12Ounce

Hello buddy,

I remember you have done the timing cover gasket on 2nd gen ford windstar.
Could you share with me the general procedure?
What parts need to be removed before lower the subframe? (alternator? water pump pulley? power steering pump? ac compressor?)
Is it a must to remove the oil pan?
How did you deal with the synchronizer?
Cuz it's not standard repair procedure printed on service manual, so I am not 100% confident with my skill. But I have done another rering job on a mazda L4.

Thank you so much

A hobbyist, who tries to keep cars going for myself, family, and friends. Years of trying ... reading, listening, doing. Good luck!

I see, thank you very much. Are you a mechanic? If not how did you acquire so much knowledge about cars? Any tips for me?

If the seat has just started to fail, it may "re-seat" several times before getting in the path of something and causing further failure. During this period, detection can be difficult. A cylinder compression test might have a good chance of detecting it ... but the only sure way is to remove the head and inspect.

About fixing the problem "for good", I was speaking about the shop using a punch to deform the aluminum head around the steel seat for better capture. It's an improvement, but if the engine really overheats ... there are no guarantees!

Wow, thank you for the quick response! A couple more questions...what is a definite way to tell if valve seat has loosened if no knocking noise is coming from the cylinder heads? Regarding the cylinder head, I was referring to the part where you said yours had a fused valve seat so the problem doesnt occur again. Thanks again for your time.

If you haven't had this problem yet, (the dropping of the valve insert/seat) ... you will not likely have it as long as you avoid any overheating of the engine. There will be no pre-emptive action required.

If the valve seat has already loosened, then any cylinder head repair shop should be able to make the necessary repairs. Repair parts for this engine are very available everywhere in North America (Rock Auto on line, for example) .... I hope this helps.

Hi,

I am writing to you after coming across your post (http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...20&postcount=3). I just bought a 97 ford escort at 99000 miles for cheap but after researching the web I am finding out this problem with them. Can you tell me where you got the parts to do preemptive repair so that the problem doesn't come back? Thanks