98 Exp 4.0 OHV Coolant Loss/leak, Misfire, Cylinder Head Advice | Page 2 | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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98 Exp 4.0 OHV Coolant Loss/leak, Misfire, Cylinder Head Advice

From left to right...

These are the ones I'm not sure about in the Fel Pro Gasket Set. I think the round black one to the right is the thermostat housing gasket, but not sure.

563694144_1998543606_0.jpg


Anyone know which is which?

Throttle body-to-plastic upper intake gasket...The green one appears to be the EGR pipe in the upper plastic intake O-ring...The last one is the thermostat oring...

On the quality of the heads i bought from J & C... I have used their heads on probably a half dozen Ford v6 products over the last 4 years and I also have a set of their aluminum heads on a stroker V8 I installed in my old Ranger...I have used their products on other peoples' engines and never had a problem with them...


I knew the differences in the 95TM vs 98TM heads were primarily in the exhaust ports and what I did was to blend the exhaust ports to match the openings in the exhaust manifolds...I wanted no sharp edges and no restrictions to exhaust out of the heads...When you pull the exhaust manifolds off look at the port area in the exhaust manifold vs the port area in the head...I also knew that I would be changing the exhaust piping to better flow throughout the system and should also increase and maintain exhaust velocity by reducing the non mandrel bends, adding high flow cats throughout the system, adding a dual in/dual out muffler and maintaining the same pipe diameter throughout the exhaust system...My exhaust system has a number of crimped bends, multiple orifice diameters and cat convertors that had 170k on them...

Look at the pics to see what the head port vs exhaust port mismatch was on the old engine...See the darker blocked areas on the face of the exhaust manifold? That is port blockage by the manifold itself...The port was actually bigger than the manifold opening was...But not anymore... I opened the manifold face to match the gaskets and the head ports...You will see that the manifold gaskets are designed to fit the port in the head not necessarily the ports in the manifold...I matched the exhaust ports to the manifold gasket and the intake manifold to the intake gasket as well...There is not as much of a difference in the intake face to head interface as the exhaust side though...

Just put a gasket on either exhaust or intake manifolds and you will see the difference...
 

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Yes. That noise!:D Oh my goodness. I've been thinking about what the noise for the longest. At first I thought it was the clutch area but then I narrowed it down to the engine bay. After reading through threads and your thoughts, that's got to be the sound that irritates me all the time.

Thanks for the info jds3403 and ranger7ltr. I believe I will go with new heads. I'm afraid of the old ones cracking after being machined. The rocker arms and pushrods will probably be done as well.

1. Is it really important to have the lifters replaced?

2. Do I need replace all pushrods and the whole rocker assembly or can I replace as needed based on wear?

3. ranger7ltr, what do you think about the quality of the heads you got from J&C? What did you mean by "...I actually port matched the exhaust manifold to the exhaust port...Exhaust ports are 1.70" vs 1.40"...Did the same on the lower intake manifold to the intake ports..."? What did you actually do?

4. Anyone else purchased the cylinder heads from J&C Enterprises? Reviews?


I'm asking these questions for quality control and just to be sure I'm making the right or at least best move every step of the way?

I'm trying to be cost effective and even the thought of new heads is making me say, "oh boy.":eek: But if it's truly worth it then I'll save up for it. I'm married so I'm thinking about the wife too if you married folks know what I mean.

Lastly, when I'm ready to go I will posting pics and DIY info so everyone can see and find info they need.

The noise from the top end was not a problem with my engine and I have never seen so much sludge in a running engine in my life...There was no possible way proper oil flow was getting to the components and when I tore it down I found evidence of just that...The rocker arms had the pushrod pockets ground deeper into them by lack of oil.. The pushrods looked like they have been belt sanded off center...And the rockers were sticking and not moving smoothly on their shafts even after cleaning and lubricating them...

I might have gone over the top on replacing lifters but since the heads DO have to be removed to replace them I didn't feel the need to not take that opportunity to replace them while the top end was apart...I do believe that, just like the rockers and pushrods, the lifters live in an oil starved environment and since there would be higher pressures on them I didn't want to have to pull the heads again just to replace a dead lifter...
 






Looking to the Lord for Guidance

At this point, I'm not sure about getting new cylinder heads and the rocker arm assembly and if it's worth the expense. Will they actually help with the longevity of the car. The engine has about 120,000mi on it.

Are the heads really necessary. I don't think I would have the heads in the car machined for the risk of them cracking anyways.

I think I'm going to just fix the gasket issue and just replace the gaskets.

Anybody have any opinions.

I'm praying the Lord will guide me in the right direction.

Lord. What do you think is the right choice?
 






Already gave you the advice you need whether you listen hey thats up to you. From someone with experience, replace the heads, pushrods, and rocker arm assembly.

Absolutely needed: heads, Alabama Cylinder head 205.00 a piece fully assembled better than new trust me I've used many heads from them

ranger7ltr that was a nasty engine what the hell kind of oil do you run kerosene 100w100??? doesn't matter how clean the sucker is the pushrod tips and rocker arm cups will still wear drastically, it is just a bad design from ford, look at the small i mean small hole on top of the rocker arms, that is how oil is supposed to get into the constantly moving, i.e., slinging the oil off rocker arm/pushrod contact area... sucks

98sport, do yourself a favor replace the heads and pushrods and rocker arms, lifters should be fine but take those out and clean once you have the heads off, inspect them for damage and order as needed, you will find the pushrods and rockers are trash. deltacams will hook you up with what you need

But do what you want
 






I am going to replace the heads. I wasn't denying your guys advice which I appreciate a lot. I just wanted to be sure. It just so happens that while my wife and I were looking for a new apartment and we ended meeting a retired mechanic (22 years) who recommended the same thing in getting the new heads. All the more Glory to God for all the help and advice.

Thanks

I will be ordering everything soon. I have to finish working on my wife Jetta first.

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?4897603-01M-to-02J-transmission-swap-on-my-2001-Jetta-2.0-(AZG)-silver
 






Ok, I'm having the same issue (4L OHV '99). (Not sure if its a head gasket or not). So let me get this straight, if I want to do the complete job I need:

Alabama cyl. #FOR625N x2 (complete heads)
Delta camshaft #F-40 KIT (4.0L rocker arm assembly kit incl. pushrods)
Mizpah Precision #2244 x 12 (roller lifters)
Felpro gasket set HST9081PT1
Felpro head bolts ES72794

oil/antifreeze/beer

I am a shadetree mech. and have more than worn out my Haynes manual, but have never undergone this much teardown of an engine by myself. Is there a sticky on how to replace the heads? And am I missing anything in the parts list?
 






ranger7ltr that was a nasty engine what the hell kind of oil do you run kerosene 100w100??? doesn't matter how clean the sucker is the pushrod tips and rocker arm cups will still wear drastically, it is just a bad design from ford, look at the small i mean small hole on top of the rocker arms, that is how oil is supposed to get into the constantly moving, i.e., slinging the oil off rocker arm/pushrod contact area... sucks

98sport, do yourself a favor replace the heads and pushrods and rocker arms, lifters should be fine but take those out and clean once you have the heads off, inspect them for damage and order as needed, you will find the pushrods and rockers are trash. deltacams will hook you up with what you need

When I first gott he truck, I drained the oil that was in the pan and it came out in chunks...I refilled it and after not getting oil pressure, drained it again...Again the oil came out in chunks...So off came the oil pan and the oil pump...

This engine was so full of sludge when I bought the truck the oil pump pickup was the only opening to be seen in the oil pan...I dropped the pan, cleaned it out, replaced the pump and started driving it...The oil always came out normally dark after 3-5 k miles and I knew the top end was as bad as the bottom end...

What these pictures actually show is the top end after driving 19k miles using Mobil 1 synthetic oil!!! I had a head gasket seeping a bit and decided to pull the heads, install the new heads I bought when I bought the truck and I found the damaged bores in the pictures...Obviously this engine had oil flow issues to the top end and the circulation of synthetic oil did nothing to remove the sludge already built-up inside this engine...

So Betsy98Sport how is the engine head swap coming along?
 






When I first gott he truck, I drained the oil that was in the pan and it came out in chunks...I refilled it and after not getting oil pressure, drained it again...Again the oil came out in chunks...So off came the oil pan and the oil pump...

This engine was so full of sludge when I bought the truck the oil pump pickup was the only opening to be seen in the oil pan...I dropped the pan, cleaned it out, replaced the pump and started driving it...The oil always came out normally dark after 3-5 k miles and I knew the top end was as bad as the bottom end...

What these pictures actually show is the top end after driving 19k miles using Mobil 1 synthetic oil!!! I had a head gasket seeping a bit and decided to pull the heads, install the new heads I bought when I bought the truck and I found the damaged bores in the pictures...Obviously this engine had oil flow issues to the top end and the circulation of synthetic oil did nothing to remove the sludge already built-up inside this engine...

So Betsy98Sport how is the engine head swap coming along?

Damn that sucks new 4.0 block with stroker 4.3 crank and ported heads from supersix i believe, that'll take of that!

Did you get it straight?
 






Ok, I'm having the same issue (4L OHV '99). (Not sure if its a head gasket or not). So let me get this straight, if I want to do the complete job I need:

Alabama cyl. #FOR625N x2 (complete heads)
Delta camshaft #F-40 KIT (4.0L rocker arm assembly kit incl. pushrods)
Mizpah Precision #2244 x 12 (roller lifters)
Felpro gasket set HST9081PT1
Felpro head bolts ES72794

oil/antifreeze/beer

I am a shadetree mech. and have more than worn out my Haynes manual, but have never undergone this much teardown of an engine by myself. Is there a sticky on how to replace the heads? And am I missing anything in the parts list?

sounds like you've got what you need, Are you replacing the cam too? hell I would going that far keep on going....
I can't remember the water pump gasket set up make sure you have the gaskets for it.
Also if you do a cam job ford says you need a cam sensor alignment tool, just do TDC on intake and align the pointer with the spot in between the break in the plastic shroud, you see it you will know what I'm talking about.
Make sure you have RTV and a T-60 bit for the head bolts
assembly lube, ATF, depending on trans if you take the rad. out for cam job, and thats about it, shoul take about a day, day and a half
Have fun!:salute:
 






sounds like you've got what you need, Are you replacing the cam too? hell I would going that far keep on going....
I can't remember the water pump gasket set up make sure you have the gaskets for it.

The water pump does not interfere with anything. I don't believe that is necessary. At least according to manuals and research I did.

Also if you do a cam job ford says you need a cam sensor alignment tool, just do TDC on intake and align the pointer with the spot in between the break in the plastic shroud, you see it you will know what I'm talking about.
Make sure you have RTV and a T-60 bit for the head bolts
assembly lube, ATF, depending on trans if you take the rad. out for cam job, and thats about it, shoul take about a day, day and a half
Have fun!:salute:

You sure do like to do a thorough job.

Its a T-55 Torx not a T-60. What's the ATF for? Power steering?







Ok, I'm having the same issue (4L OHV '99). (Not sure if its a head gasket or not). So let me get this straight, if I want to do the complete job I need:

Alabama cyl. #FOR625N x2 (complete heads)
Delta camshaft #F-40 KIT (4.0L rocker arm assembly kit incl. pushrods)
Mizpah Precision #2244 x 12 (roller lifters)
Felpro gasket set HST9081PT1
Felpro head bolts ES72794

oil/antifreeze/beer

I am a shadetree mech. and have more than worn out my Haynes manual, but have never undergone this much teardown of an engine by myself. Is there a sticky on how to replace the heads? And am I missing anything in the parts list?

I also got new Autolite Double Platinum Plugs to replace the stupid Bosch ones I put in there a few months ago. That's much pretty much as far as car parts go. I got some engine assembly lube for the rocker arm assembly and pushrods, and the heads. Special tools needed are an E7 Reverse Torx socket for the fuel rail gasket, and a T55 Torx socket for the head bolts if you didn't already have those. I got Ultra Grey RTV as recommended by many doing the head gasket job. I got Permatex gasket remover and a straight edge with a feeler gauge to check flatness of the block as recommended in manual.

Here's some useful links.

Lower Intake Manifold Gasekt. Look in Post #9 for PDF link he put together
http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/232373-coolant-loss-4-0l-ohv-lower-intake-gasket.html

This guy was diagnosing his issue and there's some useful diagnosing info here.
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=283104&highlight=engine+stumble


When I first gott he truck, I drained the oil that was in the pan and it came out in chunks...I refilled it and after not getting oil pressure, drained it again...Again the oil came out in chunks...So off came the oil pan and the oil pump...

This engine was so full of sludge when I bought the truck the oil pump pickup was the only opening to be seen in the oil pan...I dropped the pan, cleaned it out, replaced the pump and started driving it...The oil always came out normally dark after 3-5 k miles and I knew the top end was as bad as the bottom end...

What these pictures actually show is the top end after driving 19k miles using Mobil 1 synthetic oil!!! I had a head gasket seeping a bit and decided to pull the heads, install the new heads I bought when I bought the truck and I found the damaged bores in the pictures...Obviously this engine had oil flow issues to the top end and the circulation of synthetic oil did nothing to remove the sludge already built-up inside this engine...

So Betsy98Sport how is the engine head swap coming along?

The heads arrive on Monday and so I will start the job next weekend.

Any useful tips for taking it all apart before I begin? Any stubborn nuts? Obstacles I should prepare myself for?

And I got the rocker arm assembly and pushrods from Specialty Engine already. Should I oil those up before installing to prevent a dry start?
 






D Day

I start early at first light tomorrow!:D

Any useful tips for taking it all apart before I begin? Any stubborn nuts? Obstacles I should prepare myself for? I feeled prepared but just looking for any last minute tips.

And I got the rocker arm assembly and pushrods from Specialty Engine already. Should I oil those up before installing to prevent a dry start?
 






exhaust manifold bolts need lots of PB Blaster and oil up anything internal except torqued threads
 






exhaust manifold bolts need lots of PB Blaster and oil up anything internal except torqued threads

Thank you. I take it you mean using engine oil to "oil up" all internal stuff.

I also forgot to ask why the gasket set comes with 6 unpper intake manifold gaskets? I thought there was only 3 right between the fuel rail and upper intake manifold.
 






Everyone has their favorite secret recipe for engine building lube, I think oil is good. I like Castrol, but again - everyone has their own. The gaskets will probably be self explanatory as you disassemble but if not, ask away.
 






Everyone has their favorite secret recipe for engine building lube, I think oil is good. I like Castrol, but again - everyone has their own. The gaskets will probably be self explanatory as you disassemble but if not, ask away.

I pulled everything off but I still only see three places for 3 of the 6 gaskets that came with the set. Right between the upper intake and the fuel rail. No where else?
 






Anyone got any good ideas for putting the new heads on without removing the manifold? It's difficult because there are studs that hold the manifolds in place. I was able to pull off the old ones with a bunch of twisting and turning but I don't want to have to do the same with the new ones because I don't want to scratch the surfaces or mess up the new gasket.
 






Since you are installing new heads...

I wouldn't try to install heads with the manifolds on them...I had studs in my heads but ended up using bolts to hold the manifolds in place...I installed my heads bare first then torqued them and then added the rest of the parts starting with the rockers, etc... I added the exhaust manifolds last I believe...

So how are you coming along? HEads ready to go on? How do your cylinder bores look?
 






The bores are clean and smooth. The tops of the pistons are a shade of black but not with carbon build up.

The problem is I would like to avoid taking the manifolds off since I left them on when removing the old heads since they are a pain.

What kinds of bolts did you use to secure the manifold and where did you get them from?
 






!!!!Cylinder Head Job is Complete!!!!

The bores are clean and smooth. The tops of the pistons are a shade of black but not with carbon build up.

The problem is I would like to avoid taking the manifolds off since I left them on when removing the old heads since they are a pain.

What kinds of bolts did you use to secure the manifold and where did you get them from?

I was able find the manifold-to-head bolts at one of the local dealers (hit me if you need the part number; there's two types) about $7.

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

I completed the project yesreday evening. I got scared because it would start at first for a while. I noticed the battery was low so I went to Autozone and got a new one. It still didn't start for an hour. I smelled fuel and the pump was on (I didn't forget the inertia switch). I was going to try one last time. I prayed over the car and then it started! And it sounded beautiful.

Hasn't felt like that in a long while. It smoked out the pipe for 5 minutes and then no problems. I even got on the freeway snce I had to pick up my wife and it felt good.

I will post the pics I have soon and have a walk through of what I did. No leak and so far and running good:D:D:D:D:D:D:D
 



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Congrats on bringing the engine back to life...

That is a wonderful feeling!!! Glad you were able to find the exhaust manifold bolts at your dealership;my dealer was no help whatsoever...

Looking forward to your pics and walkthrough...
 






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