2008 Explorer 4.0L v6 p0302 and p0316

[bbullsj]

I have an 08' Explorer with the 4.0L v6 with 170,000 miles. My wife was driving home and went o accelerate and it started jerking and shaking. I got there and it had a P0302 and P0316 code. It will not idle without being on the gas some. Compression on #2 was 160psi. It had original plug so I figured that was where I would start. It sat for 36 hours before i got the plugs replaced. I tried to start it but it would not start and made a couple banging noises and sounded like the starter gear would strip on the flexplate ring gear.

I checked the oil and it was way overfilled. I had just done an fresh oil change 2 weeks earlier (maybe 300 miles). I'm assuming that the bottom of the pistons were hitting the excess fluid in the crankcase and attempting to hydrolock itself from the bottom side. When I put my ear to the oil fill, I could hear a dripping noise, just like a leaky faucet. Coolant was low. I let it sit for another 12 hours and then thought I should drain the crankcase before it fills up too much more. I drained out a gallon of coolant along with the 5 quarts of oil.

I did a cooling system pressure test and I can't get it much above 12 psi and can then hear a lot faster dripping sound from the oil fill.

How do I figure out what's leaking?

Is there a lower intake gasket that has coolant running through it? Just a bad head gasket or cracked head or block? I'm at a loss right now unless I start tearing down the engine. I was told to do head gaskets you have to remove the engine and have to have a bunch of specialty tools for the timing chains.

I have done a compression test and all the cylinders have between 150 and 170 psi so i'm assuming timing hasn't jumped and my valves are sealing properly.

 

[Explorer_PL]

I doubt manifold gasket. Sounds more like cracked head or head gasket.
You better of getting a used engine out of a wreck. Rebuilding those is not simple or inexpensive. Yes, engine needs to come out and you need special tools to set the timing.
Something gave in the engine ........

 

[Tech By Trade]

No water in the plastic manifold on these things. I'm not sure if there is an oil cooler, but if there is you might get lucky. Odds are there is a crack in the block or one of the heads, or a blown head gasket. Dropping it off at a wrecker, or a drop in from a wrecker is probably your best bet.