Would it be cheaper to repair my head gaskets or just replace the whole engine?
7 Answers
The head gaskets would be cheaper but if your engine has really high miles or is in poor shape I would either dump the car or put a new engine in it if you plan on keeping it for another 100k.
What FoR said. Those cars when cared for are almost bulletproof. There is a reason fleets use them and don't want to change to another model.
The Triton 4.6 and 5.4 are really durable engines in my experiacne and can run hundreds of thousand of miles with no problem at all when cared for.
Agreed. With both those guys. They used to have a problem with spark plugs blowing out like bullets, but that was from aluminum heads and very short threads on plugs, since been corrected.
Good evening Gentlemen
Head gaskets don't require repair often on the 4.6 and 5.4 Triton engines. If it has high miles I would replace the head gaskets (only if necessary) and I would replace the valve guide seals, timing chain, all the rubbing blocks and the timing chain tensioners. Also I would replace the thermostat and water pump while it was apart. Warning, this is NOT a do it yourself job unless you have a service manual and are very experienced. One little mistake with the cam timing will bend lots of valves.
