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-

 

Thanks for the advice guys.

Now to my next question.......

I have ordered up the gasket set and head bolts from a local Ford dealer and got a great deal (I think). The total for both head gaskets, all 20 head bolts, timing cover gaskets, valve cover, water pump, intake (left and right) and throttle body gaskets was $414.87 out the door. Not too bad considering other places were wanting $395 for just the head gaskets and bolts.
Is there anything I missed(other than fluids)?

I have done a search on here for "blown head gaskets" and read thru a couple of threads but is there any tips or tricks anyone can give me when doing this job? I am having a hard time finding the lock down tool for the cams to prevent them from moving once I remove the timing chain. The "tool trucks" want over $600 for the set and don't sell just the one I need (5.4L Windsor) by itself. Does anyone have a tip or trick I can use to secure the cam sprockets and keep them from moving?
Isn't there a mark or marks, on the sprocket and the head that line up cam when it is set to TDC, in case they do move?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

There is at least one fairly recent thread somewhere here in the V-8 Engines forum that addresses this issue. Let me see if I can find it for you.

My point was - the 1997-2003 forum is more of a general catchall forum - when it comes to specific things such as this issue, tearing an engine down, the real subject matter experts hang out in the specific forums. Same with transmissions and electrical issues.

I was not saying you posted in the WRONG forum, I was suggesting that you would probably get better help in the V-8 Engines forum, that's all. I read both forums, and I see who is where and where the best help is.

EDIT: Found it - it's in one of our How-To articles:

https://www.f150online.com/forums/ar...r-engines.html

 

Thanks glc.

I printed out the 1st post on the link you provided and read thru it once. It is confusing, so I pasted it to MS Word and printed it out and will take it home.

Everything I have read says to bring #1 piston to TDC on the compression stroke and then lock the cam sprockets down so they don't move.....?

In the post on the link, he says to rotate the crank until the key way is at 12:00 and then not to move the crank until the chains are re-installed and the tensioners released again....? I guess this way will work, as long as nothing moves, but I would prefer to find the tool needed to lock the cams down, just to be safe.

I have done this job several times on pushrod motors and although it is time consuming, it is not hard. This is the only part of the job that I am worried about. Luckily, I have a mechanic friend that says he will stop by when I am ready and set the timing chains again and make sure nothing moved for me.




Richard

 

Reread the procedure - locking the cams is not necessary.

 

You don't really need to time stock cams, but just put it back together the same way it came apart.

More illustrations here:http://www.modulardepot.com/articlesp.php?aid=32

Be advised that if you are using the Ford oem multi-layer steel H gaskets, the surface preparation needs to be perfect. Are you having the heads resurfaced,etc?

 

Rj i would check the radiator as well. see if there anything wrong with that as well. I got my winter rat(nissan altima) leaking it from the radiator now and I just fixed the heads a year ago. I'm just hoping it's just the radiator this time.

 

For the link. I printed it out and will take it home. I got down as far as the heads on saturday before stopping for the day. Valve covers and heads are still in place, everything else is removed.
I did notice a possible water leak on the passenger side intake gasket at the very back port on the gasket, which I think is a water jacket....? There is a "trail" going from the port to the outside of the gasket and it looks like it might be water. I don't know if it is or not but I will take a picture of it tonight and post the picture tomorrow and maybe some of you might be able to tell?


glc...... I read and re-read that link you gave me and it makes sense, I am just nervous of doing it. I guess I gotta get past that and just do it. I have Thursday and Friday off (as well as the weekend) so i need to get this done by the end of the weekend so I can quit car pooling with the wife.




Thanks for everyone's help. I would be lost without this forum.


Richard

 

are you positive that it is a head gasket leak? have you checked your coolant and oil?

almost sounds like a similar leak that is easier to get to. can't remember if it is the heater core hoses or the water pump in the valley, but there is a coolant leak that runs out and ends up looking like a head gasket from just looking.

 

No I am not. I couldn't find the leak myself, so I took it to a shop where my son works part time (he's still in high school) and had it diagnosed there. Initially, the shop owner called me and said it was the freeze plug right behind the passenger side motor mount, but then called me back about 20 minutes later to tell me it was a head gasket. Said he removed the starter and the passenger side motor mount and it was leaking from between the head the deck of the block while the system was under pressure.

It is not leaking internally. I have no oil in the coolant.

I know it is not the heater core or the 2 hoses that go to the heater core. I replaced the heater core 3 weekends ago because I lost all heat in the truck. The hoses are intact and do not leak. I have the intake off now and the valley behind the water pump is dry. The intake gasket looks to be intact and shows no signs of leaking either. I don't know what else it could be other than a head?



Richard

 

Well, I got both heads off this weekend finally, what a job. The good news is the leak was quite apparent. The gasket and head both showed signs of the leak between the #3 and #4 cylinder, going to the outside of the head/block. The "wash" trail it left was obvious.

I am now in the process of locating a good machine shop to get the heads machined and "trued" up and then I can start going back together with it.

One main question I have is I know that I have the #1 cylinder at TDC but the piston is not at the same height as the deck. It is probably .050" lower than the deck height. Does anyone know the exact dimsension of how low from the deck, is the piston? I want to make sure I have it dead on so when I go back together with everything, I have it perfectly in time.




Richard