Score and big ridge in the bore- new engine time?
- Thread starter SwampSurvivor
- Start date
What kind of engine?
Ford 2 valve 5.4
Is this for the '01 F350? Rusted to death? The answer is obvious.
Clean it up and put it back together
Unless you inclined to rebuild it, throw it back together. If it has piston slap, a dingle hone and new rings is probably not a good idea.
So why did you pull the head off if the engine ran fine before? Have you heard of the saying, if it ain't broke don't fix it?
Can't tell from the pic. Can you feel the ridge, like get it caught by a fingernail? Also, what does the cross hatch look like? Drop the piston down (and vacuum that crud off!), I'm curious how much polishing is on the major thrust surface. To me, something these days with a big ridge ought to have nadda left for cross hatch, just seems like, none of the teardowns I've watched have ridges (clearly I'm no expert here).
One vertical scratch? Kinda deep for just one. If the others are fine... ring got hot and butted up on itself? hot in one cylinder, so it self-reamed (reamed itself a new one?) and now you have a weak cylinder? I can't imagine compression being great.
With that said, IIRC it needed a head gasket. I say, slap it back together and ship it. It matches the rest of the truck. Heck, do the compression test later, just for fun.
One vertical scratch? Kinda deep for just one. If the others are fine... ring got hot and butted up on itself? hot in one cylinder, so it self-reamed (reamed itself a new one?) and now you have a weak cylinder? I can't imagine compression being great.
With that said, IIRC it needed a head gasket. I say, slap it back together and ship it. It matches the rest of the truck. Heck, do the compression test later, just for fun.
Nick1994
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If it were me,
I didn't see nothin'...
I didn't see nothin'...
It will probably run just fine like that. I have seen engines with significantly more cylinder ridge, running just fine. The score is pretty much a non issue. Many people don't know this, but grooves larger than that were intentionally cut into single cylinder motorcycle engines, for a form of passive compression release. Enabling a 500cc single to be more easily kick started. Never caused any issues.
If the score doesnt catch a fingernail its fine
Even if it does, it's likely to be fine in that engine.
Oh it definitely does. Both the ridge and the scratch. At least now I know where the piston slap is coming from.
There is no crosshatch left on this cylinder. 2,3,4 are fine oddly enough. Based on all the crusty sludge, I think someone cooked this engine before the truck ended up in the junkyard. Maybe it was wrecked or something and sat running with no coolant on the side of the road for a while?
It was pumping a quart out of the head gasket every 70 miles. Was genuinely worried that it was going to catch on fire.
This looks more appealing every day. Not quite the price I'd like but I drive by it almost every day.
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Any way to rotate the motor to see more of the bore? I’d guess not since you have the timing setup apart.
I’d be less concerned with that scoring (what’s visible in the photo) and more with the dulled finish on the bore as well as a ridge that’s not carbon. Can you catch it good with your nail? If you can, stick a snap gauge or dial bore gauge just to get a quick idea of how much it’s worn.
A compression test wouldn’t have been a bad idea before tear down.
I’d be less concerned with that scoring (what’s visible in the photo) and more with the dulled finish on the bore as well as a ridge that’s not carbon. Can you catch it good with your nail? If you can, stick a snap gauge or dial bore gauge just to get a quick idea of how much it’s worn.
A compression test wouldn’t have been a bad idea before tear down.
Unfortunately I wasn't planning on finding more issues, so I tossed out the cam chains. Waiting on new ones to come in. Once they get in I can put on the driver's side chain and bar it over. I guess this type of thing isn't something new to my fleet, I have had quite a few Jeep 4.0s and a 2.5 that were major piston slappers.
I can definitely catch both the scratch and ridge with a finger nail. But I think I'm going to throw it back together and hope for the best. I've put 30,000 miles on this engine and I haven't been terribly easy on it.
either send it and dont worry a bit or crush the works.
i would personally just keep running it if the engine isnt giving you issues
i would personally just keep running it if the engine isnt giving you issues
You took it apart because there was a piston slap, right?
If it had piston slap, given what you just found, it’s time for a rebore and new pistons.
If it had piston slap, given what you just found, it’s time for a rebore and new pistons.
I took it apart because it was hemorrhaging a quart of oil every 70 miles out of the head gasket. I've owned enough Jeep 2.5s and 4.0s to not fear piston slap. If it wasn't leaking oil, I wouldn't have touched it.
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They have reemers that hook to a drill and you can knock it down. I've heard of busted piston rings when someone buys a high mileage car from a little Ole lady and hot rods it. Probably a wives tale
