coolant issue...cracked head?

[85rx7_93ranger]

1990 b2 2.9 manual tranny

here are my symptoms.

poor heat(about 89degrees from vent)

temp gauge is all over the place...it goes form "C" cold to the normal area and back and forth very erraticly(like an air bubble or bad thermostat)

heater core makes gurgling noises soemtimes when heater is on

oil in the radiator and overflow tank but NO coolant in the oil


some background...i just bought teh truck and it had a leaking raditor with bars copperseal in the radiator so i put in a brand new radiator, hoses, waterpump, and thermostat.

ps when i took the old radiator out it smelled like oil inside and came out really sludgey


thanks guys im new to 2.9s so if someone could point me in teh right direction here

 

[adsm08]

That could well be a cracked head.

 

[85rx7_93ranger]

i have a feeling the cheap oreilly thermostat i put in is not working right but does anyone think it could be a head issue or what?

any info or 2cent would be awesome!

 

[85rx7_93ranger]

how could i tell if i have a cracked head? compression test?

 

[adsm08]

Well, a cheap t-stat could do that. An oil coated coolant temp sensor could do that too.

Also, a cheap t-stat won't get oil in the rad. Do a cooling system pressure test and a compression .

Cooling system pressure will let you know if there are any cooling system leaks, but not exactly where unless they are external.

A compression test will let know if a particular cylinder is at fault.

 

[85rx7_93ranger]

ok that makes sense ill do them both tomarrow at school but now how teh hell does oil get in the coolant without coolant in the oil?

 

[adsm08]

Lots of ways.

At least you don't have an F-350 that you owned for 3 weeks that has FUEL in the coolant.

 

[85rx7_93ranger]

i gotta stop buying fords lol...my dad always tells me one of these days ill get smart

 

[85rx7_93ranger]

so tomarow ill check cooling system pressure, compression on all cylinders, thermostat housing temp..



question....if i found oil and copperseal in the old radiator could the heatercore be plugged?

 

[rusty70f100]

It could be. Fortunately they're easy to change out. Unlike some other vehicles...

Oil pressure is usually higher than coolant pressure. A common issue on old Ford FE big blocks was an oil passage cracking into the water jacket. Oil would go into the antifreeze, but not the other way. I've never heard of it happening on a 2.9 though.

How much oil is there in the antifreeze? Is it possible that someone just got careless with the funnel, leaving it coated with oil when they filled it? Due to the way the system functions, it should all collect in the reserve tank.

I'd say, get one of those flush kits that go in the heater hose. That allows you to drain the block, but more importantly, take care of any bubbles that may be in the heater when you fill it with coolant. This is particularly important on 2.9's due to the propensity to crack cylinder heads. You don't want any air bubbles.

I'd suggest flushing the system and observing it. You might send in for an oil analysis to see if there really is any antifreeze in the oil. If it's a small amount it might go unnoticed.

 

[85rx7_93ranger]

well i just checked the oil cap and it looks like i was wrong there is snut under the cap so im sure its a cracked head

does anyone have a head or set of heads for cheap?

how much should i expect to pay for a 2.9 head at a junkyard?

 

[Mechanickid]

depends it could be condensation, unless that is if its really fresh and obviously large...

 

[Oravec]

yeah the junkyard. . . i did a 4.0 swap because my 2.9 kept screwing up. suspected cracked head, it was thirsty for coolant. they are really common from what i hear. if you can go to a junk yard that is not a "pick n' pull" then you wont have to pay near as much. those ones with the price systems are way too pricey.

 

[Shran]

I would seriously think about doing a 4.0 swap instead of a head job on your 2.9. Way better engine. It's getting hard to find good 2.9 heads too.