[QuigsFx4]

HI, I'm new to this forum so bear with me.
I'm looking for suggestions . My 2012 F150 started smoking bad after 220,000 miles. Mechanic said turbos were shot and leaking oil and coolant so I had them replaced, still smoking. After further inspection - 1 cylinder hold no pressure, needs rings. So My question is... what is more cost effective, ring job or engine replacement? Mechanic suggests replacing the engine.

 

[2016XLT4x4]

If it were my truck... I would pull the engine and take it to a competent and knowledgeable machine shop to have it professionally rebuilt, long block style. Not every shop will be familiar with the 3.5 Ecoboost. I would verify that they would be using the proper quality Motorcraft components including the latest all new updated timing parts.

 

[Gord0]

Agree with the post above. A competent shop that can rebuild it will be best at this point. A new engine is going to be a much easier job for the shop you took it to. If you can find one that is... It will probably be much more expensive as well.

 

[QuigsFx4]

Thank you both for your input. I'm looking for the least expensive route but I also would like to get some longevity out of the project. I can get a long block from Napa for around $4,300 but it may take a while for it to come in. I do see used engines for around $5,000 plus, but then I'm getting an engine that I don't know how it was maintained. My mechanic says replacing the engine will be around $10,000 altogether. But he estimates 27 hours of labor which sounds ridiculous to me. The truck is as my secondary vehicle so time is not necessarily an issue and I'm not sure I want to spend that kind of money right now anyway. I do over needed up and going at some point as it is my secondary vehicle. Any thoughts on time and cost to rebuild?

 

[QuigsFx4]

Also my mechanic talked to Jasper about rebuilding it and they apparently don't have any parts to rebuild it anyway. Does not saying someone else can't get the parts.

 

[Gord0]

Time and cost to rebuild would be determined by the shop doing the build, and components used. I used to work in an engine building shop. You had the base price for something, but usually would have extras like broken bolts to remove, maybe a valve replacement. The more work you can do for them (teardown) the less expensive it tends to be. Unless you throw everything in a bucket unmarked...

 

[snakebitten]

27 hours is basically 3.5 work days.
I wouldn't want them to be much faster than that.

It'd be different if we were talking about a Normally Aspirated motor.

 

[Justinjs]

Fraser engine seems to get good reviews, no experience with them though.

The least expensive sometimes costs you the most in the end. Just putting rings in is a helluva job and labor costs are probably going to be right up there with swapped engines. Did he give you a quote for just rings?

 

[QuigsFx4]

No definite quote on either engine replacement or ring job but he did say that it would be about the same price. That's why he suggested just replacing the motor altogether. All I really need though is a long block as only the rings are bad turbos are brand new a lot of other new parts.

 

[RuggedGoods]

Did you have a chance to bore scope cyl #1? If the rings are failed, it could be in conjunction with a cylinder bore that is also totally shot. In which case your repair job gets a little more complicated logistically. Did you do compression and leakdown in all the other 5 cylinders also?

I would lean towards a new engine myself. Unless you really, really trust your shop to do a full rebuild, with all new parts.... there is just a LOT that can go wrong. Plenty of ecoboost trucks get totalled from collisions with perfectly fine running motors.

In my area, plenty of 2012 3.5L ecoboosts available, $3500-5500

Car-Part.com--Used Auto Parts Market

 

[QuigsFx4]

Yes they did a compression check and one cylinder and only one cylinder is losing pressure very rapidly All the other cylinders hold pressure well according to the mechanic. That's why they say it's most likely blow by on the rings on that cylinder

 

[QuigsFx4]

This shop will do the engine replacement but they won't do the rebuild they will send to Jasper or some other outsource place to rebuild it. But according to them Jasper doesn't have the parts anyway and won't for some time apparently.

 

[Gord0]

Yeah, if you're far enough in to do a ring replacement, you're rebuilding the whole thing.

 

[RuggedGoods]

Hows the rest of the truck doing? In terms of rust, collisions, faded paint, suspension clunking, interior all worn out, etc.

if the truck is solid, you can drop in a motor with half the mileage or less... get a lot more life out of 'er.

 

[QuigsFx4]

The rest of the truck is great interior is perfect except for a few cracks in the leather seats up front. I just put on new shocks all around and upper and lower control arms in the front. New transmission at $198,000 mi still under warranty I live in Arizona so no problems with rust or paint.

 

[QuigsFx4]

Brand spanking new turbos as well as we thought that was the smoking problem in the beginning.

 

[RuggedGoods]

Well yeah, if you've already invested 198 thousand dollars in a transmission job, you better stick with her for a while.

Lol j/k

 

[Jäse]

HI, I'm new to this forum so bear with me.
Mechanic said turbos were shot and leaking oil and coolant so I had them replaced, still smoking.

First get a new mechanic. They should've done the compression test before you replaced the turbos. I would go with whichever motor option provides a better warranty. It would be terrible to get a used engine and have something on it fail.

 

[QuigsFx4]

Well, I had two different shops say the turbos were bad and leaking. 1st shop did a leak down test and said 1 cyl was loosing pressure but not bad. I don't like the used motor option but it seems that parts for rebuilding are scarce.

 

[QuigsFx4]

Oops, 198,000 mi not dollars. That would be crazy lol.