'96 Head gasket replacement question

[McCheese]

'96 Explorer Sport 4.0 'X' engine.

I have a coolant leak to the outside (thankfully) and I'm going to pull the heads and replace the gaskets. I have been ignoring this leak for years. It does not leak cold and will hold pressure in a pressure test so it's pretty elusive. I can see coolant stains that appear to originate between the head and the block so I think that's the problem.

I thought it might be the intake manifold leaking but I replaced that and it did not help.

The shop manual wants me to take the exhaust manifolds off before I pull the heads and I'd prefer to leave them alone to save time and the nightmare that getting off could be.

Is there any reason why I can't just unhook the Y pipe and pull the heads with the manifolds?

My plan was to use the Fel-pro gasket kit and replace the bolts. (About $80 plus $30 for the bolts from Rockauto) Anyone have any other recommendations?

Thanks

David

 

[jd4242]

they should pull out fine,if you had the money now would be the time to do some headers also.also i would have the heads checked for cracks at a machine shop just to be safe,you dont want to have to pull them off twice and its cheap to have them checked.here is a cheap place to get gaskets also,ive used them three times they just dont have the fancy rtv on it!!
without bolts
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/95-9...ryZ33665QQihZ022QQitemZ350139759596QQtcZphoto
with head bolts
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/95-9...ryZ33665QQihZ010QQitemZ200287517360QQtcZphoto

 

[Texan01]

I usually pull the heads with the manifolds off and still attached to the Y-pipe.

Mine have been on and off enough times that they haven't seized to the heads, but you can break the Y-pipe loose and they'll come off with the heads. Then you can get the manifolds off the heads on the bench, that way if you break a bolt, you can get the shop to extract it.

It's not a terribly hard job to do, just time consuming. Be sure to mark which side is which and keep the corresponding rocker-shafts and pushrods together.

I use a box punched for 12 holes and labeled to hold the pushrods and then tag the rocker shafts.

 

[McCheese]

Leaving the Manifold on the Y pipe is a great idea.

That saves me a trip under the truck and the pain of undoing the Y pipe to manifold bolts.

I think I'll try leaving them attached to the Y pipe. Do you loosen the Y pipe to manifold bolts at all or do you just unbolt the manifolds and let them hang on the Y pipe.

David.

 

[jd4242]

I would not reuse any of the old pushrods or rockers if you got a lot of miles
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