Getting fed up with my 92 Ranger 4.0

[jkufen]

So about a month or so I went to a car show about 2.5 hours from my house. I took my 92 ranger 4.0 because I was hauling all of the luggage from my club. About 1.5 hours into the trip my truck started to overheat. So I pulled over and notice there wasn't any water in the radiator. No big deal it leaks just about every fluid in it so i had extra. I filled it up and drove it the last hour without any issues. I got to the show and drove around the weekend having to fill the radiator up every morning. On the way home only about 30 minutes into the trip the truck overheated again so i stopped and filled it up and kept on trucking. about 45 minutes later it overheated again and i did the same thing. It did this 2 or 3 more times on the way home. I noticed there was a leak in the bottom radiator hose and it was a slow leak. I overheated it pretty good the last time and it wouldn't crank again. My buddy told me I probably fouled the plugs from it overheating. It will crank after a couple turns when cold but if I drive it a couple minutes and turn it off it won't crank for a couple hours when it cools off completely. So I figure that is the plugs. Well I was just driving it home and i filled it up with water. 5 minutes later the truck is running hot. I heard the water boiling in the radiator and when I got home (10 or so miles) I found all the water that was in the radiator in the overflow reservoir. So now the leaking hose isn't the big issue. I guess my issue is there is too much pressure in my cooling system. The overflow reservoir hose has blown off several times and the last time I tightened the hose with a hose clamp. Any ideas why there is so much pressure in the system it blowing the hose off and blowing all the water into the overflow reservoir.

 

[PetesPonies]

From all the overheating ( really overheating so it was difficult to start, shame ) you probably blew a head gasket.

 

[RonD]

Do the Glove test

Cold engine
No spark, so pull distributor cap or wires
remove rad cap
remove overflow hose and block overflow hose outlet
Put a latex glove over rad cap opening and use rubber band to seal it at the cap neck

Turn over engine
If there is a head gasket leak, or cracked head, the glove will bounce up each time that cylinder comes around on its compression stroke.
If glove just lays there you are probably OK.


Never heard of heat fouled spark plugs.
You could have overheated the coil so it's now not sparking enough when hot, or the ignition module, which is common with TFI systems

 

[jkufen]

Do the Glove test

Cold engine
No spark, so pull distributor cap or wires
remove rad cap
remove overflow hose and block overflow hose outlet
Put a latex glove over rad cap opening and use rubber band to seal it at the cap neck

Turn over engine
If there is a head gasket leak, or cracked head, the glove will bounce up each time that cylinder comes around on its compression stroke.
If glove just lays there you are probably OK.


Never heard of heat fouled spark plugs.
You could have overheated the coil so it's now not sparking enough when hot, or the ignition module, which is common with TFI systems

Well i have notice if I crank the engine without the cap on the water will spray out of the top of the radiator so I am assuming if I put a glove over the radiator cap it will blow up the glove. I will try it.

 

[RonD]

If that's the case then you have a blown head gasket or cracked head as the mostly cause.

To test further, either with the glove or with "water blowing out" when engine is cranking.
Remove one spark plug at a time(you can leave them out as you go), and crank engine, watch glove or "water", if there is a blown gasket or crack, when you remove the spark plug on the cylinder with the leak, the glove or "water" will not move any more, all the pressure is going out the spark plug hole not into the cooling system now.

Also when pulling out the spark plugs, if you get to one that looks like new, no brownish color, then that's probably the leaking cylinder, it is being steam clean by coolant that is coming in on the intake stroke.

And no mention of white "smoke" from the exhaust, that's also a sign of a head gasket leak.

 

[jkufen]

ok i will definitely check into that. I will first have to figure out why my truck is having a hard time starting and once that is good and i can start it several times close together i will try pulling the plugs and see where the issue is. I have another 2.9 at home so I might do an engine swap and then just rebuild the 4.0 for my bronco 2.

 

[Ozwynn]

Its a 92 4.0l so its prone to cracking head. Fyi its a 4.0l so no distributor or a single coil to over heat.
I would also do a compression test to see if the block is worth saving..... seems to me I recall my 91 doing something similar and the block was cracked at the top of the water jacket in the #1 cylinder on the right hand side.

How many miles? Might be time for a used engine....... specially if you got it hot enough to cause a no start condition.

 

[jkufen]

it has 261,000 miles. I have still been driving it here lately up until last night with the whole blowing water into the reservoir. It runs good while its running it just doesn't do very good starting when its hot. It still has good power and everything which seems odd if the compression is off but I don't know.

 

[Ozwynn]

With that many miles I would go with another engine...... I would put new head gaskets on any used engine though regardless of miles

 

[Lost Bushman]

If you decide to look around for another engine, the Pull A Part up here in Columbia has a bunch of 2.9's and 4.0's and you can get one for less than $200.

If you decide to roll up from Chucktown and pull one, shoot me a PM, if I can get away from the office, I'll give you hand.

 

[jkufen]

If you decide to look around for another engine, the Pull A Part up here in Columbia has a bunch of 2.9's and 4.0's and you can get one for less than $200.

If you decide to roll up from Chucktown and pull one, shoot me a PM, if I can get away from the office, I'll give you hand.

Thanks buddy sounds good. I hope to get that engine out of the ranger here directly. Im hoping it is just a blown head gasket because that 4.0 is a strong motor. Ill rebuild it and throw it in the b2!