Cracked head common?

[one1]

My 1997 2.3L cracked it's head today. First fouled out the #2 cyl then started smoking like crazy. I ran to the store and grabbed a compression tester and it read 124-105-127-137. The low cyl was the one in question. The cyl head cracked between the sidewall and the cyl.

There was a crack between the valves on cyl #1, but it didn't cause any noticeable symptoms. When the crack on cyl #2 into the water jacket happened everything hit the fan.

Is this common? I've never had head issues with 13 rangers of this year model through the last 15 years, but I've always sold them before they miles got too high. I just rolled 160k.

 

[Tedybear]

Sometimes it's just the luck (or lack of) the draw. There is always a chance the engine may have been abused by a PO or subjected to overheating...and over time it just gave it up. Hard to tell what happened? But a replacement cylinder head isn't the end of the world.

S-

 

[one1]

Party time.

 

[one1]

Why do the 1995 engines get torqued down at 50-60 then at 80-90, but the 96-97 only get torqued down at 51 just once? I want my head to be torqued correctly so I'm double checking.

 

[Insanejughead]

My book states to crank them all (in sequence, of course) to 50 lbs, then go over them once again with an additional quarter turn (90-100 degrees).

That's specifically stated for any single OHC engine from '94+.

 

[one1]

Any idea why that is different from the other ones? Head gasket difference, or anything specific?

 

[Insanejughead]

That's a mystery for even me...

 

[Peatahh]

where's you get the head? How much $?
I may be having the same problem... low compression #3
also a '97 2.3
something like 130 - 119 - 95 - 125 .. ( i forget exact numbers)

 

[one1]

That's a mystery for even me...

http://www.fordrangerforum.com/4-cylinder-tech/2051-2-0-2-3-2-5-specifications.html

Using there as an example, below is the specs for 96-97:

Cylinder Head
Torque in 2 steps [1st (50 - 60 ft-lbs), 2nd (80 - 90 ft-lbs)] (1989 - 1995)
51 ft-lbs (1996 - 1997)


Only one torque instead of two steps and only a very lightweight 51 lbs. I can't imagine why it is different from the 95 though since it was supposedly the same unless you count crossover years where many may have still been the 94 engine before the facelift.

where's you get the head? How much $?
I may be having the same problem... low compression #3
also a '97 2.3
something like 130 - 119 - 95 - 125 .. ( i forget exact numbers)

There should be some hints that the head is bad. Mine was a coolant issue flowing into the cylinder and nearly hydrolocking it, some oil/water mixture. Year before last I put a new headgasket on and my symptoms then were lots of loud valve rattle under load. It was blown between the cylinders. This video is from when I was trying to figure it out then:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhkWjGP0T1k&list=UUmxVKXvYkvABm-2xfO7DrQw&index=17

You can hear it clearly.

and this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwp-mCg6aHo&list=UUmxVKXvYkvABm-2xfO7DrQw&index=18

That rattle was the valves as the compression blew between #1 and #2 cyl.

 

[Peatahh]

Sounds like a heck of a "detonation knock" in those videos.
Can valves really make that much noise ???

"There should be some hints that the head is bad."

The only symptom we have is a serious lack of power. and low MPG, as the foot is always to the floor.
My wife's Protege feels like a Vette compared to the Ranger!
All of the plugs looked "normal" when we did the compression check in the Fall.

At this point, I'm thinking we'll pull the head and clean it up, or replace it.
I just need to get it done quick, we need the car for work / school, so it's can't be apart for 2 weeks. And while it's apart, I would like a "hotter" cam, but it seems they start at $320 !!??? .... don't have the $$ for it.

 

[Insanejughead]

Peatahh, do your compression check before and after putting some oil in cylinders and letting it sit for a bit. If the compression raises quite a bit after the oil has been added, that's a sign that the problem is your rings.

If not, then it could be a problem with the head.

Also, is there anything different about your coolant or oil? If the oil is milky, that's a good indicator of a cracked head.


Oh, and are the plugs super clean? If they are, that could be a sign that you're getting coolant in the cylinders. The coolant raises combustion temperature and cooks the deposits off of the plugs.

 

[Peatahh]

Also, is there anything different about your coolant or oil? If the oil is milky, that's a good indicator of a cracked head.

I have much experience with "milkshakes"... we don't have any sign of green in the brown, or vise-versa.

We'll do another compression test. I wanted to put the oil in last time, but we ran out of daylight.
How much oil ? a squirt of WD40? a tablespoon of 30 wt. ???

 

[Insanejughead]

Go with the 30wt. Its thickness will compensate for the lack of expansion of the piston in a cold engine.