Code 171 Repair - Parts Question

Hello-

I have a '99 3.8L Windstar that just threw the 171 code. The vehicle has 150K - runs good - and I'm looking forward to at least another 50K miles. For various reasons I'm confident that doing the standard seal / bolt replacement will solve the problem (the valve cover fix has already been done)

I see that NAPA sells a kit for the intake repair for $99.00. However - I've seen plenty of suggestions on this site to ONLY use the Ford factory bolts. I don't know if this is the guy who makes these parts for Ford ensuring future orders - or is there really something to this??

Does anyone have any experience with the NAPA kit ??

Any info here would be appreciated ! Glenn

HI Glenn

I used the non-Ford isolator bolts and didn't have any problem. It's been 20,000 km since the repair. I didn't read any horror stories of using non-oem stuff and I know of many others who have used non-oem parts with good results. I know when I checked into buying the ford isolators they were something like $8 each. I actually looked at 1 and, when compared to what I got in my kit from 1A auto, they looked pretty similar.

I think the non-ford components work ok and would be fine.

FWIW, my:2cents:

Piper

It's not the bolts themselves, but the gaskets (lower plenum, upper plenum, etc.) that come with the kit. They're made of an inferior material that in some cases don't seal properly, they warp or degrade overtime breaking the seal and causing vacuum leaks, forcing you to do the repair all over again.
It's mostly a preventive measure as they don't fail all the time, but when they do, you end up throwing more money out the window.

Glenn, FWIW, I used an ebay product made by Dorman. It worked fine and has been running fine. I just did the repair a couple of weeks ago so only time will tell.

Ed, picking up your reply, I'm not sure the gaskets were the problem in the first place. I always thought the isolator bolts were the main issue. My gaskets were in great condition and I felt a bit wasteful throwing them away and replacing them.

By the way, Glenn, the kit from Dorman has everything and more you need. If you only want to replace the isolator bolts, then it might be worth getting it at the ford dealer. It cost me $91 with shipping to get the kit off ebay. The bolts at the Ford dealer is $8 x 8 = $64. That's a whole lot cheaper than buying the kit.

I think if I were only looking for 50kmiles or so, I would just clean and reused the original gaskets and bolts. A good application of Permatex Grey RTV sealant should make good seals everywhere ... including the bolts. Just be sure to get a good coating all over the rubber part of the bolts .... and don't be too quick about assembly ... allowing a little curing to take place.