and you end up with fresh ones starting to learn.

I will give the big dealer manager a call tomorrow and see if he will let me take the truck to the sister dealership. The sister dealership is actually closer to my house.

Please don't ask why I didn't take it to the other dealer in the first place. That's another long story. lol

 

[Tyleryac]

I had to take the truck back to the original servicing dealer because it is "a follow up repair"

I went and dropped the truck off, and they were very nice. I showed them the wet spots on top of the engine and they will see if it is Injector o-rings, or valve cover gaskets. Either way, they will replace the valve cover gaskets.

I also got them to change the oil using my oil and filter and change the cracked applique for $150.

 

[mountaineer2004]

If I could do it all over again, I would have just gotten a new engine......

Absolutely. The chance of more trouble is less with a reman than a rebuilt. The mechanics at the garage I go to all feel the same way...and they have decades of experience between them. I know your timing chain saga has convinced me.

 

[Tyleryac]

There's nothing I can do about it

 

[drdoom]

That sounds reasonable for the applique R&R, those look tough to do.

 

[boominXplorer]

Absolutely. The chance of more trouble is less with a reman than a rebuilt. The mechanics at the garage I go to all feel the same way...and they have decades of experience between them. I know your timing chain saga has convinced me.

I would trust a good running 200k mile 4.0 sohc with new timing chains better than a reman or rebuilt engine. As long as you keep oil, coolant and timing chains in them they will run for 500k miles. I have torn a ton of these engines apart and the minimal wear I have found with 200k on them makes me a believer. I have seen them sludged up with 135k on them too.

 

[Tyleryac]

That sounds reasonable for the applique R&R, those look tough to do.

I thought so too. I was surprised when my service advisor told me. Now, it is outsourced to a glass place but for $150 I don't care. If I wasn't using their glass guy I would have used some other Indy shop near me anyway.