Blown Head Gasket / Compression Test

Hi Everyone. This is my first post, so please don't get mad if I've overlooked something. I have a 99 Ranger XLT 3.0 4WD that blew a head gasket in Feb. so this is not extremely urgent since I have been fooling with this since then. But it is important because I have been driving it. The radiator overflow cap kept blowing off from pressure and bubbling. I did a Steel Seal and it helped a lot (settled down the bubbling, pressure, and temp. gauge, and I can drive) but Steel seal told me to figure out which cylinder is losing combustion, pull the plug, and run this stuff one more time for an hour without the spark plug. Running a 6 cyl. without a plug for an hour is a little scary. What do you guys think about doing this?

Anyhow, the shop wanted another $139 to do a compression test so I went ahead and just bought one. I pulled the plugs to see how they looked and now I am getting a misfire from #5 and #6 according to my scanner.

I don't mean to sound so ignorant, but I am getting conflicting methods of doing the compression test. I do not have any mechanically inclined friends that can help me because they are all married and their wives either wouldn't believe it or just plain wouldn't like it. I know a little bit about '70s V8s and even rebuilt the engine in my old Challenger, but I am just not sure about this newer stuff. If I was younger, I'd just pull the heads but since then I've had both arms operated on three times and I am finding that I am just not that strong anymore.

I like my truck and really don't want to have to get rid of it. I have pictures that I'll post with my questions below.




Pic #1: Do I just unplug this - is this the plug to the coil pack?
Pic #2: My starter relay has two terminals on it - didn't see 3 or 4 - should I attach the remote starter plugs to each side of this? (Online it says small wire connection at starter (purple) and other to + on battery terminal -- I cannot find a purple wire at the starter. Just one tan one.) The haynes book says "push on electrical connector at the relay red with bluestripe wire" - I have neither.

Pic #3: Is the fuel relay the 4th from right on bottom row under the hood #5? The owner's manual says #5 high-current fuse: "ignition switch starter relay" 50A and then lists #5 again on the same page for fuel pump relay and "-" (just a dash) for the fuse amp rating.

Pic #4: I think I found the inertia switch for fuel on the floorboard on the passenger side by the mat. Should it be unplugged?

On the ranger forum it says that I am supposed to warm up the engine for about 20 minutes - no more
Remove the the fuel pump relay
Disconnect the ignition coil pack connector
Crank the engine to relieve fuel in lines


The Haynes book says

warm up to operating temperature
clean around spark plugs
remove all spark plugs
block throttle wide open
disable ignition system via unplug the inertia switch


If anyone has time, I'd appreciate some advice. Thank you much.

Yes, you have some conflicting info there.

Pic #1 is the coil pack connector, if disconnected the coil/spark plugs will not fire.

Pic #2 looks like a Fusible link, not the starter solenoid.
Ford starter solenoids are usually located on the drivers side fender, just follow the + battery cable, it goes to the starter solenoid.
Not sure about 1999 but Ford did move the starter solenoid to sit on top of the starter motor, so if its not on the fender follow the + battery cable to the starter solenoid on the starter motor.
Starter solenoid will have 3 connections, 2 larger wires, one from the + on the battery, the other runs to the starter motor, there may be some other wires connected with these, ignore them.
The 3rd wire is smaller and usually on a push on connector, but not always, that is the the place to hook the remote start switch/button, so pull off that wire/connector and connect starter switch to that terminal and the other starter switch wire to the + on the battery.
MAKE SURE!!!!!!!!.......trans is in Neutral(manual) or Park(automatic) because you are by-passing the safety feature to prevent "in gear" starts.

pic #3, not sure, if it's labeled Fuel pull it out, won't hurt anything

Pic #4 looks like the inertia switch, when unplugged that cuts power to the fuel pump, it has nothing to do with the ignition/spark system.
So if you disconnect this you don't have to pull any relays, it would be redundant.

In your case a cold compression test would be better, with engine warm(metal expanded) the psi(pressure) will be higher, but that's not what you are after, you want to find the cylinder(s) with lower pressure to see which one has the leak to the cooling system.
So warm or cold is up to you, I don't see any benefit to warm for the information you want, and you can get burned, so a downside.

First pull all the spark plugs, disconnecting coil connector is redundant since there are no spark plugs in the engine, but you can.
Next prop open the throttle, you can put something on the gas pedal inside or use something on the intake to hold it open, this allows air to be pulled in for the testing.
Disconnect fuel, either pull the relay/fuse or inertia switch connector.

Screw in compression tester to cylinder #1 hand tight is fine you don't need to wrench tighten it.

Turn over engine for 5 compression strokes, you will hear them, each time engine slows down that's a compression stroke.
Write down the compression reading on #1, I would expect 160-170psi on this V6.

Remove compression tester from #1, push it's button to clear the pressure and move it to #2........ect, until all 6 have been tested.
One with the lower number is the one with the leak, if there are two then gasket has failed between two cylinders.

Remote starter switch is OK but not really needed, you can crank the engine with the key, you don't need to be in the engine bay for this test, the compression meter holds the highest pressure it has seen until you clear by releasing the pressure.

If numbers are all close to each other, which can happen if you have already used a head sealer, then I would do a "glove test", while you are doing the compression test.

Assuming cooling system is in good shape, not leaking.
remove rad cap
remove overflow hose
Use a Vacuum cap off the engine to cover overflow hose connection or a short hose with a bolt in it to cap it off.

Place a latex glove over the rad cap opening and use a rubber band to seal it.
Cooling system should now be air tight.
So any "air" coming in from a leaking head gasket will make that glove jump up, and it WILL jump, can't miss it.

So while doing the compression test also watch the glove, if it dances the cylinder you are testing has a leak to the cooling system, keep testing there may be more than one cylinder effected.
You don't have to drain the cooling system.

You don't even need the compression tester, just put a spark plug in a cylinder, one at a time, glove will dance if you have a leak.

RonD:

Regarding my compression test info. request for help: You are absolutely Awesome! Thank you SOOOOO much for this information. I may actually get somewhere today! I have copied your reply and emailed it to myself! Thanks again.

BTW, I originally posted this in urgent. I would think urgent is for someone broken down or stranded somewhere with internet access. Where should I have posted this type of request for help?

URGENT is a good place to post when you are in the process of solving a serious problem that has you baffled (excluding "what rims look best"...LOL)

good job of researching/posting pics!

Thanks, and your welcome.

And just FYI, compression tests don't produce the numbers most people expect the first time they do it.
You might get
#1 - 165
#2 - 155
#3 - 160
#4 - 160
#5 - 170
#6 - 165

That is normal, you want to see that all cylinders are withing 10% of the others, so the high is 170(so 17 is 10%) and low is 155(15.5 is 10%)

170 is within 10% of 155.

In the above numbering if one cylinder is below 150 then that cylinder should be retested first, if still low then I would try the "glove test" with that cylinder sealed, either with spark plug or compression tester, see if the glove dances, comfiming a leak into the cooling system.

Why can't all first posts be so detailed!?

Also, You-da-man RonD.

Please keep us updated with your progress. The stuff you are using as a sealer was used by the gallon to kill good engines during Cash for Clunkers. I have no experience with the sealer . I had a 50 $ 74 Dart with a minor coolant leak . Just enough to fog up the oil a little. I drove the Dart for almost 2 yrs commuting 60 miles a day. If you can keep ahead of a situation , you can run a sick car for a long time

I have used Rislone Head Gasket Fix twice, worked both times, one engine is still working fine after 2 years, 5 days a week 60 miles a day driving, I am waiting for it to die, so I can see how bad the leak was, lol, but I may go before it does.
Neighbors car.
The other one I replaced the head gasket after about 6 months, in the summer.

I got no complaints about these products.

And NO NO NOOOOOO, my rad and heater were not effected, at all, neither was any thing else in the engine, and I checked inside every thing because I believed some of the stories others told about these products.
Then I read up on them and found they didn't work the way most people think.

Which is better a can of sealer or a new head gasket? gee let me think.........dumb question.
But which is better, spending $30 so you don't have to change a head gasket in the driveway in the middle of winter and can wait until summer?
I did spend the $30, and glad I did.

Thank you all for your comments. I did 3 rounds of compression testing last Saturday until I nearly fell from heat stroke. It was hard to get a reading because for some reason, the gauge would start losing the reading! I am concerned about cylinders 4 and 6. BTW, this truck has 166K miles on it.

Cyl. 1: 180;175;170
Cyl. 2: 155;160;155
Cyl. 3: 170;170;170
Cyl. 4: 130;140;140
Cyl. 5: 160;161;155
Cyl. 6: 135;135;140

I also had a misfire code on cyl. 5 and 6. After I did the test, after 3 runs, the check engine light went out on its own so I supposed I did not have the wires on. It has now since returned inidicating P1151; P0153; and P0306 (misfire cyl. 6). I have been getting the first 2 codes off an on for a long time and I would normally either reset them or the truck would do it on its own. I was told a "lazy" sensor. Could be root cause ignoring it as lean = heat, right?

Anyhow, the code reader reset the check engine light is out right now. I still need to figure out which cylinder - or could it be the whole driver's side head was blown and the first dose fixed the worst of it (cyl. 5)?.

I was going to do a "wet" test on cylinders 4 and 6 but my friend said that the oil would be pushed into the coolant and might really screw up steel seal's ability to seal next go-around.

Steel seal told me to determine which cylinder was bubbling the exhaust gasses into the coolant and then run the truck one hour with that plug removed. I am really concerned about damaging the engine further by doing this. I have to confess, I am driving the truck around and using without major temperature fluctuation, so I hope that after I do it, the last dose of this stuff works.

Now, my question is this: Has anyone pulled out a plug from the 3.0 and run it for an hour without the plug? Can this damage the engine?

BTW, the glove test did not work much to my surprise.

Also, prior to the first dose of steel seal, the mechanic that tested the truck for me found 40 parts per million of hydrocarbons in the radiator. Might it be a good idea to have this done again? Or would this be just a waste of money since I know there is still a little bubbling in the overflow but not like it was when it was blowing the cap off?

finally, I am not questioning which is the better way to fix this problem, stuff in a can or R/R. R/R of course. I am surprised it has already worked as well as it. My problem is that I am not very strong anymore (3 operations to my arms) and I am on my own and financially on the edge. I am trying to buy some time. I realize this is an experiment but I don't want to deliberately destroy this truck. It is getting me to and from work, church and the grocery store right now. Your thoughts and experiences are much appreciated. Thanks again.

Never used steal seal but it reads like most of the others on the market.

Put in Rad, run engine until well heated, they recommend an hour, but should be mixed in with coolant before that, then shut off engine, the sealer needs 800+degrees to harden so won't clog cooling system which runs at 250deg max, so it doesn't fix a coolant leak in the rad for instance, only combustion chamber/cooling system leaks.
So it hardens only when it enters a combustion chamber, at the head gasket leak point.

Now if engine happens to stop on compression stroke of the leaking cylinder then not alot of sealer could enter to close the leak.
If you ran the leaking cylinder without a spark plug, no it won't "hurt the engine", but it will be VERY loud, then the sealer will be able to flow into that cylinder easier.
If engine was already warm then I would just run it 15min.
Heat of the cylinder is the activator which is why they recommend the long run times.

But with the sealer in the coolant already then it will do the same thing over time, until leak is sealed, as long as you are driving it for a 1/2 hour or so, enough time for engine to get warmed up.
Engine won't stop on that cylinders compression stroke every time, so if coolant can leak in then it will seal as it does.
White smoke on startup should get less and less over time.

Thanks Ron. Trust me, I would almost love it if I had white smoke on startup to view and then see if it dissipates, but I don't. All I have is exhaust gasses going into coolant and bubbling. So you, think I should just redose and forget about finding the cylinder and removing the plug?



Thanks

That all depends on how well you really want it fixed.

That might get you down the road for a long time. The right fix is pull the heads, get them checked, decked and seal it all back up.

Yes, that is what I would do.
This isn't a permanent fix.

If exhaust gas can get into the cooling system then coolant should be able to flow back into that cylinder when engine is off, that's the only way this sealer can work.

I would get a new rad cap if you haven't already, constant over pressure tends to ruin the cap.
The new cap should hold the 16+psi pressure in the cooling system when engine is off, that pressure aids the coolant/sealer mix to get into the leaking gasket area, pulling all the spark plugs would help as well but they will be HOT.
So you should get white smoke at least once more on start up, lol.


Redoing the heads isn't that expensive(assuming it's just the gaskets) and can be done over a weekend.
approx. $150 for gasket set with new head bolts
It's always a good idea to have the heads machined and cleaned, which can mean you have to pull the heads on a Thursday to get them back by Sat., they will also install the new valve guide seals, should be less than $200.

Problem with all temp fixes is that there is no convenient time for a car to quite working, so when(not if) the temp fix fails, it may be a worse time than now, lol, and cost more if towing is involved.
A friend of mine had his temp fix(not head gasket) give out on a bridge during rush hour, $150 mandatory tow charge to get him off the bridge, the another $80 to get it towed to his house.
And to fix the problem when it happened would have cost him $200 and a day of labor.
Now he was into it $230 plus he still had to spend the $200 and the day fixing it.

There is no better time than now to fix it right, even though it seems so at the time

Where are you located, BlackWidow? If you're near SE Idaho, I'll come by and help you with the labor, if you'ld like. But you'll have to provide munchies.

Spott