RE: 3.9 cracked heads?

From: Walter Felix (Walter_Felix@classic.msn.com)
Date: Tue Sep 02 1997 - 16:39:49 EDT

That could be something there. I've have checked the coolant level from time
to time and now that I think of it the header tank always seemed to be low. I
would always top off the radiator and pour a little extra into the tank.
Every once in a while, I would get a few drops on the ground under the truck.
It was leaking from somewhere but it was very intermittent.

Got the truck back on Friday, started to drive home from the shop and it
stalled out in the middle of the road. It would crank over but wouldn't
start. Almost like it wasn't getting any spark. After 5 minutes, it fired
right up. Took it back to the shop and left it. They weren't able to look at
it until this morning. I worked for them as a wrecker driver in the past and
still cover a night or two from time to time if they are short handed. I
still have their keys and I needed the truck Saturday so I grabbed it from
their pen. It died out a couple of times while driving and would always start
back up after a few minutes. I took it back over this morning and it wouldn't
do it. Drove it around all day without a problem. I don't know.

Walter_Felix@MSN.COM

http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Downs/9219

-----Original Message-----
From: James Babcock
Sent: Tuesday, September 02, 1997 7:44 AM
To: dakota@ait.fredonia.edu
Subject: Re: 3.9 cracked heads?

Hi Walter. Most of the head problems that I've ever heard of are a
result of coolant loss. It could also be air trapped in the system.
You mentioned oil changes, but was the coolant up to snuff? FWIW --
it's not enough to just check the header tank regardless of what the
manual says. The seal of the radiator cap might be bad in which case
the coolant will not be drawn back into the system when the engine
cools down.

Sorry to hear about your truck :-(

Jim
'87 V6 auto 4x4

Walter Felix wrote:
>
> Got a call two days later, both heads are cracked. I'm OK
> with a wrench but not an expert. Can anyone tell me how I may have cracked
> the heads? I'm a little heavy on the pedal but I don't beat the truck. It

> does have 130,000 but I take care of it. Keep it tuned up, oil changes
every
> 3000, etc... I just can't see it.
>
> Walter_Felix@MSN.COM
> 88 Sport 4x4 

-- 
James A. Babcock, Software Engineer   email: james.a.babcock@adn.alcatel.com
Alcatel Data Networks                   WWW: http://www.adn.alcatel.com
Ashburn, Virginia  USA                phone: +1 703 724 2762
Support your local Habitat for Humanity chapter (http://www.habitat.org)

This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Fri Jun 20 2003 - 12:07:51 EDT