intake and head reinstall

[Red Lipstick]

We are reinstalling the heads and intake on a 96 4.0 Ford. Is it absolutely necessary to install both the heads and the intake at the same time and tighten like the book says. Or, can the heads be done and the motor put back in the truck, then do the intake?

 

[Pauls 4x4]

*disclaimer: follow the book. They do that for proper fit. The 4.0 eats away at its intakes and is a pain about them. (done like 5!)
I can't see why you in theory couldn't if you insisted. , you can do just the intake and not pop the heads, and the heads are on dowels. The other engines in the family don't do that either...

Maybe torque down with the old intake gasket, then replace just it later?

But like I said, the book has it for a reason.

 

[RonD]

Welcome to TRS


I have done 4.0ls a few times, I have always installed the heads first, then the intake afterwards, so no problems there.

One heads up, the 4.0l intake bolts have very little torque ft/lbs and are known to loosen up over time which can cause a vacuum leak.
I think this is one of the reasons for Fords installation technique, as that would tend to clamp the intake down a little more.
But since this loosening of the bolts is a common issue even when engine was newer I can't see it as a 100% method

So when installing the intake use some loctite on the bolts, never had a repeat of loose bolts using that method and specified ft/lbs