heat issue/head gaskets

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heat issue/head gaskets

Postby kfxnando » Fri Sep 17, 2010 2:50 am

currently have a 3.4L Ford V6 in the 4x4 that I got second hand after it had been reconditioned

it 1st did duty in the Sierra,and then it got pulled over into the 4X4

and from day one it had heat issue, not sure, why or how those did not show while in the Sierra!!

any case it did 42000km while in the 4X4, nd from time to time the heat issue would come up with inconsistent signs!!

some hottest summer months, with the road works on the high way bumper to bumper traffic doing 5km in 45min, it would stay cool and keep all the water
where a few weeks earlier on a cool night on the way home it had lost all the fluid!!

test were done and on various occasions, that was also inconclusive!!
where some times it would change color and sometimes not!!

ran the V6 with and with out thermostat, that further helped to confuse the issue!!

did presser test on the cooling system hand full of times and nothing was ever picked up!!

along the way, went through two custom made 4-core tropical core type radiators, those did not last more them 18months with out showing signs of sweating along the joints!!

eventually in preparation for a trip and with the Lexus V8 conversion comming up, fitted the BMW 740 radiator, a golf water bottle did all the piping and wiring for an 18" electric fan, mounting ....................!!
and though the heat issue would be solved!!
well not, as the system could keep the fluid!! and would start getting hot, fan was working, however if there is a loss of fluid then the temp will go up!!

after plenty of work and searching we found that the system was building up pressure!!
was still advised to redo the chemical test.....................
skipped on all that!!

by this time, a cracked head was now suspected
so went and bought two re-conditioned cylinder heads, and pulled the motor!!

now it all gets even more interesting!!
once the head came off, found that the quality of head gaskets used, was the cheap type!!
the type that does not work on a V6
on these old Ford V6s only one gasket works and that is Payen!!
the sealing ring on the head gasket is almost twice as wide, and the thing does not fall apsrt!!

so what did I find!!
a cracked sealing ring!!
it was not broken, it was very hard and brittle on the one spot, and it was cracked!!

then this motor, when it left the factory, it was suppose to have hydrolic lifters, now had solid lifters!!
so wonder what happed there!!
any case had the lifters faced, if I knew what I know know would of done it self!!
fitted a cam with a different profile, more duration and more lift!!

at idle one can hear that the cam is different, sound so sweet
and that changed the characteristic that Ford SA, had so screwed up on this motor!!
Ford Left this motor working for low revs!!
from 4000rpm it would start dying!!
yes have lost a little at low revs, however at higher revs, better watch out, here I come, it just keeps pulling all the way past 5000rpm
between 3000 and 4000rpm it feels great and strong!!
and that is where I tow on the open road
3000rpm is 90km/h in 4th and 4000rpm is 120km/h

the fluid is staying in, and fuel consumption does not even look that bad!!
could even be wrong, however it looks better then before!!
and yes have gone up on the jets size for the cam!!
so we will soon see!! :twisted: :twisted:
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