Bad Cylinder Mayby??

[Rodney]

I just did a head gasket job because it was leaking anti-freeze on both sides of the heads ,(could see through the fender well and could also smell it to).I didn't have the heads checked because it was runing pretty good,but now I have no outside leaks but feels like it is running on 5 cyl. instead of 6.Hardly no power on take off.Have double ckecked everything from plug wires to vacuum lines to injectors.Sounds almost like it has a bigger cam in it.Thanks
Are the new heads on ebay better,like give you more power,cause I might have to buy a pair,,,Thanks again..

 

[410Fortune]

need to know what engine you are talking about in your 97 it could the OHV 4.0L, SOHC 4.0L or the 5.0L.

 

[Rodney]

I'm sorry it's the ohv 4.0,if a head is cracked is it best to buy both or just the one?Are the ones you can get now better than the old ones.Some on ebay say they have bigger water passages,is that true.Has 113,500 miles on it now,uses no oil ,Thanks alot

 

[410Fortune]

what makes you think you need new heads again?

Replace both heads. The 93+ castings are stronger.
World products company makes good replacement heads for the 4.0L OHV.
With 113 K the engine should be fine for another 100K unless it was overheated and or not maintained.
Did you check for spark at all 6 cyl?
No codes?

Sounds to me like when you did the upper end you might not have got something put back together right.

 

[Rodney]

Have double checked all vacuum lines and plug wires,fuel injectors,it has that poping sound at the exhaust and has no power ,idles good with a little miss till you try to pull out.When I started it,it did start over flowing in radiator just a second.Water came out the exhaust but stop after it ran for a while.While it was running I pulled each wire off the coil pack and had good spark and then I pulled each plug wire off the plug and also had good spark.Wouldn't that mean that my coil pack and wires are good? Even swaped out the plugs,,still the same.

 

[cutter]

When you pull a plug wire 1 at a time can you feel thr cylinder miss and then run when you put wire back on? Sounds like you have plug wires on wrong or maybe injector wire crossed or not on.And does water shoot out or just a little flow? If its a little just leave open and run and watch for thermastat to open you will know when water drops and you see flow.

 

[monkeydude3]

It sounds to me like a fuel injector issue..... I had the same symptoms and I had a bad injector... you may not have a bad one, just dirty or the plug to it may not be fully connected

 

[Rodney]

Thanks ,I'm going to check again and do a compression test to.With the Radiator cap off it shouldn't push any water out ,should it? What would be some numbers I should be looking for on each cylinder? When I had the heads off the pistons walls really looked good,not that much build up at the top either,,Thanks Oh and the water didn't shot out,it just over flowed..

 

[monkeydude3]

as for your compression... somewhere in the 100-150 psi range.... and they should all be relatively close, the lowest about 75% of the highest one. Theoretically no it shouldn't push fluid out the radiator, but then again it shouldn't be running with it off most of the time.

 

[Rodney]

Good News,,while doing the Compression check,the last plug was wet with gas.That plug wasn't hitting at all,it was Broken.The compression was 148-150 on all cylinders,I thought that was really good with over 100,000 miles.Put new plugs in and now it really running great,thought I was going to have to take it apart again.Going to have to get a manifold bolt out that I broke off on drivers side,don't like that ticking,,Thanks alot for the help!!

 

[410Fortune]

Nice easy and cheap! Glad you found the problem. 100K is barely worn in....serisouly the block on the 4.0L is bulletproof, they last forever.....

 

[monkeydude3]

excellent! glad to hear it was only a spark plug. Good times you got lucky. My explorer has 136 k miles on it... runs grand!!! I'm gonna get some new plugs soon though... take care My compression is around 130 or so