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Head swap on 2000 3.0


Fordblue213

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Posted this over on the Fordtrucks forums. Here's the recap of my project.
The breaks with the ~~~~~~~ are where it was different posts on different days:

5-16-2018

My 2000 2WD had been getting a worse and worse misfire over time. Add to that random codes for lean conditions and misfires on cylinder 6 on and off. I had swapped in new injectors which helped but the problem would always come back.

If I ran the truck hard, say pushed it to a steady 80 in a 70 for a while and went over a big bridge in the process, the misfire would be more pronounced at idle with the truck really warmed up.

Compression was all over the place on cylinders 4,5 and 6 and would vary as to which cylinder would have the lower pressure from day to day. I finally resolved myself to it being time to pull the heads and see what is up after 180,000 miles. I had read about the exhaust valves hammering themselves into the soft factory valve seats and causing the valves to leak by, worse when really hot.

I bought a set of heads from The Cylinder Head Shop out of WV on ebay for $299, no cores needed to send back, along with head bolts and a Felpro gasket kit.

Got the heads yesterday.

Upon inspection, I am most likely not going to go through the hassle of taking them apart, grinding, cleaning and reassembling. They showed up in much better shape than I was expecting. There isn't much room for port matching to the intake manifold gasket, the valves could be unshrouded a little, but not very much, and there is no casting flash in the runners. I ran my finger through all of them and there are no sharp edges, no flakes sticking off the walls and and all the turns are rounded over already.

I am going to go around the lip where the heads were surfaced and knock off that knife edge where it transitions from deck surface to combustion chamber to help with pinging. I don't see any other sharp edges that would make detonation a problem.

The most work to do would be smoothing the valve guides over to a more rounded tip and like I said, I am not pulling them apart since they are so well assembled right now.

I am going to look over the intake while it off and see how bad it might be.















~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

5-27-2018

Today was disassembly. No broken bolts!!!!








Once the heads were off, my guess on the drivers side head having issues was confirmed by looking at the #4 and #6 exhaust valves:



Cylinders 1,2 and 3 had varying amounts of heat in them as well:




Then I laid the heads flat and filled the combustion chambers with brake parts cleaner and had 5 out of 6 exhaust valves leaking by with the brake parts cleaner coming out of the exhaust ports:






Then I tried to get some better shots at how the valves are sitting in the heads. You can see that they have somewhat shifted in the seat to one side:








One thing I am happy to see is that the cylinder wall still have a cross hatch after 180,000 miles and no detectable ridge at the top of the cylinder:



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

5-28-2018

Got it all back together and running. After looking at the heads some more and seeing that cylinder #4's spark plug had a cracked porcelain, the head gaskets on the drivers side were shot. I looks like the metal by the water passage has rusted some and that probably pushed the surface apart to let coolant into the combustion chamber once it pressurized:









I didn't get any more pictures because it was full steam ahead with reassembly.

I am still getting a lean bank 1 code after a while of driving. The short term fuel trims start around 0.90 and the long terms start at 1.00, then as it idles, the short terms slowly come up to 1.00 and the long terms start to climb up to 1.25 until the code gets thrown.

I need to hook up my big scanner and look at the graph of the O2 sensors and see if it is time to replace them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

6-6-2018

Okay, got some time to work on the fuel trims today. The truck has been holding steady with a +24% on bank 1 and +17% on bank 2. I have hosed the engine down with water and brake parts cleaner trying to find a vacuum leak to no avail. I was worried the intake gaskets to the heads were leaking and I was going to gave to pull it all off again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

6-6-2018

Today, after much video watching about fuel trims, I found one that helped a lot from Pine Hollow Auto Diagnostics. I unplugged my Jet after market MAF and the truck instantly idled better and the fuel trims went diving immediately.

https://youtu.be/FXT49BMxCOg

I amazingly found my OEM MAF sensor and housing and reinstalled them. After starting and letting it run for a while, the LTFT's settled down to bank 1 bouncing between +6 and 7% and bank 2 boucing between 0 and +1%.

I'm hoping the new O2 sensors that are on the way can get them closer to agreeing and Bank 1 being closer to 0.

Also, other good news is that the coolant and oil have both stayed completely full and in their respective parts of the engine. No mixing on vital fluids!!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

6-9-2018

Today was new idler and tensioner pulleys. Tomorrow is a new belt that just arrived, along with the new front O2 sensors that showed up today too.

That should be it for maintenance for a while, then I drive the truck as my daily driver again.

Before I put the new heads on, I did put a sanding drum on my Dremel tool and took off that knife edge around the combustion chambers on the heads where they were surfaced. Just rolled that sharp edge over to be round and stop it from being such an isolated hot spot. I also rolled the engine over to get each piston to top dead center and used a scraper to get the carbon buildup off of the piston faces so I can start from scratch on carbon.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

6-10-18

I changed the serpentine belt today. I am letting the truck cool off before I tackle the O2 sensors. Since I have the underdrive crank pulley to turn all the accessories slower and also a smaller alternator pulley to speed just that back up to factory speed, my belt was a Goodyear/Continental 4060865 / 6PK2195. Its shorter than stock and fit perfectly for my application:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

6-10-18

Swapped out the O2 sensors today. Had to buy the O2 sensor crows foot wrench from Harbor Freight. That made it much easier.

Fired the truck up and once the fuel system went closed loop, Bank one was +1% long term and Bank two is -1% long term. So I am hoping the fuel trims will be nearly perfect once the computer reads for a while and gets the fuel tables sorted out.

And while I was under the truck, I noticed that the front tires are wearing the inside tread more. Jacked it and put a pry bar under the tires to find out that I need 4 new ball joints. It only really needs the lowers, but if I am going that deep into the suspension, I am changing all 4.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

6-10-18

Here's the data stream after all engine related repairs done. The computer still has to relearn the fuel trims after the new O2 sensors. Went from +25% and +17% to 0% and -4% on long term. I think that proves I don't have any vacuum leaks and all is well. Now once the ball joints arrive from Rockauto, I can rebuild the front end and have it back as my daily driver. Until then, its horrible gas mileage in the F150.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

6-19-18

Installed 4 new Moog ball joints over the weekend. The truck is a the alignment shop right now getting a caster/camber kit installed and an alignment done.

It was wearing the front tires on the inside only, so I picked it up and put a pry bar under the front wheels and the lower ball joints were really sloppy. While I was tearing it down enough to do the lowers, I did the uppers while I was in there.

I need to rebuild the 3rd brake light on my camper shell when I get the truck back. The outer red lens is fine, but the holder for the incandescent lights on the inside has been beaten to death over the years of hauling lawn care gear in it. I'll post pics of my repair idea when I get it built and finished.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As of today, 6-26-18

One full tank of fuel through the truck and it is running great!!! After this next tank of fuel, I will reset the trip odometer and see what the average mileage is. Fuel trim are right around -1% and -4%. Not sure why why its having to lean out the mix a little, but its WAY better than it adding +17% and +25%. Fuel economy is definitely much better just by seeing how the needle moves for my usual trips taken with the truck. Right now I have a stop and go 45 minute commute to and from work each day and it's getting easily double the mileage of my 95 F150 with the 4.9. Plus the AC blows colder and the stereo is way nicer to make for a much more civilized commute.

I have been driving it harder and harder, hold speed going over bridges and such way better than it used to. It has way more power over 3000 RPM than I remember it having. Its amazing what all 6 cylinders firing can do for engine smoothness and power.



This is with the camper shell off. The rims are American Racing AR899's 16x7.5 and the tires are P225/70R-16 Michelin LTX M/S2 as a package from tire rack already mounted and balanced.
 
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McCormack

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Great post. Thanks for sharing. :icon_thumby:
 

SheepDog

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I literally just did a head job last weekend as well! Your heads looked way worse than mine though.

Good job!
 

Fordblue213

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I had let the truck sit for a few months and I drove my F150 as my daily while I did misc troubleshooting on the Ranger and then built up the motivation to tackle this project. I'm sure that sitting didn't help the heads any with leaking gaskets.
 

Fordblue213

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I just got back home from being offshore for a month for work. The truck sat with a battery tender on it the whole time. I popped the hood and checked the fluid levels. Oil was right in the middle and the coolant was still right up to the top of the filler neck and coolant was at the "COLD" mark of the reservoir tank still.

Primed the fuel pump once, turned the key and the truck fired right up and ran perfectly smooth. I don't think the engine even made one full revolution of cranking before it started.

Time to go get the inspection sticker that is about a year out of date.
 

Fordblue213

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Update: Truck is still running great. At first start up when its cold, it runs perfectly smooth. Once its warmed up, sitting at a red light, it has a slight sporadic tremble. Not a miss, not a shake, you can just feel the truck give a small twitch here and there to know its running.

Drove 316 miles on 15 gallons of gas for work over two days, that was a 21 MPG average with the majority of the drive being in the 60-70 MPH range.

No codes and all is still well with the fuel trims. I even got brave and put 1/4 tank of regular in it when it had a 1/4 tank of premium. No ping, so I am going to try more and more regular gas to see if the ping problem went away with the removal of the carbon from the heads and pistons.

They sell E85 up near my parents, but I am worried about the varnish in the fuel system after 180,000 miles of regular gas getting crammed into the injectors when the E85 cleans the fuel system out.
 

JeremyS

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Great post! Looking like I'll be replacing the heads on my 2002 Ranger.

I will check out the shop where you bought your heads!
 

Fordblue213

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JeremyS

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I priced getting the heads/bolts/ and gasket sets on both Rock Auto and The Cylinder Head Shop (eBay). The the eBay option comes up to being around $30 cheaper with lots of good feedback about the quality and shipping so I'm going the eBay route.
 

Fordblue213

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My truck is still running great. With the old heads and gaskets, anything over 75 seemed like the truck was struggling. Going over a large bridge at 70 would take plenty of throttle.

Now it has plenty of power in the cruising range. Going over the same bridge takes much less power and less downshifting.
 

JeremyS

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My truck is still running great. With the old heads and gaskets, anything over 75 seemed like the truck was struggling. Going over a large bridge at 70 would take plenty of throttle.

Now it has plenty of power in the cruising range. Going over the same bridge takes much less power and less downshifting.
I was experiencing the exact same thing. I began to notice a decrease in power and an increase in fuel consumption in recent months. There is a pretty good sized incline on the interstate and I was finding myself in the slow lane struggling to stay at 55 MPH. Problems like this slowly creep up on you.
 

enginepaul

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Excellent post!

The only thing I would ad is to replace the Cam Position Sensor while doing the heads because it is a part that eventually wears and is much, much easier to replace with the heads off. Buy a quality part or be ready to replace again it soon.

I am amazed at how the cylinders wear so little! I had a 3.0 that had poor maintenance yet the cylinder walls still looked good with no ridge at 140,000 miles.
 

Fordblue213

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The Ranger has been making 150 mile round trips for work every day right now. It is running regular unleaded with no pinging whatsoever.

It has:
180 degree thermostat in it
Intake coolant loop bypassed
SCT tuner 87 octane performance tune on the computer
OEM MAF
Aftermarket smooth intake tube from MAF to throttle body
JBA shorty headers
JBA cat back exhaust

I have an electric fan mod in the shed that I need to get time to install.

I also need to put in new plugs. I am still running the ones from before the head swap. I just replaced one that was bad with another used one to get all 6 cylinders firing.

It strangely enough gets better highway mileage at 75 than 65. At 65 I am getting 19 MPG. at 75 its closer to 21 MPG. I am guessing the truck is closer to the torque peak at 75 MPH turning about 2700 RPM, where as its turning just under 2500 RPM at 65.

I just put new Goodyear Assurance All Season 225/70R16 tires on the truck. They had the lowest treadwear rating. With the roads around here, a tire gets structurally beat up before the tread wears out. So I decided to get tires that will wear out faster and get replaced sooner instead of having more tires that still have tread left but ride horrible after a few years.
 

Fordblue213

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Cold weather finally made it this far south. I noticed the Ranger's heat was very lacking. I checked and changed the vacuum lines to the canister in the fender and to the heater hose shut off valve.
Then I checked the blend door actuator and all was well with it. So I ran the truck and got it warmed up and the hose coming from the heater core was cold while the one going to it was hot.

Using this method:

Here is what came out. I am guessing most of this got knocked loose during the head swap. This is a 5 gallon bucket:



The heat will now cook you without the truck even being fully warmed up.
 

Jay11

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Excellent post
 

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