hello to all

[2nd hand owner]

hello to all.
I have just purchased a, feb/1997 xl explorer, (automatic)
bought it cheap and it is in good condition, body and mechanical,
except for a problem with the heads, (water in the oil mixture)
after buying this car I found out why they sold it cheap, ($1000)
being used to only having standard cars and repairing them myself 4 the last 20 years. I thought how much could it be for the heads to be repaired?
I nearly fell over backwards, when I found out the price for a workshop to fix the heads.
So now I am stuck with trying to fix them myself, but I wont be attempting to do this until I buy a repair manual for it first.
I wish I had found this website before I bought the car.
oh well, it's no use worrying about that now,
I just have to do the best I can now,
and give it a go to repair them myself.

Anyway I just wanted to say hello to you all,
and ask if a complete kit of gaskets can be bought to do the heads up or are they sold individually?
best wishes to you all.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Welcome to this forum! How many miles does it have? Maybe it's cheaper to get an engine from a junk yard with low mileage if you have high mileage?

 

[Sams01XplrSprt]

welcome

 

[2nd hand owner]

Hello from the land of oz, Brooklyn Bay

Thanks 4 the reply.
the explorer has done 191,865 km.
is the head really that big of a problem to do,
that it is better changing the motor ???

 

[BrooklynBay]

It's up to you if you want to replace the head or just swap everything. I would assume that it's less labor to swap a head than an engine, but for somebody that has never done this, it could be intimidating. Some people feel the same way about rebuilding a transmission. They see over a thousand parts on a diagram, and just feel that they will swap it.

 

[2nd hand owner]

re-change the motor

Hi BrooklynBay
I know what you mean about being intimidating.
I feel a bit that way now and I have not even started yet.
I have done about a dozen or so standard inline 4 cyl. and 6 cyl. car motors,
but this will be my first v6, 4 wheel drive motor.
oh well, apart from all the dimantling of parts around the motor,
motors are all mostly the same,
I think I will be ok (fingers crossed)

 

[BrooklynBay]

I don't think that you will have a problem since you already have experience with other engines.

 

[jlsparky7]

Welcome!

Definitely worth it to do a engine swap with those miles.