Thread: Bent rod...

So I'm not a mechanic but i am a tight ass so with some YouTube and a Haynes manual I think I'm a mechanic...

My old Ford f150 has a bent rod. It's a 4.2 v6 1997.

I have the pan off, the heads off and that piston/rod out. The piston has some chunks off it.... I got lucky and the cylinder looks fine.

What else do I have to worry about?

Is it just replace rod, piston and rings and all gaskets and call it good?
Rod bearings appear to be fine...

I don't actually know why it bent... I'm thinking it hydrolocked but how would I confirm?

I'm in too deep to admit defeat!!!!

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Originally Posted by .22-250 everything

So I'm not a mechanic but i am a tight ass so with some YouTube and a Haynes manual I think I'm a mechanic...

I'm in too deep to admit defeat!!!!

Gold!! Fake it till you make it, just don't look surprised if it works out as you give the game away

Originally Posted by 223nut

Gold!! Fake it till you make it, just don't look surprised if it works out as you give the game away

Thanks.... haha this didn't help one bit...

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Come on, how fast were you revving it? really.
Not a mechanic, but mileage, use?
So timing, Chain-stretch? No head/valve damage, ok?
I like that you dived in and gave it whirl, champion!

The why is a bit of a worry.
You need to find all the bits of broken shit
Good chance to check ,clean or replace oil pump.
Do a mock rod assembly and with some plastiguage and if in tolerance maybe reuse
Check it with the new con rod obviously..
Need to measure the bore or get it checked to make sure new piston and bore is in tolerance (Much lip at the top ?)
Only reason is if the factory over bored by accident they used to supply slightly oversize 2.5 thou pistons.
We fixed every second Mark 2 Escort 1600 with those.Check ring gaps when assembling
Are the head bolts reusable or the torque to book setting than a half a turn cos if it those babies they are throwaways
every time its apart
Check those valves in the head. Remove them make sure not bent. Any debris embedded in the piston top will be a
warning some stuff has heaps of clearance some doesn't

Good luck does your head hurt yet .. ?

Originally Posted by Awaian

Come on, how fast were you revving it? really.
Not a mechanic, but mileage, use?
So timing, Chain-stretch? No head/valve damage, ok?
I like that you dived in and gave it whirl, champion!

Actually happened at low/med revs 2nd gear not towing anything.

It's done 170k miles. It's just a farm hack. Used for a bit of fencing and driving from the house to the dairy shed.

Heads and valves look ok I think. Springs all seem ok etc.

Haven't got timing cover off yet. That's the next job. The main pulley is a tricky fucker.

I've actually quite enjoyed doing it and surprised I got this far with no assistance.

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meant reuse bearings obviously

Bit of background too.. had some catalytic converter issues a while back so changed them. Don't know if excessive back pressure Could have helped it on its way.

This generation of the engine is apparently notorious for leaking intake manifold gasket and hydrolocking... cylinder isn't pitted or anything like there has been moisture in there

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Were you driving it at the time or starting it, this is important!
Was the radiator still full after the mishap?
What areas of the piston have failed?
As above, any marks on the head/valves etc

Originally Posted by Happy

The why is a bit of a worry.
You need to find all the bits of broken shit
Good chance to check ,clean or replace oil pump.
Do a mock rod assembly and with some plastiguage and if in tolerance maybe reuse
Check it with the new con rod obviously..
Need to measure the bore or get it checked to make sure new piston and bore is in tolerance (Much lip at the top ?)
Only reason is if the factory over bored by accident they used to supply slightly oversize 2.5 thou pistons.
We fixed every second Mark 2 Escort 1600 with those.Check ring gaps when assembling
Are the head bolts reusable or the torque to book setting than a half a turn cos if it those babies they are throwaways
every time its apart
Check those valves in the head. Remove them make sure not bent. Any debris embedded in the piston top will be a
warning some stuff has heaps of clearance some doesn't

Good luck does your head hurt yet .. ?

Ok that helps- I'll get the plastiguages..

So pull each valve out?

Head bolts are torque to yield so already have a set on the way.

Top of piston looks good but new piston ordered because a piece of the skirt has broken off.

I just edited last post re known problem with these motors

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Originally Posted by Fireflite

Were you driving it at the time or starting it, this is important!
Was the radiator still full after the mishap?
What areas of the piston have failed?
As above, any marks on the head/valves etc

Hmm I took toooooo long to reply!
I would have thought it would need to be a major water leak for t to hydraulic when running.

Originally Posted by Fireflite

Hmm I took toooooo long to reply!
I would have thought it would need to be a major water leak for t to hydraulic when running.

I wasn't the one driving it- one of the workers. He said he notices the knocking going around the tanker loop

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Originally Posted by .22-250 everything

I wasn't the one driving it- one of the workers. He said he notices the knocking going around the tanker loop

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So that's absolutely no help....

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Good to see you're still doing the DIY on vehicles. I'm not much help but do operate the same as you.