I getting ready to start an in-vehicle head gasket change. It will be my first. This is a 94 4.0l engine. I'm sure I'll be posting many questions over the next few weeks.

I have searched and read all the threads dealing with this job. You may have seen some of my post on this before. Anyway, I've pulled the van up out of the back yard. I had to jump it but it will still run (somewhat). I've got the 1/2" drive socket drive. It's all just sitting there waiting on me.

I got a couple of questions to start with. First, I haven't determined which side of the engine has the bad gasket. Should I just change both while I'm in there? If not, what is the best way to determine which side to fix.

Second, which gaskets should I get and where to buy them?

Also, I'm open to suggestions and advise. Even just some moral support. Thanks in advance.

Tom

 

Will a cylinder balance test do this? If you can get it running long enough for this you might be able to do that. Otherwise pulling the plugs and checking for one ( or two ) different looking plugs might be a better bet.

 

"Should I just change both while I'm in there?"

That's what I would do. It all depends on how much work you want to do and how confident you are that the good side is really good.

"If not, what is the best way to determine which side to fix."

If you have a compressor, you might be able to find the bad gasket by pressurizing one cylinder at a time.

"Second, which gaskets should I get and where to buy them?"

If I remember correctly, I used Ford for the valve cover gaskets and Fel-Pro for the others (heads, upper and lower manifold, etc). I had the exhaust manifold flanges grounds so I didn't use any exhaust manifold gaskets.

 

Well, I got it started.

The upper intake manifold and both valve covers are off.

I have both Haynes and Chilton. Chilton seems better sometimes. I also took Aerocolorado's notes on removing the upper intake manifold and used that to start then switch back to Chiltons and Haynes.

I'm taking notes as I go. Step by step. Tagging connectors and hoses and bagging parts with notes as to what the part is and what step it was removed in. That should help when I put it together.

The underside of the valve covers were still covered with foam. There is also foam in the dip stick tube. I got the plugs out and hoped to see one or two that looked different. They all looked pretty much the same to me.

First question of the night: How should I clean up the valve covers? Should I paint them while they are off?

I probabily will not be able to work on it Tomorrow but the next step appears to be disconnecting the exhauste manifolds. That's the part that seems intimidating. I am afraid that the bolts will not come out. I soaked them with Liquid Wrench. Wish I had a digital camera to capture this.

Any way, So Far So Good.

 

I cleaned the valve covers using some solvent and a rag. Regarding painting them, why bother? You won't be able to see them when you get the engine back together. In my case, most of the paint was still on the covers.

 

Tom Foreman-

Hey- I am the guy aero colorado was writing to in previously mentioned intake manifold instructions. I am also doing head gasket- as we speak. I do have a digital camera and happen to be taking pictures along the way for help at the end. I do have a problem however- I went to the library and copied some pages from the Chilton's manual but I am now at a stand still because I am missing a few sections. I was wondering if you might be able to help me out and I could email you some pics of engine in exchange? Best case would be if you could scan in the pages and email them to me- if that wont work then could you possibly copy them down? I need the following:

how to relieve the fuel system pressure in section 5;

how to remove the rocker arm covers and shaft assemblies, in section 3

and how to remove the pushrods.

also a question for mikeman: all of the guff about having to drop the engine in that other thread- that was just about the 3.0 right? (hopefully).

 

http://www.cybrrpartspro.com/Chilton...824m/8824.HTML

 

ohmagosh

thank you so much- dont worry about typing or anything. but I still will email you the pics if you need them- let me know.

 

M Tucek, I would have scanned them for you but someone beat me to it. I'd like to compare notes with you as we go if you are interested.

I did get to work on it some today. I got the rocker arms off and the plushrods are removed. Lower intake manifold is off too.

According to the manuals, I need to disconnect the exhaust pipes from the manifolds then remove the manifold. I decided to wait until tomorrow when I'm fresh before I craw under the van.

Does anyone know what side star bit fits the head bolts? I will need to get some tomorrow.

All for now. I've got to update my step by step notes on the computer.

 

Oh, I forgot another queston.

Connected to the lower intake manifold there are two silver braided hoses. One connects to the rear driver's side. The other connects to a can on the forward passenger side. The bottom of the can has a small port like you would connect to a vacuum hose. There was nothing connected to mine.

What connects there?

Another point of interest, near here I was picking up a bolt I dropped yesterday while pulling the upper intake manifold. I found a small rubber plug. The kind you would put on an unused port of a vacuum tree. It was laying there. That could have been on the port at one time. But that doesn't make since to me.

I also found an electrical connector that was not connected to anything. It is from the harness that runs from the coil pack around the back of the engine back to the from of the engine (drivers side) and down the front. It splits near the thermostat. Where it splits there are two coolant sensors here. The unused plug is a single wire and I don't see anything to connect it to. It is very dusty and may not be used at all. Any ideas?

 

Silver braided hoses... verify they are fuel lines by slicing a small hole in them and lighting a match. (Just kidding, really. Couldn't resist!)

 

Success!!!!!

In less than three evenings I have the heads off. It was the center cylinder on the driver’s side. It appears water passed under the gasket into the cylinder. I think the left head must be warped. I guess this is good news. I’ll have to take them to a machine shop and have them checked out.

I still have a question I hope someone can answer. After looking at both the Hayne’s and Chilton’s I have verified to my satisfaction that the "silver can" I mentioned before is the Fuel Pressure Regulator (FPR). But there was no vacuum line attached. What does this mean? I had some vacuum issues before the head went.

Does the FPR hose go to the vacuum tree on the driver’s side manifold?

Another interesting thing is that I had the modulator on the transmission changed at a shop. After they were done there was a hose hanging down and dragging on the ground. I pointed it out and they pulled it off saying they couldn’t find any place it should go. It was a vacuum hose with a check valve. But everything seemed to work so I didn’t worry too much.

The problems it had was:

1 When you stepped on the gas the air conditioning would go up to the defrosters and I would get heat in the back.
2. While idling at a stop for about 10-15 seconds the idle would get real rough. Sometime the van would rock because the engine was loaping.
3. Sometimes the car would stall immediately after starting and would blow a vacuum hose off of the tree.

But like I said the head went before I could find the problem. Please any info on the FPR would be a big help.

 

Yup - they accidentally pulled the vac hose off your fpr. Problems with defrost are indicitive of a vac lead. The other issues would likely be related, too. Ouch! What if the vac hose off the FPR caused your head gasket leak? Any chance that could be related? Then you could bill yourself out at $60 to your transmission mechanics.

 

yes there should be a vaccume hose from the pressure regulater to the intake manifold.

 

Well, here is an update.

Friday evening I dropped the heads at a machine shop.

Monday evening I picked them up. They changed one valve seat and cleaned them up. No cracks. Milled them also. Got the heads installed (with new plugs) that evening along with the exhaust manifolds and lower intake manifold.

Tuesday I got the rocker arms and pushrods back in. Valve covers are in too. Reconnected the wiring harness to the engine and fuel injectors. P/S pump is back in place. New plug wires are in and connected. Coil pack is setting in place but not bolted down.

Next on the list is to get a replacement for the new PCV valve I bought. It appears they gave me the wrong one. I need some vacuum hose to go from the FPR to the vac tree. There was none there. I don’t know how it worked without the FPR connected. I’m going to clamp down all the vac lines this time. Upper intake manifold is next. If all goes well I may have it up and running tonight. Or maybe tomorrow.