Leaking valve covers

[Dav]

There is a very noticable height difference between the head and intake on my 89 2.9. It leaks oil. I changed the gasket several years ago and was good for about a year. Truck doesn't see much use so I lived with it.
Now the truck is about to become my only vehicle. The motor is out and I am doing other stuff to it so now's the time to fix it.
Any surefire cures besides have the gasket surface on the head cut down to match the intake?

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Are you asking about valve cover gaskets?
Or intake gaskets?

 

[Shran]

Have your heads been machined down at some point? Generally this is fixed by machining the intake, not the heads.

Before you go that route though, I would suggest checking bolt torque on all of the lower intake bolts. If it was removed & reinstalled at some point, and not retorqued, it may simply not be fully seated. I have found lots of loose lower intake bolts on 2.9's and 4.0's over the years.

Another question is what type of valve cover gaskets are you using? Cork, rubber, permadry? They all need a dab of RTV in two spots per side where the intake meets the heads. If it's way off and you want to fix it on a budget, use a big blob there and lightly push a gasket onto it and let it cure without reinstalling the valve cover. Once it's dry, put the valve covers back on. That way it's built up enough to fill in a gap that exists there.

I am on the fence on gasket types. I like the Permadry concept but I keep having valve cover bolts loosen up and they start leaking. Rubber may start to be my preference. Cork is good too but it gets crispy and brittle quicker than others.

 

[Dav]

Ok, Let me clarify; I said 1989 but it gets complicated. I have an 88 Ranger w/ a 2.9. Near as I can tell, it is the original motor. Still had the factory lifting bracket on the driver side exhaust manifold and the paint on it has no scratches on from chains or cables. I changed the valve cover gaskets about 9 years ago. Truck doesn't get much use.
Knowing about the problems with the 88 and older heads, I bought an 89 for the heads. It has been in the yard waiting for the need to rebuild.
That time is here.
I took it apart. Heads went to shop for valve job but 1 is cracked.
Bought another motor, told it is a '90. Thinking now is the time to change the valve cover gaskets, I opened it and find that the intake is lower than the head by about the thickness of a piece of shirt cardboard.
STOP THE PRESSES!!
Just went out to measure how much difference and looked at the other side of the motor: it's higher than the head; the intake is cockeyed. WDF? Not knowing the history of this motor, I can only guess that a previous 'mechanic' was in a hurry or at the bottom of the learning curve.
I had hopes of a fast motor swap but that has gone out the window. So now I will pull the intake and put in a new gasket and make sure it is centered right.
Thanks for the input anyway.

 

[Dav]

I pulled the intake and put in new gasket. Torqued it down by a sequence I found online but no torque value given. Tightened to 40 on the third round. One corner of intake is even w/ the head, other 3 are lower that head, worst about fingernail thickness. Gooped the gap before putting new valve cover gaskets on. I'm making progress.
The next headache has arrived: I have 3 motors, 2 apart and 1 back in the truck. Two of the dip stick tubes are labeled 'F 277", one is 'F 204". The 204 is about an inch shorter at the top end. I didn't keep track of which came out of which. So far on line I have not found anything to tell what should be in it. Anyone able to point me at an information source?
I have hacked up a spare distributer to make an oil primer. Heading for the shade tree to see what other problems I can create.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

I pulled the intake and put in new gasket. Torqued it down by a sequence I found online but no torque value given. Tightened to 40 on the third round. One corner of intake is even w/ the head, other 3 are lower that head, worst about fingernail thickness. Gooped the gap before putting new valve cover gaskets on. I'm making progress.
The next headache has arrived: I have 3 motors, 2 apart and 1 back in the truck. Two of the dip stick tubes are labeled 'F 277", one is 'F 204". The 204 is about an inch shorter at the top end. I didn't keep track of which came out of which. So far on line I have not found anything to tell what should be in it. Anyone able to point me at an information source?
I have hacked up a spare distributer to make an oil primer. Heading for the shade tree to see what other problems I can create.

If i remember right when i was hunting for a dipstick for my 86, 86/87 was slightly longer then 88-92

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I have an 86 I could measure...

 

[Dav]

As I was leaning over the fender pondering the 3 dipsticks, I remembered that the one with the 'Loop', painted bright yellow, was the original one. (F-204). The other two have the plastic 'T' handle. Since the tube is rather easy to remove I will pay attention (rare for me) to the level on the stick after I fill it. May need to change tubes.
Meanwhile, the next problem has arrived.
The radiator is junk. The spare radiator has a mud wasp nest in the trans cooler fitting. Some time ago I thought a Station member typed that a 4.0 radiator would fit and have a double row of fins and that someone else had said an Explorer rad would fit..
Today I visited the U-Pick. I had a list of all the Explorers with 4.0s. About 20 vehicles. All 01 or newer. Only one had a double row rad and most were considerably larger than the '88 rad. No joy.
In the am I will call the last radiator shop around and price a new one.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

91-94 Explorer or 90-92 Ranger automatic with a 4.0 and you have to get the lower hose too. Those are the swap rads. You need the thinner fan shroud too.

 

[Dav]

91-94 Explorer or 90-92 Ranger automatic with a 4.0 and you have to get the lower hose too. Those are the swap rads. You need the thinner fan shroud too.

Tuesday I visited the radiator shop. After convincing the chap I didn't want just the stock radiator he looked up the 4.0 rad. $142 plus tax.
Picked it up yesterday. Was a bit nervous about the upper hose connection due to where I relocated the TFI but since I moved it once, I guess I can do it again.
Looks like I might be able to use the original shroud and fan: what was the reason for needing the 4.0 shroud?
The thermostat doesn't come with the "O" gasket on it. Called to order one last night. Special order, $7+, not in until late Friday. grrr!
Went to NAPA today, have to order. On to Autozone, have to order. Next to O'Reilly"s, where I called last night. Oh Yeah, Got one out back $2.99. wdf?
Next step is to reinstall the original radiator to flush the block and heater with some Prestone. Don't want to clog the new rad with trash still in the system. After a week of local trips I'll drain it and install the bigger rad.
Regarding the 4.0 set-up: LMC lists a 10 blade fan for the 4.0. Is it the same diameter as the 8 blade? And they list fan clutches for the 2.9 and 3.0 but no listing for the 4.0. Does the 4.0 use the same fan clutch? I am going to have to change the plastic blade soon as it has several cracks. (When my Austin-Healy bugeye lost a plastic fan blade, it scared the crap out of me but did no damage under the hood).
I have found a U-Pick w/ a 4.0 Ranger but it's about 140 miles away. With the insane development going on around here, junkyards are being forced out. The big chunks of land are mostly gone so the developers are buying up the medium lots now. An acquaintance lived on old junkyard land; was offered 750k for 10 acres, turned it down. Not because he was standing on principle but because he was just too old to want to move. They built 2 story houses on 3 sides of him, put up white plastic fence, then complained about his place being messy. His widow is still there and she doesn't plan to move either.