Ok. I'm just about to bag it. But I don't want to. I love my freaking Expy. 2000 5.4 AWD/FWD. 245000 miles. Truck's overheating. Symptoms are I have heat until about the time the thermostat should open, then it goes cold. Then the engine temp pegs. If I put my hand on the upper radiator hose, it's cold and it's rock hard. If I open the cap on the overflow tank and let a bunch of pressure bleed off, the thermo opens and it's ok. I know, I know, points to a bad head gasket. Had my mech test for hydrocarbons in the coolant. He said that the tester was supposed to turn from blue to bright yellow, but mine only got it to turn slightly green. So the H/G is "slightly" bad. So what do I do from this point. Somebody said to try retorqueing the head bolts. I'm also considering modifying the thermo by removing the guts. Could the water pump ne playing a part in this? What else should I check?

 

Have you tried a new OEM thermostat and a new cap?

 

The mech did both last weekend. Overheated again the next morning. Had this problem about a year and a half ago. Changing the thermo & cap fixed it then, but not now.

 

you can't re-torque the head bolts on your engine, they are torque to yield. One and done is all you get with them. I only know this because I had to fix a head gasket on my 03, new bolts, gasket set and for peace of mind timing chain set, plugs, coils and other wear parts that were easier to get at while the engine was out

 

If the head bolts are tightened to yield, could it be possible that one fractured?

 

I would only be guessing because anything is possible, but, it's highly unlikely that one would break.
I'm willing to bet money it's the gasket, it can also be a cracked head.

I pulled my engine to replace my head gaskets because thanks to ford's cab forward design you won't get the heads out while its still in the engine bay.

It boils down to how much money you want to sink into your truck. I can offer some more advice if you think you want to dig into it further, regarding special tools you'll need and info on parts.
Let me know
Gene

 

245k miles. You got your money out of that truck. May be time to move on.

 

Roadie has a good point, even doing all or some of the work yourself parts alone can easily add up to what it's worth.

 

Head gasket...classic symptoms. JMO. I have pulled cyl heads off while the engine is in the truck.. You have to crawl up in there and get dirty but they will come out. Just my experience..Good luck.