When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
as I have 3 years to get my Iron Lady ready for her 30th anniversary and therefore a historic plate (tax reduction and less troubles with eco zones here), I was condering removing the heads to get the engine nice and oil tight again (she is leaking in many different areas).
I've been ready, that the heads won't come off well, if simply undone. People build some weird tools to remove them. Is that OTT or really needed? Do I need to use new head studs (not that they snap off in the block)? The front chain cover looks like it can't be removed without taking the heads off... Is that true?
And finally, as my 89 has the digital ignition, it bas a front sensor... When I remove the front pulley, in order to replace the front seal, will the pulley and striker plate for the sensor fit in only one position or is that a problem?
I was condering removing the heads to get the engine nice and oil tight again (she is leaking in many different areas).
I've been ready, that the heads won't come off well, if simply undone. People build some weird tools to remove them. Is that OTT or really needed? Do I need to use new head studs (not that they snap off in the block)? The front chain cover looks like it can't be removed without taking the heads off... Is that true?
Daim
The oil leaks are unlikely to be from the actual head to block join. If you want to do a full rebuild, as in valves, rings etc etc, then the engine is best removed from the car first. This and a rebuild is a major job and not in the least needed. it is highly unlikely your oil leaks are from that source unless you have head gasket failure.
To fix the oil leaks from the engine top, you have to remove the induction. This is not too hard and it comes off as an entire unit aircleaners and all, once the manifold nuts are undone and the various lines and looms disconnected. The Great Palm is good on all this. Once you can get to the cam covers, it is re-gasketing them, fixing the half moons, replacing the oil senders which will be leaking too, cleaning the V. There is a join between the cam casting and the actual head casting, the wavy line in the photo I attach. This join is a gasketless metal to metal join and oil, not under pressure, just gravity feeding back to the sump, leaks out of it. Believe it or not, an excellent fix is to clean all the area very carefully (horrible job) then rough up the join exterior right round with some emery paper, and then seal with high temp silicone right round. I am rubbish at that job from a neatness point of view, I am sure you can do far better; but the seal is 100% oiltight.
Once that is done and the access bung hole for the tensioner made oiltight on the timing cover, you only have the bottom end to regasket. That is the sandwich plate and the sump. The sandwich plate requires the subframe to be swung down a bit to access some of the bolts. All this will make the engine pretty much 100% oiltight. use only OEM modern Ford introduced gortex gaskets, not cheap but really good.
Greg
I was hoping you would answer. My engine isn't leaking around those areas, but I was thinking, whilst I have the engine bay mainly in pieces, to do the head gaskets at the same time. I'be already done the halfmoons and the valve cover gaskets (with a rubber/metal mix material). I di though have some oil gunk on the surfaces left and right of the heads (you know, the water rail areas). Are those the areas you meant?
Can you help regarding the front oil seal incl. removal of the pulley? Does the trigger plate or whatever you can call the sensor signal giver only fit in one position? My handbook doesn't mention that at all
I did though have some oil gunk on the surfaces left and right of the heads (you know, the water rail areas). Are those the areas you meant?
Can you help regarding the front oil seal incl. removal of the pulley? Does the trigger plate or whatever you can call the sensor signal giver only fit in one position? My handbook doesn't mention that at all
Daim
Yes, that is area, on the second pic is where the gunk is shown, that is the join between the cam carrier casting and the head casting. The oil you have by the water rails comes from there, assuming it has appeared post your regasketting..
I do not have a Marelli car; but this is what I would do in that situation when replacing the crank oil seal:
Once I had loosened the crank bolt and pulley I would NOT turn the engine thereafter. I would carefully scribe a mark on the pulley exactly opposite the sensor (or a mark I made on the sensor bracket). Then assuming the pulley is keyed, and even if it is not, it should all go back in the right place.
If the engine HAS to be turned for some reason, and the pulley is not keyed, as a precaution, I would also remove the dizzy top and again, very carefully mark a point on the rotor and the dizzy body, before removing the pulley and crank seal. Then, if the engine absolutely has to be turned for some reason, and the pulley is not keyed, you have a second backup to get it back to exactly where it was, remembering that the dizzy will need TWO turns of the engine to get to the dizzy point.
If all the above turns out to be rubbish, someone will quickly flame me out, I am sure!
On the head subject, I know that it is claimed to be theoretically possibly to do the heads in situ, but it will be a ROYAL pain just getting all ready to undo them, exhausts off etc etc. and honestly unnecessary. The engine is good for between 150,00 to 250,000 fast miles without head gasket problems, normally. The head problem in actually removing them, and why a puller is a good idea, is the studs corrode into the head and jam it. Again struggling with this, engine in car, I would not like to do!
Greg
Okay... Sounds like a plan to me... I've got to remove a few parts again, as some pesty mice pooped all over my freshly beaded intakes... Grrr!
Daim, the crank damper/pulley can only be fitted in one position and crank sensor mounts via two screws in a fixed position also. You will not have a problem with either
That front pulley is keyed to the tapered cone, as is the tapered cone to the crankshaft. Make sure it is retightened REAL TIGHT when refitting, or that bolt will come loose, and the keys will shear, and the engine will stop.
When you get the front seal, also get the "wear sleeve" (Spacer in some markets), as it will be grooved, and the new seal will fail shortly after fitment due to this.
When tapping the new seal into the timing cover DO NOT tap it IN too far, or will fall inside, and you will be pissed.
The timing cover can come off without removing the heads, BUT, it is NOT for the feint hearted. I did it once, NEVER again.
I would NOT be removing those heads for the mess you got. As Greg said, it is not coming from the head gasket/s.
The alloy vent elbow on the front of the LH head is known to leak oil out of the 2 bolts. Remove that cover, replace the gasket, and fit copper washers to those 2 bolts, no more leaks. I tracked that sucker for years. The holes in the head are NOT blind, they go straight through to the chain area, and the oil in there.
The plate that covers the top of the V, where the distributor is located, has a paper gasket, and is a dumb seal at best. I remove that, apply a bead of RTV to the face, and refit, oil tight 100%.
There is an o/ring around the distributor snout, and it leaks, self explanatory fix there.
Last edited by Grant Francis; May 15, 2016 at 04:43 AM.
Daim, I don't have all the knowledge of Greg or Grant and they both were a great help to me when I got into cleaning up my engine bay. Like Greg, after cleaning up the engine I just added a seal around the same areas he did. As for the cover in the "V" (plate were the dizzy goes, the only thing I did different was siliconed around the edges lightly, then did the same on the cover plate, the sandwiched the cheapo paper gasket. I also did all the areas Greg and Grant did as per reading their past post. Also for the plug for the timing chain unlocking/release tool on the right front of the engine I added smeared a light coat of silicone on the knew rubber plug before inserting. I do have many of pictures in my profile area albums of mine. here are a few, my engine looked like your's when I started.
V12 head removal - few questions
