Hi! I am new to the forum and have a weird issue with a just rebuilt 2005 Ford 4.0 head gasket

[Mudd11]

Hello everyone! I have never seen this before, but maybe some of you have.... Our 2005 Mercury Mountaineer has a Ford 4.0 SOHC V6. It has 200k on it and recently got water in the oil (probable blown head gasket). Pulled the engine, and spend a bunch of money on a full rebuild. Bought top products for everything, mostly from Rock Auto. Even replaced the crank, just to be sure it went well.
Finally got the motor back together, primed the oil system, and it fired up beautifully. Here is the crusher....after it idled and warmed up for 10 minutes, the passenger side head gasket started to weep antifreeze around the entire perimeter of the head gasket! Just a little, but I could not believe it! I never even touched the throttle. I am sure I followed the torque instructions to the letter (Step 1 -25lbs in sequence, Step 2 - turn 90 degrees, Step 3 - turn 90 degrees.) Marked all studs with a paint marker to track rotation. It's leaking like I didn't torque it down.
So, these are the parts numbers, if you want to know.
Rock Auto - ENGINETECH F244K6 - head gaskets (probably the culprit)
Rock Auto - FEL-PRO ES72171
Block was gone through at a local high performance machine shop. I asked them to resurface the block, and they called later to say the block was fine and totally flat, no need to spend money on resurfacing. Can't imagine they passed up on the money, if the block was a problem.
Heads were rebuilt by J & C Cylinder Head Exchange out of Fairmont, WV. They had top ratings and had the heads at the time.
Just a little background: I am 58 with a lifetime of mechanical experience. Rebuilt dozens of motors. Build ground up stock cars with 400 HP stroked Chevy V8's. Always have worked on my own cars, and rarely use a garage for most things. Was a Chinook mechanic in the Army. For good or bad, I am very OCD and check everything over and over before moving forward.
Any hope that I don't have to tear this thing apart and replace the brand new head gasket and all the TTY bolts again...? Thanks for any thoughts or advice you can provide. I really appreciate it!

​

 

[410Fortune]

Help ! 4.0 SOHC head bolt torque

I have a situation here and I need a FACTORY correct answer if possible. I have a 2003 ford explorer with 4.0 SOHC motor and I replaced the head gaskets, I purchased new head bolts, but I have some confusion about the torque sequence. Everywhere I look online says first torque to appox 25 lbs...

www.explorerforum.com

I see no way around it
You are going to have to remove the head if it is indeed seeping from the new head gasket
You did the torque procedure properly
Make sure the leak is not from another source?
something fishy, only way to find out is to go back in AFTER you make sure the gasket is for sure seeping

SUCKS!! but if we replace enough head gaskets eventually something will go wrong

 

[Mbrooks420]

I’ve never heard of “Enginetech”. Leaking around the whole gasket says bad gasket to me.

Don’t skimp on the gaskets. I see no way around pulling the head. If a better brand gasket fixes it, I’d be pulling the other head.

I’d go Felpro, Victor Reinz, if not Motorcraft.

 

[Fix4Dirt]

I’ve never heard of “Enginetech”. Leaking around the whole gasket says bad gasket to me.
I’d go Felpro, Victor Reinz, if not Motorcraft.

1. theyre sold on rock auto, seems like another low quality brand too. i also recall an apex.
2. agreed with this. mahle makes some good stuff too.

 

[2020FordRaptor]

Hello everyone! I have never seen this before, but maybe some of you have.... Our 2005 Mercury Mountaineer has a Ford 4.0 SOHC V6. It has 200k on it and recently got water in the oil (probable blown head gasket). Pulled the engine, and spend a bunch of money on a full rebuild. Bought top products for everything, mostly from Rock Auto. Even replaced the crank, just to be sure it went well.
Finally got the motor back together, primed the oil system, and it fired up beautifully. Here is the crusher....after it idled and warmed up for 10 minutes, the passenger side head gasket started to weep antifreeze around the entire perimeter of the head gasket! Just a little, but I could not believe it! I never even touched the throttle. I am sure I followed the torque instructions to the letter (Step 1 -25lbs in sequence, Step 2 - turn 90 degrees, Step 3 - turn 90 degrees.) Marked all studs with a paint marker to track rotation. It's leaking like I didn't torque it down.
So, these are the parts numbers, if you want to know.
Rock Auto - ENGINETECH F244K6 - head gaskets (probably the culprit)
Rock Auto - FEL-PRO ES72171
Block was gone through at a local high performance machine shop. I asked them to resurface the block, and they called later to say the block was fine and totally flat, no need to spend money on resurfacing. Can't imagine they passed up on the money, if the block was a problem.
Heads were rebuilt by J & C Cylinder Head Exchange out of Fairmont, WV. They had top ratings and had the heads at the time.
Just a little background: I am 58 with a lifetime of mechanical experience. Rebuilt dozens of motors. Build ground up stock cars with 400 HP stroked Chevy V8's. Always have worked on my own cars, and rarely use a garage for most things. Was a Chinook mechanic in the Army. For good or bad, I am very OCD and check everything over and over before moving forward.
Any hope that I don't have to tear this thing apart and replace the brand new head gasket and all the TTY bolts again...? Thanks for any thoughts or advice you can provide. I really appreciate it!

​

View attachment 435576

Welcome!

 

[Turdle]

Was sealant applied to head bolts?

 

[CallMeSyd]

You're going to have to pull the head. If it's leaking around the gasket, it's a bad gasket, or block or head deck is out of spec. Sorry to hear about this. Be sure to blow out your head bolt holes as well.

 

[boominXplorer]

Did you pressure test? Sure it's not leaking back from the thermostat housing?

 

[imp]

You're going to have to pull the head. If it's leaking around the gasket, it's a bad gasket, or block or head deck is out of spec. Sorry to hear about this. Be sure to blow out your head bolt holes as well.

Sometimes debris and or oil has collected in the head bolt threaded holes in the block. It can become trapped by the bolt, preventing it from tightening properly. I would remove the head bolts one by one, leaving them tight, blow out each hole with compressed air, then retorque them. The leak may disappear.

 

[CallMeSyd]

Sometimes debris and or oil has collected in the head bolt threaded holes in the block. It can become trapped by the bolt, preventing it from tightening properly. I would remove the head bolts one by one, leaving them tight, blow out each hole with compressed air, then retorque them. The leak may disappear.

Yeah that's why I had to throw that in there at the end lol.

 

[410Fortune]

good advice you guys

 

[tmwalsh]

Of/when you do pull the heads, get out a straightedge and check. Could be one of the two machine shops had the newguy do some of the work and perhaps skipped a step. If they prove to be untrue, then I would be after them for a set of gaskets and TTY head bolts. You won't get the labor and time back, but should not be on the hook for those two items, and antifreeze if you had installed new. And an oil change as there's almost no way to R&R the heads w/o gooping the crankcase with antifreeze.(at least a little bit).
tom

 

[imp]

Yeah that's why I had to throw that in there at the end lol.

Your advice applies for sure, but before the fact of installing the head. I intended to reveal the trick of eliminating hydrostatic lock on one or two bolts after head installation.

 

[smegun]

Hello everyone! I have never seen this before, but maybe some of you have.... Our 2005 Mercury Mountaineer has a Ford 4.0 SOHC V6. It has 200k on it and recently got water in the oil (probable blown head gasket). Pulled the engine, and spend a bunch of money on a full rebuild. Bought top products for everything, mostly from Rock Auto. Even replaced the crank, just to be sure it went well.
Finally got the motor back together, primed the oil system, and it fired up beautifully. Here is the crusher....after it idled and warmed up for 10 minutes, the passenger side head gasket started to weep antifreeze around the entire perimeter of the head gasket! Just a little, but I could not believe it! I never even touched the throttle. I am sure I followed the torque instructions to the letter (Step 1 -25lbs in sequence, Step 2 - turn 90 degrees, Step 3 - turn 90 degrees.) Marked all studs with a paint marker to track rotation. It's leaking like I didn't torque it down.
So, these are the parts numbers, if you want to know.
Rock Auto - ENGINETECH F244K6 - head gaskets (probably the culprit)
Rock Auto - FEL-PRO ES72171
Block was gone through at a local high performance machine shop. I asked them to resurface the block, and they called later to say the block was fine and totally flat, no need to spend money on resurfacing. Can't imagine they passed up on the money, if the block was a problem.
Heads were rebuilt by J & C Cylinder Head Exchange out of Fairmont, WV. They had top ratings and had the heads at the time.
Just a little background: I am 58 with a lifetime of mechanical experience. Rebuilt dozens of motors. Build ground up stock cars with 400 HP stroked Chevy V8's. Always have worked on my own cars, and rarely use a garage for most things. Was a Chinook mechanic in the Army. For good or bad, I am very OCD and check everything over and over before moving forward.
Any hope that I don't have to tear this thing apart and replace the brand new head gasket and all the TTY bolts again...? Thanks for any thoughts or advice you can provide. I really appreciate it!

​

View attachment 435576

your more complicated than my ohv ex: ....necessary to use rtv were lower manifold joins heads things like newer engines coolant hose to carb torque wrench at least 1/2 inch performing 90 deg last torque is like the bolt stops