Hello All,

I wanted to start a thread to share my experiences as they unfold and discuss some pros and cons of decisions I made, or alternatives some of you may have chosen in similar situations.

First some background:
Last year I bought my father-in-law's 2011 F150 (XLT Crew Cab 2wd V8) @ about 265,000 miles - yep that's 265k. This is third vehicle I have bought from him, so buying his yard ornaments has been kind of a thing for me. I clean/fix them up and drive them until they fall apart. Of course, with 265k you are on borrowed time, and I knew this, but a newer truck is just not worth it to me. I bought the truck for next to nothing and planned to replace the engine and transmission as the need arises. My thought process being 10-12k is a lot cheaper than 50k+.At about 297,000 miles, I started getting oil pressure lights and all kinds of clattering noises at start up and when accelerating. It could make 65-70 mph but it sounded like it was coming apart getting there, and did not like being pushed that hard (when I say hard I mean normal driving). At red lights I would lose oil pressure again and the engine would almost die. It was drivable, but not for long. I never found out what went wrong, because the dealership and I both agreed, putting any amount of money in a 300k engine is not money well spent. At the very least I was looking at an oil pump or timing/heads issue. Oddly enough though, my MPG went up due to how slowly I had to drive!

I would say that the cost of a reman engine for this truck has been the hardest pill to swallow. They tend to run $5000 give or take a couple hundred, no matter where you get it - and that is uninstalled. I have never paid more than 5000 for an engine swap. This was not a surprise though, I research everything to death before I make a purchase so I knew what the engine would cost me before I ever bought the truck. Still, when he came back with $8,700.00 for an estimate, my heart skipped a beat. In reality though, I had already budgeted for 9k.

So when they gave me the estimate, I then asked, "since your going to have the engine out, the labor to do the transmission should be next to nothing right?" - Anyone who has seen an engine being replaced in these trucks already knows, ALL OF IT has to come off.
Now this where it got interesting. He actually agreed! He talked with his service manger and "engine guy" and they quoted a Ford reman. engine and transmission installed - for a little over 10k. So the transmission is cheaper INSTALLED than I could buy one out right for at any parts house. It is a lot of money and a roll of the dice, but I could not be happier.

The break down of costs is roughly as follows
Ford Reman. Engine: 5100.00
Ford Reman. Trans: 3200.00
Labor, Parts, Etc.: 2200.00

Anyway, that is where I am currently, just waiting to get the all the parts in and work done.

I plan to follow up tomorrow and hopefully find someone who can discuss the differences between "Ford Remanufactured" and third party reman., cause they were really pushing the Ford stuff and I can't find much info on why one would be better than the other. Seems to be six of one half a dozen of the other, and the internet is so full of ads you can't find anything unbiased anymore.

 

Oh the dealer will want to use Ford reman for a couple of reasons.
Helps parts sales for one, and the mark up goes straight to the dealerships bottom line.
Second is if there is an issue they can get warranty parts and labour without too much fuss.
Not necessarily any better than a 3rd party reman.
As long as they stay on budget its all good.

 

What engine do you have?

 

 

@Lee@FL How'd this all work out for you? I'm contemplating doing the same. 2012 5.0 with 230k currently. Current issues include an oil pan leak, lead frame, and a bit of a ticking/clicking at Idle.

 

I just dropped 6 grand on a transmission rebuild for my 12 F-150 XL 4x4. I drove it about 50 miles and spun the timing chain. I have been trying to decide which route I am going to take. Long block Rebuild Reman Used. I was quoted $9000 for a Jasper long block build from a reputable shop not real far away. Found a long block on Marketplace for $4000 and they said they’d build it for $6000 total. Problem there is it’s 4 hours away and Idk anything about that shop. Curious what you decided on and how it worked out for you.

 

Which trans do you have installed?

 

It is the 6R80 transmission. The rebuild included replacing the oil pan gasket on the engine servicing the transfer case and the front/rear differentials.

 

Haven't made any decisions here. Trying to avoid spending on fixing the existing known issues, only to have a much bigger one in the near future. Outside of the drivetrain my truck is in very good shape. I'm torn between putting the money to fix up the existing drivetrain, swap for a remanufactuerd one, or upgrade to a newer truck with 150k fewer miles.

 

There is no one right answer. It's a 14 year old truck with 300k miles. Only do the engine and the trans has an issue and you'll kick yourself for not doing it. Replace them both, will you question if you spent money unnecessarily? But then the rest of the truck may start having issues, so did you waste money replacing the drivetrain? If it were me, if I had 10-12k to spend on replacing the drivetrain, I'd probably just buy another truck. Decent 12th gens can be had for under 15k in my area. Unless there is sentimental value, sell the truck as it sits and replace it. Or toss a used engine in it and run it til it dies. Or until your father-in-law is ready to buy his next vehicle.