possible blown head gasket??????/

[Dee907]

ok i have a 1998 ranger xlt 4.0L 4x4 ohv motor i replaced the lower intake gasket,valve cover gaskets,and the heater control valve all where leaking and the thermostat and rubber o-ring gasket my question is this oh and the oil and filter and the tranny fluid ok sorry now my question is im having a coolant loss with no sign of coolant in the oil and no sign of oil in the coolant now what it does is i have replaced all the coolant and did a flush but i still loose coolant no leaks anywhere and it runs great has power doesnt shake or stumble it does have 181,000 miles on it it been regular taken care of the heater control valve was leaking got a new one and it stopped now when i burp or purge the coolant system its oh dang and i replaced the water pump too the top radiator hose after driving for awhile makes a sound like a knocking sound chucking sound loud where it sound like its meatal knocking wierd like i said now when i loosen up the radiator cap it goes away no sound sometimes there is pressure sometime no pressure but still has heat i can leave the radiator cap off and no problem besides it kinda wants to burp out coolant like i said it only does this after i drive it for awhile and i loose some coolant in the coolant tank any ideas would really help me i need my truck to get to work please help anyone thank you

 

[PORTnPOLISH]

well if you just replaced all that then start there. Its more then likely you intake manifold gasket. And your head gasket can leak without leaking into your oil.

 

[Dee907]

i replaced the intake manifold gasket cause it was bad it dont smoke out the tailpipe eaither just makes that sound after awhile and then sometimes it goes away but its in the upper radiator hose when i take off the cap it goes away sometimes its got pressure sometimes it dont but i still have heat and i have heat even with the cap off is that normal??

 

[Dee907]

oh and it doesnt leak coolant nowhere at all no leaks

 

[Dee907]

i posted it on my own page opps sorry

 

[Big Jim M]

Did you turn the heater to HOT and fill it like that? Sounds like you have air trapped inside the cooling system.
Turn the heater on to HOT and take the radiator cap off. PARK with the radiator cap HIGHER than the rest of the truck.. Start her and allow her to get to temp with the cap off. See if there are bubbles coming out and the level of coolant gets lower when she reaches temp and the thermostat opens just keep filling her for 15 or 20 minutes.
You DID replace the thermostat didn't you?
Big Jim

 

[Dee907]

did all of that still coolant pushes out some

 

[Big Jim M]

Yep!

did all of that still coolant pushes out some

It'll do that but you must keep it running and eventually the coolant level will go down as all the air comes out. It does take some time.
Big JIm

 

[Dee907]

i did it for 40 minutes and i think i got all the air out im assuming and some did push out while the cap was off when i drive it the top radiator hose will be tight a little bit then its not

 

[Dee907]

ok i think i got it fixed not sure will check and let ya'll know tomorrow so far i think it was the radiator cap and the return hose right by the cap i put a strong zip tie on it and now it dont leak i have pressure now in the top radiator hose like it should be but who knows might change tomorrow after sitting over night i will keep ya'll updated thanks

 

[Dee907]

oh i also agian forgot it has a new radiator too and it had the cap that came with it well i think it was defective or just was the wrong one for it i got lucky with i found an oem one i had laying around from a different ranger i use to have thank god lol

 

[Dee907]

ok its still doing it a little now does anyone know of this coolant bypass kit they keep talking about that ford made or i should say use to make i guess know where i can get one from im not talking about disconnecting my heater core i need my heat im in alaska and it cold here been searchng the whle internet and cant find nothing but for a ford taurus and sable but its not the same im sure of that

 

[Dee907]

the only thing i can come up with is to drill a hole in the t-stat housing and weld a nut to it and put a twist releve valve screw in there like whats on a air compressor so i can relieve the pressure like they have on some newer cars like a bleeder valve u think that will work???

 

[Big Jim M]

The cap!!

the only thing i can come up with is to drill a hole in the t-stat housing and weld a nut to it and put a twist releve valve screw in there like whats on a air compressor so i can relieve the pressure like they have on some newer cars like a bleeder valve u think that will work???

You do realize the radiator cap is set at 16/18 pounds? Your system is SUPPOSED to have pressure in it at all times. The pressure KEEPS the water in the coolant from boiling out. Instead of 212* the water won't boil and turn to steam until 235* or therabouts. So pressure is your friend. If the system is purging itself you have ANOTHER problem! REPAIR that problem and leave the cooling system in it's stock condition.
Big JIm

 

[Dee907]

Ok I got a question I never had a car do this to me ever when it's cold from sitting over night and when u first start it is it suppose to have presure in the hose upper one when it's cold