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engine blown???

IIRC the key for the crankshaft timing gear should be pointed straight up when its at TDC #1. since you have the serpentine belt off just remove the crank pulley and then put the bolt back in so you can turn the engine. It may take an impact to get the bolt off the first time (alternatively you can get put the car in 5th and have someone hold the brakes and then brake the bolt loose).
 
just to let you all know, the car has a blown head gasket. i did a cyclinder leak down test and bubbles came out of the coolant resevoir.
 
make sure to replace it with a Ford gasket. most of the other ones that you can get (autozone, advance auto, napa, ebay) all suck.

you can take the head off in the car fairly easily however you do have to remove the intake manifold and the camshafts. to get the intake manifold off remove the alternator (disconnect the battery first) and the tensioner. then support the engine with a jack and a block of wood and remove the engine mount. remove the alternator bracket and you will then be able to remove the intake manifold off that stud. for the exhaust just remove the cat from the manifold and leave the exhaust manifold on the head. remove the head bolts and remove the head. replace the head bolts with either new ford bolts or ARP head studs (they are probably about the same price but the head studs you can use over again if need be).

also you might as well replace the PCV valve while its easy to get to.
 
ok, so this is probably one of the longest projects i have done. i just havent had time to get anything done. anyways,
i got the head off and check it. everything was good valves and such, except the head was warped by 11 thousanths and the machine shop said they couldnt plan it because the head had been plained before. yeah!!! so i found a used head for $150 at the junk yard. i have the used head on and its torqued down (properly) stage 1 stage 2 and stage 3. my next couple of question are:
1: what sized are the camshaft cap bolts( when i took the old head off i was able to get it off without removing these, for the installation of the new head they were losened up so i removed them)
2: what size are the exhaust studs ends(i cant get the head back in without removing them or do the bolts for the manifold to cat come out?)
3: what is the little thing that is attached to where the coilpack installs kinda looks like a capisitor.
i hope to having it running this weekend. sorry to keep dragging this out.
 
1: loose the ford bolts and get the cam cap bolt kit from here. they are a stronger bolt and have a REAL 6 point hex head instead of the retarded inverted torx.

2: the bolts for the manifold to cat should have stayed with the cat. you should be able to put the head on without removing the exhaust manifold. i did it with head studs so surely you can do it with out the studs in the way.

3: i believe what you are talking about is the capacitor for the ignition system. its normally attached to the coil pack bracket.

HTH
 
the head is already on the car without the exhaust manifold. so it looks like i will need to take all the studs out for the exhaust manifold.
about the capacitor they hacked off the end of it when the gave me the used head and i didnt grap my old one, do they have one at a parts store or should i just splice into it. does anyone have a picture of this. thanks again
 
ok that makes more sense. if you loosen the clamp on the cat down at the bottom the cat can then hang a little and it should be enough to get the manifold past the cat and on the head.
 
the head is on the car and the car is running. i was kind of surprised that it all actually worked. i did break off a sensor that is on the bottom of the thermostat housing. does anybody know what this sensor is? also the car is still smoking pretty bad, its kind of a strange smelling smoke, kind of like gun powered. its a whiteish blue. any ideas. just wanted to say thanks to all who helped me out on this project. you all were a great help.
 
that sensor should be the temp sending unit for the gauge.

where is the smoke coming from? out the exhaust?
 
its coming from the exhaust. i hope is not the head gasket leaking. i dont think the car would running right if it was. it has good power and doesnt hesitate at all. i think it runs better then before. the smoke has a really strange smell to it. another thing it could be it that a little bit of the exhaust manifold gasket, where the cat meets kind of flaked off.

whats the sensor at the top of the thermo housing, just out of curiosity
 
the one at the top of the thermo housing is the temp sensor for the PCM. yes that means there are 2 temp sensors.

i know you said it smelled kinda like gunpowder, so its kind of a sulfuric smell?

you might do a compression test just to make suer that the head gasket isnt leaking. i know you dont want to have to go through that again but you might as well eliminate it.
 
yeah, its a really strange smell, i will put a compression test on it just to make sure all is well. would the car run if the gasket is leaking?
 
yeah but it would run like complete ****. from what your saying it appears to run fine. it wouldn't idle if it had a blown head gasket.
 
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