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Old 12-17-06, 07:37 PM   #1
WTL
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Default Yipee! Looks like my truck has a blown head gasket!

When you get up around 180k miles on a tow vehicle, I guess I could expect major trouble at some point so I guess its time. But I aint gonna get rid of the old girl, shes been too good to me. Looks like its time me and my college buddies took some primers on head gasket repair. I know its not a beginer deal, but realistically the explorer is only worth just more than what it would probably cost to get it done at a shop...and we all could probably use the mechanics experience somewhere down the road.

Don't know if this post serves much purpose at this point, jus' venting I guess. Venting like all that coolant that shoots out around the engine each time I start the old girl up. Guess this limits my fishing for the time being too. Dammit.
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Old 12-17-06, 08:09 PM   #2
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well at least it is winter and the fishing does ted to sloooow doooowwwwnnn at this time of year

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Old 12-17-06, 08:38 PM   #3
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I feel your pain, gotta get a new rear end or gears put in the Blazer now, using my mail jeep as a daily driver!
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Old 12-18-06, 01:00 AM   #4
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what engine does your Explorer have? HAven't done a head gasket on any fords before. When you have the head off, check to make sure its still flat and that it didn't warp at all. If you want more power, you might be able to find a company who makes a thinner head gasket, or if its a multi level metal gasket, you might be able to take a layer or two out. You could also have the head milled slightly, all to increase your compression ratio. Have fun.
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Old 12-18-06, 07:44 AM   #5
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90-95% of the cost of a head gasket repair is in the labor it takes to do the job. Like WTL said your going to have to make sure that the mating flanges on the head aren't warped. If it is your going to have to take it to a machine shop and have them level it out for you. I've never done one before but watched them do one on Shade Tree Mechanic not to long ago. It doesn't look like technically it's all that difficult but you basically have to pull the engine out to do it.
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Old 12-18-06, 07:55 PM   #6
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I guess being the ex-tech I ought to put in my .02. I dont know if this will help a whole lot but here goes. 1) Get a Chiltons or a motorcraft book for the specific vehicle. 2) Use that digital camera to take detailed pics of how it goes together.3) Lable EVERYTHING: Vacuum hoses, plug wires, electrical connectors, if you dont know what its called use a 1 or an A on the male and female sides of the connector. Use baggies or coffee cans to hold bolts and lable them as well.4) Use LOTS of WD-40 or PB blaster or whatever on those exhaust bolts cause youll have to take the manifolds and pipes off to get the head out. Start soaking today and soak tomarrow and soak while taking them apart. This will save you broken studs and busted nuckles. 5) Use the correct tools. If it has metric bolts use metric sockets, if it has standard bolts use standard tools. Yes 9/16" is the same as 14mm and 1/2" is the same as 13mm but with age and corrosion you are only asking for trouble. Cheap tools can be had at Sears or Napa, if you use junk tools-theyre your nuckles, not mine. DO NOT assume your hand or arm is a torque wrench, buy borrow or rent one and be sure. Its a pain in the a$$ to do it twice. Take your time as you arent doing it for money and check your work. If its a 4.0 youre going to have some fun because of that AC evap box and dryer. If its a 3.0 should be signifigantly easier. You wont have to pull the engine, just the intake, valve covers, exhaust manifolds, maybe some of the accessory drive possibly the radiator. Good luck and hope it works out for you. If you werent in Bama youd have access to all my tools and help so-- Ill drink a beer for ya
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Old 12-18-06, 07:59 PM   #7
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In light of adam's extremely helpful post, I'll have a beer for you too, buddy.

I know, I know, you don't have to thank me, it's what I do for my friends that counts, not the thanks.
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Old 12-18-06, 11:53 PM   #8
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Thanks for all the advice yall (and the beers drank in my honor, I'm humbled, really). I'm going to print it all out for when we get down to brass tacks around the 1st of the year. Hopefully its the intake gasket, I can only see one spot where its leaking and hell, I don't know, I just know the truck isn't going more than 20 miles without completly refilling the radiator. Oh well, it will get me to holt lake and back. Leave the radiator cap off, hope I dont boil the coolant....I'm going fishing damn it.
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Old 12-19-06, 06:09 PM   #9
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Guess what . I am currently putting a new head gasket on my old truck engine. Man that baby was smokin like a freight train.
Got to get the gasket and put it all back together.
12/19/06
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Old 12-19-06, 08:07 PM   #10
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OK, another blown head gasket, drink down this one for bassman...


DRINK!

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Old 12-19-06, 11:29 PM   #11
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Pull the dipstick on that thing and see if the oil has a milky white color to it. Ifn you blew a head gasket your coolant could be going into the crankcase and your gonna have more troubles than the head gasket. Also if the head gasket is blown the dang thing won't have hardly any power and sound like it's runnin on 2 less cylinders which basically it is.
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Old 12-19-06, 11:55 PM   #12
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It definitly seems to have lost power, I actually noticed that first while towing the tracker...but the oil looks perfect, like I poured it out of a new pint....

Does that mean anything to you?
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Old 12-21-06, 10:14 PM   #13
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1st things 1st. Did you take the ol girl to a reputable shop and have it checked out and they told you the head gasket was blown or how did ya find this out. Usually if a gasket is blown that bad that coolant is pouring out it also means your gonna have a loss of compression on a cylinder. Did anyone run a compression check on it? I'd have that done first. If all the cylinders have good compression then start lookin at the hoses. If coolant is pouring out it's possible it could be pouring out of a split in a hose and looks like it's coming outa the block. Although I haven't worked on that particular Ford is the leak on the front of the engine could possibly be your water pump. Without knowing all the details kinda hard to figure it out. Something else you might wanna check into is buyin a rebuilt engine from Advance Auto Parts. They're not to bad on price on most engines and they come with at least a 12 month 12,000 mi. warranty I believe.
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Old 12-22-06, 02:59 PM   #14
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Well I can actually see the coolant pouring out of a seam on or near the engine. I havent taken it to a shop, the best I could do with work and all was I stopped by autozone and had their guy look at it - but he was trying to sell me stuff. My roomate also thinks its a head or intake gasket - well you can look at it and tell its a gasket to something.

Another thing; the transmission fluid is suddenly very low, I mean very very low. The leak is occuring nowhere near where the transmission cooler lines go into the radiator, so does that fit in? It shouldn't get that low like that. Also there is a little white smoke coming out of the exhaust, but its light enough that it might just be a result of the suddenly cooler weather...not sure.
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Old 12-22-06, 02:59 PM   #15
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Mine was blowing alot of smoke (later learned that it was steam). It was obviously a head gasket. Had a mechanic check it out.
Now that engine is apart and the gasket set is being delivered as we speak.
12/22
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Old 12-22-06, 04:50 PM   #16
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the tranny only hooks up to the moter. the tranny lines run to the radiator-unless you have a trany cooler-.the tranny fluid would never enter the moter.. it has an inside cell which cools it in the radiator. it is sealed away from the anti freeze.it might be a blown radiator also in the mix..

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Old 12-22-06, 04:55 PM   #17
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Hmmmmm.................sounds like you may have more than you expected. First off run a comprssion check. It will tell you alot. First run the compression check dry and then use a squirt can with oil and run it a second time. The 2 readings will indicate whether its in the heads or the rings. Ifn the readings go up with the squirt of oil its the rings. If not its the heads. Ifn you find the heads to be at fault take them to a reputable shop and have them pressure checked. May have a crack in the valve seat and from the way you are describing it thats what it sounds like. The whole job is pretty easy just WATCH what you do and REMEBER where everything goes and use THE MANUAL.
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Old 12-22-06, 04:57 PM   #18
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A crack in the exhaust valve seat will do exactly what you are descibing. The only way to find it is pressure testing the heads but again RUN a compression check and give me the numbers and I can be MUCH more specific for ya.
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Old 12-22-06, 07:17 PM   #19
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Zook, the radiator was brand new as of June. It has the black tranny coolers on the side that hook up to the lines, actually it was a pain in the butt to hook up but I got it done last summer. I didn't think the tranny fluid went anywhere near the motor which was why I was suprised that the transmission fluid was so low.

Fastlazer, what will I have to have to get a compression check? Are you saying that low ATM fluid can be aa symptom of an exhaust valve seat thats cracked?
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Old 12-22-06, 09:26 PM   #20
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Only need a compression tester that can be rented at autozone or bought for around 20 bucks for an inexpensive one. As far as the tranny fluid thing I need to know what year vehicle we are talking bought. If its an older vehicle with a transmission vacum modulator it very well could be a bad modulator valve. Very easy to diagnose. If it is in fact a vacum operated modulator remove the vacum line going to the modulator valve and see if tranny fluid is present. If it is VWOLLA replace the valve (Located on the side of the tranny) and it will be fixed. When modulator goes bad it will suck tranny fluid into the engine causing loss of fluid and smoking. Tell me what year vehicle we are talking bought and I can be more specific.
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Old 12-22-06, 09:28 PM   #21
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LOL WOOPS I am in under my sons name WTL....this is FASTLASER.LOL
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Old 12-22-06, 09:39 PM   #22
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1991 Ford Explorer, 4.0 V6, 4x4. Mean, green and a tough old girl that I want to try and savefor a few more years....
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Old 12-22-06, 09:43 PM   #23
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Ok now we can be a little more specific. If my memory serves me right that truck in fact does have a vacum modulator. Look on the passenger side of the tranny for a small vacum line going to it. One bolt and a clip holds the modulator in. Remove the line and inspect for tanny fluid. If it is present change the modulator out and your fluid problem will go away. The compression tester is simple. Remove all the spark plugs and then check each cylinder dry. Have someone spin the engine while you hold the tester in place. Record the readings. Then do all the cylinders with a couple squirts of oil and record those numbers.
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Old 12-22-06, 09:45 PM   #24
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This could also be the reason for the loss of power as tranny fluid is VERY high detergent which could be washing the cylinders out resulting in a loss of power.
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Old 12-22-06, 09:48 PM   #25
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OK, tommorow hopefully I can at least get to that...at work right now..

And this would also account for losing the coolant out at the engine?
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