All Teeners

You have helped me rebuild the '74 2.0. Every system has been rebuilt with your assistance.

My son has purchased a 1991 Ranger. It blew a head gasket. Cyl 1 had NO pressure.

We proceeded to take off the head took off all 10 bolts ( 2.3L Pinto/Mazada engine) off the head....

Hhhhmmm, does not budge - let's get the Wood Mallet

That did not work

Hammer and wood?

No, did not budge

Hand Sledge and wood

No Did not budge

Then I put a bolt in the head on the front and on the block, tood a very large bearing spreader and cranked it until the bolts started to bend AND THEN hit it with the hand sledge

Will not budge

Within a RANGER forum a guy said that he had seen these WELDED together - I see no weld marks......really welded???

About to try the SNAKE IN THE HOLE trick using rope into the sparkplug hole once I get the CAM disconnected...............


Any thoughts from the teener world please?

I assume you have the 2.3 OHC 4cyl engine, correct?

that should be an all iron engine

recheck and make sure all the bolts are removed...

you might want to scope each cylinder to make sure any potential catastrophic failure didn't wedge / weld itself into a convoluted matrix of unremovability.

New name for the truck - convoluted matrix of unremovability.

Will check and report!

As many of those engines were made, surely there are some good used ones around.

Yes,

Do not want to pull and replace - but may end up there......

Thanks !
CTC

Not sure about a 1991, but the early 2000's 2.3 liter had a bolt hidden behind the belt pulley, so you have to remove the pulley to get to it before you can remove the guard. There are also two dowel pins between the head and block. A rubber or wooden mallet and some well-placed hits by the dowels may free it up.

Either way, count the head bolts and confirm you got them all removed. And, you can always get a bigger hammer .

Thank you - but no luck.....yet

I read your post and SPRINTED to the car to look for the hidden bolt....no luck......

There are 10 head bolts - all are removed.....

Will update as I move along

FWIW, an old trick we used to use with outboard motors with recalcitrant heads that were exposed to salt water:

Bolt/weld or otherwise attach a hook to the head and throw a strap around an overhead beam (or engine hoist, tree limb, etc,.),then tighten said strap such that gravity is extending some force - not the entire weight of the vehicle! - but some constant tension there, then leave overnight and come back and check in the morning. Usually the constant pressure over time in conjunction with overnight thermal cycling persuades the head gasket to give up its life...

- Tony

I installed a beam in my garage that I have not used yet - will use that this weekend - need to get this out of the garage. Thank you


Click to view attachment

did you remove the intake ? That makes it easier ,power steering off?

Yes, and Yes, bare head and block

so its bolts, not studs?

i've helped a mate get the head off an alfa gtv that was stuck.
but that was because the head was actually stuck to the studs.
we had to conjure up a home-made tool similar to a factory tool we had a photo of.
plate bolted around block and fitted over head and you screwed threaded rods down into the central spark plug holes. nuts fitted to threaded rod below plate were then slowly wound up a quarter turn per day evenly. it took about 2 weeks of this treatment before the head popped. the head had "welded" itself to the studs inside the tubes where the studs pass through.
seems it happens a lot with old alfas.

but if its not studs and all the bolts are out, dunno.
i had to do the head gaskets on a citroen prv 6.
bolted. both popped cleanly off with gentle-lish taps from a soft mallet.
usually do due to the head gasket. but then again a failed head gasket will usually let you get the head off easily.

Maybe put a couple of head bolts in very loose. Try cranking it over to use the compression in your favor. Just a thought.

Thanks for all of the thoughtful responses - the head is attached with Bolts. They seem to be designed to stretch, the web site says use once, etc.

I will hook it to the beam today with perhaps 1000lbs of pull from above......will report back soon.

Thank you TEENERS!

Had the same prob with huge Gardener diesel head - took valve train off but leave head bolts in, piston all the way at the bottom of stroke - pressurized with compressed air thru injector (you would do thru spark plug hole) or if you were really serious you could do the same w grease. Careful - could be a quite dangerous pressure release - heat up w blo torch and/or smack w hammer would prob help

It's a cast iron engine, so you could try the flat blade screwdriver last resort method. The locating dowel pins can rust the hole thing together, so if the drop kick from the beam doesn't work, it may need a more local impact to get them to let go. I actually use a chisel when I must. Right at the head gasket. Good luck