Starting a new thread in the hopes I will get a bump :)

I'm still getting a slight engine tremor after replacing the heads. No misfire codes yet, but Mode 6 data shows that I'm failing two tests, one of which I believe is "Potential Misfire Events" (TID $56, CID$00). Other symptoms include a puff of white smoke out of the tail pipe on a cold start, and I appear to be losing coolant, although the glove test showed negative for leaks. I also sprayed carb cleaner and could find no vacuum leaks. But the loss of coolant, the white smoke, and the slight engine tremor (my wife calls it a shimmy) might still suggest leaking coolant into the cylinder.... If that were the case, would the glove test have shown any activity? Upper radiator hose gets nice and hot and pressurized. Overflow hose is clear and functioning as it should.

Code P430 relating to catalyst efficiency has also returned. I was getting this code before I replaced the heads, and I think the catalytic converter is indeed bad, because when I hit it, I can hear a slight springy sound. Not quite a full blown rattle, but like a small spring vibrating. Anyway, can this code be any way related to my continuing misfire events (engine tremor) or loss of coolant?

FYI: I do not have dual exhaust. I have an '06 Ranger 3.0.

I'm at a loss at what to do or repair next. When I had the engine apart I didn't notice any cracks in the block, and I installed a new head casting (not a reman).

Any feedback is appreciated!

 

White smoke at start up is not unusual
When you burn a hydrocarbon(H, gasoline) using Oxygen(O) one of the by-products is H2O(water), this is why tail pipes drip water and exhaust rusts from the inside out, lol

When you shut off the engine exhaust flow stops so any water vapor in the exhaust system will eventually condense and turn back into water, let the rust begin, and when you restart engine that water changes back into a vapor, and you see the white smoke until that water is gone, for the moment

Best bet to find a coolant leak is to rent a cooling system pressure tester
It a rad cap with a pressure gauge and a hand pump
You put it on a cold engine and pump up pressure to say 20psi
Then wait and watch
If pressure is dropping then you for sure have a leak in the pressure side of the system
Since engine is COLD the leaking coolant can't evaporate so you should be able to see it dripping out and trace it back
Pin hole leaks in hoses can't be seen easily, so run your hand around near hoses to FEEL the coolant spraying out

 

I rented the coolant pressure tester and pumped to 16 psi. Instructions said not to pressurize beyond what radiator cap specified (i.e., 16 psi). It held pressure for a good long while and never dropped below 14 psi. I could hear a very slight leak at the radiator filler neck, but this is a brand new OEM radiator so I figured the testing adapter must be worn and not have a perfect seal. I think that's why it dropped from 16 to 14, as I could find no other drips or traces of leaking anywhere.

So I guess this is good news? No coolant leaking through new head gaskets. Should I pressurize past 16 psi to see if I get a significant leak from the overflow hose?

Assuming coolant leak is not the issue, what could possibly be causing my engine warble after installing new heads? Think it could be the camshaft synchronizer and/or position sensor? When I had the lower intake off I cleaned up a pile of black sandy debris around the synchronizer. Maybe it's sludged up and not working right? Could a faulty O2 sensor be the culprit?

 

The rad cap that comes with the tester should seal tight???
Yes, they don't want you to blow off hoses at 30psi, lol, 16psi is fine for the test, cold engine is the big think so no hot coolant leaking out and evaporating before you can find the leak
Bummer it didn't hold pressure because of the bad cap

But if there was no coolant leaking or "steady" pressure drop, then your loss of coolant must be in the overflow hose or tank, check both for cracks

O2 sensors need to be replace every 100k miles or 12 years, which ever comes first, only sensor that actually wears out, lol

Just wait to see if it sets a specific misfire code at this point, not sure what else you can do

Although on the 3.0ls the Cam synchro units do wear out as well, 80k to 100k miles, they will usually start to squeak a bit

 

Well I tested again today and it held 18 psi without dropping. I must not have had the test cap turned on properly. So I guess this means I have no coolant leaks at all. My loss of coolant must have been temporary and caused by self-purging the system from running the vehicle.

 

Good work

Magic coolant, I had that happen to me, it was a crack in the overflow hose where it ran across the top of radiator
Overflow system is not used until coolant is hot, so radiator is hot
Coolant was sent over to overflow tank and some would leak out and evaporate pretty fast on top of rad
Then on cool down AIR would be sucked back into radiator thru the crack
So rad level would show a bit low
But held pressure?????

WTF, lol, magic coolant that could do trans-dimensional shifts was the only "logical" conclusion......................but that wasn't it

 

Haha, you'll never forget that overflow hose will you Ron?

I'm giving up on my P430 code and taking to the dealer to diagnose O2 sensor or bad cat. I asked them to fill my overflow to the cold line, so I'll know soon enough if I'm still losing coolant. I haven't pulled spark plugs yet.

Also, I think my clutch fan is bad or going bad. Tight in the morning, tight after driving, with no discernable change. Will spin about 5-10 degrees and stop. It's not roaring loud, but my A/C takes a few minutes to kick on and get cold.

 

Ford dealer confirmed the cat is bad, but didn't specify how or to what degree. Local estimate from muffler shop is about $2,000 parts and labor. Any thoughts on using lacquer thinner to try to clean the cat? Worth a try? As I said before, I was getting the P430 code when I bought the truck and I have no idea what kind of condition the cat is in or how long it was driven with the cylinder 5 misfiring. However, it doesn't sound like there are broken pieces inside the cat. It could be melted, in which case cleaning it won't do a lick of good.

 

Been a little while. I bought a direct-fit replacement cat and had it installed today. No change in terms of engine wobble/tremor. What could it be? I've replaced the heads and now the catalytic converter (the front three). No coolant leaks either. No misfire codes have returned after 1,000+ miles.

 

Balancer on crank pulley

Had a failing fan clutch cause a vibration on my 1994 but above 1,500rpms

 

Thanks RonD. I'll check that out and report back. BTW, not sure if it's related or not, but I'm also still hearing the same mechanical rattle/clicking from the engine area as before. I was hoping it was something loose in the CAT but nope. I don't hear it at idle, but it's loudest at around 1000-1200 rpm I'd say. Frequency changes with RPMs so thought it might be lifters or rods or something but when I had the engine torn apart when I redid the heads I didn't notice anything obvious. Not an exhaust leak either, as far as I can tell. I already replaced the driver's side exhaust manifold.

 

Cold engine
Pull fan belt off the crank pulley
Start engine, battery light will stay on, that's OK

Listen for the noise, it will be very very quiet in engine bay with no fan or accessories spinning
You can only run the engine for 60 to 90seconds with no water pump, but that's quite a long time, and you can repeat this test as much as you want when engine is cold again

 

So I finally got around to trying this and there was no change with the accessory belt off. I wouldn't say it idles rough, like it did when I was getting misfires, but it's definitely not consistently smooth either. It feels like a slight tremor in the engine (see here), and since replacing both heads I have not had any misfire or other CEL codes come back. What in the world could it be? Not sure if it's related, but there is significant shake at about 70 mph. Otherwise she drives great.

While I had the belt off, I checked all the pulleys and they all seem fine. Is the power steering pump pulley supposed to have some play in it? Mine moves about 1/4" back and forth.