Well I'm planning on rebuilding my '85 4.9L as I fear it has a blown head gasket. It uses water for no reason and over heats even though i have tried everything I know to try and fix it. Me being 17 im kinda strapped on cash. Does anyone know of a rebuild kit for about $250 or less? I'm debating rebuilding mine or getting a motor from pull a part and rebuild it, as I have heard the #1 cylinder likes to get egg shaped after over heating and I dont really have the money for over sized pistons and getting the block bored. My plan of attack is to get either my block or the junk yard motor hot tanked, magnafluxed and the block and head decked. Am I missing anything here? Sorry for the long post and thanks in advanced.

 

Well I'm going to take the head off in alittle while to see what it looks like. I will take pictures and post them up to see what all of you think, whether it is a good canidate for a rebuild or not.

 

You probably have the head off by now, but you could do a leakdown test and verify your problem. If it's not burning oil and no other problems, replace the gasket, do a compression and leakdown test and see what shape your motor is in. If I were 17 again and no money, thats what I would do.

 

What gfw said.
If it is a blown head gasket, change it. If the head is cracked you are looking at another head. The #1 cylinder may take on a bit different wear pattern because it's up front where cooler water from the radiator enters the block and makes it subject to temperature fluctuations.

Check with your local parts houses and engine machine shops about a rebuild kit. And here: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&c...ld+kit&spell=1

 

Well that was another problem it was going through about two quarts a month. Which is crazy for just back and forth to school and to a buddy's house every now and then. But I have the head off and I took pictures so I can see what everyone thinks about it. I will have them up in a little bit, I have to set up an account at somewhere.

 

I got the head off and found a bunch of little pieces of something all in my head. They are black and hard, I cant really tell if they are metal or very hard pieces of plastic. Does anyone have an idea of what they might be.


By christian_paris, shot with Canon PowerShot SX110 IS at 2009-12-17

Also when I took my valve cover off I found some milky sludge I don't know if it would be because of a blown head gasket or if it could just be condensation. I wiped my finger through it and it smelled faintly of antifreeze. Again ideas and opinions please.


By christian_paris, shot with Canon PowerShot SX110 IS at 2009-12-17

The ridges on the bores are not that bad, but what I'm worried about is the scratch down #6 its not that deep at all. The ridges and the scratch barely catch your finger nail and on the middle two they don't even catch your finger nail but you can feel them


By christian_paris, shot with Canon PowerShot SX110 IS at 2009-12-17

Here is the water that is sitting on cylinder #3 I don't know if it has been there or if it came out of the head when i lifted it off.


By christian_paris, shot with Canon PowerShot SX110 IS at 2009-12-17

I also looked at my pushed rods but didn't get pictures. They are still perfectly round, no mushrooming or bent as far as my eye can tell. All ideas and opinions welcome and wanted whether they be good or bad, I'm very good at taking constructive criticism.

 

Those are probably valve seal pieces and that's where your oil is going.Probably smoked when you let off the gas.Water may have come out of the head when you lifted it. Scratch in rear cylinder could have been from anything that may have gotten in the cylinder and hitched a ride on your top ring.I'd check the head,put some new valve seals in it and pop it back together.Use a good quality gasket,Clean the bolts and holes and torque her down.But make sure the head isn't obviously cracked.Then you can drive it while you save your money for a rebuild,maybe on a bone yard engine.Those valve seals get burnt and break up like that when an engine gets over heated real good,just for future reference.

 

+1, this is what I would do too! Just remember when you torque your head down it is in steps, not all at one time. Get a good head gasket, don;t let your wallet rule the decision!!

 

Wash everything with paint thinner. Ace hardware sells an odorless type which is a whole lot better to work with. Keep everything absolutely clean. Clean all the water out with a rag, then spray the bores with WD-40. Find a friend in autoshop, or at his work, to do a valve job for you. If you have the $, magnflux the head for cracks. If not, check it REAL good with your eye.

Get yourself a good manual for the torqing sequence of the head bolts. Wire brush all the bolts first, and clean out their holes. True up the head surface. Make sure ALL the old gasket is scrapped off. Bolt everything up and do a compression test. Good luck.

P.S. If you were in autoshop, you could do the valve job there.

 

The yellowish/whitish stuff in the valve cover is probably from condensation. A quite common condition this time of year showing up on the dipstick, breather caps, etc., due to cold starts and short trips. The engine doesn't get warm enough long enough to burn that stuff off.

 

Thanks for posting your progress. I too have and 85 f150 and Im sure all these things will need to be done at some time. Good luck with you truck

 

Well, the thing is that I talked to my mother and father and they said they will be able to by me a rebuild kit for christmas. So I would rather do that now while I have it apart, rather than getting it back together and losing oil pressure or something else because I decided not to rebuild it when I could. I would rather get it done now and not have to worry about it. I think I will just ask them for a gasket set, bearing set, rings and valve seals. My brother-in-law and brother where both mechanics for years so I will be getting there help with all of this, and my brother-in-law has most of the tools I will need and if not his brother will have the rest. Does anyone think I should do the cam bearings while I'm in there?

 

I think you would be foolish not to change the cam bearings.

 

If it were me,I'd get that thing torn down and inspected and measured before I would speculate on what you will need.There are just too many unknown things.You don't have any idea what shape your crank is in,or if you need mains line bored,you may have rods that need reconed and on and on..... I can tell you that if you rebuild this engine and are not thorough,you will waste your parts,and wish you had covered everything thoroughly.If you want a taste of what I'm saying,read the last 2 months posts of F-250 restorer and you will see the grief this poor guy has gone through and he paid through the nose to get everything done right.It's easy for a person to think"rings,bearings and gaskets"for a rebuild,but that's just a start and rarely covers what is really needed.I would never pull a pan without replacing the oil pump with a Melling,and if the pan has rust,it will go too,they're known for it.You need to learn everything that's needed for a REAL rebuild and then execute it.I don't mean to sound so sturn about it,but I don't want to see you waste all your time and work and your Christmas present.If you work through this forum,you will get the information you need to do a 1st class job,just take your time and walk through it,and when your done,you'll have a great engine that will last and that will pay you back for your work and money invested.

 

I think I'm going to go with this rebuild kit from rock auto. I've heard good things about them. Its PN 205-612M. Its a re ring kit and comes with valve seals, gasket kit, rings, connecting rod and main bearings. Then PN 1450M for the cam bearings. The only thing I'm worried about is that scratch down #6 and whether it would come out in the hone or if it would need to be bored over. If it needs to be bored then that changes everything and I'll probably have to wait until January to get the rebuild kit. What do you all think?