Oil In Intake on '92

"Tommy Wood" > wrote in message
...
> This vintage Explorer had a problem with leaking water via the intake
> manifold gasket. You might try very gently tightening the intake manifold
> bolts (the lower ones). Be careful because it's an aluminum intake
manifold
> and if you overtighten, the manifold may crack.
>
> This fixed my problem with water getting into the intake.

I've replaced the intake manifold gaskets on both my Explorers within the
last couple of years and I did the 4 step torque sequence and used gasket
grade silicon along with the new gaskets and retorqued after waiting 24
hours so I don't *think* it's the manifold gasket but I'll check it anyway.

If it's determined to be the head gasket(s) then I guess I'll be finding out
how my intake manifold gasket job held up ;-)


>
> "Ulysses" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> > > wrote in message
> > ups.com...
> >>
> >> Ulysses wrote:
> >> > When my '92 EB with the 4.0 V6 has been sitting for a while it will
run
> >> > rough when I first start it up and white smoke comes out of the
> > tailpipe.
> >>
> >> White smoke can be caused by coolant leaking into the cylinder from a
> >> bad head gasket. That jibes with it happening after sitting for a
> >> while, and when started running rough and then smoothing out.
> >>
> >> If that's the case, you should be losing coolant, and maybe
> >> overheating. One check is to fill the radiator but leave the cap off,
> >> start it, push hard on the brakes, put it in gear and rev it a LITTLE-
> >> 1200 rpm. Slip the clutch if it's a manual. The idea here is to load
> >> the engine to increase combustion pressure in the cylinders.
> >>
> >> Have someone observing the radiator coolant- if you have a bad head
> >> gasket, exhaust should get into the coolant, making it bubble and
> >> surge. The escaping exhaust forms big bubbles in the water jacket and
> >> pushes its way out thru the radiator cap opening.
> >>
> >> If the level just changes slightly when you rev and expands as it warms
> >> up, all that's normal.
> >>
> >> You have two, right? You can also compare them.
> >> -Paul
> >>
> >
> > Thanks Paul. This sounds like a very likely cause of my problem. I has
> > been losing coolant too but I didn't think the problems were related.
It
> > has been "boiling over" and losing coolant through the top of the
> > reservoir.
> > Bubbling exhaust from a leaking head gasket could do that, right? Could
> > that also have caused my radiator to burst? I need to put in a new
> > radiator
> > before I continue but I just wanted to make sure it was worth putting
any
> > more money into it. Sounds like it may continue to live.
> >
> > Yes, I have two and the other one recently started losing coolant too in
> > the
> > same way so maybe a comparison won't help much. I'm pretty sure the
other
> > ('91) needs a new fan clutch (it turns freely when th engine is warmed
up)
> > and I think the thermostat is OK but now it sounds like it may have a
bad
> > head gasket too.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>

> wrote in message
oups.com...
>
> Tommy Wood wrote:
> > This vintage Explorer had a problem with leaking water via the intake
> > manifold gasket. You might try very gently tightening the intake
manifold
> > bolts (the lower ones). Be careful because it's an aluminum intake
manifold
> > and if you overtighten, the manifold may crack.
> >
> > This fixed my problem with water getting into the intake.
> >
>
> Interesting. In that case, the "loading the engine" test wouldn't show
> anything because exhaust wouldn't be getting into the coolant. But it
> seems like it would REALLY suck coolant at idle, so it wouldn't smooth
> out.
>
> How'd you figure it out, and what were the symptoms?
> -Paul
>

On my '91 it was easy to determine the manifold was leaking because water
was pouring out next to the thermostat housing. On the '92 it was gradually
losing coolant and there were water marks at the rear and when I pulled the
manifold I could see it was getting wet in a couple of the ports. I had
suspected a possible head gasket leak back then but decided to go after the
intake manifold first and stopped there because I had found a problem. It
just wasn't the ONLY problem it seems. Right now I'm looking at a new
radiator, new thermostat, new fan clutch, new intake manifold gasket, new
head gaskets, new piston rings (oh, and I suppose a valve job and complete
rebuild would be in order), and a new Explorer. That computer controlled
brake traction thingamajig they have now is very appealing (if it actually
works). Now I need to find out which engine it is that I don't want--Google
time.

Oh, and it finally got it's first dent and they don't seem to have any Wild
Strawberry touch-up paint any more. Hmmm... the AC doesn't work, the
windshield is cracked, it finally got a rip in the leather upholstery, and
the steering pump leaks. Maybe doesn't want a 91-94!

> wrote in message
oups.com...
>
> Tommy Wood wrote:
>> This vintage Explorer had a problem with leaking water via the intake
>> manifold gasket. You might try very gently tightening the intake
>> manifold
>> bolts (the lower ones). Be careful because it's an aluminum intake
>> manifold
>> and if you overtighten, the manifold may crack.
>>
>> This fixed my problem with water getting into the intake.
>>
>
> Interesting. In that case, the "loading the engine" test wouldn't show
> anything because exhaust wouldn't be getting into the coolant. But it
> seems like it would REALLY suck coolant at idle, so it wouldn't smooth
> out.
>
> How'd you figure it out, and what were the symptoms?
> -Paul
>

The evidence is white carbon build up on spark plug #5 and engine pinging.
I didn't really figure it out myself. Most of the hints were here in this
newsgroup. However, I think I may be one of the first to try tightening the
intake manifold bolts (most folks replaced the gasket with a better designed
gasket). I find that because the manifolds are aluminum, they loosen up
every year or so and so I just retighten a little bit maybe once a year or
two. So, far, it's worked for me because I really don't want to replace the
gaskets (looks like a lot of work - too much stuff to remove to get to
them).

"Ulysses" > wrote in message
...
>
> > wrote in message
> oups.com...
>>
>> Tommy Wood wrote:
>> > This vintage Explorer had a problem with leaking water via the intake
>> > manifold gasket. You might try very gently tightening the intake
> manifold
>> > bolts (the lower ones). Be careful because it's an aluminum intake
> manifold
>> > and if you overtighten, the manifold may crack.
>> >
>> > This fixed my problem with water getting into the intake.
>> >
>>
>> Interesting. In that case, the "loading the engine" test wouldn't show
>> anything because exhaust wouldn't be getting into the coolant. But it
>> seems like it would REALLY suck coolant at idle, so it wouldn't smooth
>> out.
>>
>> How'd you figure it out, and what were the symptoms?
>> -Paul
>>
>
> On my '91 it was easy to determine the manifold was leaking because water
> was pouring out next to the thermostat housing. On the '92 it was
> gradually
> losing coolant and there were water marks at the rear and when I pulled
> the
> manifold I could see it was getting wet in a couple of the ports. I had
> suspected a possible head gasket leak back then but decided to go after
> the
> intake manifold first and stopped there because I had found a problem. It
> just wasn't the ONLY problem it seems. Right now I'm looking at a new
> radiator, new thermostat, new fan clutch, new intake manifold gasket, new
> head gaskets, new piston rings (oh, and I suppose a valve job and complete
> rebuild would be in order), and a new Explorer. That computer controlled
> brake traction thingamajig they have now is very appealing (if it actually
> works). Now I need to find out which engine it is that I don't
> want--Google
> time.
>
> Oh, and it finally got it's first dent and they don't seem to have any
> Wild
> Strawberry touch-up paint any more. Hmmm... the AC doesn't work, the
> windshield is cracked, it finally got a rip in the leather upholstery, and
> the steering pump leaks. Maybe doesn't want a 91-94!
>


Oh, yeah, one of the other symptoms was I was losing a pint or so water
every month with no evidence of leaking. Forgot about that.

> wrote in message
ups.com...
>
> Ulysses wrote:
> > When my '92 EB with the 4.0 V6 has been sitting for a while it will run
> > rough when I first start it up and white smoke comes out of the
tailpipe.
>
> White smoke can be caused by coolant leaking into the cylinder from a
> bad head gasket. That jibes with it happening after sitting for a
> while, and when started running rough and then smoothing out.
>
> If that's the case, you should be losing coolant, and maybe
> overheating. One check is to fill the radiator but leave the cap off,
> start it, push hard on the brakes, put it in gear and rev it a LITTLE-
> 1200 rpm. Slip the clutch if it's a manual. The idea here is to load
> the engine to increase combustion pressure in the cylinders.
>
> Have someone observing the radiator coolant- if you have a bad head
> gasket, exhaust should get into the coolant, making it bubble and
> surge. The escaping exhaust forms big bubbles in the water jacket and
> pushes its way out thru the radiator cap opening.
>
> If the level just changes slightly when you rev and expands as it warms
> up, all that's normal.
>
> You have two, right? You can also compare them.
> -Paul

Well, since I don't have a radiator on the '92 at the moment I did the
bubble test on the '91 and got some nice, big bubbles. That would explain
the overheating.

At least by the time I'm done doing the '92 (assuming it's just a head
gasket and not a cracked head or block) I'll have some experience when I
tackle the '91.