What should I do while it's out?

[vincewarde]

Well, after 200k both the front and rear main seals are leaking on my 93 Explorer 4.0 V6. I got her about 100k ago and have taken good are of her. Now I am looking at having to pull the motor to fix the rear main seal. Yes, I know that the front can be done engine in and that I could drop the trans to do the rear main seal - but the trans was completely rebuilt not long ago, so pulling the motor just seems to make more sense.

So, I plan on the following:

1) Compression check before pulling engine. If it's real low of drastically lower in one cylinder - then I will rebuild or more likely buy a rebuilt engine. Given the engine's current performance, I think the compression test will turn out fine.

2) Replace front and rear main seals.

3) Replace all freeze plugs with rubber ones (I have had it with the brass ones failing!)

4) Pull pan and replace oil pump.

So, am I missing something? What else, PM wise, should I do while the engine is out of the truck?

Thanks!

 

[siguaw]

GASKETS GASKETS EVERYWHERE! they are a pain to do so you might as well do them all when it is out even if they are not leaking. Do it not instead of a year or two when they finally start leaking

 

[vincewarde]

GASKETS GASKETS EVERYWHERE! they are a pain to do so you might as well do them all when it is out even if they are not leaking. Do it not instead of a year or two when they finally start leaking

Yeah, I did think of pulling the heads and letting a machine shop check them out. I have lost more engines to blown head gaskets than any other cause.

 

[Roadrunner777]

You know, I might go into the front end of the engine a little bit. Water pump, thermostat, maybe take the timing cover off and replacing tensioners and/or the timing chain itself. It's tough to say... how talented and equipped are you? If you are going to replace crank seals and the oil pump, you are not far from doing the lower mains.

By the way, and I have no idea where you are going with this... but if you decide to replace your heads for some reason, there are good ones and bad ones. Be sure to ask here.

 

[jd4242]

I wouldn't touch the heads. You mess with them and your wish you didn't.unless you are going to replace them, which I would.use the m328 oil pump and replace the rockers and pushrods.use sealed power replacements. If you do replace the heads clean the lifters.

 

[Jason94sport]

For me if the engine comes out ....a 5.0 is going back in.

But yes gaskets. Oil pan too. I'd just get a rebuilt engine or have someone rebuild yours. Once you start messing with a 20 year old engine trying to replace things even gaskets you may find it hard to seal back up right because of surface wear & break bolts trying to get things off.

 

[Benjam]

Please don't replace any freeze plugs with rubbers,especially not all of them!

Properly installed frost plugs,be it brass or steel,will last a very long time,if not the life of the engine.

May I ask what problems you are having with brass?

Aside from that, it's a fine line when you open an engine with this amount of miles how deep you want to go. I would probably reseal down to the heads if compression numbers turn out well. You'd be silly not to have the heads checked out..with the records these engines have for heads,I'd want to know if yours are good or bad,rather than look the other way.

Its all in how you use the truck,how much longer you want to keep it,etc. If you want to sell it in a couple years then just put gaskets on it without going down to the heads.

Just my two cents..

Benjam

 

[mr cribb]

If you need new heads, I have some. They were ran for 15 minutes, noticed my blown piston rings and shut the truck down.

Just a thought, I am trying to sell some stuff to finance a v8 swap .