Hi All, this is my first post on this great site. I recently purchased a 64 Ranchero with a 302. Has a blown head gasket according to seller. I startrd it and it runs really rough. Now for stupid question. Should it run real rough with blown head gasket? I have never had a blown head gasket before. .
Thanks for any help. John

 

Yes I would prolly run bad if at all. Depending on where it is blown it
is prolly down on compression on two cylinders. And may well be trying to burn coolant. May also be getting coolant in the crank case oil if it is milky.
This will damage the bearings in a very short time. What engine is in it?
We can walk you through pulling the heads and seeing what need done to get it fixed.
I for one love the Ranchos. Would love to see it.




.
Could we see some pictures? Here is how.


But I got ta say becoming a supporter is the fastest and easiest way to post pics right from
your whatever pad/cell thing or home computer.
Few of us look in the users Gallery or album as you can see by your recent visitors.


Quote:
Originally Posted by 76f350spercamprspeal

Welcome to FTE, Best Damn Forum EVER!
------------------------
Here's How to Post Pictures:
1. Login to FTE.
2.Click User CP (In the Top Left Hand Corner)
3.(On the Left, There will be a list, The 5th Option Down, will say "Pictures & Albums) Click That.
4.Then, Click Add Album, Enter a title, and description, if ya want to.
5. Click Upload Pictures, Then click Browse, Locate the Files of your truck. (You can add 3 files at a time)
5. Click Upload.
6. Add a description to the individual pictures, then click save.
7. Add more files if ya want.
8. Click The Picture you want to post, it will give you two codes at the bottom, Right Click The Second one (It say's BB Code, Then Say's [IMG]http:blahblahblah...[/IMG])
Then, Once that is highlighted, Right Click, Then Copy, Then Paste it into your post.
You can add up to 30 Images in one FTE Post.
If, Ya need any help, Don't hesitate to ask.


Quote:
Originally Posted by old_dan

You can also go to the "Garage" tab and start an album right here on FTE. After you post pictures to an album, we can look in your album, but you'll also be able to "insert a picture" by pasting in a link to the picture in your album.

It seems awkward, but whenever you "insert a picture" to one of these threads, the forum is looking for the picture somewhere on the web (which is always available) rather than from somewhere on your hard drive (which isn't always available).

Quote:
Originally Posted By Jolly Roger Joe

Welcome to FTE!

Go to Image hosting, free photo sharing & video sharing at Photobucket and sign up for a free account. Then create an album for your truck. Upload any pics you want to post on FTE to that album. Have this album open on your computer when you want to post pics on FTE.

While you're making a post on FTE, select the pic you want to post from your Photobucket album. When the large version of the pic is open, right mouse click on it and select "View Image Info". The image info will be highlighted and will look something like this:
The best photos and videos | Photobucket

Copy that highlighted info (right click / copy).

When you have the spot in your post where you want the pic to be placed, select the "Insert Image" icon at the top of the post (looks like a mountain) and paste (right click / paste) the image info you copied in the highlighted box (just shows "http://" when it opens).

Your pic will be placed in the post.

Hope that helps.

Here's a tutorial Bob put together: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/67...-pictures.html Bob's link is not working. Can someone in the know tell me why?

How to upload pictures to the FTE Forums. - YouTube. Thanks Sam Rusty_Old_F250. Best we can find is that this video was done by Gundown64

 

Hi! Thankyou for the info. I got this Ranchero for a $300 dollar motorcycle trade and the body is almost perfect on it. Also has new tires. The gentleman I traded with said car was his daily driver till it blew the head gasket. I checked the oil and water. Oil looked good but the water looked like it had something in it. Might have been anti freeze, just slightly discolored. Would love to find out how to take her apart and put in new head gaskets and hopefully nothing else. He said it was the right head gasket. Not sure if referring right as from front of vehicle or right as sitting inside cab. I will check plugs tomorrow to see what they look like. That might tell me what side. I will keep you posted. I will take some pics in a few days. Heck I'm excited with it even though it has a blown head gasket. It also has Edlebrock headers on it,centerline wheels, stewart warner tach and a quicksilver auto shift kit.Dual side pipes. Neat F-100. John

 

I assume now it is a V8. But what size V8 is it? And checking the plugs
can tell ya a lot. Does she have true duel exhaust? That may also help narrow down what back is bad.
Lets hope it aint a crack. What you will need is called a top end gasket kit but ya must know the engine size to
get the right one for it.
Also get some like Ford blue paint to repaint the parts ya take off. Blue on
the covers and black on the fan and brackets. Ya may not have to pull the
radiator but it will give ya more room to work and less chance of damaging it.

Please work on getting some pic's up. We need some of the engine to help identify it.
Than pics of the old gaskets and heads when ya get it apart.
Did the guy ya got it from try any stop leak in it? You will want to do both
heads so be prepared.

 

Guy never mentioned trying any gasket repair stuff. He said it was a 302 V-8. I have to leave for rest of today but will take pics tomorrow and see if I can get them on here. I am anxious to start. I did notice that on top of engine it says 289 but knowing a lot of parts are interchangeable between 289 and 302 I will try to find some engine #s and other numbers I can find. Also will remopve some plugs from bith sides of engine. Again thanks so much for your help. John

 

Well got home about 8:45 tonight and couldn't stand it so I pulled 3 plugs from each side of block. The plugs actually look like they are firing good. Light chocolate brown. Nothing wet at all. Tomorrow I will remove the other 2 plugs and see what they look like and look down spark plug holes with a light to see what the top of the pistons look like. She also has a Mallory electronic ignition. She has true dual exhaust. John

 

1964 Falcon/Ranchero ~ Only available V8: 260. 289 introduced in 1965, 302 in 1969.

Left side is drivers side, right side is passenger side.

 

Hey!!!!!!!!!!!
Thamks so much for the info on engines and which is right and left side.Its really nice to be able to get info from people like you that know. John

 

well I took out the last 2 plugs. Third plug back from front on passenger side was a little wet and very dark electrode. Looks like the culpert. Went down and got 8 new plugs for installing after heads are put back on. still have to find some serial numbers to determine which motor I have.
before I order my new head gaskets. John

 

Head gaskets on 289s and 302s will blow between cylinders without getting the water involved. Sometimes.

Your water may show some gray, maybe have a bit of a rainbow on it and may have bubbles. These are all signs of combustion gases being forced into the coolant due to the blown head gasket. Since combustion pressure is so much higher than coolant pressure, sometimes you will get the contamination in the coolant, but no coolant in the cylinder. Sometimes. Even if so, it won't stay that way.

If you run it much that way you also risk burning the head or block where the failure is. Extreme cases will put a groove in the part.

The SBF is easy to work on and easy to deal with for head gaskets.

If you've ever pulled heads before, it's child's play. If not, get a book on it and follow the instructions.

Note where the distributor is pointing for example. Lable wires. Keep the carb on the manifold and pull the whole thing. Keep pushrods in order. Have someone to help when you pull the heads. They are not that heavy, but it's awkward and you don't want to drop on one a fender.

Check your cam chain also. Before you do any tear down, rotate the engine with the distributor cap on. Watch for the rotor to move. The reverse the rotation and see how far the crank turns before the rotor moves. More than 10 degrees, consider a new timing set. Add a new water pump when you do it BTW, serving suggestion...

 

Hi! 85 e-150' thamks for the info. I didn't know about the head gasket info you sent. Thankyou. All you guys are great and I am learning a lot about my little Ranchero. I am going to get a book on the 289/302 engine for pulling the heads. Thankyou again for all the information. John

 

Great write up here. I just want to add that on some engines the intake
bolts are hard to get to and may not come all the way out with the carb
still on.

On Edit: Note that the early 289 has a different motor and bell housing
bolt pattern than the later 289 and 302. I think it is like the 260.

 

Again thankyou for the information. You guys have changed me from hesitant to eager to pull the heads. THANKYOU John

 

Lets have some pic's John. Engine and truck. We may be able to tell ya what
engine ya have and or where to find the engine numbers.
But mostly we like lots of pics.

 

the 221, 260, and early 289 engines had 5 bolt bell housings.
65 and later 289 and 302 engines have 6 bolt bell housings.