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Topic: Head Gasket (Read 1540 times) previous topic - next topic

Head Gasket

Well unfortunately for my wallet and I it appears that my head gaskets have decided to die. I was wondering if anybody had any useful tips for doing the head gaskets on my '83 5.0L 'Bird this weekend?

Head Gasket

Reply #1 –
Are you sure they are the HGs?  Overheating, chocolate milk in the crank case, Oily coolant.

Its pretty easy.  Take pictures.  Replace any vac hose you put your hands on (because they are probably barely holding up as is).  Stuff openings with rags.  Cover cylinders with clean rags when closing up for the evening.  Use the torque guides in the manual.  A haynes or chiltons is handy but you can get mostly the same stuff from the autozone website.  Requires a register but its free.

Get a couple boxes.  Punch holes in them and use them to keep stuff organized.  Pushrods, bolts, rockers...etc  Label with cyl number and front/back just like they came off the engine.  Spring for the felpro HGs.

Inspect everything before putting it back in.  Especially take the time to roll each pushrod on a flat surface like a rolling pin.  If it wobbles, replace it.

I see your in Vancover.  Might want to bug your friends for one of those torpedo heaters.  It made working in my garage when its 22*F outside alot more bearable.

I go to the autoparts store and get one of those carb parts cleaning pails with the little strainer bucket in them.  I wash bolts in the solution as I go.  You can accomplish the same with a good brush and some brake clean or degreaser though.

Above all, try to keep  out of the cylinders.  You will get some junk.  Use compressed air to blow it out, clean rag w/ fresh oil to wipe down the walls.  Once clean, stuff torn up rags into the cyls.  If you get rust and junk in there, it will score up the walls on startup leading to oil consumption or worse. 

You have a flat tappet cam, so just leave the lifters in the bores.  If you really want to inspect them.  Pull them out one by one and inspect and put them back exactly the way they came out, but I wouldn't mess  with it unless you have to.

Before you button up a section.  STOP, put all the tools down.  And use your eyes.  Look for , dropped screws, leaves, tools whatever.  Ask me how I left 1st gear out of a trans rebuild once.  Come back and see us if you get stuck.
My car is a gravity hybrid.  The gasoline engine gets me up the hills, and gravity gets me down.

Head Gasket

Reply #2 –
I know nothing about the 5.0 engine but if the head are aluminum you need new heat bolts.  I'm a 3.8 owner.
Armed Forces Car Club
Eastern Sierra Chapter, California
WEB:  armedforcescarclub.com

Head Gasket

Reply #3 –
Ill disagree.  You need new headbolts if your bolts are Torque to Yield, which, on a 3.8L ford, they are.  The bolts used on the 5.0 are re-usable. You may want to upgrade to ARP headbolts (~$130) but it's not really necessary on a stockish engine.  I wouldn't really spend the coin to go to headstuds.  I did on my Superchared 3.8 because I wanted the additional clamping force they offered.
My car is a gravity hybrid.  The gasoline engine gets me up the hills, and gravity gets me down.

Head Gasket

Reply #4 –
5.0/302s up till 1992 used re-usable head bolts. The 1993-2000 5.0s used TTY head bolts. TTY head bolts have a  on the bolt head. The re-usable head bolts do not have a  on the bolt head.

How did you pop a head gasket on a stock 5.0? It's not very common to do so.
88 Thunderbird LX: 306, Edelbrock Performer heads, Comp 266HR cam, Edelbrock Performer RPM intake, bunch of other stuff.

Head Gasket

Reply #5 –
Quote from: thunderjet302;344188
How did you pop a head gasket on a stock 5.0? It's not very common to do so.


correct.. BUT, it may have been caused by something else making it overheat..

Head Gasket

Reply #6 –
Quote
Like what?

Head Gasket

Reply #7 –
junk water pump, any kind of water leak.. hell, even a bad rad cap.. seen that happen a few times.. but the list goes on

Head Gasket

Reply #8 –
And would a bad water pump etc. explain the HC in the coolant?

Head Gasket

Reply #10 –
HC = Hydrocarbon (exhaust).
Armed Forces Car Club
Eastern Sierra Chapter, California
WEB:  armedforcescarclub.com

Head Gasket

Reply #11 –
OOOOOH.. i hate it when people abbreviate words less used lol

Head Gasket

Reply #12 –
HC=Hydro Carbons; unburnt fuel that when found in engine coolant is most often conclusive of blown head gaskets

Head Gasket

Reply #13 –
lucky for you your a CFI car... less parts to deal with when they are changed.  Or your a carb,,who knows till you say.

The problem I see you might wanna watch out for is temperature.  The room temperature can greatly effect correct torque values on your heads and bolts.  On iron heads its important but not as important as the AL heads.  get the room to a decent temp just for the sake of argument so the variable is gone. 

If you own a hand held belt sander, then get you a 400-600 grit value and finish cleaning off the head and block surfaces after your wire wheel and putty knife no longer serve a purpose.  Remove the small tube on the coolant port which will either stay on the head or the block (qty 2 per head) and clean them up a little.
You should not have to add anything to the gaskets although some people do. (i dont anymore).
You do however want to add  silicone to the shorter bolts along the exhaust side of the head because these bolts pass through the water jacket area.

There are going to be two small cork gaskets that you lay atop the front and rear of the engine block that seals the intake.  You want to silicone these in advance and as well... add a good amount of silicone to the left and right side of these two gaskets where they both touch the heads.

just tighten your head bolts down starting from the middle and criss crossing your way working to the outside bolts.

you'll need to drain the coolant, remove your belt(s), buy a head gasket kit, buy a CFI base plate gasket kit, remove bolts on the brackets attached to each head, remove the CFI (factory 12pt or 16pt socket only), remove the coolant rail tubes unless you have already deleted them with hoses, remove the upper radiator hose,, im sure im missing something but to tell you the truth, this will take you probably all day since its your first time.

when you get the heads off, the one cylinder that looks the cleanest will be the one that had the head gasket area blown (if its a water entry issue. 
I know you said it was HC contamination but if it is then it will be black and sooty I would guess.  Ive never had a HG blow from fuel contamination in the water, its always been a oil / water problem.

Head Gasket

Reply #14 –
little tube in the coolant ports? you mean the head dow pins? they go in the lower head bolt holes, not water jackets