1976 F150 4x4 std shift 4 speed with apparent blown head gasket. This vehicle is used for hunting only and is not street legal, nor used to go over 15 mph. Therefore, I am looking to spend as little money as possible to repair it, yet make it operable.

I am moderately mechancially inclined, but certainly no expert. I would appreciate any advice you can offer to assist me in getting this truck back in the woods. I do not own a repair manual and realize that would be the first start, but any tips are very much appreciated.

By the way, the problem was identified by a heavy flow of steam flowing through the exhaust. I need to inspect the color of the crankcase oil for water intrusion, but I think there are few other culprits than the blown head gasket. The truck is old and has over 200k miles, with minimal maintenance, but has always run well until this issue.

Thanks again.

 

Head gasket is no big deal, unless your head is cracked. (Mine was). This is unlikely unless you've significantly overheated it, or filled with cold water while overheating. Just tear it down, inspect and clean everything and re-assemble. Pay particular attention to the chambers in the head, especially around the valve seats for cracks. The best thing is to let a machine shop check for cracks and/or mill the head if it's warped at all. With over 200K on the motor, a valve job wouldn't be a bad idea, or at least stem seals(which normally come with a gasket anyway). If you really want out cheap though, tear it down, clean the mating surfaces thouroughly on both the head and block and re-assemble. I can't lay my hands on a manual right now, but I think they torque to about 85 lbs/ft. Your parts guy should be able to say for sure. You don't specifically have to go by the pattern in the book either.
Just work from the center to the ends in a roughly circular fashion, in three increments, say 45 65 85 lbs/ft. Spend the extra few bucks for a good gasket, like a Felpro and you won't be doing this twice.

 

When i took the head off my truck the valves were messed up... So check to see if your valves aint beat all to that one place.

 

... Chas conveniently put the torque values and tightening sequence there. As for doing valve work, I broke that rule once ( "never do the top end without doing the bottom end") and it caught me after about 10,000 miles. Stems and seals - OK, but if you rework the valves, it will increase the strain on the (rings) bottom end, and you will end up having to rebuild it (the block) sooner than later. I did a hand lap valve job (super cheap - my time and a head gasket) on a 4ricepopper because it had a burnt exhaust valve. It ran great for a bit - then the rings gave out (smokescreen). It's a very old rule... but still true. No offence, 200K...

 

Keep in mind, when you say don't do the top end without doing the bottom, we are talking about a camp truck that is used to poke around my hunting land. During the past 12 mos, I put 200 miles on it. Of course, these 200 miles may be more like 4000 based on run time, but still, we are not talking about a daily driver running at 2500 rpms.

Do you feel differently knowing that?

 

It's easy - all you need is a suction cup on a dowel rod and some carbide grit(and TIME). Pull the head, remove the valve springs, etc. - keep them in order - I use an old 2x6 drilled with 12 - 3/8" holes. You want every valve, spring and rocker etc., back in the same spot. If you switch them around, they'll wear out faster - they've each developed their own wear pattern. Keep the pushrods in order too (another board...).

Take one valve at a time, apply a little carbide grit to the seat, slap it into the valve seat and spin it back and forth (using the suction dowel) between your hands - like your warming them up. Slap, spin, slap spin..

Repeat until you see a nice gray circle all the way around the valve & seat (when wiped clean). This might take a while - depending on how bad the valves are. Bent ones will refuse to provide a full circle contact on the back of the valve - replace any of these. Do all the valves that way, then reassemble with your new head gasket. It will improve the way that hunting truck runs for several years, especially if you only drive it that much. Eventually, the rings will go but at 200 miles a year, you might get 40 more years out of it. ( I'd do the seals also, and if you're going to and can afford it, have a shop replace any badly worn guides first).

This isn't as good as a machine shop valve job - but it will do well in your case. You could get away with this "poor mans" valve job (no offense - I've done it) for the cost of a head gasket, suction dowel, carbide grit, and a valve spring compressor - maybe $30-40 ( not sure, but CHEAP). Go for it!

 

Before you do anything I would do a compression test on it, one cylinder or two cylinders right next door will have pretty por compression.

I lived in Alaska for 8 years and I know the kind of truck you are talking about. Just go down to the auto parts store and get a head gaskets $30 and a tube of RED silicone. Tear off the valve cover, thottle linkage and pull out those head bolts. If you are tricky you can disconnect the exhaust manilford from the exhaust, insread of the head. You will probably break one or two studs of in the manifold, but that isn't too hard to fix. It is a lot better then breaking bolts off in your head. Remove your rocker arms and pull out your push rods. Try to put them back where they came from when you are done, it doesn't matter much. Now lable and remove your spark plugs and beat on the head with a chunk of wood to help break the head gasket. WHen you geat the head off look at the gasket closely. If the metal rings of the gasket are all in one piece your head is toast. If a ring(s) in messed up it is most likely just the head. Look at the rings very very closely get a kid to help maybe. There can even be thin spots in the metal rings of the gasket that will cause your problems. The messed up ring should corespond to a rusty, or pitted cylinder wall. The head can be pressure checked at a machine shop, or you can just look it over real close after cleaning the combustion chambers up with a wire brush and maybe some gas. It is probably fine, because it is a streel head. If you decide it was just the head gadket, then scrape of that old head gasket, toss on a new one and put it all back together. Just don't forget to retorque the haed bolts after it gets up to operating temperature a few times.

P.S. where in the world are you?