head gasket? 2.9 v6

[bronco2dude]

Hi just signed up, I have an 86 b2 and it was spitting coolant out of the over flow, and there was coolant mix with oil, I could smell it on the dipstick. So I took it apart and now I am debating on machining the heads. Any advice? Im new to bronco 2's I am pretty mechanically inclined just don't know these engines. Anything to look for?
Thx
Travis

 

[gwaii]

yup....cracked heads.

while head gaskets can go,i've found craks are much more common on these motors.have them checked before you have them machined,you could be wasting your time.

 

[Hahnsb2]

Howdy neighbor

It is much more likely that the heads are cracked, the 2.9 is notorious for this.

 

[bronco2dude]

Dang, I looked at the heads and they didn't look craked, no leaking on the outside either. I bought her for 600 in yacolt. Lol I really would rather not buy new heads. All of the coolant ports the head gasket were plugged full of crap too.

 

[adsm08]

Have the heads fluxed. Make sure they do the WHOLE THING, not just the chambers. The 2.9 heads tend to crack around the towers, and if the idiot fluxing them only checks the chambers it won't show up.

You may have blown a gasket, but that is far less common. Our most expert member says that the only time he has ever seen a 2.9 blow a head gasket instead of cracking a head the joker that did the work tried to reuse the head bolts.



Also, get new head bolts. They aren't reusable.

 

[bronco2dude]

Ok thanks, the gaskets looked newer when I took it apart, the head bolts looked original. And the majority of the exhaust manifold bolts broke off. The weird thing to me is that the coolant ports were plugged in the gasket. And it was dumping coolant outta the overflow.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Time for new heads, hate to say it, but I've been through this before with my Choptop and tried to use junkyard heads. Lasted for a few months then one or both popped again. Gave up at that point and was about to buy new heads when a junkyard that I was friends with the owner got a BII in that had been wrapped around a tree. Motor seemed to have survived in good shape so I just stuck the whole thing in. Then I put an Explorer radiator in and a 180* thermostat along with a mechanical coolant temp gauge and a new heater core.

If you do put new heads on, I would recommend at least upgrading the radiator if not doing the thermostat too. It'll go a long way to helping prevent a future problem if you plan on keeping the truck a long time.

 

[bronco2dude]

That just bites! Ok well I am on a very little budget, what is the cheapest way to go along this? Im going. To have my heads tested and if they are cracked what the cheaper head to go with? Not trying to be a cheap a#! But I just don't have much to spend on her

 

[Surrey]

Im surprised nobody has said it by now... So here it goes. The alternative (and arguably best option) to replacing the heads of a 2.9l...

Find a 4.0l and drop that sucka in.

 

['99 EB Explorer]

^+100!!!

 

[bronco2dude]

I thought about that, my friend has a supercharger 4.0 that he said he try and help me put in if I can't get the 2.9 to work

 

[adsm08]

While the 4.0 is the best long term option, it's doubtful that it will be in your range of options. For one, a 4.0 will toast a 2.9 tranny.

 

[Surrey]

I thought about that, my friend has a supercharger 4.0 that he said he try and help me put in if I can't get the 2.9 to work

I think you just answered your own question.

2.9s are hardly worth their weight in scrap steel... lol

 

[adsm08]

2.9s are hardly worth their weight in scrap steel... lol

While the 4.0 is everything the 2.9 wasn't, the 2.9 is still a very capable, durable little engine when it's well taken care of. If abused and not maintained the 4.0 can be just as unreliable as any piece of crap that GM put out.

 

[bronco2dude]

Well if the 4.0 will fry the tranny I guess im stuck with fixing the 2.9, id rather keep it original. Anyway so if my heads are cracked I would have to buy the new expensive heads? Or is there an option