Do I Need New Head Gaskets?

[idriveafordranger94]

Okay, so heres the deal. There have been several things that have lead me to thinking that I may be replacing head gaskets soon on my Ranger (1994 4.0L V6 with 165,500 miles.)

-I've been noticing my Ranger has been using coolant lately. I have to fill it up more often.
-There is a "water trickle" or "girgling" sound coming from the the passenger's side (sounds like it is behind the glove box) when I am accelerating while driving.
-Every once in a while, right after starting it up, the engine misses a little bit. After a few seconds it goes away and runs fine. Which leads me to thinking that oil might be fouling out the spark plugs? (from bad head gaskets)

I'm not sure if it is head gaskets or not and want to be sure before I tear down half of my engine haha. I take VERY good care of my truck. I change my oil every 3k, identify and fix any problems, etc., so I hope it's not the lack of maintenance.

If anyone has any suggestions for me I'd really appreciate it! Thanks!

 

[Big Jim M]

Ok so here is the head gasket test.. The highest pressure in a head gasket is the compression.. If coolant leaks into the chamber the compression will also leak into the coolant passages.. Which will blow out the overflow of the radiator.. If you don't have spewing and boiling it ain't getting into the chamber..
Another possible leak can be from the 16lb coolant pressure into the 40lb oil passages or straight into the oil pan. If you have a normal oil level and normal looking oil..it ain't getting in there.
Then the last possibility would be a leak from the head gasket directly outside the engine..
Which you can SEE with your own eyes.
As for the noise you are hearing I would suggest it is the A/C making it's sounds.

What I advise is for you to lay your butt down under the vehicle and FIND the leak.. It is rather obvious that you DO HAVE a leak. If not found you will eventually have a disaster on your hands.
Big JIm

 

[trail B2]

You know they make a test for combustion gases in the radiator about 35 dollars.What made me change mine was bubbles coming out of the radiator overflow.Then again I knew my truck had a bad head gasket but I wanted to confirm and it tested neg come to find out it was timing I don't believe in doing big work without clear info.

 

[Gates.Ranger37]

Okay, i have pretty much the exact same problem.

My truck is nearly identical at this point in time. It is a 92 4.0L v6 with 164xxx miles. 2wd MT. It has been drinking coolant like crazy lately, and when I changed the valve cover gaskets last week, i noticed some coolant inside the rocker arm assembly. i had to disconnect the hose that connects the radiator to my engine so some of the coolant dripped out, but I noticed some more down below. It might have dripped from the hose, or already been in there. I'm not sure which. My truck also has been missing right when I start up, but then goes away once I get going. So Big Jim, I'm thinking that my problem is most likely the second one you described? I haven't been able to see any visible coolant leaks, and nothing has been boiling over...

Any suggestions on fixing this?

I also have a really bad clicking problem that I have no clue how to fix. I think it's coming from the rocker arm assembly. It's really annoying, and It gets progressively faster as I accelerate.

 

[Big Jim M]

Howdy Gates

Okay, i have pretty much the exact same problem.

My truck is nearly identical at this point in time. It is a 92 4.0L v6 with 164xxx miles. 2wd MT. It has been drinking coolant like crazy lately, and when I changed the valve cover gaskets last week, i noticed some coolant inside the rocker arm assembly. i had to disconnect the hose that connects the radiator to my engine so some of the coolant dripped out, but I noticed some more down below. It might have dripped from the hose, or already been in there. I'm not sure which. My truck also has been missing right when I start up, but then goes away once I get going. So Big Jim, I'm thinking that my problem is most likely the second one you described? I haven't been able to see any visible coolant leaks, and nothing has been boiling over...

Any suggestions on fixing this?

I also have a really bad clicking problem that I have no clue how to fix. I think it's coming from the rocker arm assembly. It's really annoying, and It gets progressively faster as I accelerate.

Condensation occurs in the valve covers of all engines. After reaching temperature it evaporates and is usually never seen by the owner of the engine.
If raw coolant is in there it is coolant that you dripped in there..

Your engine is MOST LIKELY leaking it's coolant OUTSIDE of the engine. After as many years as that vehicle has on it, leaks become NORMAL!
Your job is to look closely and FIND the leaking spots.

Casually opening the hood and then proclaiming that you CAN"T SEE a leak is the wrong attitude!

Lay your ass down under there and FIND where the coolant is leaking!
An engine that actually DRINKS coolant is rare indeed! In actual fact I've never seen one!!!

So if your engine seems to run normally and the coolant is dissapearing..Find where it is leaking and repair the leak.
Big JIm

 

[Doom's Day Custom]

Condensation occurs in the valve covers of all engines. After reaching temperature it evaporates and is usually never seen by the owner of the engine.
If raw coolant is in there it is coolant that you dripped in there..

Your engine is MOST LIKELY leaking it's coolant OUTSIDE of the engine. After as many years as that vehicle has on it, leaks become NORMAL!
Your job is to look closely and FIND the leaking spots.

Casually opening the hood and then proclaiming that you CAN"T SEE a leak is the wrong attitude!

Lay your ass down under there and FIND where the coolant is leaking!
An engine that actually DRINKS coolant is rare indeed! In actual fact I've never seen one!!!

So if your engine seems to run normally and the coolant is dissapearing..Find where it is leaking and repair the leak.
Big JIm

X1

also if your engine is leaking coolant and the head gasket is not leaking then try the intake gasket because my motor is doing the same thing as you guys but the head gasket is not leaking in any cylinders

 

[Nhaz]

Id like to add a minor point that may not be your problem but it HAS happened to me.

On my old mustang I also was swearing up and down that the engine drinking the coolant. I would be under the car for like 45 minutes trying to find a leak. somewhere ANYWHERE!

That car did Not leak any coolant. Ever. It didn't burn any coolant EVER. No coolant in the oil EVER! But it went through gallons and gallons of coolant over a summer.

I figured since there's no leaks no white smoke its GOT to be evaporating through the rad cap. replaced that. no diff.

Long story short I finally figured out what it was. It was the lower rad hose. I don't know how but it was evaporating Right Through That Hose. Without any drips or condensation ever. And I only figured that out by replacing it. Even though it looked and felt fine.

 

[BUGNUT]

My 2000 Ranger 4.0 was using coolant for a few weeks. Compression was good all around. The major issue was the oil level was going up. Not having the time to fix it myself I took it to my nearest Ford dealer. They drained the oil and gave me an estimate for just over $8000.00 to install a rebuilt engine. The dealer did not do any type of diagnostic testing. They said that coolant in the oil destroys the bearings in as little as 4 hours. I was pissed off at these jerks. I paid the bill and left. I then drove to the dealer where I bought the truck and explained to the service manager what had happened at the other dealer. I talked to both the service manager and the Head Mechanic at the same time and gave them detailed instructions on what I wanted done.

Pressure test, FPI (flouroescent penetrant inspection) known as a dye test, boroscope the cylinder heads. A boroscope test is a visual examination with a miniature camera. I did these inspections on aircraft engines so why not on my truck?

Well the engine failed the pressure test. FPI dye was poured into the rad and I drove the truck for 1 day. The plugs were pulled and a boroscope was done on the heads. No cracks were found. That left the intake gasket as the only possable area for a leak. The intake gasket was replaced as well as the valve cover gaskets, oil and filter. Total cost was $850.00, that was 2 months ago. The truck is running great. Oil and coolant levels have not changed a drop in 2 months.