I did something dumb (re-titled 4.0L SOHC engine tear down)

[donalds]

Yeeyeee

 

[floridacatfan]

Koda - I see you are replacing your right rear chain guide - Assuming you are going to use the ford part - would you ever consider adding something to the upper plastic part to add strength to the pivot point ? Like a riveted piece of sheet metal ? I just had that thought - it just seems so weak

Did you have a cause for your head gasket leak ? - did your motor get hot ?

 

[koda2000]

@floridacatfan
RE reinforcing the rear cassette - I would consider doing something to strengthening the rear cassette guide, but I've never read anything about anyone ever attempting this. I'll examine the new cassette when I get, but I think drilling any holes in the already weak plastic guide would only give it an increased chance of breaking. I've read something that said Ford modified the cassette design back in 2007 or 2009, but IDK if that's true. I know they still continued to fail, but perhaps less frequently.

RE overheating - When I first got the ST the coolant tank was cracked and the top was missing, also there was indication that rusty water had blown out of the expansion tank and had stained the hood pad and there was a 1/2 full container of 50/50 antifreeze in the truck bed. All very suspect. When I got the engine running (replaced fuel pump and filter) w/in 1/2 a mile of driving it for the first time the temp gauge pegged at full HOT, then almost immediately and dropped back to normal temp and didn't do it again. I then replaced the t-stat with a Stant, but I wasn't happy with it and I replaced it with a $32 Motorcraft t-stat. Then it was fine for over 20,000 miles over 4 years of driving it locally. Last fall I started noticing some coolant loss, having to add a small amount of coolant weekly. Then in November of last year it started overheating and bubbling into the expansion tank as soon as the engine started to warm up, then it would puke coolant into the expansion tank tank and overflow it. The coolant also smelled like exhaust. That's when I stopped driving the ST.

Today's Engine Teardown Update:
Today I pulled both heads (w/cams attached). It went smoothly with no drama. I examined the MLS head gaskets but so far I don't see any obvious sign of a blown head gasket on either bank. I need to clean up the gaskets and heads and examine them more closely, but perhaps the exhaust leak into the cooling system was being caused by a warped aluminum head more than a blow out of the MLS metal head gasket ??? When I have the heads resurfaced I'll also get them pressure tested for cracks, but I don't think they'll find any. We'll see. Next I have to remove the timing cover, lower oil pan and engine girdle. Then I need to get my parts sink up and running again and start the parts cleaning process. The heads look like there was a family of rats living in and pooping under the valve covers. Gross!

With the heads off the engine looks positively tiny. Once I get the timing cover, engine girdle and lower oil pan off I think the block may fit in my pocket.

Pictures below.

 

[floridacatfan]

Koda - thx for the update - if you have time update if possible - it helps us to make decisions on our engine - my bet is the head is warped - if I had a short block I’d give it to you - I’d hope you ask for an assessment of the head prior to grinding - it just feels like a mystery for the blowback into the tank

 

[koda2000]

Koda - thx for the update - if you have time update if possible - it helps us to make decisions on our engine - my bet is the head is warped - if I had a short block I’d give it to you - I’d hope you ask for an assessment of the head prior to grinding - it just feels like a mystery for the blowback into the tank

Yes, I plan to get an assessment of the heads before I put any money into them. Thanks for the offer of a free short block, but that's possibly the only part of my engine that's still good. The lower end of the 4.0L engine is pretty bulletproof in my experience.

I'm curious to pull the cams and examine the cam bearing surfaces to see if there's abnormal wear, which might be caused by a warped head. I'm about to order the Ford valve spring compressor tool so I can remove the followers and then the cams. $20 on Amazon.

OEMTOOLS 24434

 

[koda2000]

Note: For anyone facing 4.0L SOHC timing chain replacement who wants a pretty good education, I recommend you watch FordTechMakuloco's 4 part series on this job on YouTube. I don't necessary agree with the way he does everything, but he doesn't steer you wrong.

 

[donalds]

Great videos from that guy

 

[koda2000]

Update:
Today's mission was to...
- remove lower oil pan (done)
- remove oil pickup screen & engine girdle (done)
- remove the timing cover (done)
- loosen up the various front tensioner bolts (done)
- remove front jackshaft bolt and gears
- remove the crankshaft gear and jackshaft chain
- remove the front and rear cassettes

I wanted to finish stripping down the front of the engine and remove the front and rear TC cassettes, but I wasn't feeling well (headache and nausea, due to the heat or garage fumes ???) so maybe later today or tomorrow to finish.

Here's a unexpected finding. My 2WD, Job 2 engine has the 4WD balance shaft. I'm beginning to think this may not be the original engine for this truck. If it was replaced at some point I think it was done by a Ford dealership earlier in its life, because the only indication I saw that anyone had ever touched this engine was that I saw a small about of red RTV around the oil filter mounting bracket. Over the years of working on vehicles I've learned that when most mechanics do things like replacing an engine they don't put everything back where it belongs and that's not what I saw when I was getting ready to pull this engine. Everything was the way it would have come from the factory. In an earlier post I'd mentioned that there was only one top transmission bolt and that I assumed the other one had fallen out, but apparently there is only one drilled and tapped top trans bolt on this engine. Are they all like this? IDK.

So, I don't want or need the balance shaft on a 2WD, for that matter no one knows exactly why the 4WD engine needed a balance shaft, presumably to control some sort of vibration. I've read where some here have removed the balance shaft, or removed its chain because it can be responsible for causing noise. Others have reported installing non-balance shaft 4.0L SOHC engines (like engines from Mustangs) in their 4X4's without any issues. I'm assuming I can just remove the balance shaft related parts and toss them. Anyone know for sure?

 

[Turdle]

IMO the only thing a balance shaft will do is get rid of that vibration a manual transmission vehicle has right off a stop, when first engaging the clutch from a standstill. I had a 944 with the balance shaft removed for quicker revving, when puling out from a stop coins in the ashtray would jingle. The whole dash would shake, \\

 

[donalds]

I'm wondering the balance shaft mechanism has its own oil galley rite?
Assuming it does won't removing is cause a small loss of oil pressure ?

I'd just remove the chain and guide .
Or am I wrong

 

[koda2000]

I'm wondering the balance shaft mechanism has its own oil galley rite?
Assuming it does won't removing is cause a small loss of oil pressure ?

I'd just remove the chain and guide .
Or am I wrong

You may be correct re oil pressure loss w/out the balance shaft. I took the balance shaft and guide off so that I could get the chain off w/out removing the balance shaft drive gear on the crank shaft, because that requires knocking out the Woodruff key on the crankshaft and that gear seems to act as a spacer for the jackshaft sprocket on the crank. It's easy enough to reinstall the balance shaft if necessary (4 bolts).

 

[koda2000]

Further Update for today:
I was feeling better so I went back to the garage for a bit.

- removed jackshaft sprocket, chain and chain tensioners
- removed the front TC cassette
- removed the lower jackshaft sprocket from the crankshaft
- removed balance shaft (at least temporarily) tensioner and guide

I found all kinds of broken parts under the front cover and on top of the engine girdle. Bits of plastic, pieces of spring steel from a broken balance shaft tensioner, plus stuff I haven't identified yet. Its amazing to me that this engine ran so well with so many broken parts. Other than an occasional slight chain rattle it ran perfectly and very strong.

Tomorrow I just have to get the rear cassette out and then it's probably a full week of cleaning parts before I can proceed with the autopsy. Right now it's all one huge oily, greasy mess. I think it's time for my daughter to put some sweat-equity into this job.

I have discovered that the harmonic balancer should be replaced an I guess I might as well install a new oil pump while the engine is apart. The cylinder's look fine.

I'll try to post some pictures later or tomorrow.

 

[koda2000]

Latest pics from yesterday. Like I said, huge oily, greasy mess. Only the rear cassette remains to be removed at this point. The record heat is back in GA so I'm not working on anything until it cools down (if it ever does) and the extended weather forecast looks bleak. In the mid 90's in the shade, sunny and no rain in sight. I can't work (even in the garage with a fan going) under these conditions. I miss my air conditioned garage!

 

[donalds]

Progress

 

[koda2000]

Progress

Not as much as I'd like, but... I took a 3 gal container put everything in it that would fit and poured in 3 gals of Purple Power. I'm going to let it all soak for 24 hours and then pull some stuff out to see how it's doing. I need to set up my 20 gal wash tank, but the cleaning solvent is like $110 for 5 gals. 5 gallons of Purple Power was around $23 at WalMart, so that's a much less expensive way to go. It works well, but sometimes you have to use a parts brush to get the stubborn stuff off. I also figure I can reuse it to some extent. For the engine block I figure I can roll it outside and degrease it in the driveway when it's cooler.

 

[donalds]

No as much as I'd like, but... I took a 3 gal container put everything in it what would fit and poured in 3 gals of Purple Power. I'm going to let it all soak for 24 hours and then pull some stuff out to see how it's doing. I need to set up my 20 gal wash tank, but the cleaning solvent is like $110 for 5 gals. 5 gallons of Purple Power was around $23 at WalMart, so that's a much less expensive way to go. It works well, but sometimes you have to use a parts brush to get the stubborn stuff off. I also figure I can reuse it to some extent. For the engine block I figure I can roll it outside and degrease it in the driveway when it's cooler.

I agree
I can't afford a parts washer ...if only
...so that's the way I'd go I'd clean with the purple power then the stubborn stuff Somme engine degreaser with a brush then a finely a clean in purple power super clean

My grandfather told me probably 10000 times cleaning is the most important part

 

[koda2000]

Update:
I pulled out the parts I'd soaked overnight in Purple Power, brushed and rinsed them off this morning. They came out pretty well, but they could use a little more cleaning in the nooks and crannies to meet my high standards. One thing I noticed, that I wasn't expecting, was that Purple Power is not kind to aluminum if you soak them parts for 12 hours or more. Nothing got damaged to the point where it will be a problem, but I wont soak aluminum parts for multiple hours in PP any more, as it causes corrosion on the aluminum surface. My 3 gals of used PP now looks light toxic waste with a layer of sludge floating on top of it. Now I need to figure out what to do to dispose of it responsibly.

Other than the engine girdle and heads there's nothing else that needs cleaning anytime soon. My valve spring compressor is coming in today's mail, so I can remove the followers and cams from the heads, then after cleaning I can the heads off to a machine shop for evaluation and milling.

Weather permitting I'm going to try to remove the remains of the rear cassette today, that will complete the majority of the engine disassembly, other than the oil pump and rear main seal, both of which wait.

Question: Are the rod and crank journal bolts TTY? If not I'd like to pull the caps and journals to check the bearings. The cylinder still show their cross hatching and there's no ridge, so I have no reason to pull the pistons.

 

[donalds]

Question: Are the rod and crank journal bolts TTY? If not I'd like to pull the caps and journals to check the bearings. The cylinder still show their cross hatching and there's no ridge, so I have no reason to pull the pistons

Solved - SOHC V6 Torque Specifications

Thanks @2000StreetRod

 

[koda2000]

Thank you @donalds. I have the torque specs somewhere, I just thought someone might know off the top of their head. So the connecting rod bolts are TTY (more money to spend) but the crank journal bolts appear not to be TTY and are therefore reusable.

I just spent about 1.5 hours cleaning the engine girdle/upper oil pan. Jeez that thing was disgusting. I used a parts brush, an old paint brush, 2 old tooth brushes and an old kitchen sink scrub brush along with about a quart of Purple Power. I'd say I got 99% of it clean, but there are a couple of areas where I wasn't able to get all the crud off. It's probably good enough, but I wont be happy until I get the final 1% of crud off of the inside (just my OCD).

By the time I was done cleaning the engine girdle it had gotten to hot and humid to move onto removing the rear cassette. Maybe this evening when it cools off. The weather man says we're in for some real fall-like weather (70's) maybe late next week or the following week. It can't come soon enough for me!

 

[donalds]

Lots of cleaning
I'll bet you will do frequent oil changes now...not that you haven't....
All them timing chains sheer the he'll of the oil making lots of sludge