Cracked cylinder head or bad head gasket what's my best option?

[JJMaine]

I have been chasing my tail buying coil, coil wires, spark plugs and a fuel pump because my truck has a misfire on startup. Finally came across a post and someone said maybe the heads cracked causing coolant to run into the cylinders when the truck cools off.

Plugged in my $20 Amazon bore scope and bingo! I have been noticing very slow coolant loss since I owned the truck (about a year) but also had some seeping out of the thermostat housing hoses that someone put cheap hose clamps on instead of the OEM constant tension clamps.

Long story short, what should I do here? Refurbished heads and have a shop install? New/refurb engine and have a shop install? It's been burning coolant I suspect for at least the last year so could there be any more damage to the engine now instead of just the cylinder heads?

I'm getting misfire codes on start up mostly cylinder 4 (where these photos came from) but recently cylinder 2 which would mean both heads. Not sure what to do but the truck is in damn good shape and definitely worth fixing. Also it will be cheaper than buying a new one.

 

[JJMaine]

Or could it just be the head gasket?

 

[JJMaine]

Guessing head gaskets, this is the next cylinder over and it looks like it's leaking near the gasket sealing surface?

 

[Angie]

before you do something unneeded spend a few dollars and minutes looking onto the cause... this is a tool i swear by having in your tool chest. there are many different styles. they are all worth the money. cheers

RELD Head Gasket Tester Kit Combustion Leak Detector for 50 Tests, Diagnostic & Test Tools - Amazon Canada

RELD Head Gasket Tester Kit Combustion Leak Detector for 50 Tests in Diagnostic & Test Tools.

www.amazon.ca

 

[JJMaine]

will that tool tell me which is leaking, cracked head vs head gasket? I think I've verified that coolant is leaking into my cylinders with the bore scope

 

[Angie]

good point. no. however it proves 100% that you have gases escaping into the firing cylinders. many will pull a head off for no reason thinking that they have a problem when there wasn't a head gasket problem. I assumed anyone who would bore scope a cylinder would also know how to replace a head gasket/or a head. cheers

 

[JJMaine]

Thanks for the replies! No I'm just a backyard mechanic at best. Thanks to the Internet and forums like this, when I have a problem I Google it and try to fix it myself. Some times like this time, it leads to me putting on loads of new parts before I find the actual problem.

I don't mind fixing most stuff but head gaskets seem like more than I want to tackle. From looking though it could cost me $2k or more to have them replaced and then gambling if my engine holds out (and that they do a good job). I've got half a mind to just run her (and save my money) until she blows and then pay Ford to put a brand new engine in it or at least a reman engine that comes with a good warranty haha.

 

[Angie]

taking heads off sounds like a scary thing.... but all you need is patients and confidence, a good torque wrench and a clean place to do it. but before you do it... i would spend a few dollars on the test kit to be 100% sure you do have gases escaping into the engine. the most time consuming part of the job is taking all the top end stuff off the engine. you are rebuilding the top end. a good book helps immensely and if you know a friend who has done it before also helps alot.

i just noticed you have a 2011, i have never tackled a newer style engine so i am not sure what is involved in new ones. however, here is a small blurb i wrote up for doing the 4L ohv engine. cheers

Thread 'Blown head gasket replacing 4.L'

Aug 8, 2021

This takes off from upper intake removal. As I didn't take any pics before this section. I have the driver head off this is how I left it last night.

The clean piston top is the blown head gasket.



So after the head is removed a look over the gasket shows the problems.



After the heads are off, I recommend rolling shop towel into strips and placing it into the head bolt holes, and also the intake for the rail's holes. This cleans out any oil and water that could be trapped in there. When returning the head bolts into the block this will prevent a oil locking in the hole and gives a...

• Angie
• Replies: 5
• Forum: Submission Archive

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[JJMaine]

Won't something need to be done with the heads as well? I'm guessing that the previous owner overheated it, caused the leaking head gaskets and then sold it to me while it still ran good. All of the signs were there now when I think back, I just didn't know enough to notice.

 

[Angie]

depends on what shape the head(s) are in. check for warps by flat straight lining them, in my stuff i have never yet come across a cracked head. visually seeking while cleaned up can show problems. or you can take them to a shop and magnafluxed to be sure no cracks. heads can take a ton of heat from my experiences. (gaskets go first) running them dry is where the major stresses come from. but then the troubles are usually very apparent. if you aren't having any major problems you can keep running what you have and every week keep a check on the water levels.... had a car years ago that ran forever with a small water problem like this.... cheers...

 

[Angie]

with your scope, what colour are the tops to the pistons? all black? or is there a white clean looking one?

 

[JJMaine]

I only checked 2 of them, they weren't clean but not completely black either

 

[JJMaine]

The photos I got that show some of the piston

 

[JJMaine]

Truck has had white smoke from the exhaust since I bought it but it NEVER smelled like burning coolant and for the first 6 months I drove it the coolant level never dropped.

And now, once the truck starts it runs great which is why I went down the fuel pump rabbit hole. I bought a fuel pressure tester and fuel pressure does leak off while the truck sits overnight but obviously that isn't my problem. It did lead me to replacing the fuel pump but the pressure still leaks down overnight. I'm thinking that's normal and the fuel pressure/pump was never my issue. Obviously I have some more stuff going on haha.

 

[Angie]

as said above,,,, before you rip into the engine, get a gas test kit, there are so many different ones out there that all work the same. place over the rad filler and let the engine warm up. gives the best test i have found so far for being 100% sure. cheap insurance, and also use them every time you buy a new vehicle