Gotta have a cracked head

My 1997 Ranger 2.3L been noticing during very cold weather (here in Houston 40~ weather is considered COLD, heck anything below 60 is considered cold!) well a while back I would start my truck and it smoked like a busted stove for about 5 minutes then clear up...today got the kid out and we did a bit of maintenance. I broke intake side plug 2 wire while trying to pull the PCV...got the PCV cleaned it out w/ brake cleaner...sprayed and hosed it out and shook it until it ran clean., the weight inside clicked up and down when I shook it before cleaning but it was still full of goop. Bought spark plug kit and replaced the busted cable (didn't change the rest of em yet but after changing the wire idle was alot better...it stumbled alot at idle, got a P302 missfire in cylinder 2 check engine light before [I think], daggum brother in law has my OBDII scanner], haven't cleared it)

The OP ran it hot before I got the truck...blew the head gasket, had the head gasket repairedreplaced before I bought it. I did alot of basic work, flushed radiator, replaced water pump, tested the thermostat in boiling water and tightened down with new gaskets. Been noticing the water is about a quart-1/2 gallon low after a day or two...odd thing is I replaced the radiator cap new 16lb the original owner the cap was all wore out, rubber gaskets split and chipped, dude was putting straight water into his radiator...when I pull the pressure release valve I get hissing and gurgling into the surge tank, so it holds pressure.

Yesterday and today I noticed when I stop I smell a hot burning smell, like burning antifreeze...noticed steam coming from my tailpipe...checked again tonight, sure enough up to 2-3 minutes AFTER shutdown the tailpipe is spewing stinky burnt antifreeze steam (I know it's antifreeze because even though it smells burnt it has that "sweet antifreeze" smell in it)

This is a video I shot about 45 seconds after I shut the engine down (it continues like this for about 3-5 minutes)



Is it possible to have a small hairline crack in the head between the water jacket and the exhaust enough to not leak all the pressure in the radiator out but enough to seep radiator fluid into the exhaust and boil it off? There is NO water in the oil, and no oil in the radiator fluid, and we pulled the cap and there are no bubbles blowing into the radiator water, it's like a one way leak!?!?

It's making me crazy...the truck runs awesome but it was staring smoking like a busted stove for about 5 min after start from sitting for a long time, then clear up...after the PCV cleanout now I get steam?!?!?

I still need to do a compression test....but will it leak enough to show the small hairline fracture that barely lets the water leak out?

The original owner said he would buy a head (probably from a junkyard) what is the going rate to have a 4 banger head rebuilt? The original owner also put way too large a tires the truck, at 56~mph (just a tiny tick above 55mph tick) on the gauge, going 62mph (used an android gps app called DigiHUD)

I like this truck but daggumit...some people need to learn to take care of their dang vehicles!

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated

The tires aren't a big deal, putting smaller tires back on should help gas mileage though.

Smoke when its cold outside is normal, my truck smokes for 20 minutes when its 30 degrees. As for the coolant smell, these dont crack into the exhaust port, when the do crack, its between the valves in the combustion chamber. There shouldn't be a crack or blown head gasket if it doesn't leak compression into the coolant. Let it cool, take the cap off the radiator, if it steadily blows little bubbles through the coolant you have a problem, and will need to pull the head off.

Yes, I agree if you had a cylinder leak, head gasket or cracked head, cooling system would get too much pressure and push coolant out into overflow even before full warm up.
You can do a Glove test to test for this, it is free and definitive.
Cold engine
Remove rad cap
remove overflow hose, block its outlet, vacuum cap works
Place latex glove, over rad cap opening, seal it tight with rubber band
(balloon, or even a condom can also be used )
Cooling system is now sealed

Unplug coils, you want a no start
Crank engine
If glove bounces you have a cylinder leaking into the cooling system
If it doesn't then you don't

If glove bounces, then remove 1 spark plug from a cylinder and repeat test
If it still bounces, remove spark plug from next cylinder, repeat test
Ect.......
When glove stops bouncing last spark plug removed was from the leaking cylinder, re-install it to confirm.


I would rent/get a cooling system pressure tester.
Cold engine
install it on rad cap opening
pump pressure up to 15psi
let it sit for a while, 5-10min, then see if it is losing pressure
If it is and you are sure you smell that sweet anti-freeze smell in the exhaust then you could have an intake gasket leaking coolant into #2 or #3 intakes, or a crack in the water jacket of the intake, so coolant is being pulled into cylinders and burning.


When you burn gasoline(H-hydrocarbon) with Oxygen(O) one of the normal by products is H2O(water).
This is why exhaust systems rust from the inside out, and why "water" drips from the tail pipe.
If the air being sucked into the engine is humid that adds even more "water" to the exhaust.
Most of this moisture just exits the tail pipe as steam which you won't see when weather is warm, on cold days the steam condenses fast so you see it.
When engine is shut off the moisture in the exhaust system cools off and condenses on the metal parts, and starts the rusting, lol, when engine is started again that moisture turns to steam pretty fast which is why you get alot more "smoke" when starting cold engine, when the old moisture is gone there is less "smoke"

Good info on the glove test, I've never heard of or seen this. Thanks Ron for the cheap was way to spot a leak!

It does sound like a leak from a crack or whatever...

My last engine died from a major crack somewhere...never did tear it down because I had a fairly healthy 2.5 waiting to be put to work. The smoke from my truck could be followed for several hundred feet before it dissipated so the severity of your leak is small right now...good time to pounce on it to save the block and other parts though as a bigger leak may be a few engine revolutions away.

Since it's a 97 you're dealing with you have a good selection of heads to choose from in the 96 and 97 vintage...and it may be time to consider upgrades if you want a bit more power...not that they are underpowered...lol...but now is the best time...either a complete swap with a 3.0 or 4.0 or a build on the 2.3...or maybe a 2.5 using your 2.3 setup...

I currently have a 96 with a 2.5 that someone else installed...it runs good and has plenty of power...although that would be in comparison to my old carbed 2.3...just thought I'd toss the idea out there that you have other options...

Are you losing coolant from the radiator? You cannot clean a PCV valve just replace it they are cheap. I change the PCV with spark plugs. Run the engine until the steam stops coming out, like was said when it is cold the exhaust will pull in alot of moisture as it cools down. It can take a while to boil off all the water in the pipes on a cold start. Are you sure it is not the catalist your smelling?

Mark_88 said:

It does sound like a leak from a crack or whatever...

My last engine died from a major crack somewhere...never did tear it down because I had a fairly healthy 2.5 waiting to be put to work. The smoke from my truck could be followed for several hundred feet before it dissipated so the severity of your leak is small right now...good time to pounce on it to save the block and other parts though as a bigger leak may be a few engine revolutions away.

Since it's a 97 you're dealing with you have a good selection of heads to choose from in the 96 and 97 vintage...and it may be time to consider upgrades if you want a bit more power...not that they are underpowered...lol...but now is the best time...either a complete swap with a 3.0 or 4.0 or a build on the 2.3...or maybe a 2.5 using your 2.3 setup...

I currently have a 96 with a 2.5 that someone else installed...it runs good and has plenty of power...although that would be in comparison to my old carbed 2.3...just thought I'd toss the idea out there that you have other options...

Click to expand...

Can I drop in a 4.0 in lieu of a 2.3L? Doesn't that screw with the computer and emissions and whatnot?

Honestly I would like a V6 instead of the I4...definitely more torque and I know if you keep your foot out of em you can get very good gas mileage and still have enough oomph left for pulling smallish trailers and whatnot

Truthfully the 4 banger is all I need for commute and very light GP hauling...the cheapest and most efficient route is the best...but the "mo' powah" side of me sure has a weird boner

Before I cleaned the PCV valve...I literally fogged the road behind me...so much my co-worker "had a talk" with me because I literally blinded him with the smoke...but as I said...it went away after about 1/4 mile, he just happened to be in the "spy hunter smoke screen" behind me (if I idle for about 3-5 minutes before leaving work..the smoke screen is much less)

After cleaning the PCV...it's straight steam...but a 50-100 foot of it..white puffy dissipates really fast steam (before it was white smoke mosquito fogger)...but it's a HUGE cloud of it..not the normal exhaust steam...

Well...looks like I am going to end up tearing down this engine whether I like it or not, meh...got the truck for a trade anyway so it was either let my '07 Vstar 650 rot into the ground or trade it and get a truck I could use (I got gun shy and quit riding after a daffy broad t-boned me on her cell phone )

In case you were wondering...the steam from the above video was with the engine OFF after driving 17 miles and filmed about 45 seconds after I pulled the key out of the ignition...thru truck was NOT running

The smell is of hot radiator fluid...imagine boiling a pot of antifreeze down to nothing..the smell right before you get the burning rubber/metal smell but still has the slight tinge of antifreeze sweet to it...that's what it smells like

I thought you could clean out a PCV valve with brake cleaner...hose it...shake it, dump the brown fluid...rinse/repeat till you get clear fluid out...or am I incorrect on this?

Yes you can clean PCV valve that way.
You should also check and clean the vent hose when you clean the PCV Valve.
Vent hose will also be attached to Valve cover in a different area than the PCV valve/hose.

Positive crankcase ventilation(PCV) is there to relieve "blow-by" pressure in the crankcase/valve cover areas.
Each time a cylinder fires some of that pressure "blows-by" the piston's rings, it is hot and vaporizes some of the oil on the cylinder walls.
This blow-by creates a pressure in the crankcase and valve cover area since they are connected by the drain holes in the head.
The PCV system was added to suck pressure out of the crankcase/valve cover, and its associated oil vapor.
Blow-by pressure changes with engine RPM as does the vacuum pressure running the PCV system, the PCV valve is there to try and compensate for the changes.
The Vent hose is there because PCV valve can't compensate for all changes.
Vent hose may bring in fresh air some of the time or allow blow-by to flow out some of the time, so it needs to be clean as well.

Relieving the blow-by pressure also slows valve cover oil leaks and valve guide seal leaks because with less pressure in these areas less oil will be pushed out.

You can install any engine (almost any) in a Ranger with a bit of work. If the engine you choose is not a Ford Ranger stock engine then it would require quite a bit of work as the wiring harness may need to be changed out also. If you look at the firewall inside the driver side you should see three big square plugs. These are the electrical wires used by the items under your hood...a fourth one runs out along your driver side door and feeds the rear lights and fuel tank connections.

A 3.0 or 4.0 would require a different computer (as far as I know) but you could get that from a wrecker when you pick up an engine. You would also need a transmission for either of the V6 options on a Ranger as they do not bolt up to the one in your truck.

A 2.5 from a newer Ranger could be run without any major changes and bolts right up to the transmission. The 2.3 and 2.5 are virtually the same engine...but the 2.5 has a bit more power that is stock due to the longer stroke.

The cheapest and least frustrating would be to rebuild the 2.3...maybe stroke it to give you the power of a 2.5...but don't expect big hairy HP gains...that could be achieved with a bigger cam and a bit of work on the head...toss in a turbo and you'd be looking at competing with the big boner guys...

Napa sells a block tester that will tell you for sure if you have combustion gases in your cooling system. If you have a strong coolant smell from your exhaust, I think it's safe to say you do have a leak. I'm happy with the brand new head I bought on ebay. It's not cheap but I feel it's the best deal I could find on a quality 2.3L replacement head. http://www.ebay.com/itm/FORD-MAZDA-2-3-RANGER-MUSTANG-8-PLUG-SOHC-CYLINDER-HEAD-SMALL-SPRING-NO-CORE-/151188997745?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2333910671&vxp=mtr

XLTsplash said:

Napa sells a block tester that will tell you for sure if you have combustion gases in your cooling system. If you have a strong coolant smell from your exhaust, I think it's safe to say you do have a leak. I'm happy with the brand new head I bought on ebay. It's not cheap but I feel it's the best deal I could find on a quality 2.3L replacement head. http://www.ebay.com/itm/FORD-MAZDA-2-3-RANGER-MUSTANG-8-PLUG-SOHC-CYLINDER-HEAD-SMALL-SPRING-NO-CORE-/151188997745?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2333910671&vxp=mtr

Click to expand...

Is this a short block that would fit...not sure on the dates, though the engine in the 97 was the L4..
http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/271741197759?lpid=82&chn=ps

Need more research I guess

Got a reply back from an automotive machine shop here in town,

$275 to $350 depending on the condition of the head

If I can get the original owner to get me a head from the junkyard, I can have it rebuilt and swap it out w/ the bad one I have on my truck (dang..should have asked how much an inspection for cracks or for warping would have cost)

Need to get a Felpro Head Gasket Set Part Number: 5528-07022701 when I get the new head...in the mean time would you say using some liquid glass to at least slow the leak would be warranted?

What evidence do you have that the coolant leak is in the cylinder, i.e. head gasket or cracked head.
What tests have you done?

Reason I ask is because head gasket sealer works fine, IF(big if) the leak is in a cylinder.
The "liquid glass" works using the extreme heat in the combustion chamber, it doesn't plug cooling system leaks at all, only cylinder leaks.

I truly believe it's cracked somewhere in the exhaust side of things...guess I wasted $7 on that liquid glass then...fooey

Heck my boss told me to toss about 2 tablespoons of ground pepper in it, if it's not a leak on the pressure side he said it might seal it up for a bit

I really hate having issues with my engine...because I don't want to be down for a huge long time while I get the dang thing fixed.

I thought you could clean out a PCV valve with brake cleaner...hose it...shake it, dump the brown fluid...rinse/repeat till you get clear fluid out...or am I incorrect on this?


Why they are cheap just get a new one. It could be just the head gasket. Do a leakdown test with the radiator cap off and see if you get bubbles out the radiator. If so the only way to tell if the head is cracked is to have it magnafluxed. If the head is good have it surfaced lap the valves and put it back together.

Leak sealers never work right, and are never a good option!! The cyl head you found will not work I don't think, the intake is slightly different through the years and the coolant port changes position. We had this issue with my dads truck.