2000 4 cyl 2.5L Ford Ranger Trying to remove cylinder head

[Duane867]

Glad you got her back together John.
Sorry I doubted you but in the beginning you were scaring me a little

 

[johnrhadfield]

Glad you got her back together John.
Sorry I doubted you but in the beginning you were scaring me a little

To Duane867: I was scaring myself too! Lol

Thanks,

John

 

[johnrhadfield]

I took the thermostat out and left it out. The cooling behaviour was the same. I may need a new housing and/or coolant sensor and/or a new thermostat. It might or might not have been when I pulled the thermostat housing out, however, the thermostat was not in right.

Last night, I used the laser thermometer and an oven thermometer(oven thermometer did not work so well). In any case, with the laser I took many readings. The highest temp on top of valve cover was 180 degrees. The higher rad hose was much like like 117 degrees. The rad low temp of 117 showed up on the inside dashboard temp guage as real cool (just below the "C"). However, laser temp on valve cover is 180. 180 won't hurt anything, maybe that's normal? The engine "should be" a little hotter than the cooling radiator? Since the cooler radiator is cooling the engine?
I only checked top rad hose not bottom perhaps there is a difference?
I didn't run Tahoe as long, but I compared Ranger temps with Tahoe temps and rad temp was 119 degrees and where the rad hose went into engine intake was 140 degrees and 237 degrees on exhaust manifold.

Tonight I ran Ranger again and temp was more even 140 150 ish on top valve cover and 140 150 ish on top rad hose.

I am guessing that the top rad hose will be hotter than the bottom rad hose? Because the top hose is where water flows into rad from engine? Bottom hose should be cooler?

I am trying to double check that I have "flow".

When I took the thermostat out I then poured coolant directly into cyl hd thermostat hole by filling top rad hose with coolant. And with the top rad hose disconnected the coolant began to fall out top of radiator so I know I have no air bubbles and water "will" cycle all the way around.

How do I know for sure the rad coolant is flowing?

I have brand new water pump. No leaks.
It may be that I need a new radiator. I hear it is possible that the water can flow around the edges of radiator but not through all the little inbetween areas.

Oh also I haven't put the shroud back on yet.


Anyone ever clean out a heater core?

Also, I am still trying to identify the little broken grey hose that travels under what I think is the "fan" (the "fan" is a black object next to heater core on firewall). It looks like that little broken grey hose could go to windshield wiper water resevoir? I don't know where it goes but the broken grey hose will stretch just past w w resevoir.

John

 

[johnrhadfield]

It looks like the exhaust manifold close to cyl hd gets extremly hot. I think its normal for the exhaust manifold to get extremly hot. There also looks like a special "heat gasket" goes between the exhaust manifold and the cyl hd.

I put the shroud back on. The temp at top of valve cover and rad hose was about 140ish after about 30 minutes of idling. Exhaust manifold was much hotter.

John

 

[4b316]

Leave the rad cover of and you will see the water move.If you have a lazer gun,check the head right behind the therm housing and right in the side of the block,should be pretty accurate.Whatever thermostat you have in it,is what your gun should read,180-190.Suppose to be a gasket between the header and head.there is like a "drain hose"that comes out of the cowling right in that area.Rangers don't have to have a special rad filling,they don't trap air anywheres in the system as the rad is higher than the motor top.Shroud will help it run cooler not hotter.Did you put the garden hose to it?To flush the heater core,pull both hoses from the motor and put the garden hose right in one hose for a while then the other to back flush it.

 

[johnrhadfield]

Leave the rad cover of and you will see the water move.If you have a lazer gun,check the head right behind the therm housing and right in the side of the block,should be pretty accurate.Whatever thermostat you have in it,is what your gun should read,180-190.Suppose to be a gasket between the header and head.there is like a "drain hose"that comes out of the cowling right in that area.Rangers don't have to have a special rad filling,they don't trap air anywheres in the system as the rad is higher than the motor top.Shroud will help it run cooler not hotter.Did you put the garden hose to it?To flush the heater core,pull both hoses from the motor and put the garden hose right in one hose for a while then the other to back flush it.

To 4b316:

I am not allowed to flush with a water hose where I live, so I have to go elsewhere. I have used 2 Prestone flushes on it.

I "think" I have found the major problem. lol (scares me when I say that). I replaced the clutch in the coolant fan. Wow what a difference. With the thermostat out I can barely get the top rad hose to read 100 degrees with the laser thermometer. I had been getting readings of 160-180 top rad hose 150-165 bottom hose. It was always about a 10 degrees differerence from the "hotter" top rad hose and the "cooler" bottom hose, from startup to heatup. Now with new clutch fan installed I can barely get top rad hose at 100 degrees. I probably need to re-install thermostat so that it will build engine temp up to normal operating temp. I removed thermostat to make sure I had flow and until I knew for 100 percent sure that the engine was cooling.

Thanks,

John

 

[johnrhadfield]

I "think" I finally nailed down the overcooling problem. I replaced the heater control valve. It must have been stuck closed on the little radiator hose that goes from the heater control valve to the thermostat housing AND/OR the little grey vacumn hose that was broken actually went to the heater control valve. So I reconnected the vacumn hose and replaced the heater control valve. The hose was very brittle and the 1st time I reconnected it to the rubber elbow on the heater control valve it broke again. I think the gray hose goes to or somewhere near the heater/ac knob inside the cab. Also I ran water through the heater core. The heater works. The engine seems to warm up quicker and cool down sometimes on the temp guage(before the temp guage stayed buried under "C" and blew mostly cold air). From what I remember the temp used to look like it looks now - mostly about a quarter up.

The sway bar link I replaced Friday night by using 2 jacks to drive the bolt out the top, from the bottom.

John

 

[johnrhadfield]

Do I need to reimpact the harmonic balancer bolt back on?

I thought someone said that it would tighten itself back up.

If so I'll need to get back over to Ford and have them reimpact it. Will I be endangering anything driving it until then?

John

 

[johnrhadfield]

Ok so I went to Ford to get a new harmonic balancer bolt(if I would have Ford impact it) and they were out. So I decided just to torque the old bolt by hand. An impact probably puts too much on it(300 plus ft.lb) anyhow all I need is 93-121 ft.lb.(per Alldata). I put the Ranger in 1st gear and parked right up against the curb to stop the Ranger from rolling forward. My Craftsman torque wrench only goes to 75 ft.lb so I maxed that, then used my regular socket wrench and put everything I had on it.

I felt it tighten more. That'll probably hold and I'll keep checking it by "torque tightening" it.

John

 

[johnrhadfield]

At first this was a nightmare. Now I have learned so much and I am addicted to fixing and taking care of my Ranger and I am interested in fixing my Tahoe and now I am keeping my eye open for someone who is throwing away a vehicle (like a 67 mustang - lol probably won't happen)

Thinking back and knowing what I know now about simply fixing a head gasket, I think there were about 3 or 4 cars I could have saved.

Summarizing there were 4 basic problems I think that made the perfect storm of overheating my Ranger.

1) The blades wore off the water pump so it was not pushing water.

2) Clutch fan was out.

3) Heater control valve was stuck in some position as to it did not warm the heater inside cab and also the little radiator hose that ran to the thermostat housing and sensor was probably blocked therefore not reading temperature correctly, so my Ranger was overheating in the red, but the dash guage did not read in the read.


Now I want to buy an extra Ranger engine and completly tear it apart and rebuild everything.

Also, I want to rebuild a Ranger transmission.

I am assuming that I would need to get "Master rebuild kits"? For the engine and transmission? These are aftermarket I assume, because Ford doesn't sell any.

Y'all have changed my life and I will help others.

Thankyou to all of those who stood by me.

John

 

[4b316]

John,a engine overhaul kit is what you probably will need..pistons,rings,gaskets etc.We use flatlander racing master kits.They have a nice piston and ring combo.You won't need the kit that has a cam and rollers in it as these hardly ever wear out. http://www.flatlanderracing.com/

 

[johnrhadfield]

John,a engine overhaul kit is what you probably will need..pistons,rings,gaskets etc.We use flatlander racing master kits.They have a nice piston and ring combo.You won't need the kit that has a cam and rollers in it as these hardly ever wear out. http://www.flatlanderracing.com/

To 4b316:

Is there any way to get more detailed overhaul manuals?

Also, I was told someone would be crazy to try to overhaul a transmission. True/False?

I am wondering if Ford offers a mechanics course.

Thanks,

John

 

[4b316]

Speedway motors offers a manual on how to hot rod a 2.3 ford,has a lot of info that you can use but i haven't seen a book just on the 2.3/2.5 LL.If your trans is alright,i wouldn't touch it.You can get a used trans a lot cheaper then diving in a trans.Get a 5 speed at the junkyard or close by and just take it apart and see how it works.They had some 2.3/25 manuals CD,s on eBay awhile ago,I bought one.See if your local high school offers a engine course at BOCES or whatever if you think you need the basics.Sounds like you are pretty well self taught on stuff and if you got good results with your 2.5,you did well.

 

[johnrhadfield]

To 4b316:

Did you get your 2.5 back?

If so what did you have done?

John

 

[4b316]

No,I am taking it down to the machine shop after Christmas.Spending,spending ,spending for kids and grand kids