Looking to buy a 2008 F150 4.6ltfour door. One owner 120k miles my mechanic told me not to buy it because he thinks it’ll have the same problems as the 5.4 3 valve. Admittedly i don’t know if this has 2 or 3 valves but think the 4.6 would be in the clear. It’s only 6,000
Ford put the 2 valve and 3 valve engines in their trucks from 2008 to 2010. The 2 valve is a very reliable engine and does not share the problems that the 5.4 has. So if you can confirm it is a 2 valve (decoding the VIN should tell you), the engine should be fine. Assuming it was maintained.
For the 3 valve, I think the main issue with those engines is the cam phaser. But if goes bad and you replace it, it will often last another 120k mi.
@a_aragorn_7 thanks! I typed the vin into auto zones website it says it’s 4.6L FI SOHC 281 CID does that mean it’s only 2 valve since it has a single cam?
Not necessarily, what is the 8th digit in your VIN? If it is a "W" then it is a 2v, if it is an "8" then is a 3v.
Also the valve covers are shaped differently, the 2v are straight and the 3v are shaped more like a comb.