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How to: replace valve cover gaskets, fuel rail gaskets and lower intake gaskets


ranger_gord

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Vehicle Year
1994
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Ford
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Engine Size
4.0L
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
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31 10.5 R15
My credo
40 yr. Electronic/electrical mechanical technician&currently a forensic engineer,Fire Investigator
Hence my motto there Gord, I'd rather do it twice and know what i've got, than to let them do it once and not have a clue. It seems no matter how much BS they talk at the counter, about 19.5 times out of 20 they immediately turn it over to the shop kid and turn em loose with only a minimal instruction. Anytime anyone I talk to mentions a "new" used vehicle(we alll drive a used car) my first advice(whether they asked for it or not) is to stop on the way home and get a repair manual

Thanks for the response. I meant 12 holes 6 of the two hole figure 8 o-rings. It that was a typo it was 6 and the lower side of the upper intake does not have groves for the neoprene figure eight o-ring. So I will be using the two fuel paper Felpro fuel rail gaskets.
Hell I can't get this thing to "reply" or to "quote"

Those figure-8 o-rings only have the groove on one side, the other surface is flat on the ones I've noted
Yeah they saw me coming. I had no where to work on it, I was renting a basement from an anal retentive scumlord whose 2013 Ram leaked all over the driveway, and she says I don’t want your two drops of oil on my driveway. She blamed my ranger for all the puddles on the driveway. I was waiting for wife to join me from Colorado to buy a place. When she got there, it was already too late. 😟. Now I am just trying to do the right thing. Thanks for the help and support too, Josh.
Brent
 


ranger_gord

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1994
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Engine Size
4.0L
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Tire Size
31 10.5 R15
My credo
40 yr. Electronic/electrical mechanical technician&currently a forensic engineer,Fire Investigator
Well I completed the reassemble. I left the fuel pump relay out and cranked it for about 7 seconds to get oil flowing. Then I stopped and put the relay back in. I cranked and it fired right up. However, I didn’t want to leave it running in the attached garage (sinks up the place). I did however, put a fuel pressure gauge on the Fuel rail and noticed that I had approximately 38 psi. But...it didn’t hold pressure and fell back to zero. I checked my connections and did it again...same thing. 38 psi and as soon as I shut off the key it drops to zero. I checked and re-checked each step of the process and took my time. I listened to the fuel pump and I heard it make a low squeaking sound. It does its key on prime (38psi) then after 2 seconds it cuts out. Any thoughts? I am sunburnt and shut it down for today.
Thanks
Brent
 

97RangerXLT

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Fishers, IN
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1997
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Ford
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4.0 V6
Engine Size
4.0
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
2"
Tire Size
31"
I believe that 38psi is within range for idling. if it is not holding pressure when you turn it off, likely it is a check valve in the fuel pump itself and will require a new pump to fix it. if you need to go that route, pull the bed. 6 bolts, three screws and unhook a wire harness for the tail lights. two people can easily lift it off, takes about 20 minutes total. and while y ou are in there, your filler neck is probably shot as well, that is a good time to replace it.

AJ
 

ranger_gord

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Location
Canada
Vehicle Year
1994
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Engine Size
4.0L
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Tire Size
31 10.5 R15
My credo
40 yr. Electronic/electrical mechanical technician&currently a forensic engineer,Fire Investigator
I believe that 38psi is within range for idling. if it is not holding pressure when you turn it off, likely it is a check valve in the fuel pump itself and will require a new pump to fix it. if you need to go that route, pull the bed. 6 bolts, three screws and unhook a wire harness for the tail lights. two people can easily lift it off, takes about 20 minutes total. and while y ou are in there, your filler neck is probably shot as well, that is a good time to replace it.

AJ
I ran it today and it mostly smooth as silk. However I have a mysterious “oil” patten on my hood liner. Smells sort of sweet, but not really. Smells like AC but AC nice and cold. I had topped up the power steering reservoir but it doesn’t appear to be from that. And it continues...
I found the source, it is a leaky hose on the AC next to the expansion chamber. Crap.
 

ranger_gord

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Vehicle Year
1994
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Engine Size
4.0L
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Tire Size
31 10.5 R15
My credo
40 yr. Electronic/electrical mechanical technician&currently a forensic engineer,Fire Investigator
AJ
I pulled my bed off to redo the filler hose. The shop who did the original work, had replaced my fuel pump (may be a bad one) and may have damaged the o-ring seal around the sending unit. I noticed when I got the truck back, it ran like crap and misfiring and I noticed a gas smell. This was the beginning of H-E-double hockey sticks about 1-1/2 years ago.
I found that the fuel filter was leaking on the engine side and the outlets were visible and shiny so they had worked on the fuel filter. Also When I first got it back, I couldn’t put gas in it even though it was almost 1/4 tank. I pulled the box off and the new filler tube was on but when I removed it, I found that they had cut off the inner tube of the filler and it had been folded back on itself. I used a hard plastic tube to force fuel in and also got a fuel can which would allow me to fill it slowly (hopefully the enclosed photo shows the fault). I replaced the filler tube (again) and since I thought they replaced fuel pump it should be fine. D’oh!
 

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jcook100

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Salt Lake City, UT
Vehicle Year
1991
Make / Model
Ford Ranger
Transmission
Manual
First off, a huge thanks to you, 97RangerXLT. So cool that (1) you wrote this amazing write-up and (2) that you have been answering questions from people on the same thread for over 10 years!

I will be doing this project soon and have a few questions about the process. I actually started a new thread (link) since I have quite a few questions, but figured I would add them here as well since some people may follow this thread but not my new one. If you want to just answer on the other thread, that is fine - or copy and paste your response is fine too.

1. My main question is: should I try and find a one piece lower intake manifold gasket like you suggested originally? Or can I go with the newer, non-OEM two piece gasket? If I go with the two piece gasket, won't there be issues with leaks around the front and back edges of the engine block in the valley (see yellow circles in pic)? I am confused why the one-piece gasket has a gasket surface on those edges but the two-piece simply doesn't. Is it because RTV is sufficient on those two surfaces with the two-piece? Any advice is appreciated.

Additional questions I have:

2. Any general advice on using RTV sealant. How much do you use? How do you apply it (just with your finger I think)? How long do you wait after putting it down and before joining surfaces?
3. What is the best way to clean gasket surfaces? I have heard of plastic-gasket scrapers. Is that the best way? Acetone? Can I use a brass-bristle brush? Steel wool?
4. Should I take this opportunity to clean or replace the fuel injectors?

Thanks a million!
 

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97RangerXLT

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Location
Fishers, IN
Vehicle Year
1997
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Engine Size
4.0
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
2"
Tire Size
31"
First off, a huge thanks to you, 97RangerXLT. So cool that (1) you wrote this amazing write-up and (2) that you have been answering questions from people on the same thread for over 10 years!

I will be doing this project soon and have a few questions about the process. I actually started a new thread (link) since I have quite a few questions, but figured I would add them here as well since some people may follow this thread but not my new one. If you want to just answer on the other thread, that is fine - or copy and paste your response is fine too.

1. My main question is: should I try and find a one piece lower intake manifold gasket like you suggested originally? Or can I go with the newer, non-OEM two piece gasket? If I go with the two piece gasket, won't there be issues with leaks around the front and back edges of the engine block in the valley (see yellow circles in pic)? I am confused why the one-piece gasket has a gasket surface on those edges but the two-piece simply doesn't. Is it because RTV is sufficient on those two surfaces with the two-piece? Any advice is appreciated.

Additional questions I have:

2. Any general advice on using RTV sealant. How much do you use? How do you apply it (just with your finger I think)? How long do you wait after putting it down and before joining surfaces?
3. What is the best way to clean gasket surfaces? I have heard of plastic-gasket scrapers. Is that the best way? Acetone? Can I use a brass-bristle brush? Steel wool?
4. Should I take this opportunity to clean or replace the fuel injectors?

Thanks a million!
Thanks, sorry for the delay getting back to you, busy weekend.

I originally did this article because there was none and my valve cover gaskets were leaking bad enough that I was worried about a fire and was choking on the burnt oil fumes. So since it had to be done, I documented the process as I did it and submitted it.

I also have done a write up on A/C revival and I am currently writing a how to on a complete steering rebuild. Hoped to finish that before I turned 50 but that didn't happen lol.

As for the lower intake, I liked the one piece because it just dropped in and there were index pins to hold it in place, no screwing around. Plus the cost at the time was similar to the felpro 3 piece but was Ford OEM. As for the differences, I have no clue, and yet another reason to go with the OEM style. Less confusion

As for rtv, use jut enough to fill in any irregularities where a leak might occur and to hold things in place as you torque bolts down. As for wait time, just long enough to form a bit of a skin but still be wet inside. Usually a few minutes.

Gasket prep and surface prep... use a plastic scraper or gently use a screw driver on stubborn spots. I would *NOT* use any wire brush or steel wool as you don't want that debris in the engine. Tuck shop rags in the area around where you are working to keep stuff from falling down the oil passages. As for solvents, I would use gasoline or carb cleaner sprayed onto a rag (not directly on the engine) if needed.

Replacing the injectors... I didn't on mine, I just wiped them clean and put new o rings on. 10 years later and almost 195k on it with no issues. I would do the spark plugs if they need it. It would be much easier with all the stuff off.

Since you have a 91, your upper intake to fuel rail gasket will be exactly like the lower intake to fuel rail. My 97 had the plastic upper intake ad o ring gaskets. Other than that, most of your job will be the same.

Good luck!
 

jcook100

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I am in the middle of this project now and noticed that my valve cover bolts were only about hand tight when I took them off (!). Can I/should I put loctite on them when putting them back on?

Also, I noticed this small wire that connects to the lower intake manifold was exposed. Do you think putting some heat shrink over it will suffice?
 

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sgtsandman

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I am in the middle of this project now and noticed that my valve cover bolts were only about hand tight when I took them off (!). Can I/should I put loctite on them when putting them back on?

Also, I noticed this small wire that connects to the lower intake manifold was exposed. Do you think putting some heat shrink over it will suffice?
If you do use thread locker, don’t use more than blue. Red or higher is if you never, ever expect to take it apart again.

For the wire, you could use heat shrink. If it was me, I would just run electrical tape up from about the middle of the conduit to the connector and back down as far as you can go. If you are really OCD like me, you can use a small zip tie to keep the finished end from unwrapping as the engine bay heat cooks the adhesive.
 

97RangerXLT

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Make / Model
Ford
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Engine Size
4.0
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
2"
Tire Size
31"
If you do use thread locker, don’t use more than blue. Red or higher is if you never, ever expect to take it apart again.

For the wire, you could use heat shrink. If it was me, I would just run electrical tape up from about the middle of the conduit to the connector and back down as far as you can go. If you are really OCD like me, you can use a small zip tie to keep the finished end from unwrapping as the engine bay heat cooks the adhesive.
yep, what Sarge said. the conductors aren't really exposed per se, just that the wire wrap is a tad short. electrical tape and zipt tie and you should be good.

definitely a dab of blue locktite on the bolts would help. I did not do that and now 10 years later I have to go in and snug them up every year or so... probably have a few that I can't reach that are very loose.

AJ
 

jcook100

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Hi there,

How tight should the valve cover bolts be? My Haynes manual says between 3 and 6 foot-lbs, but even with my torque wrench set at about 4.5 foot-lbs, it was too much force and stripped out the threads of the lower intake manifold bolt hole. Now I have to get it drilled out, helicoil, etc. (sigh). I also had a thermostat housing bolt strip out, so I am pretty scared to tighten anything on the lower intake manifold.

Is it because my torque wrench is from Harbor Freight? Maybe I need a better one? Or are there more sensitive torque wrenches, like for inch-lbs? Or, maybe I should just tighten those bolts by feel?

Appreciate any feedback. Thanks.
 

97RangerXLT

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Make / Model
Ford
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Engine Size
4.0
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
2"
Tire Size
31"
I don't think I worried about torquing the thermostat... i just tightened it so that it wouldn't come loose. I could have sworn I put the torq specs for the valve covers... IguessI did not. anyways, they are another item that probably does not need to be specifically torqued if you can tighten the bolts from the middle out to the ends and tighten them equally. they don't need to be super tight, just tight enough to secure the valve covers. Also, make sure that you are reading the torque wrench correctly, and the spec, is it ft-lbs or inch-lbs?

It has been a while, I forgot where I pulled the torque stats from lol

AJ
 

jcook100

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Thanks, 97RangerXLT. It looks like I used too big of a torque wrench for the job and just pushed past the limit. A good - and frustrating - learning experience for me.
 

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