Hello all, a few days back my 95 f150 with a 300 in her started overheating and steaming on my way home. I pulled over and let her cool down then got home. I noticed steam coming out of the headgasket in 2 spots (is it common for headgaskets to blow out on the side like that?) and all of my coolant was gone. I checked my oil cap and there was no water on the cap like there normally is when there is a blown head gasket so I just kept going lol. I normally only drive it to school and back but that day I had driven around quite a bit. So I just put some more water in her and have been driving everyday (short distances) but I knew something was wrong still because I felt the loss in power when going up hills. So I checked my oil cap again and sure enough there was water in there (a thick white coat on the bottom of the cap). So after all that I'm pretty darn sure its my headgasket but I'm certainly no professional so I wanted to get a few more opinions just in case it could be something else. I have done some research on headgasket replacements on the 300 and it looks pretty straight forward. Any ideas on anything else I can check for before I tear into her? If not, I would greatly appreciate some tips on the job.
Thanks!

 

I seen it posted some where, YouTube? of a gasket blowing out the side but did not leak water.
Also not all the time will you get "milk shake" under the fill cap if the head gasket went south.
You can get the "shake" if the motor does not get up to temp because of short trips and / or a poor working PCV system.
Have you done a compression test yet? Some times the only way to tell of it is the gasket or a cracked head / block is to pull it apart.

Mark everything with tape & numbers to put everything back where it should go.
Pull a hose, tape with number on hose and where it came off of.
Taking lots of pictures also helps.
Dave ----

 

Thank you for the response. I also forgot to mention, when I bought the truck back in June or July, I did notice some sort of copper stuff like it was a stop leak headgasket repair thing. So I bought the truck knowing it is problably leaking for some reason, but it was just TOO good of a deal to pass up, even if it meant pulling the engine apart lol. Also I noticed it is starting to throw out white smoke, and as I mentioned before, steam was coming out of where the head meets the block. So you mentioned the PCV system, would that just entail a new PCV valve or would other things need to be replaced as well? That sounds like a good place to start if that might be it. I am going to do a compression test soon and post the results. Please let me know about the PCV, Thank you very much.

 

Okay so I did the compression test.
1- 150psi
2- 150psi
3- 145psi
4- 150psi
5- 150psi
6- 145psi
Results seem fine, right?
Let me know what you guys think. Thanks

 

I'm in the middle of doing the head gasket on a '96 4.9 right now...although I'm positive the head is cracked. We'll see.

Give yourself plenty of time to do the job - it's all just nuts and bolts, but it is a big undertaking. Keep your phone handy and take lots of pictures so you can put everything back where you found it. If everything but the head gasket is good, it should be less than $200 in parts.

First, rent a fuel pressure tester and test the fuel pressure: prime, running vacuum line attached to the regulator, running vacuum line disconnected from regulator, and see how long it takes pressure to bleed off. If you have a bad regulator or injectors the time to change it is with the upper plenum off.

Anyway, if your truck is a MAP truck - as in no airflow sensor on the intake tube at the air filter box - do yourself a favor and cut the EGR tube off with a Sawzall. The upper intake plenum will not come off if this tube is still through it. You can try to save it, but likely the nut on the exhaust manifold is froze solid. And the metal will be crystalized from heat, so it won't bend out of the way it will break. As long as you don't have a California emissions or MAF (mass airflow) truck you can buy a new EGR tube or use flexible gas line from a hardware store to replace it.

You need to undress pretty much the entire engine to get the cylinder head off. Upper intake, lower intake, exhaust manifolds, fuel rail, vacuum harness, right side wiring harness. The alternator, air pump, and their big aluminum mounting bracket have to come off before you can undo the front exhaust manifold. You'll want to go ahead and pull the lower radiator hose, since the air pump won't come out with the hose in place. I haven't gotten to the power steering pump, compressor, and their giant bracket yet - I think the head will come off with them in place but I won't know for a few days if this is the case. Water pump and fan do not have to come off.

The manifolds, like the head, have a bolt tightening/loosening sequence. Follow it, it will make life much easier.

Keep the rocker pivots, arms, and pushrods in order when you remove them.

You don't have to take the AIR pipe off to remove the head, just disconnect the hose and be careful not to break the metal pipes.

Have a friend handy to help pull the head when you're ready - it weighs over 70 pounds.

Optional but recommended: With the head off, turn the motor with a wrench and carefully check the cylinder walls for cracks and scratches. Check the combustion chambers and gasket surfaces for cracks. Do yourself a favor and replace the valve stem seals and lap the valves while you're in there. Also check and clean the fuel injectors while they're out - use a 9 volt (smoke detector) battery and some wires/clips to activate the injectors, they will click if they are good. Spray brake cleaner or similar through them while they are activated with the battery. You'll never get a better chance to replace the passenger's side motor mount, do it now if it's rotten.

Any more questions?

 

I think you may have a cracked cylinder head.

 

I just wanted you to know there could be other seasons why the milk shake but in your case and smoke out the tail pipe, sweet smell if running coolant and kind of hangs in the air?
That would point to hard gasket or crack head / block.

In my book they would.
Looks like you will be digging deeper, read pulling it apart to find out why the smoke & milk shake.

Yep it is looking like that.
Dave ----

 

These era fords can get enough condensation to make the milkshake appear under the oil cap, usually from lots of short trips.

You don't have to undress the whole left side - P/S pump, A/C pump, giant bracket can stay to remove the head.