A few of you have been a huge help to this newbie as I had an issue with electrical current in my coolant that took a toll on my heater core (which I replaced last weekend), and a transmission slip fault code that was set about a week ago and now it has developed a coolant leak at the head gasket.
It is leaking coolant external to the block, right above the freeze plug near the motor mount.

I have plenty of experience pulling heads off of old school pushrod motors, but this will be my first SOHC motor tear down to this extent. I know there is a difference between the tool used to lock the cams in place, from a Windsor and a Romeo motor but I don't know which one mine is?
The 8th digit on my vin is an " L ", can someone tell me if this is Windsor or Romeo?
Any other tips or tricks to pulling the heads and changing the gaskets?

The shop wanted $1200 (included parts and labor) to do the job so it looks like I am going to do this myself. I can only work on it on the weekends as I work 48 miles away from home and by the time I get home, it is dark.

 

Vin "L" is a 5.4, and the Windsor/Romeo issue should not apply.

You might want to ask a moderator to move this thread to the V-8 Engines forum.

 

I found it is a Windsor engine and when doing head gaskets, it does matter which one you have as the tool required to lock the cams down from moving is completely different between Windsor and Romeo.




I apologise for this being in the wrong forum. I didn't know there was a different forum for my question. I figured all questions pertaining to 1997-2003 would go here, sorry.
Moderators, feel free to move this to the correct forum for me.

 

No worries, it can go here.

I think all glc was suggesting is that it would get more attention in the V-8 Engines forum. A lot more people look in there. Anything relating to the motor should go there so more eyes can see it. Some of those motor gurus rarely venture out of that forum.

 

I'll copy it up to Engines for you... that way it'll (legally) be in both spots...

-RP-

 

Yes, but what glc was suggesting is that if you have a 5.4L their is ONLY Windsor 5.4's... The Romeo/Windsor issue only pertains to the 4.6L engines. Therefore by default if you have a 5.4 it's a Windsor.

 

Well I bet the shop was going to pull the body we have one in right now geting heads done and that is what we are doing to it. Not saying that you can't do it w/o but it would be easier.

 

My work truck a few months ago ...

 

Well, that clears it up for me, thanks very much.



maddoughboy and fairlaner........ WOW No way am I going to try and pull the body off like that to get the heads off. Besides not having a lift at my house, that looks like a pain in the a$$......?


The shop that quoted me $1200 was not going to pull the body either, but he may have been planning on removing the front quarters, I don't know for sure.

I have done heads on several pushrod motors before, just never done a SOHC before. The only part I am worried about is making sure I get the cams/crank in line and nothing messes up on that step. All the rest will be about the same as a pushrod motor, just time consuming.

 

Well I don't think it would do much good to remove the fenders on this year either, since I belive they are only cosmatic and not like the older ones were it as also the inner engine bay.

 

Thanks for your help everyone. I had the admin. copy this thread to the V8 section (as it should've been posted there to begin with).

Please check the V8 section if you have more tips or help for me. The thread title is the same.



Richard