cooling system mystery
Junior User
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 66
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hummmmmmm another blown head gasket.
i will only buy (Regular) chevron with tectron or union 76.. i blame today's waterd down fuels,
i blame gas that is being cut with cheap additives as the major cause of blown Head-Gaskets.. Aerostars engines are built of Cast-Iron!
In my opinion: The only explanation for Blown Head-Gaskets today is BAD GAS
years ago it was very rare to ever blow a head gasket
i will only buy (Regular) chevron with tectron or union 76.. i blame today's waterd down fuels,
i blame gas that is being cut with cheap additives as the major cause of blown Head-Gaskets.. Aerostars engines are built of Cast-Iron!
In my opinion: The only explanation for Blown Head-Gaskets today is BAD GAS
years ago it was very rare to ever blow a head gasket
Postmaster
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 3,432
Likes: 7
I just don't see it being possible for bad gas to cause a blown head gasket. These are vehicles that have been overheated. The only way for the head to warp enough for the gasket to blow is enough heat to cause the head to warp and stretch the head bolts.
Years ago, it was just as common to blow head gaskets as it is today. The difference was years ago, cars didn't last as long as they do now.
The fuels today are better than they have ever been. My Aerostar has almost 230,000 miles, it hasn't blown a head gasket. My brothers van had a vacuum leak that overheated the valves, still no blown head gasket. There is just no way that as long as coolant is flowing through the head, that it will get hot enough to warp.
The head gasket will not always blown right after the overheating incident, it can sometimes take years and tens of thousands of miles for it to surface. All it takes is one good overheat in the vehicles life.
For the record, even though these engines are cast iron, you have to remember the 4.0L is an overbored and stroked 2.9L Cologne engine. This means the cylinder walls are thinner than the original design. The 3.0L is pretty solid, but cast iron or not, you overheat the engine or allow it to run low on coolant, the heads will warp. Even if the engine doesn't overheat, low coolant can cause uneven cooling, and that can cause them to warp too.
Years ago, it was just as common to blow head gaskets as it is today. The difference was years ago, cars didn't last as long as they do now.
The fuels today are better than they have ever been. My Aerostar has almost 230,000 miles, it hasn't blown a head gasket. My brothers van had a vacuum leak that overheated the valves, still no blown head gasket. There is just no way that as long as coolant is flowing through the head, that it will get hot enough to warp.
The head gasket will not always blown right after the overheating incident, it can sometimes take years and tens of thousands of miles for it to surface. All it takes is one good overheat in the vehicles life.
For the record, even though these engines are cast iron, you have to remember the 4.0L is an overbored and stroked 2.9L Cologne engine. This means the cylinder walls are thinner than the original design. The 3.0L is pretty solid, but cast iron or not, you overheat the engine or allow it to run low on coolant, the heads will warp. Even if the engine doesn't overheat, low coolant can cause uneven cooling, and that can cause them to warp too.
Elder User
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 830
Likes: 0
From: Kitchener,Ontario,Canada
Check cooling system
Uneven heating from cooling problem. If you get the head gasket replaced have the cooling system water channels checked for blockage/ corrosion especially in the head area. You may have a hot spot which will in time cause a leak from warpage. If you don't get this rectified it may happen again!
My 3L overheated about 2 years back (briefly, heater hose blew just off the highway, wife was driving at the time, luckily she noticed the temp gauge & eased right back on the throttle & limped it in to my workplace), it never caused a warped head or head gasket problem, I was lucky though.
4L has an improved head gasket I believe? What about intake manifold leak?
My 3L overheated about 2 years back (briefly, heater hose blew just off the highway, wife was driving at the time, luckily she noticed the temp gauge & eased right back on the throttle & limped it in to my workplace), it never caused a warped head or head gasket problem, I was lucky though.
4L has an improved head gasket I believe? What about intake manifold leak?
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