Im replacing the head gasket in my 91 ranger with the 2.3. Can any one tell me where to get a good head gasket kit and what else I should do when I have everything torn apart?

 

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As for the head set, I'm partial to Fel-Pro gaskets myself. Available at most auto parts stores or online.

How long has it been since it was tuned up and the timing belt changed? This is a good opportunity to take care of that, while you're in there. And you'll need to change the oil, even if you don't have water in it and you get most of it out, you're sure to drop debris and crap down through the block into it. But leave it till after the head's off and everything's cleaned up to drain out the old oil so it will carry the debris away with it.

 

Well I just got the valve cover off and realised I have no idea what im doing! Are there any write ups on cam/vavletrain dissembly/assembly. Yes, I already have a quite useless chiltons.

 

You could pick up a useless Haynes as well, then between the 2 of them you might have half the info you need...

I'll try to put it in a nutshell. There actually is some useful info in the books, so study the section on 2.3 cylinder head removal. You will want to turn the engine to TDC on the #1 compression stroke before you start, to make it easier to line things up when you go to put it back together. I assume you've already drained the coolant and disconnected all hoses, vacuum lines and wires. I like to mark them with a piece of masking tape and write on the tape where it goes.

Remove the timing belt cover (It's a bit of a PITA) so you can get to the belt and and tensioner, and see the timing marks. Loosen the tensioner and pry it (carefully) away from the belt...there's a spring that pushes it back aganst the belt, if you push it away from the belt you should be able to tighten the bolt again to hold it in the loose position. Then you can slip the belt off the cam pully.

The manifolds are better unbolted from the head and left in the truck, but the cam and rockers can stay in the head. Be careful when you get the head off as some of the valves will be open and you don't want to set the head on a flat surface right side up or you risk bending a valve. Have a place to set the head arranged before you actually lift it off the engine, perhaps a couple of 2X4 blocks, one at each end of the head. Keep plenty of rags on hand as well.

You'll need to scrape all the old gasket material and carbon off of the head and block, and I like to use carb cleaner sprayed on a rag to wipe down the surfaces (No smoking!)

When you set the head back on the block with the new gasket, make sure beforehand that the cam is still set in the same position as when you took it off, and the #1 and #4 pistons are still at TDC. The book talks about setting the cam to a certain position to minimize the risk of a valve contacting anything. You can do it that way, but if you are careful and don't drop the head or set it anyplace but straight down on the block where it goes, you should be okay.

Be sure to follow the directions for torquing the head, and torque in the proper sequence.

 

The only experience I have with setting TDC was last winter on a 350. That was a while ago so I dont remember much. What you have given me so far is awesome but can you also point me in the rite direction for TDC on this engine.

By the way I greatly appreciate your help!

 

Okay, I'll give it a shot!

I assume you don't have a distributor, that you have the crank-trigger ignition.

Look at the timing mark on the crank pully and locate the 0-degree mark. Of course, TDC occurs with every rotation of the crank, but you want TDC on the compression stroke, not the exhaust stroke. Since you have the cam cover off, that makes it easier.

Put a socket on a breaker bar on the front crank pully bolt and turn the engine clockwise (as viewed from the front). Look at the lobes on the cam for the #1 cylinder. For the exhaust stroke (the one you don't want), the lobes will be facing down against the rockers, the exhaust valve just finshing closing and the intake valve just starting to open as the timing mark comes to 0 degrees. If this is where you are at, turn the crank one full revolution (the cam will make 1/2 revolution) and the #1 cylinder cam lobes should be pointing up, away from the rockers. They won't be straight up of course, one will point off to one side and the other will point off to the opposite side. Now, with the timing mark at 0 degrees you should be at TDC on the compression stroke. Look at the Chilton's manual for a pic of the timing mark on the cam, if the timing cover is still in place at this point you can pull the plug so that you can see the mark on the cam to verify that it's pointing down.

That should do it, it's not too bad!

 

alrite, thanks a bunch. Ill give it a try tomorrow and let yea know how it gos.

 

Well I just got back into the project today and I am at a stand still with the belt tensioner pully. I believe I have it identified as a smaller, smooth pullie that looks like it can be free'd by one nut to the top rite of it? I loostened the nut and tried to pry the pully the best I could but got nothing. Do I have the correct pully or am I just doing somthing wrong.

Also There is a spring in the top of the head held in by a bolt. The spring seems to be keeping tension on a bolt that sticks out of the head. Do I need to do anything with this?

 

You have the right pully. You need to loosen that bolt as well, it's the pivot for the tensioner as well as the anchor for one end of the spring. Loosen that up a little and you should be able to pry the tensioner away from the belt. Then you can snug the bolt in the slot back up to hold the tensioner away from the belt.

 

so dont loosten the bolt that holds the spring in but loosten the one that one end of the spring rests on?

 

There are two bolts on the tensioner...the pivot bolt at the top, that the spring goes around, and the adjustment bolt down by the roller, that is in a slot. Loosen them both, move the tensioner, and tighten one of them back up, preferably the adjustment bolt but either will do as long as the tensioner stays back away from the belt.

 

alrite, I got all that taken care of and I am ready to pop the head off. NExt question is, when I put the new gasket between the head and block should I use any kind of silicone sealer or liquad gasket??

 

No sealer at all. The head gasket should go just as it comes out of the package. But make sure the top of the block and the bottom of the head are clean. Scrape all old gasket material and carbon from both surfaces. A putty knife or gasket scraper works well for the heavy stuff, and then you can finish up with a single-edge razor blade. Take a look at the old gasket and see if you can spot the trouble area, then look at the head and block in the same spot. It's possible you might need to take the head to a machine shop to have it surfaced.

 

Alrite, so im putting the belt back on but evan though the tensioner seems to be as loose as I can get it, there isnt enough slack in the belt to slip it on. Anything I am missing here?

 

Make sure you have the belt in the grooves for the crank pulley, and then feed it straight up your right side (as you face the engine) around the intermediate shaft pulley to the cam pulley. It should be fairly tight on that side when lined up properly and in the grooves, with all your slack on the left (tensioner) side. It's possible you may simply have it out of the grooves down on the bottom.