Leaky Head Gaskets 95' LWB 99,000 miles

[NJRover]

Took her in to get an oil change and my mechanic told me the gaskets are starting to leak. From my understanding this is common, just a matter of how much your driveway can tolerate. I bought the truck used 2 yrs ago and when I did I also bought a 4yr warrany through Warranties-4 -Wheels. The gaskets are covered under the warranty. What the mechanic told me was that with the 4.2's, if you replace the gaskets you run the risk of the cylinder head dropping down into the sleeve? He also said that it shouldn't be an issue after 120k, if it hasn't happened by then then you have made it though the "danger zone" If it does happen that you would need to replace the entire engine with either a 4.6 or 4.0. I understand someone has been buying up all the 4.2's since Ford has stopped manufacturing the engines.

My question is: Is it worth changing the gaskets if they are leaking but I am covered under my warranty? If I do change the gaskets and the cylinder head happens to drop into the sleeve, I would need to get a new engine ( which is covered) and run the risk of not locating another 4.2, and either going with a 4.0 (would rather not) or the 4.6 (would be a nice upgrade)

Just want to see if the rumor is true about this issue and if anyone has gone though this before successfully? Also want to see if it's true that they are not manufacturing the 4.2's anymore?

Thanks!

[OkieRover]

No more 4.2s.
Get the gasket changed. It will eventually fail and cause other problems like blown hoses, heater core failures, etc...
I've seen both 4.0 and 4.6s in RRCs so if you have to go that way it's not unusual.
Good deal getting the warranty.

[Greg M]

Originally Posted by NJRover

What the mechanic told me was that with the 4.2's, if you replace the gaskets you run the risk of the cylinder head dropping down into the sleeve?

I have to assume that what you mean is that your mechanic told you that replacing the head gasket will cause a dropped liner? Surely you misunderstood. I think what he meant was that your leak could be caused by a dropped liner, and it very well could be.

However, replacing the head gasket won't cause a dropped liner. Regardless, thank your lucky stars for the extended warranty and have the work done. you will need to contact the warranty company to verify what your warranty covers, because, as with all insurance policies, every one is different.

[NJRover]

Thanks Greg. I went back to reclarify. Apparantly on 4.2's the risk is that the sleeve can drop into the block. This can occur by itself or if you replace the seals. Since carbon buildup can actually be holding the sleeve up, once you clean it, it can drop into the engine block. From my understanding the block is aluminum and the sleeve isn't...? From what he said it happens to about 1 out of 30 4.2's. The "danger zone" is 100,000 - 125,000 miles apparently.

[Paul Grant]

FWIW, British Pacific had 4.2L short blocks on their daily special page a little over a week ago. So, if for some unfortunate reason, you did need a new block, they are available. There are also plenty of old LWB's that are being parted out all the time. I have sold three 4.2L short blocks in the last four months. Will Tillery, over on DWeb, is currently parting out a '94 LWB. I guess what I'm gettting at is that with a little investigative work you can still find just about anything you need for these trucks. Good luck with the head gaskets.

[NJRover]

Many thanks!