Tackling the head gaskets on my 3.5L next week. #5 is pushing water out the right rear. Any suggestions or tips or advice will be greatly appreciated. I'm a vintage Mustang guy so this will be my first endeavor into a import engine to this level.

I know I have to replace the TTY head bolts (which I have) and I ordered a full engine gasket set. Are there any other items I should replace while I have the engine apart...water pump???

Again, any prior tips or guidance will be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Patrick

Does the full engine gasket set have the throttle body, two upper intake manifold gaskets, lower intake manifold gaskets, and any other gaskets necessary?

You should apply red threadlocker to the power valve screws since there is a possibility none was applied at the factory. Applying threadlocker prevents this. See the stickied thread for instructions. There's also another thread which has some more details, I'll find it and post a link later.

Replace your PCV valve and grommet as well. If you want OEM part numbers, they are in this thread.

Take some pictures of the valve covers and valve train when things are apart, I'd be interested in seeing the condition of it. Also clean the valve covers thoroughly since there's a baffle plate that can clog easily, resulting in oil consumption.

As far as I know the kit had all gaskets.

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinf ... cc=1432945

I think I have a pcv in the glove box that I bought when originally trying to diagnose what turned out to be the MAF sensor being dirty. BTW thanks again for your help on that.

I'm a clean freak so everything will be spotless when it goes back together.

Have you ever heard of anyone doing this with the engine in place...or does it have to come out?

Any chance it's not the head gasket. I thought mine was leaking coolant. It turned out the gasket on the rear water pipe that connects the head blew out. It was really hurt to determine because you can't see back there. I had to get a pressure tester to pressurize the coolant system and peek back there with a mirror. I finally saw it leaking from that pipe.
And I'll tell ya, it's a BIT** to change.

I would highly suggest purchasing an OEM PCV valve, if yours is aftermarket. The PCV valve is so buried that I would not want to go through the labor of replacement should an aftermarket one be defective or problematic. You do need to replace the grommet that goes around it too, mine was very hard and brittle.

You shouldn't need to replace the water pump; if you do, I would use a new OEM one only. However, I've only read of a few people needing to replace it, so as long as you keep up with coolant changes I think it should last a very long time.

I'm not sure whether the engine needs to come out or not for head gasket replacement, sorry. I would print out the relevant pages of the FSM to have them handy for torque specs and instructions and such.

EDIT: Here is that other DIY thread regarding power valve screws and getting down to the lower intake manifold.

You might want to replace the water control valve while everything's apart, it's a secondary thermostat at the back of the engine that opens around 210 degrees F. Use an OEM part only and replace the O-rings as listed in the exploded parts view in the LC section.

Thanks for the input guys. I will buy a mirror and double check the exact location of the leak. But from underneath and from on top of the engine it ceratinly appears the leak is coming from the rear corner where the head meets the block.

However body80 you bring up a valid point with respect to the rear coolant line. Both the Haynes and Chilton manuals (which I know neither are the gosphel and the FSM is the gosphel) state the reason you have to pull the engine to change the head gaskets is the exact rear coolant pipe you are speaking of. So how did you change that gasket without removing the engine?

cps2001path wrote:Thanks for the input guys. I will buy a mirror and double check the exact location of the leak. But from underneath and from on top of the engine it ceratinly appears the leak is coming from the rear corner where the head meets the block.

However body80 you bring up a valid point with respect to the rear coolant line. Both the Haynes and Chilton manuals (which I know neither are the gosphel and the FSM is the gosphel) state the reason you have to pull the engine to change the head gaskets is the exact rear coolant pipe you are speaking of. So how did you change that gasket without removing the engine?

Dear lord it was NOT easy.
Ratcheting wrenches are a God sent gift. LOL

The basic run down is........ Strip the engine of all the intake manifolds. There are 3 parts to it. All the way down to the bottom of the V where the knock sensor is.
Then you can get some ratcheting wrenches back there by hugging the engine. It's pretty much all done blindly. I learned how to work that mirror. I got it all taken apart but I NEVER was able to get that pipe out. I ended up loosening the bolts on the transmission and using a piece of wood jacked the transmission up. This allowed enough room to pull that water pipe toward the fire wall with enough room to pull the old gasket out and install the new gasket.

It was alot of work but it's doable. My hands and arms are pretty tore up.
Did I mention I JUST did this last week.

I spent about 3-4 hours searching for the leak and just like you I THOUGHT it was coming from the head gasket. I ended up getting the intake manifold off and I used the mirror. Of course with the intake manifold off you can't run the truck to pressurize the system. So I went to my local auto parts store and rented a Coolant pressure tester. It replaces your radiator cap and you're able to pressurize the system with a pump. The FSM states you can go all the way up to 23 PSI. If you do this you'll definitively be able to determine where it's leaking. I would highly suggest you confirm where the leak is coming from using this method before you start tearing into the head.

Let me know if you need any advice!

That's some great advice and info, thanks for posting and helping out!

cps2001path, any updates on this?

Well I started the breakdown today. Following the FSM for the most part. Working on tranny when I stopped for the day. Started trying to remove the torque converter bolts and realized I needed someone to hold the crank bolt while I did this and didn't have anyone handy. Pick that up in the AM.

How in the world do you get to the top two bell housing bolts? I can't even see them from the top or the bottom.

Oh and mine was definitely the head gasket. The entry points for the rear coolant pipe were dry as a bone and I could see the water pouring out the corner of the head while the engine was running.

Well I got the engine out today. Figured out I had to disconnect the two rear tranny bolts so I could tilt the engine forward and gain access to the top two bell housing bolts.

Now I know why the two shops I called to get an estimate for this job never called me back.

Awesome job CPS.. I looked forward to the first engine I pulled back when I was on AirForce Base and had full "u-Repair it" shop with all the tools and few extra guys whenever I needed it.. Never wanted to change out a engine again after that..

What is the hose called that goes from valve cover to valve cover at the fron of the engine?

What is the plastic grommet at the base of the fuel injector called and can you buy them somewhere without the injector?

For your first part, is it displayed under this exploded parts view?

Could you post a picture for the second question? Or is it listed under this exploded parts view?

The first one is correct. The second one does not appear on the exploded diagrams. I thought it might be 16603G which is not on the 3.5L exploded view. But upon further review that isn't it either. He part I'm looking for is hat shaped and pink. My local dealer claims to have them will know tomorrow. I noticed two of the six on my engine were half gone upon disassembly. All of them seem very brittle. I assume from the heat cycling.

Finally got to the heads today. So remove cams then heads clean everything then back together. 27 hours so far. Now I know why no one gave me an estimate.

I got the engine and tranny back in last night. Hopefully I will be installing all the other parts today and pulling the trigger. Fingers crossed!!!

Good luck, and good job with tackling such a difficult job!

Well I finally got the Pathy back together a couple weeks ago. No leaks (so far). However, now I'm back to chasing gremlins...some of the same ones I've had for two years now that had actually gone away prior to the complete tear down. So here is what I'm getting. Codes: 1320,0134,0464,1110,0154. I don't need to know what the codes are I just don't understand why they have all come back. Again, I should remind you that all of the O2 sensors, cam position sensors, plugs, and coils are basically new. Everything that could be cleaned prior or reassembly was, all connectors, starter, alternator, sensors, MAS, all vacuum hoses were checked and double checked.

Other than the codes I also now have a very distinct sluggish start from a start if I accelerate normally. However, if I accelerate with a little exuberance through the RPM shift points it runs like a scolded dog (southern term).

I hooked it up to a new engine analyzer so I could watch real time engine data. All of the O2 sensors seemed to be functioning properly.

At idle: B1/S1 - .54, B1/S2 - .3, B2/S1 - .51, B2/S2 - .28
At higher RPM: all escalated to around 1.

Anything to help me decipher these problems would be greatly appreciated.

Bump

Makes me think some loose ground or possibly faulty ECU... have you tried loosening and retightening engine grounds?

Non other than when I connected them after reinstalling the engine.

i realize I'm replying to an older write up on a head gasket job; I've on 01 3.5 manual Pathfinder, and there's a white pool of fluid that puddles in my tail pipe along with white smoke and steam produced as well, un burnt fuel drips from the exhaust too..I've changed the coil packs, plugs, had the fuel injectors out etc and currently with the cat back exhaust removed the right side/passenger side exhaust spits out coolant when running..SO i'm considering changing the head gasket myself; ie the timing chain, exhaust manifold and associated "stuff" of everything that gets removed and out of the way..HAS ANYBOODY pulled the heads with the engine in the car?

I'm pulling the engine out today, 3.5 manual 2001.5 Path, I'm unable to locate the flywheel lock tool ie J-50288 Ring Gear Stopper. I'm concerned with keeping the engine from turning while working on it, and whilst the heads are off (bad head gasket)..is this something to be critical about or not aside from removing the crank pulley which I'm confident I can do without the flywheel locking tool..any suggestions will be appreciated