Cracked Head 5.0 (pics)

[spacecadebt]

I was doing a tune up before a 2000 mile road trip and i noticed coolant leaking out the side of the head and sure enough there is a nice crack across three of the plugs. I said eff it and went on the road trip anyways. Truck ran great, didnt leak any coolant or over heat or anything.

So my question is can i keep driving on this or is this head trash?

The red line represents the crack

004 by Spacecadebt, on Flickr

 

[yavapaires]

The head is probably too far gone to repair. 302 heads should be pretty cheap, relatively speaking. But for now, if you are not experiencing any leaking, I would go ahead and drive it. K&W block sealer is a very good product for leaking heads/gaskets. Are you sure it is a crack, and not a casting flaw?

 

[spacecadebt]

Its clearly a crack being that its where the coolant is coming from. Ill have to give K&W a try. Thanks for the input

 

[spacecadebt]

There are a few u pull and pay junkyards around here with several 5.0 explorers. Would you recommend i buy two new heads or could i replace the one cracked head with one from the junkyard?

 

[yavapaires]

I would replace the cracked one with a used head. Just be sure you take it to a machine shop, have it cleaned, and magnafluxed to check for cracks. If you have the funds, go for them both. Just buy a head set for the gaskets. It'll save you money in the long run. You can also pull the other head, and have the shop check it. I would go that route, since you will have it all but pulled anyway.But if you made the trip without a problem,and don't want to get into this big a project at this time, give the sealer a try. My 96 4.0 OHV has a bit of a leak, was getting water in one cylinder, plus leaking from under a head. I put Bars Leak in it. Worked OK. Drove it to AZ and back last month, has a slight leak from under the right head. I am going to drain, flush refill with anti freeze and add K&W this time. It is just a band aid, but until I get the funds to pull the heads, it will have to do for now. I have heard the factories use the K&W when new.

 

[spacecadebt]

I would love to try the sealer but im about to go on a cross country road trip on a very tight budget. If i break down on the road i wont have the money to get it fixed so i want to get this taken care of before i go. I dont think any kind of sealer is going to hold up for long haul highway driving.

Its funny you mentioned driving to AZ. Thats my first stop on my roadtrip

 

[yavapaires]

What part of AZ are you going to? I visited my Mom in Dewey. It was her 87th birthday. I lived in AZ for46 years. Mostly Prescott/Verde Valley area.

 

[spacecadebt]

Well im going to explore the west and my first stop is the grand canyon and Kaibab national forest, then im gonna work my way north from there. Might go all the way to alaska if i can find a job halfway.

 

[4df150]

Well im going to explore the west and my first stop is the grand canyon and Kaibab national forest, then im gonna work my way north from there. Might go all the way to alaska if i can find a job halfway.

Man I wish I had that freedom... Good Luck on your trip...

 

[spacecadebt]

Man I wish I had that freedom... Good Luck on your trip...

Thanks man. Been wanting to do this for a long time. Figured its time to put up or shut up. I just hope my 300,000 mile exploder makes it.