Head Gasket Problem?????
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From: Indiana
Head Gasket Problem?????
OK i've got a really weird problem a couple months ago i had to put on new head gaskets on my 88 V6 2.9L ranger. It ran awesome until a few months later when it gushed smoke out of the exhaust and i had to have it towed home. The oil pressure had been a bit low that day and i had added some just before i left, also it had been driving a bit strange. Anyways i took it apart had the heads checked for cracks and milled and the valves are all good. Now when i run it i get a constant little bit of smoke, its cold out but it doesnt go away and seems to get a more smoke as it warms up. My oil press. guage told me that when it starts up it has 50 (psi??) then when its warm it dropped down to 25. I put everything in the right way and torqued down the headbolts to the correct specs, Anybody have any ideas, im thinking that the head gaskets leaking, but its new, maybe a copper one?? Any help would be appreciated.
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coolant level is steady as far as i can tell, but im not sure about the oil, im pretty sure that its a slow oil leak, because i ran it for 45 min. today and the temp stayed at 185 so the coolant isnt having any problems, i added extra oil before i started. My next test will be to take all the oil out, measure the 5 L your supposed to use and put it back in, then run it and at the end see how much oil i lost. I really hate this stupid problem!!!
Anyone have any ideas besides replacing the head gasket. I dont think its leaking very much but i realize that ill probably have to take the stupid thing all apart again. The only problem is that i dont think putting in ANOTHER head gasket in will do anything. Like i said before, anyone think using a copper head gasket will help, ive heard they seal better, but are more expensive. Anybody know where to get one??
Anyone have any ideas besides replacing the head gasket. I dont think its leaking very much but i realize that ill probably have to take the stupid thing all apart again. The only problem is that i dont think putting in ANOTHER head gasket in will do anything. Like i said before, anyone think using a copper head gasket will help, ive heard they seal better, but are more expensive. Anybody know where to get one??
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From: Indiana
I had the guys at carquest doit i think they magnafluxed them, they're stock ford heads, but they amazingly only have 63000 miles on them. I know they're prone to cracking, but mine were good. I think its the block thats uneven.
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From: Central Texas
Howdy DRDude
Stop thinking about the gasket! Your smoke problem does not lie there. Your rings are going or most likely you have one or more valve seals that went south. What exactly did the shop do to your heads? The only way for oil to get burnt is past the rings or down the valves! Other than that there have been rare instances of oil bather fuel pumps pumping some oil with their fuel.
Again your head gaskes are Ok.
What color is the smoke? If black it is gasoline and the engine is running too rich. Why 185 degrees? It should be running closer to 205/210 deg. Do you not have the stock 195 thermostat in there? Oil that is too cold will stick to the cyl walls and be burnt and make smoke! (blue smoke)
Big JIm
Stop thinking about the gasket! Your smoke problem does not lie there. Your rings are going or most likely you have one or more valve seals that went south. What exactly did the shop do to your heads? The only way for oil to get burnt is past the rings or down the valves! Other than that there have been rare instances of oil bather fuel pumps pumping some oil with their fuel.
Again your head gaskes are Ok.
What color is the smoke? If black it is gasoline and the engine is running too rich. Why 185 degrees? It should be running closer to 205/210 deg. Do you not have the stock 195 thermostat in there? Oil that is too cold will stick to the cyl walls and be burnt and make smoke! (blue smoke)
Big JIm
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From: Indiana
i put in a 180 degree thermostat a while ago, thought thats what the stock was. The smoke is white, and i cant really tell what it smells like. I didnt even think about the rings, I just figured the plane was uneven because since i put the new gaskets in i didnt smoke that much and when i had it blow smoke out and had to have it towed home it blew out alot of smoke and both the oil and coolant levels were way down. Should i use a 190 thermostat, will it make much of a difference?
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From: Central Texas
Yes you need that 195 deg in there. It will run better and the oil likes that extra 15 or 20 deg. i have had shops forget to put one or two oil seals on in the past. I never let shops work on my heads any more unless it is an absolute must. Also some brands of new valve seals are not as good as others. Maybe the shop put on a set of not so good ones.
But you can bank on it the oil is going past the rings or past the valve stems.
Big JIm
But you can bank on it the oil is going past the rings or past the valve stems.
Big JIm