Truck: 1996 F150 XL 4x4 5spd 4.9L 88,000 miles

I just changed a head gasket, and wanted to post some things here that might help others like me. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, and I'm kinda dangerous. Almost everything I know about working on my truck comes from this site and a Chilton manual.

The initial problem was that I drove about 170 highway miles, and spent the night, and in the morning I happened to see a green puddle in the tailpipe. I assumed it was coolant because it was exactly the same color.

Research (I'm no mechanic) told me that the problem must be either a leaking head gasket, or a cracked head or block. I was already thinking about selling it, and it made me to think it had just depreciated by $1000 to $2000.

But it still ran good. Compression was good. Spark plugs all looked ok. No steam or smoke. I now believe all these things indicated that coolant was not present in the combustion chamber, because when I pulled the head, the head gasket looked fine.

I wish I had cleaned up the exhaust ports in the head a little better, I might have found a crack, maybe. I think the crack must be very small. My radiator happened to have a leak at the time, but I don't think the engine leaked much coolant. I should have had the radiator fixed first, and driven it a while to see how much the engine leaks.

This forum helped a lot, especially when I put the head back on and found out how tight most of the push rods were. Some lifters on cylinder 4 and 5 were springy, so I believe they will need replacement, and that probably explains why there's a little vibration when it idles? Anyway, I cranked the engine for two 45-second periods, and it was rough after I started it, but it settled down later and ran as good as it did before, so thanks for the lifter advice - otherwise I would have been worried.

When I decided to go ahead and pull the head, I thought it was cool that I only had one head to worry about. However, I found out it was not all that cool, because that one big head weighs around 100 pounds, :-staun and more with the manifolds attached, which is how I dragged it out of the engine compartment. The thought of putting that mass of steel back in, on top of my precious new head gasket, was quite unsettling.

I wound up using a 7-ft 2by4, some threaded lifting eye-bolts, and some heavy string to suspend the head over where it needed to go. My brother and I each took an end of the 2by4 and lifted it in. He lifted one end, as I put my brave little fingers in to get the head and gasket lined up as he lowered. I am pleased (and a little surprised) we didn't smash the new gasket.

The old and new gaskets were both Fel-pro, they looked the same, so I assumed that the old push rods would be the right length since it ran ok before, and I just torqued the rocker arm bolts without adjusting valve clearance.

Here's how I did something extra dumb. I was struggling with all the parts to get it all back together, and I turned the water pump heater hose tube. I thought it was threaded, it wasn't. I pushed the tube back in and put sealer around the base, and figured it might leak. It leaked.

Sunday before Memorial day, wanted to finish up because I had only water for coolant (didn't want to make a mess, I thought it might leak) and I could imagine it rusting more the longer I waited. I went to O'Reilly auto parts to ask for advice. No convincing advice was found there, but I bought a new water pump and an extra gasket, because I thought I'd try the old pump one more time, and if it worked I'd take the new one back.

After trying to reattach the old tube (I really didn't know how), I said heck with it and installed the new water pump. I can think of better ways to blow 60 bucks.

Found out antifreeze costs $1.50 less at mega-lo-mart than the same name brand at the auto parts store. But the parts store has parts store brand for cheaper.

My Fel-pro head gasket set came with valve seals and 6 injector gaskets - unexpected bonus. (But I didn't use them.)

I think a fine-bristled wire brush on a Dremel is a good tool for cleaning head and block surfaces. Not too much power or abrasiveness. Went slowly and carefully.

This whole project took 9 days, about 60 hours, around 20 trips to stores. It helps to have a second vehicle and no job.

Anyway, it runs as good now as it did before. I can't tell you how pleased I am that I didn't ruin it.

As for the coolant leak, I figure I'll keep driving it and see what happens. At least this narrowed it down, because it's not the head gasket. I'll put some more miles on it before selling it, if I can make myself give it up.

A lot of people have told me to sell it, and not talk about the little leak. But I'll blab. Yeah, I'm a chump, but I'm an honest chump.

 

For rookies like me, don't forget that the two bolts for the lifting bracket are also used as manifold bolts. I couldn't for the life of me figure out why I was missing two manifold-to-head bolts. It was because the other two bolts were sitting on the floor with the lifting bracket. They are different from the other bolts, it's easy to overlook them.