DFXR
SILVER Star
Got a rough idle the other day, just minutes after I was reflecting on how well the 2F was running (aside from a little exhaust leak). Jinx in effect.
Vacuum was down from a steady 20 to a vibrating 16-18.
Started pulling plug wires at idle, and got no change on cylinders 3 and 4. So I skipped past any carb/intake/EGR troubleshooting.
Borrowed a compression tester (thanks @joebattle1 ) and got these numbers. For reference, this is a 235K mile truck with maybe 50-60K miles on a home rebuild by the previous-previous owner:
1: 130
2: 135
3: 40
4: 40
5: 140
6: 140
Dry test, engine warm. I did not bother with a wet test.
I am thinking, based on reading here, that I have a head gasket leak between 3 and 4. Fairly common, right?
The good news is that this happened a couple miles from home. I did not overheat or even run hot. Oil and coolant are level and clean. I'm hoping that the head did not suffer much in the run up to this.
So I will be pulling the head. The only heads I have pulled have been on dirt bikes. In terms of weight and complexity they almost don't count. They definitely did not have a smog octopus attached.
There are some good HG / head removal threads out there (thanks @lcolon). I'm sure I will still have some questions going forward. I will try to avoid the "while I am in there" variety because I am trying to stay away from that rabbit hole.
Here's a question for way down the road: has anyone out there assembled their head and manifold together on the bench, and then flown it in as a single unit with a little rolling shop crane? Or should I stop thinking about that? I can see it being straightforward with an actual hoist or gantry (esp on a desmogged 2F). But this would be a budget version, on a smogged 2F. Obviously the hood would have to get folded back.
Stay tuned-
Vacuum was down from a steady 20 to a vibrating 16-18.
Started pulling plug wires at idle, and got no change on cylinders 3 and 4. So I skipped past any carb/intake/EGR troubleshooting.
Borrowed a compression tester (thanks @joebattle1 ) and got these numbers. For reference, this is a 235K mile truck with maybe 50-60K miles on a home rebuild by the previous-previous owner:
1: 130
2: 135
3: 40
4: 40
5: 140
6: 140
Dry test, engine warm. I did not bother with a wet test.
I am thinking, based on reading here, that I have a head gasket leak between 3 and 4. Fairly common, right?
The good news is that this happened a couple miles from home. I did not overheat or even run hot. Oil and coolant are level and clean. I'm hoping that the head did not suffer much in the run up to this.
So I will be pulling the head. The only heads I have pulled have been on dirt bikes. In terms of weight and complexity they almost don't count. They definitely did not have a smog octopus attached.
There are some good HG / head removal threads out there (thanks @lcolon). I'm sure I will still have some questions going forward. I will try to avoid the "while I am in there" variety because I am trying to stay away from that rabbit hole.
Here's a question for way down the road: has anyone out there assembled their head and manifold together on the bench, and then flown it in as a single unit with a little rolling shop crane? Or should I stop thinking about that? I can see it being straightforward with an actual hoist or gantry (esp on a desmogged 2F). But this would be a budget version, on a smogged 2F. Obviously the hood would have to get folded back.
Stay tuned-