2003 E350 extended cargo service van. 5.4L 338k miles. Never lost a spark plug or timing chain. NAPA Synthetic oil. Trany fine, fluid great condition today. This has been the best work truck I've had, bought in new and took good care of it, maintenance and driving.
There is some black oily substance in cooling system expansion tank. A few days later before appointment it started to blow the relief, so tried a new expansion tank cap 16 psi like original, still blew once.
I've gotten some mixed messages. One said it was probably the intake manifold gasket. Then another guy from the same garage said it was the trany fluid due to radiator.... Does that make sense?
Two other garages noted the pressure blowing when I removed tank cap, one said he could smell combustion products from tank pressure. They said it was a head gasket. That seems to make more sense because cylinder pressure pushed into coolant. What do you think?
.... If that's the case, what should I do? Pay for a head gasket job or put in a rebuilt engine because of the high miles? What approx garage cost quote could I expect to see for both?
I would like to buy a used Econoline just like it, but they are not readily available local-ish. Ford ended that Econoline.
Thanks ahead of time.
There is some black oily substance in cooling system expansion tank. A few days later before appointment it started to blow the relief, so tried a new expansion tank cap 16 psi like original, still blew once.
I've gotten some mixed messages. One said it was probably the intake manifold gasket. Then another guy from the same garage said it was the trany fluid due to radiator.... Does that make sense?
Two other garages noted the pressure blowing when I removed tank cap, one said he could smell combustion products from tank pressure. They said it was a head gasket. That seems to make more sense because cylinder pressure pushed into coolant. What do you think?
.... If that's the case, what should I do? Pay for a head gasket job or put in a rebuilt engine because of the high miles? What approx garage cost quote could I expect to see for both?
I would like to buy a used Econoline just like it, but they are not readily available local-ish. Ford ended that Econoline.
Thanks ahead of time.