4.0 OHV Head/Intake torque procedure?

[pjm]

I may be doing a head replacement for a cracked head and just read through the procedure in Chilton's.

It says basically that you need to torque the lower intake manifold to the heads prior to torqueing down the heads at all.

I've worked on a lot of engines and have never heard of doing it this way. For anyone who has done this - is this the correct procedure? Does it matter if you fully torque the heads down first and then do the lower manifold?

thanks

 

[B_D_Torres]

Lesson Learned?

I just re-read the same procedure. I wonder if that's were I went wrong on my X. I replaced both heads on my '94 4.0 OHV about 5K miles ago. In my haste to finish the job I must have missed that order. I torqued the heads first. I have had a significant oil leak from the rear of the engine after about 500 miles. I thought it was the rear main oil seal but now after reading your post and going back to the manual I'm not so sure. The manual does state that the heads and the intake are torqued alternately and in sequence, to assure a correct fit and gasket crush. Also the procedure is to torque the intake, heads, intake, heads, then the intake a last time. I think I'm going to have to re-do this which sucks, those head gaskets are NOT cheap.

 

[B_D_Torres]

PJM I talked to my ex-father-in-law who is a Ford Certified Master Mechanic you can read about what he has to say about it here http://explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2154108#post2154108

Good luck.

 

[Cobraguy]

I can tell you for a fact the Chilton description is NOT the procedure Ford uses. Ford bolts the heads down, torques them completely, then installs the intake.

But I sure see the 'method to their madness'. But the heads sit on dowels and don't have the ability to slide...so I can't imagine this Chilton procedure amounts to much.

 

[JReynaxd40]

The Haynes manual says to do that also, but when you do the whole thing is basically shot from the beginning. think about it as you tighten one down the other gets tightened changing where it should sit. and that wouldn't even allow it to sit correctly on the heads. when i followed that i went to fill my radiator back up and you could just hear it all pour directly into my oil pan it was bad. I definitely would not recommend doing it that way torquing alternately that is.