2005 Explorer - 4.0 engine overheated - blown head gasket

[RonOCM]

Glad to have found this forum. I hope you can give some guidance.

The Story: Stopped for gas on the highway. Back on the road for 2 minutes and alarm goes off. Water temp is pegged. I shut of A/C and the temp dipped for a moment and went back up. I pulled over and shut it down in less than one minute. Coolant all over the top of the engine. Towed home. Engine is 4.0 SOHC. I bought the car used for $3300 with 195K miles but the engine had been replaced about 15K miles ago. It is in very good condition.

Now What: I have two brothers who can fix it and a shop at my farm (thank God). After removing exhaust manifolds, they see that timing chain is in the back.
They asked if I could find some specific directions on line for removal of heads and timing chain.

Questions:
1. Will we have to pull the engine out?
2. Are the heads (aluminum) likely cracked or can they be resurfaced?

Thank you for the help. This is my business car and I need to get this done soon.

 

[2000StreetRod]

removing heads

It is not necessary to pull the engine or remove the cassettes in order to remove the heads. A special and expensive tool is needed to disassemble the heads.

Make sure the machine shop you take the heads to has one.

The head bolts are torque-to-yield and should not be reused. They are fairly expensive. How did you decide that the head gaskets were blown?

The camshafts will have to be timed after reinstalling the heads. Do you have the OTC-6488 timing tool kit?

 

[RonOCM]

StreetRod.

Thanks for the detailed response.
I suspect the head gaskets because when it over heated and I pulled over there was coolant squirting out from under the exhaust manifolds on top of the engine. There was a puddle of coolant sitting on the block, boiling away.

 

[RonOCM]

Hey StreetRod. I see you are in Greenville. I'm down the road a bit in Walterboro.

 

[jprentice94]

I've miss judged a leak from the upper radiator hose on our altima ass leaking front the manifold head gaskets should be your last thing to suspect look for clean spots on the engine were water could have cleaned head gaskets and stuff = expensive cheaper stuff first that same altima overheated 5 times on our way home every 10 mins due to bad water pump

 

[2000StreetRod]

coolant leak

StreetRod.

Thanks for the detailed response.
I suspect the head gaskets because when it over heated and I pulled over there was coolant squirting out from under the exhaust manifolds on top of the engine. There was a puddle of coolant sitting on the block, boiling away.

Sounds like an accurate diagnosis since there is no coolant in the intake manifold. Just to be sure I'd check the thermostat housing. They have a tendency to split: Thermostat Housing and Water Pump???