Frod Escort '90 - head gasket replacement question

gaskets, bolts etc...).

because anyway I think this car will not

I personally have not done this job on my escort, but I can recall a few of the details you seek from reading some of the aftermarket technical manuals.

By valve parts I'm assuming you are referring to the springs, lifters, stems, etc. All of the valve parts stay in the head when you remove it.

The manuals indicate that you must replace the head bolts. If you were keeping the car for a long time I would suggest inspecting the timing belt and water pump while the car is out of commission, or replace it if high mileage on the parts.

For one year or less left on the car I would just junk it when it goes and not bother with the head gasket, unless you have nothing better to do but get good and greasy.

Advice from my shade-tree to yours...

Matt

everybody says replace the bolts-but I never do and I never have a problem. I use star washers to tighten the bolts and they never work loose. That was the major concern, the bolts working loose

|everybody says replace the bolts-but I never do and I never have a |problem. I use star washers to tighten the bolts and they never work |loose. That was the major concern, the bolts working loose

Head bolts are designed to have a different coefficient of expansion than the block metal, so as they heat up, they -tighten- on the block and gasket.

I see no reason to change the headbolts. ^^^^^^^

Lg

Ford Head bolts are torque type , one use and MUST be replaced or they will not hold correct tension , for $2.00 saving your crazy risking a failure.

| | |Lawrence Glickman wrote: |> |> On Tue, 13 Jan 2004 22:44:38 -0600 (CST), snipped-for-privacy@webtv.net (Amosf |> Weise) wrote: |> |> |everybody says replace the bolts-but I never do and I never have a |> |problem. I use star washers to tighten the bolts and they never work |> |loose. That was the major concern, the bolts working loose |> |> Head bolts are designed to have a different coefficient of expansion |> than the block metal, so as they heat up, they -tighten- on the block |> and gasket. |> |> I see no reason to change the headbolts. | |Ford Head bolts are torque type , one use and MUST be replaced or they |will not hold correct tension , for $2.00 saving your crazy risking a |failure. |> ^^^^^^^ |> |> Lg

You are correct, my mistake. I later read that the bolts can only be torqued ONCE.

Good info, thanks for the advice.

My POS 97 Tracer had a radiator leak. I brought it in today for a recall ( airbag ) and lo and behold, radiator leaking $584 to replace Bent tie rod, steering knuckle $163

I said, "wait a minute" and inspected it myself. Sure enough. Then I said no way I am paying that to keep the rust bucket on the road. Next will be hoses, who knows what else. so with 50,443 miles on the car, I traded it in for a 2003 Mercury Sable. Silly _me_ !

I could have put $2,000 worth of repairs into the Tracer, and it wouldn't have increased Kelley Blue Book value by as much as 1 penny. I had to -think-. I walked around for a while, thinking. Saw a good deal on a Sable, took it home and showed it to the wife, said whadayathink? She said OK.

So, for now, I'm out of the car repair business ;-) I retain my status as car -maintenance- now. And am glad I sent the Escort, I mean Tracer, on its way without throwing any more money or time at it.

But I'll hang around the n/g to _learn_ more of what I can. I am just at the moment HAPPY to see something in my driveway besides that damn Tracer !!!!

Lg

Meaning the tie rod and steering knuckle is bent? Some one is a little rough on the car? You did not notice the steering wheel off center? You say you were in the car repair busness and you did not notice this?

How many have you done?

Ah............no.

On Thu, 15 Jan 2004 20:02:31 -0500, "Thomas Moats" wrote: |> You are correct, my mistake. |> I later read that the bolts can only be torqued ONCE. |>

|> Good info, thanks for the advice. |>

|> My POS 97 Tracer had a radiator leak. I brought it in today for a |> recall ( airbag ) and lo and behold, radiator leaking |> $584 to replace |> Bent tie rod, steering knuckle |> $163 |>

|> I said, "wait a minute" and inspected it myself. Sure enough. | |Meaning the tie rod and steering knuckle is bent? Some one is a little rough on |the car? You did not notice the steering wheel off center? You say you were in |the car repair busness and you did not notice this?

I spent 30 years in Factory Automation business as a Senior Service Tech. Makes repairing a car look like easy work.

The symptom was, the wheel would pull a small tad when starting from a standing stop. Then it would roll alright.

It is winter up here and I don't spend a lot of time fooling with the car in the cold if I can help it.

ME hard on the car? For all I know, it happened when the guy who did my brakes took the car for a test drive and hit a pothole or something.

I didn't do it. But the damage was there, clear as day, if you looked for it.

But THAT was nothing. I could have bought a part, and repaired THAT in less than 1 hour.

The bitch was the radiator leaking at the bottom seal. Supposedly a common problem on Escorts. Now I have changed radiators before, but not on a compact car, and believe me, there is NO wiggle room in there for a mistake.

I tossed the car ( ehrm, traded it in ). Sometimes that is the best idea.

Lg

Think so? What is so different? Are the basics of hydraulics in a punch press different than the hydraulic system of a transmission? Flow is flow. Do the laws of electricity change when going from the world of "Factory Automation" to the world of automobile electronics? Don't think so. Is some how the nature of mechanics different in a factory tool in compared to a internal combustion engine, or all the verified mechanical systems of an automobile? All the "trades" are the same, what is different is in your bolted to the floor machine it's operating perimeters are always the same. It has a relatively constant climate. Does not have to operate in inclement weather. It's power supply is very consistent, no chance for "bad gas". I consider your job to be boring.

If both the tie rod and knuckle are bent it does not "roll alright".

Yea, If I had a dime for every time some one told me that line. A bent tie rod and knuckle does not happen on a pot hole, some one drove the car into a curve.

Should have felt it going down the road.

I don't think so, but maybe you could............. ah.........no.

Any car, not just Escorts. Why do you think there are repair facilities? If my memory serves me, that radiator has side tanks, not top and bottom.

The Escort/Tracer is not all that bad. Granted not as easy as a CV but mostly because of the fact the car sits so much lower. It's rough on the back.

|> I spent 30 years in Factory Automation business as a Senior Service |> Tech. Makes repairing a car look like easy work. | |Think so? What is so different? Are the basics of hydraulics in a punch press |different than the hydraulic system of a transmission? Flow is flow. Do the laws |of electricity change when going from the world of "Factory Automation" to the |world of automobile electronics? Don't think so. Is some how the nature of |mechanics different in a factory tool in compared to a internal combustion |engine, or all the verified mechanical systems of an automobile? All the |"trades" are the same, what is different is in your bolted to the floor machine |it's operating perimeters are always the same. It has a relatively constant |climate. Does not have to operate in inclement weather. It's power supply is |very consistent, no chance for "bad gas". I consider your job to be boring.

Did a hornet or something fly up your ass Moats? What the f*ck are you on about. What is your MAJOR MALFUNCTION

Take your *problem* to your Doctor. i don't need to listen to your ignorant s*it.

Lg

I'd say it's very obvious who the "ignorant s*it" is. Little hint for ya... it's not Moats. Bob

===================== LOL. Doctor, hmmm, maybe thats it. He must of missed the "target" dose of the prozac. :)

Its amazing how convoluted these converstations get because everybody thinks they are better then everybody else.

Truth be told everybody knows something but nobody knows everything.

Now i dont even know what the original post was about, my news server stinks so I cannot help this person.

I most likely wouldnt be able to anyway.

|Mr. "I spent 30 years in Factory Automation business as a Senior Service Tech. |Makes repairing a car look like easy work." Your ego must have been a little |bruised. Truth hurts, get over it. The stuff you worked on is not as "high tech" |as you like to make it.

How the hell would you know. You've never even seen this *stuff.*

Pull out a slide panel, 50 circuit boards in each, plugged into a backplane. Not to mention the mechanics.

You're shootin from the hip partner. Stick with what you know.

Lg

|Oh, now we go from "I spent 30 years in Factory Automation business as a Senior |Service Tech. Makes repairing a car look like easy work." To aircraft? Well |I'll ask you. Does the electronics in a 747 differ from ground based |electronics? Does ohms law differ? Don't think so.

We ain't talking ohm's law here, chump, we're talking taking michrochips down to the gate level in a machine with more electronics in it than the space shuttle.

Stick with what you know.

Lg

So micro chips do not follow Ohms law now? Micro chips are very reliable, The microchips that make up the module or processor do not fail very often. Which planes trains and automobiles all have. Oh, and your factory robot. The problems are usually found in the wiring circuits that the micro chips are attached to out side the module. Things like loose or corroded connectors, grounded wires due to cut shielding. Let me guess, you also work for NASA, being that you have insider information on how much electronics and the level of electronics in the space shuttle. Your kind of funny.

"How the hell would you know." If I've never seen this *stuff*? Oh I know, you are THE only person in the world, you must be VERY impotent.

Yea so? Your point?