99-01 1.6l

You're spending too much time thinking, writing and worrying. Just pull the freakin' head and fix it. It's probably just the stupid gasket. Make sure you get a diagram of the cross-tightening pattern to put it back together. It way simpler than you're imagining.

Okay- my sad story:

86 (R)ustang with 3.8l v6.
After a blast down the road the temp gauge would shoot up.
As i looked at the colant overflow bottle it was bubbling like mad.
I would vent the gas pressure and then let the coolant flow back into the radiator as it cooled. The radiaitor would be almost empty at this point - the exhaust gas would push it all out. Research and advice said 'bad head'.

It made more sense to replace the engine with a long block vs labor and parts for just the head (~$400 more for an engine vice the heads alone). The car had about 100K miles on it.

Car ran fine (at first) and then exact same symptoms soon reappeared! AARRGGHH! :red:
I had to take it back to the shop that supplied the engine three times. Each time he pressure tested the system 'ok'.

I then took it to another shop and they put the 'sniffer' at the radiator cap for exhaust gas.
Yup. Exahust gas present.
I took the results back to the engine shop and demanded he pull the heads.

After he pulled the heads - he bench checked 'em and found a hairline crack in one. He replaced the head (no charge) and i was HAPPY! Giddy, even. he made good and apologized.

(Then i sold the car to a friend and within 24 hours the transmission shelled! :doh:)

LOL P-Funk :(

I've spent the last couple days doing all sorts of tests...
I'm 99% positive that there is a crack above the exhaust valve... which is why the cylindar pressure tests passed (the valve is closed not letting pressure escape through the crack on the other side). Its also why there was no coolent found in the oil, or oil in the coolant. But a little bit of coolant was found in the exhaust... but much more exhaust found in the coolant... that is because there is far more pressure on the exhaust side of things, so it is mainly a one way flow through the crack.

Thanks for all the imput, it really helped me trace the problem down.

I guess I just need to figure out whether too replace the head or the entire engine.

I have a large socket set... thats about it as far as tools go.
I have no experience changine either.
Money is a factor too, for tools and parts.

But I would like to do it myself.

What do you think

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That's easy. Engine..Cost is cheaper, whole engine is also more available and the amount of work is almost the same.

Can you explain in more detail about how the cost is the same.

I see your right about there being a smaller supply of heads... but they are available. From $125 -$350.

There are a lot more engines available but range from $350 with lots of miles, to $700 with 30k miles. Does the head replacement take special tools?

Do you have to buy other items to install an engine... I suppose you have to buy gaskets when you replace the head... is that what brings the price of the head replacement up to the engine cost?

I just dont know how I would handle a big ole engine it seams like a much harder job... just from the sheer size of it and not having the lift and stuff to get it in and out.

Will my old engine have any value? I think I'll ebay it!

"1999 1.6 L Engine in MINT COND**!!"
"RUNS LIEEK A MF KITTEN! PRRRRRRRRRR"
"BUY NOW WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!! A STEAL AT $700!!"

**Just a teeeeeny tiiiiiny little tiny crack, which is to small to see with the human eye! NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT TO BE SURE!!!"

Honestly, with limited experience - the whole she-banging engine would be easier.... No head gasket mistakes to be made... A lot less to disconnect (believe it or not...)

Get an engine with the minimum amount of miles/max remaining life you can afford...

if you or a friend is in the miltary near a base - use the base autohobby shop - the cheapest/best solution for tools and free expertise for da' nooB. ;)

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

after paying for gaskets, a machine shop to true up the head the cost will be about the same...the work is much more involved also...You can rent a lift, then you just basically bolt it to the tranny,bolt down the engine to the mounts and run the wires

^werd^

Allright Macdaddy... you've sold me.

Where can I find a guide to do the job right?

you've got PM

Thanks for that Macdaddy!

Update on the problem... I was sure that there had to be a crack in the head, on the outside of the head in one of the exhaust ports into a water jacket but there isnt one... I took the exhaust manifold off the front of the engine (to prove to myself that I needed to replace the engine) and ran the car and with that pressure removed it should have stopped the bubbles... and there was no cooland coming out of the exhaust ports... was dry as a bone. There is not a crack or break in the cylinder either. Damn I'm pretty stumped. Had a mechanic look at it and he's stumped too. I cant figure how to prove that there is a break or crack in the head or block. Air is getting into the coolant system but cant figure out how or where. You can understand that I don't want to drop $800 on this if it is some stupid like the water pump is sucking air into the system. Sigh.
I was so ready to replace the engine until last night.

did you check the water pump for leaks ??? What numbers did the compression test shough ???Unfortunately the only other way to prove there is a crack is to remove the head

Yeah... no leaks anywhere.

I took the head off, and its warped 9/1000ths of an inch. They can mill only 3/1000ths of an inch. But they can heat it up and put it in a press to get it within the 3/1000ths range but then they would have to mill every part of the head... which will cost $300 - $500 they say. Plus the new head gasket will cost $100. So it looks like I'll be getting an engine. I don't know why the compression tests passed. But they all held and did not leak down... all cylindars were around 150psi.

What do you think about $750 for a 23k mile engine with a Lifetime, unlimited miles warrantee?

Yeah you could do all that work and it still not run right. Like I said, new engine is the way to go...with a low mileage engine like that, sounds like a good deal.

I wonder what the conclusion to this gentleman's situation was. This decade old thread came to me from a site search.

I'm thinking that there was a crack on the combustion chamber area of the head.

One action that was taken, and posted about more than once, was the use of a cylinder compression tester. The use of this tool was both proper and improper.

The proper use was to test how many psi each cylinder would crank up to. If he had also done a "wet" test he would've had more information in regards to his "swap eng vs. machine head" decision.

The improper use of the cylinder compression tester was using it as a cylinder leakdown tester. Every cylinder compression tester i've used had a pressure release valve that had to be manually activated to allow any pressure at all to escape. Even then, the exhaust port vented out the pressure anywhere but the port the pressure came in from. Using the tester in this manner would not result in unusable info.