4.0 headgaskets

[Tiph83]

I own 2 rangers a 92 and 94 with 4.0s. I have had headgasket issues with both. I put a new engine in the 94. My 92 has 56k on it and it has already blown. I'm just wondering if there are any upgrades to solve this problems. its getting a little old replacing head gaskets. My 94 is SAS, 488 and 35s truck seems to not be under a lot of engine stress so I don't think that's a problem. my 92 is getting sas with 513 and 37s. It will more strenuously. So I want to make sure I'm not popping a headgasket on a trail or pulling a pass with a 13k ft elevation lol. Any help is welcomed and if this is posted in the wrong spot let me know.

 

[adsm08]

Have you had the heads checked?

 

[RonD]

Yes, +1 ^^^, the 4.0l gets cracks between the valve seats, hard to see but can be seen.

As a not so funny story, at the time, I lost a water pump in my '94 4.0l and "drove it home" bad idea, crack a head.
Anyway new head and new head gaskets, I was back on the road, few months later, 8 I think, head gasket goes, WTF!!!!, been doing head gaskets a long long time, but hey maybe I goofed.
Had heads tested, both were fine, redid head gaskets, and new head bolts AGAIN, checked block again, lol, up and running.
Well about 8 months later....................jeeze, head gasket again, but opposite side as last time, so block wasn't the issue.

I love my craftsman tools, snap-on too, but started off 40 years ago with craftsman, and they never let me down, still have most of the 40 year old tools.
Got to thinking about my 25 year old craftsman torque wrench, hmmmmm
Put it in the vise and started testing it............it was 15lbs off above 40ft/lb.
So when I was doing the head bolts to 45lft/lb I was really at about 30lft/lb, click, click, dummy, lol
Well that is what happened, new torque wrench, and 3rd times a charm, head gaskets are holding now.

"A poor workman blames his tools", yes I know, but I do really think that was the problem.

 

[adsm08]

Ron, a poor workman blames his tools, yes, but when you have a problem on a job you've done dozens of times with no issues, and then find a problem with the tool, it's a good bet that's the problem.

I've always had a rule of thumb, if I have lug nuts not tight to spec once in a week, I screwed up, if it happened twice in a week I bought a new impact wrench. I never had two weeks in a row when it happened twice.