I smoke on downhill runs...

[RangerFabWorks]

hows that head working out for ya?

 

[Speedwagon]

hows that head working out for ya?

Well, finally got around to getting this done. Damn work and whatnot got in the way.

Anyways... it still smokes. Runs better in some ways with the new head on it(though I did discover that the EFI and Carb heads are slightly different, in that the EFI head has an extra hole drilled/tapped for the intake manifold that is lacking on the carb head). So if it isn't in the head, it must be in the pistons?

And I did clean out the EGR components, they seem to be ok.

 

[Mark_88]

did you try the wiggle test on the pistons while you had the head out? Not a very good test, but it can sure tell you if the rings are totally shot...

 

[Speedwagon]

did you try the wiggle test on the pistons while you had the head out? Not a very good test, but it can sure tell you if the rings are totally shot...

I did not. Don't recall hearing about that before.

But if they are shot rings, can I grab a block out of a mustang with a 2.3? There are a ton of them(mustang 2.3s) at the local boneyard, and they charge $95 for an engine(don't know what that comes with). Or am I better off just having this one worked on, for all the trouble it's worth?

I suppose before I get ahead of myself though, I need to do another compression and leakdown test.

 

[RangerFabWorks]

did you change the valve seats on the head i sent ya before you bolted in on? if not, theres your problem.

 

[Mark_88]

I did not. Don't recall hearing about that before.

But if they are shot rings, can I grab a block out of a mustang with a 2.3? There are a ton of them(mustang 2.3s) at the local boneyard, and they charge $95 for an engine(don't know what that comes with). Or am I better off just having this one worked on, for all the trouble it's worth?

I suppose before I get ahead of myself though, I need to do another compression and leakdown test.

Oh, sorry...I usually mention that as a basic test when someone pulls the head...but it doesn't necessarily translate into a good bottom end...

Yes, any 2.3 block will work, or you can make it work with a bit of modding...

 

[Speedwagon]

did you change the valve seats on the head i sent ya before you bolted in on? if not, theres your problem.

Um, no... I thought you said it ran fine? That's part of why I bought the thing, was because I wanted a head that wasn't doing this crap.

 

[RangerFabWorks]

Um, no... I thought you said it ran fine? That's part of why I bought the thing, was because I wanted a head that wasn't doing this crap.

yeah it did ran fine, but i thought i mentioned i would do the valve seats. with the head off its a 20 minute job. if i didnt mention this to you i deeply apologize. but the head is a good head. my truck smoked a little, but i blew the number 2 piston in half so i assumed it was that. it may not be the valve seats on yours. but it is cheap insurance to do them.

 

[Speedwagon]

yeah it did ran fine, but i thought i mentioned i would do the valve seats. with the head off its a 20 minute job. if i didnt mention this to you i deeply apologize. but the head is a good head. my truck smoked a little, but i blew the number 2 piston in half so i assumed it was that. it may not be the valve seats on yours. but it is cheap insurance to do them.

Gotcha. I don't recall you saying anything about them. But no matter, I think I'm going to have the head totally worked over anyways. The original head has too many bad valve cover bolt holes to be worth having a shop redo that head. At least the one I got from you doesn't have those problems.

 

[RangerFabWorks]

Gotcha. I don't recall you saying anything about them. But no matter, I think I'm going to have the head totally worked over anyways. The original head has too many bad valve cover bolt holes to be worth having a shop redo that head. At least the one I got from you doesn't have those problems.

yeah that head only has 78,000 miles on it. too bad i over revved the engine and blew apart the number 2 piston. hehehehe

 

[RangerFabWorks]

so hows the beast running speedwagon?

 

[Speedwagon]

so hows the beast running speedwagon?

Meh... frustrating to say the least. I bought a scan tool today to help me run tests on it.

First round of KOEO/KOER today was:

KOEO 11, 14, 64, 31. KOER 42, 13

Talked to the guy at the parts store(he used to be a ford tech) about the codes. He suggested dealing with the 14 first(PIP signal in distributor). So I replaced that part, and erased all the stored codes. Ran the truck up into the mountains, and there was DEFINETALY a difference in it's major issue. Seems like it was both missing and pulling timing.

Got back a short while ago, ran KOEO/KOER tests again.

KOEO 11, 11 KOER 41, 13

I think I know what the 13 issue is, I'll take care of it tomorrow. But I don't know why I'm going from rich(42) to lean(41).

While running the tests today though, I did watch my exhaust. I'm getting quite a bit of oil burning if I blip the throttle after it's been idling for some time. Going to try a more comprehensive wet compression test tomorrow, and see what that gets me, along with trying a leakdown test.

Currently likes to surge when throttle is steady at around 2k rpm, and misses when warmed up at partial throttle. Miss seems to go away at WOT and idle, but definitaly more drivable(so far at least) after replacing the distributor pickup.

Tried to do the cylinder balance test according to the Actron manual for the scanner, but I can't seem to get it to work. Never gives me any code output.

 

[Speedwagon]

Took the original head in yesterday to the machine shop. I was told that the exhaust valve guides were almost gone in 2 cylinders, and totally gone in the other 2. I need all new valves as well, and someone else had been in this head before(and had done a piss-poor job to boot). Total to get everything done is about $380 on it.

But hey, it should run like a champ when I get the head back on! He said I was probably losing quite a bit of power on that head.

 

[RangerFabWorks]

make sure your spend the cash and have them magniflux it for cracks. no sense dropping cash into the head if its cracked.

 

[dangerranger83]

I'm selling a 1987 2.3 liter for less then the price of the head job.