...is it bad ???

jleopold

Registered User
...since I'm just totally beside myself right now... and ready to throw in the towel on my car...

... is it bad when you have water flying out of the exhaust...the engine is running very rough... and you have absolutly no idea how water is coming out of the exhaust...

...So...keep it real guys... this has got to be bad right ????
and if it is bad...

... ( hee heee hee)...You'll find my 90 SC on sale in the Northern California Forum... for about $1,000 --- and $1,400 --- if you want the new Cobra R rims that are never driven on and still in the box...

Something tells me ( head Gasket)
 
well is it coolent or water?... coolent would be head gasket if its water its just mosture in the exhaust how long has it been since you ran this car last..
 
It was enough water to make a full shadow under the body of the car and I saw coolant dripping ( green) from the muffler...

Running really rough and then overheating...

Most have said head Gasket
my local mechanic said ( over the phone)
Cracked head and possibly a gasket.
 
the same thing actually just happened to my parents 99 ford windstar. They filled the coolant and within 20 seconds of running rough the rad was empty:eek: So now it sits in the drive way. Coolant was coming out everywhere, ehxaust, resonator, and other places. I was going to work on it for them but the engine is buried underneath the front end.
 
Thanks guys...

So now the big question... I love this car
So... can I fix it myself or is this a mechanics job. -- the later is almost out of the question because it would cost about $1,800 for the service.

What can I expect if I do it myself ? -- I have another car to get around in so I can pull it in the garage and work on it... I'm fairly good with working basic to medium level car fixes... but this seems advanced...
Suggestions ?
 
if you are somewhat mechanically inclined im pretty sure you can do it your self. And with the proper tools it cant be too bad. The only thing is it will most likely take you a few days. If you got a haynes guide or something it has some pictures that will help. Another thing i would suggest doing it puts all bolts specific to one thing in a plasstic ziplock bag and labeling! Also take some pics to refer when you are putting it back together. They are alot of threads regarding the on what gaskets are better and head - bolts to use!!
 
it's a kinda time consuming job ,if this is the first time tearing an SC down...

removed the rad.
when i did mine ,i took things apart in units...only taking things apart if i had to...like the power steering pump -

i left it connected to the PS bracket -you don't need a puller ,but it will need to be removed from the engine bay.

the blower top and IC tube ,can be removed as a unit ,by the 4 bolts after the PS bracket has been removed and disconnected from the IC -not the spanner nut

remove inner-cooler

the blower and throttle body can be removed as a unit

the AC unit can be tied off to the side

you'll need a decent set of Metric Tools...yes - metric tools...
but it can be done ,if your up to the task...if you get stuck ,this is a great source of info and help

any bolts that are removed - if rounded or any corrosion or damaged ,should be replaced

ARP makes some nice studs that work really well...part # 233-4003 ,these are for chevy (2.8) ,but fit perfect. they can be bought from Summit Racing ,for about 83.00 dollars...the ones for ford ,for some reason cost a little more and will add nothing (over 100.00+)

head bolt threads are ,11mm x 1.50 pitch
manifold bolts ,M8 x 55mm x 1.25 pitch if you replace them - ( i did ) ,because one broke in the head - use a grade 10.9 and use some washers

the super charger bolts are ,the large front one is ,M12 x 110mm ,use a grade 10.9
the side one's ,M8 x 108mm ,use a grade 10.9 ,on this as well
a flanged style bolt ,would be nice here
gasket set ,part # ,hs9642pt ,will work just fine

that should get you going
 
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.......you can do it....just take your time,keep things clean,keep parts/bolts/nuts together......remove things in groups like referred above...it really isn't all that hard just time consuming the first time....I've gotten so that I can strip mine down to the heads in about 1 1/2 - 2 hours...and I've read threads from others who can do it in a lot less time.You'll learn alot as you do this.....so go for it
Good Luck,
z
 
ugghhh...
I'm getting dizzy just thinking about it...
I have a Chevy Blazer 98 S10 and I'm fixing the heater core in it...
and I'm hoping to All Might God I can put all that stuff back where it came from... pulled the dash, half the right front end and I still have to get the core off, back on and then put all 60 screws and bolts back...

Okay... so I'll do the head myself... but now my daily drive t-bird just turned into the project car it was supposed to be...

I'm unsure of the term pitch ??? -- that you refer to...
 
the cheapest I think you'll find to have it done is about 700bux give or take but that wouldn't be rebuilding the heads .
 
Ya that's if the guy is close enough to be to get it done for that much...
Actually, this could be kind of cool ( ya right)

I want to clean up the engine while everything is torn down. get some parts chromed up... paint the engine area, new hoses and spark plug wires... etc.

I've head that I should just buy a new head as well ? --- would I get the parts from summit ?
 
I got my labor done for 700. You should/(need) to have your heads checked to see if the're cracked. and also have them decked. Oh your not supposed to reuse your head bolts. Their pretty cheap so I would replace them. I got all my stuff and heads rebuilt at napa for about $250 through my buddy. mine went at 86k and I now have 110k And have gotten the car really hot a couple times. So I would recommend napa as a store and machine shop to use. These cars if you didn't know had a 10year recall for headgaskets. ford did a free replacement of the headgaskets. The headgaskets they use are expensive I think there like 250bucks just for them then you need the rest of them. The thing is they have aluminum heads. which they are very light. but they expand when hot hence the headgaskete failure.
 
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Okay... sounds cool...

So... I guess I'd better pre-purchase all of the things I want to do prior to doing the job... plugs, wires, paint, hoses...etc. I was also thinking that while the car is all apart, I could sent out parts to get chromed, or powder coated...

Question: Are we talking about a lot of small parts that can get confusing or are we talking about... mass parts where it just takes time to unbolt them and then rebolt them on... For example:

In the late 80"s R/C cars hit the scene pretty hard. They came as a kit and you had to put every little peice together. Now a-day... you can buy a pretty good R/C car and it's Ready to run with virtuall no small parts but more like sections to upgrade. ( is this a good analogy ?)
 
best way to go about it is to mark every thing off ( Label ) ,the parts when they come off and bag them and maybe where they go...take notes...

pay attention to where the vacum hose's go and mark them as to there location

as far as the amount of parts - this will depend on how you take things apart
but if you count all the nuts/bolts/screws and then the parts they go to - theres quite abit ,don't have a number on that...this is why i said - take things apart in units or groups

if need be take pictures as you go that might help ,when putting it back together...

the tools you have can either make it hard or easy depending on what you have...you'll need a torque wrench

the reason i had listed some of the parts ( studs / bolts ,i did in a earlier post is because some of them are to be used once -then there done -such as the head bolts them-selfs -there throw aways ,do not re-use them...

if you replace them use the best grade you can get ahold of ,10.9 grade or better -then if there is a next time - this part of it will be done...nothing i hate more is the junk ford used as a one time only item...what a great idea ( right )

you could start taking it apart ,if you decide to take on this mission...and order your parts ...by the time you get it tore down -the parts will be there

a head gasket set ,and Maybe a set of head-bolts ,or go to the ARP head studs i had listed ,they work great and are recommended and can be re-used over and over -these are not -throw aways

go for it !
 
Wow thanks man !

Okay so...

Where is the head in relation to how far down ?
Like I see all the stuff on top, but under that ... what comes next ?

What would be cool is some sort of 3d diagram...
 
Took me two weekends to replace the head gaskets on my 90. Was driving to work one day and poof, white smoke out the rear. When I pulled it onto a tilt trailer, it was shoving water out the exhaust.

Checked the oil, no noticeable change, so that was good.

Took a couple hours to pull and mark the stuff. Took a day to get the bolt for the fuel rail off the back of the head. (two days actually) then cleaned off the heads and the deck, sucked the water out of the cylinders, put the new ARP studs in, put the new gaskets on, put the head back on, and reversed the process.

Hardest part was getting the exhaust manifolds back on. I couldn't get the down tubes loose so I just left the exhaust hooked to the manifolds and unbolted the manifolds. Well, getting them back on like that took some extra thinking, and some prying.
 
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