Opened up my motor today and YUCK!

[PanamaExpat]

So since my chassis is almost complete I decided to clean up the motor and get it ready. Well that was the idea anyhow. I had the dreaded 4.0 tick. Actually LOUD tick and was fairly certain I had a bad rocker. So in the process of cleaning I finally got enough external crud off that I could get the wiring harness off and remove the valve covers. YUCK... Looked like someone had melted black crayon all over everything. She has 222,625 miles on the clock And seemed to run fairly well except for the tick and the stalling out at idle issue. While looking around I noticed something strange in the left side rocker area. Found a piece of broken glass about a quarter inch wide and about an inch and a half long. So I grabbed the air hose and blasted all the crap out of the rocker area. Then I removed the rockers. Things didn't look so bad until I put on my glasses. I was inspecting the push rods when I noticed one had an egg shaped top instead of a nice round top like the one next to it. That was left rear intake. Working my way forwards middle intake same thing. Front cylinder looked OK. Then I flipped over the rocker and inspected it. The push rod ends were not too bad. The egg shaped push rods matched the egg shaped rocker of course but then I noticed that all three intake rockers had worn where they ride on the valve stem. One of them substantially so I am reckoning that was the one ticking. Right bank was a different story of course. Right rear intake push rod wear and stem face wear. Right bank middle both exhibited stem face wear and intake has push rod wear. Right front looks fine.

Since everything was so gunked I pulled the lower intake. The bolts were just past finger tight. So now I presume I know where the vacuum leak was that was causing my idle stall that I could never track down. While I was lifting the lower intake I felt something bounce off my shoe. So I looked around on the floor and found a rather large Snap On Phillips head screwdriver point. No idea where that came from. All I know is it wasn't mine. The space below the lower intake was dirty but not near as bad as up around the rockers. Blasted the guck out with the air hose and continued my inspection. Looks like if I want to pull the lifters out to clean them I have to pull the heads. Is that so? Or am I missing something?

So now I guess that while I am trying to locate some used rocker arms and push rods to make one good set out of two I'll diesel the top end and then pull the oil pan and clean out the sump. I hadn't planned on that but since I have seen what is up top I would think It only wise to get the crud out of the bottom as well. Never know what other hidden treasures will be wait¡ng in the sump. I am well aware that someone had the valve covers off before I bought her. Of the bolts three weren't touching the valve cover, several were finger tight, a couple were gorilla tight, and she had fairly new valve cover gaskets that of course were destroyed by the gorilla tight bolts. The intake gasket above the lower intake had also been replaced as I found a couple fragments of the old one on top of the lower intake.

How do you separate the fuel rail from the lower intake? I was looking at it and am a bit afraid to start forcing things apart because I don't want to run the risk of damaging the injectors. I was just wanting to replace the gasket between the fuel rail and the lower intake.

I don't really want to pull the heads at this time because I am getting tired of spending money on a truck that I already have too much in to begin with. So I am hoping that just maybe some good hearted member on here will tell me they have some good used rockers and push rods They would be willing to part with. I need 7 rockers and looks like the same amount of push rods. Maybe someone has full sets that are in good shape. I don't want to put in new because of the high miles on the motor and when it has to come apart again I'll either buy a long block or swap to a diesel.

Thanks for reading this epically long post. Ya just kind of get depressed when you find this much wrong.

 

[Andy D]

I dunno anything about Ford EFI. Except, that they are quite similar and the Ford 24 lb injectors are a direct swap.into a BMW big 6. They use the same O rings. and Jeezus clips Unbolt the rail, and pry gently . A Stanley Wonderbar works perfectly on my BMW. Please report back. The Rat has a 4.0

 

[pjtoledo]

that melted black crayon stuff is the residue from leaded gas. engines from "back in the day" were loaded to the max with that crap. It wasn't unusual for it to completely fill the heads.
Go a little easy on the air gun when cleaning that stuff, there's a reason why us 'ol timers are a bit crazy.

 

[97RangerXLT]

to remove the fuel rail from the lower intake, you will need to remove the 6 studs that the upper intake bolts down on. I believe an e7 socket (reverse torx) will remove them. once they are removed, you will need to pry the fuel rail off the injectors, the o rings will probably make this difficult...you may get the fuel rail with an injector still attached to it or several injectors still attached... no big deal, just gently twist and pull them out. you will want to replace all the o rings anyways.

I have done all of the upper engine gaskets on my 97. there are some differences, but most of the lower stuff is the same or very close.

AJ

 

[97RangerXLT]

Here is my write up that I did when I redid the gaskets two years ago:

http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=94437

sounds like you got it all taken care of except for the fuel rail, so skip to the end of the writeup for that

AJ

 

[PanamaExpat]

Thanks for the pointer on your thread. I will definitely read all through it. I'll tell ya I have learned more about Ford Ranger/Mazda B4000 trucks than I ever cared to know on this project. Probably have a bit more to go.

That black gunk certainly gets everywhere when you hit it with the air hose. First blast sent me looking for my safety glasses. Wife couldn't believe what I looked like when I came in from the garage yesterday. As for making me crazy... I already am so I doubt that it will do too much more to me.

 

[doorgunner]

Old Chief once said "Never blast with air unless part is removed & cleaned first"

 

[AngryLepercon]

Old Chief once said "Never blast with air unless part is removed & cleaned first"

Same one that said "never urinate into the wind"....... go figure.

 

[RustedRanger]

If you use used rockers and pushrods make sure they stay matched,push rods and rockers wear in together.

 

[AllanD]

that melted black crayon stuff is the residue from leaded gas. engines from "back in the day" were loaded to the max with that crap. It wasn't unusual for it to completely fill the heads.
Go a little easy on the air gun when cleaning that stuff, there's a reason why us 'ol timers are a bit crazy.

No, it is NOT residue from leaded gas, lleaded gas has not been available anywhere in the time that 4.0 engines have been manufactured.

While catalytic converters are slowly "poisoned" by the accumulation of vaporized metallic lead from the combustion of lead additives it takes months to completely block the function of a catalytic converted from lead.

The Exhaust Gas Oxygen detector that the management system depends on however can be disabled in only an hour or two of running leaded gas.

Basically what I'm saying is that after a single tank of leaded fuel a 4.0 engine would start running so poorly that without another truck and length of chain a 4.0 engine with a disabled HEGO sensor would be lucky to get itself out of a parking spot without sputtering and stalling


The crap inside the engine is "residue" but it is largely from the Zinc anti-friction additives added to many multi-weigh motor oils.

IT is is precipitate that is not soluble in oil so it congeals inside the engine.

It IS soluble in say... Marvel mystery oil, it is also often soluble in engine coolant... but if you have coolant where it can wash that crap away you have other much more serious problems.