the problem: i have coolant getting into a cylinder when the truck sits

the symptom: on start up it idles rough like a misfire for a couple seconds then clears up. no smoking out the tailpipe though. low coolant level, no leaks under the truck. one time it cranked as though the battery was dead. that's when i got nervous.

note: it doesn't consume any significant (that i can see) coolant when its running and no bubbles in the tank.

band aid solution: relieving the cooling system pressure when i park it. i open the cap after i turned it off and the next time i start it, it runs perfect.

question: are there any common issues that leak coolant into the cylinders? besides a head gasket.

i'm only just beginning the diagnosis process. i haven't done a leak down/compression test or the coolant gas check yet. i'm hoping there's a better ending than pulling a head. i just hit 194k. i hope this isn't the end.

any insightful experience is much appreciated. Thanks

 

question: are there any common issues that leak coolant into the cylinders besides a head gasket?

That would be the most common.

 

I hate to say it but Ford head gaskets weren't very reliable in almost all of their cars and trucks from the late 90's and early 2000's.

Head gasket failures are common (especially if you don't take good care of the cooling system), and unfortunately with the overhead cam motors in the Expy's and Navigators it's a lot of work and money to change these if they go bad.

 

thanks for the replies. i've heard there's a special tool for aligning the cams. anyone use this before?

 

I have used the tools that include crank position and cam position tools. I have also done it by just lining up the dots on the gears and the chains. I think lining up the dots was easier.

 

thanks for the reply. i've done many timing belts and heads. just never on one of these. from my experience with others i've noticed that some times aligning the dots means rotating a cam such that its not it a stable position due to a lobe starting to compress a spring. is this an issue with these motors?

 

To make sure you could make sure the rockers are not in place until after the chains/gears are lined up.

 

that makes sense. Thanks