I Found A MAJOR Engine Issue After Fixing EVERYTHING On My SVT Lightning! Previous Owner Had To Know

[@LegitStreetCars]

Do you think the previous owner knew and is this Ford's fault or abuse? Click this link bit.ly/3mFdrY8 and use coupon code Legit for 5% off RockAuto!

[@TheTacoBelli]

Have you considered its the air to water intercooler leaking and pressurizing the cooling system by the boost pre-combustion? That would explain the lack of combustion gasses in the testing and also why it only manifests when under boost. I know these had that problem or something similar when they were new.

[@JoeManLARockinEmpire]

Absolutely no doubt about it

[@christophersparkman]

I really don't think it's the previous owner's fault. Just doesn't add up.

[@lmadden6236]

@LegitStreetCars Not sure if you know, but you need to have the control arms loaded to properly check the ball joints on those... Like leave the truck on the ground and place the jack under the control arm, one side at a time to check for play.

[@JoeManLARockinEmpire]

@@christophersparkman He owned several of course he knew plus the leaking overflow was a dead giveaway

[@TheGT350Garage]

Alex, legit recommendation: if you pull it to fix the gaskets and helicoil the spark plug holes to make them full thread, add rods and pistons to the upgrade list. The stock PM rods and cast pistons sign off above about 450-475rwhp even when everything is done correctly, but the pistons will lose their ring lands at the first hint of detonation at nearly stock power levels. I had one come into the shop many years ago after the owner’s GF put 87 octane in it and it knocked the ring lands out of the pistons on a truck that had a +2psi pulley, CAI, cat-back exhaust, and a tune on a truck making about 400 to the wheels. These trucks are so much fun, but they were close to their safe limit from the factory. Three years after these ended production, the GT500 saw all the updates the SVT Lightning should have received, let that be your guide. Great video as always, love the direction the channel is taking.

[@kimosabbe50]

Very interesting information...thanks for sharing 👍

[@longjohn77]

Hopefully Alex sees this and follows your advice.

[@TwentytenS4B8]

I am really surprised Ford did not use forged pistons in a boosted application. That is pretty much gospel when assembling an engine for a power adder since Hypereutectic pistons will work for a while but once they rattle, it's a wrap.

[@chrismason6857]

How much should a head gasket replacement cost? Does it always mean planing the block? What are the risks? Thanks.

[@Mach141]

@@chrismason6857 it should cost however much the gaskets cost, Do it yourself. Its not hard

[@HappyPower]

There Is just something so satisfying seeing new parts go on an older vehicle, If I had the money I'd literally go too far and replace everything haha.

[@tskraj3190]

You need to with these F150s. The Tritons are garbage no matter if it's a 4.6L or 5.4L. Ford was trying to save money so the engineers rushed these motors out.

[@Owensti]

@@tskraj3190 eh I’d like to say different, I have a 4.2 that’s manual & 4x4 with 240k miles going strong with absolutely no problems starts up every time. I also have a 2004 5.4 king ranch with 237k miles going strong absolutely no problems. I do oil changes every 4K miles I guess it’s all about maintenance. A buddy of mines also has a 4.2 with a little over 300k miles and ran great until he got into a accident.

[@tskraj3190]

@@Owensti The 4.2 is a much better motor. Good luck with your 5.4L. Try not to do any tune ups.

[@Owensti]

@@tskraj3190 my dad has a 2010 5.4 king ranch on the other hand that went out due to something very minor. On one of the pcm harness I guess it made contact with the engine , the heat causes the tape and wires to melt and cause a short. That short blew the pcm and it’s currently in limp mode. I was able to find another pcm now I’m looking for a pcm harness.

[@tskraj3190]

@@Owensti My profile pic was the last F150 I owned. It was a 5.4L but it was nothing but problems including the infamous spark plug spitting and then the cam phaser completely crumbled. I also had a 97' F150 4.6L. It continuosly spit spark plugs.

[@jarahbyler1085]

Anyone else just smile after watching his videos? What a great guy Alex is, and what a great job he does wrenching on his projects. Hats off to this guy!

[@jasonw7497]

I see what's going on here... You are attempting to slide in his DM's and do nasty stuff. Staupppp

[@earnestbunbury2103]

Too much talking, never a break from the voice.

[@TheLuisg92]

Well, after tearing apart the V12 in the Mercedes, fixing this engine can’t be that hard.

[@samuelgoodman2825]

True lol

[@AF_1892]

Correct. My med school friend who had a 12v Viper car. He was going to Houston and something bad happened. He is brilliant smart. He did the best Prince impersonation. Team Ford SVT called. The bushings are very important. Edit: I had to yell at the last mechanic "I want the Bilstiens". He said but oh these other ones aren't hard riding. Sorry captain dum dum change the fuel filter than 15k. I always full throttle tf out of mine.

[@meorge9359]

I say buy some ARP studs. Remove the head bolts one at a time and install the studs. Even if it doesn’t fix it, you can always re use the studs. As opposed to most head bolts that you have to replace anyway

[@scotttauscher5460]

Even though arp says they are not torque to yield I would not reuse them its not worth saving pennies on the dollar if you need to go back and fix it again.

[@arbenowner]

@@scotttauscher5460 studs are absolutely reusable. They don’t stretch like bolts.

[@MechanicalMafioso]

You can also replace the head bolts with studs one at a time. I would definitely try dropping some good ARP’s in there one at a time and retorquing them one at a time. Cummins guys do this all the time. Done it myself with good success. If it doesn’t work ya really haven’t lost anything but a little time.

[@Eastahtata]

I was gonna say this too. Can anyone attest if there's enough room to pull out the bolts with the heads in place on these trucks?

[@bigbitch420]

@@josiekiosie4910 🤗

[@tadrian33]

"Most importantly....beat on cars before you buy them" - Best advice when purchasing a used vehicle!

[@johnp8625]

So you beat on the car you are looking to buy and you break it. Who is now responsible for the breakage?

[@jetskiliferboatguy8140]

Fully port the heads while they are off.

[@jasonw7497]

@Racing Girl's 😘🤤 cool dude You are clearly an anime weirdo. Stop creampie-ing your pillows.

[@firesurfer]

@@jasonw7497 That's a bot, not a person.

[@jasonw7497]

@@firesurfer I know But it's fun to me...to respond to then Don't judge me

[@TwentytenS4B8]

@@jasonw7497 LMFAO!!!! "Creampie-ing your pillows." dead

[@TwentytenS4B8]

I don't think Alex is wanting to have the truck torn apart for six months like the V12 was.

[@qksilvr73]

You're lifting the head from getting into boost. I have a 2000 Lightning and am changing my head-gaskets soon. I am leaking out the side of block. These 5.4's are known to leak. I think the factory bolts stretch over time from heating and cooling. You can pull the heads off and change the gaskets in the truck.

[@JBBBBBBBB250]

I had identical symptoms on a non boosted 5.4... it's probably not even the boost

[@qksilvr73]

@@JBBBBBBBB250 Yes it is true. It doesn't matter if it's boosted or not.

[@ng-ht1vx]

I"d lift the cab to do the work. I don't have a lift, but if I did, that would be what I'd do.

[@albertko1]

I guess it's also a good time to switch to head studs to avoid the problem in the future. I know it's a problem for a lot of other boosted platforms. Sometimes factory head bolts aren't really capable of holding the higher cylinder pressures of more boost.

[@qksilvr73]

@@albertko1 This is what am doing also. Putting in some ARP headstuds to strengthen it up a tad.

[@akaydogan]

I really like that you don't gloss over the process and that you include the struggles of replacing parts, especially when working alone. Camera angles and critical focus are also always spent on. Video production is a job in it self, and you add expert auto repair content on top of that. Keep doing what you're doing. It's always a pleasure to watch and learn.

[@stevekannansadasivam7370]

I love the way you do the presentation...I am an asian....every word comes out from your mouth is very very CLEAR. I enjoy your vids man!

[@caseynocher2158]

Tear it down, fix it right. It's your dream truck, so I say make it solid and enjoy it to the fullest. Wonderful video, as always!

[@ghostwrench2292]

100% agree! Do like he did with the AMG V12 - replace everything and KNOW the engine is ready to take a beating!

[@garyvernon5705]

When I saw the first video, saw the colour of that coolant and the leaking cooling system, I thought: head gaskets. I know the pressure cap was bad, but to me, that didn't explain the colour of the coolant, as a leaking cap won't change the colour of the coolant, you need combustion gasses to do that. You might ask, why was I so sure? Same thing happened to me. Sorry about the situation you are in, and all the work you'll need to do. Just think though: what a great subject for a series of videos!

[@philipkozloff3832]

Of course, head gaskets can leak two ways: on the exhaust side and on the intake side. If on the latter, the coolant gets sucked into the adjacent cylinder and out the exhaust pipe and you should be able to tell because the coolant level goes down because it leaves the system without any hose leaks. Simple observation of the level will pick this up. In Alex's sort of case, the exhaust gas infiltrates the coolant system, adding gaseous volume to the nearly sealed system that has to escape some way, in Alex's case, out the filler cap probably with some coolant fluid. But some exhaust gas gets absorbed in the remaining coolant fluid, thereby changing its chemistry. The change in the new coolant color from blue-green to orangy-rust is very much like the test kit that Alex demonstrates in the video. Maybe the coolant was already indicating for "free" what the test kit does at some expense and some waste of time. If none of this is going on, that is the coolant level stays the same and its color does, too, you probably don't have a coolant or a head gasket problem.

[@raysheppard379]

I think it would be cool to try tightening the head bolts to see if that fix's it.

[@toomanyhobbies2011]

You're joking, right?

[@potatochobit]

@@toomanyhobbies2011 he meant you should try and use blue devil first.

[@rustler08]

Lol, no.

[@vrydstrbd]

On the sway bar end links, I recommend using anti-seize between sleeve and the bolt

[@kevinStyler6299]

This camera/cut style is so awesome with all the space you have to move around the lift and show different angles for one specific job I love it!!

[@matthewkasparian4359]

You should also remove the supercharger and do a deep clean on your intercooler, I just did mine on my 01 lightning and it was hammered. Check your rotors and change your supercharger oil while at it too. It’s also the perfect time to check your coils and change your plugs with the blower off it turns a 2 hour job into a 20 min job.

[@emitsgarage]

Don't use any head gasket sealants. They never work and cause a mess inside of the cooling system. Its like slapping a bandaid on a flesh wound. The easiest route would be to try and torque the head gasket down. I would be concerned to loosen and tighten them as I'm not sure if they are stretch bolts. Either way, life happens but I'm excited to see you handle it. Best of luck!

[@fecundloin2780]

If it's an oil side leak it can work on a beater(just bypass the heater matrix and then flush when sealed)

[@quentinc1275]

Good point but if they're currently under torqued and they're torque to yield bolts then they wouldn't have stretched yet which could be why the head gasket is only letting by coolant under boost.

[@Lunas2525]

They put a layer of sand in the cooling system...

[@fecundloin2780]

@@Lunas2525 I wasn't on about putting sand in the cooling system, WTF!. I was on about putting head gasket sealant when you have an oil side leak that doesn't have to fix combustion pressure and flushing it after the leak was sealed(on a beater). You do your sand fix though ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@fecundloin2780]

@@quentinc1275 It's running higher boost though isn't it so compression will be well up. Sticking a smaller pulley on for more boost seems like it's a poor mans tune. Not surprised it's bypassing the head gasket. I wouldn't overtighten the studs as they are likely to shear and cause a world of pain

[@DebtLife_Projects]

100% lifted head. Coolant coming out of the overflow under long pulls/boost, but driving fine, is exactly what happened to mine. You need to pull the heads, and fix it properly, don't re-torque or re-use the bolts, they stretch. While your at it, rods are the weak link, and may as well go built. These trucks don't like detonation, and need a really safe, low timing tune. Since you don't know the history, id 100% have it tuned by a reputable LIGHTNING tuner. There's lots of info out there, Lightningrodder is a great forum with tons of info, and O.G. Lightning guys that are very helpful and can help you with any questions.

[@thomasinthe1990s]

I remember learning to do maintenance on my first vehicle, a 1990 Ford Bronco. Found out the hard way you need a special tool to takeoff those fuel filters. No internet or KZbin back then! This video just brought back some memories.

[@notasian7620]

Damn must have been a long frustrating day

[@AF_1892]

Previous vehicles w less power, I never cared about fuel filter. At longest 15k miles, usually I change it early.

[@MrBilldo426]

I’ve had the same problem with cars in the past. The easy diagnosis is if it over heats while not moving but many are not that easy. Especially with boosted engines. Glad you saw the problem man. There’s a lot of people out there that would have missed it and destroyed that beautiful truck.👍👍👍

[@cobratrick96]

If he said he would help with parts.. busted! He knew.

[@grantbierlmeier7641]

He probably knew but I agree with Alex - in a private sale it’s buyer beware…

[@Spacecadet3890]

My t/a snapped a tranny mount, and the previous owner offered to help me fix it. He also had a collection of 6-7 f bodys

[@jamesmedina2062]

@@grantbierlmeier7641 but at 19k you would expect a higher standard but the buyer has to be objective and beware big-time

[@Sylvan_dB]

If he was trying to scam the buyer he would not offer to help with parts and likely would ghost any contact. Seems more like just a nice guy and maybe suspected but did not know there was a problem.

[@jamesmedina2062]

@@Sylvan_dB willful ignorance? Its never black and white. Sellers of shite are not pure evil but when you are screwed out of thousands it sure seems like it.

[@oby-1607]

Best thing is to replace everything when something in the steering gets loose. If one piece is wearing out, the rest is there or not far behind. I picked up a F-350 crew-cab that used to be a forest service truck and the first thing I did was replace everything that moved in the front end. Pricey, but I don't have to worry when I am coming down a little used narrow gravel road with a load of firewood. What made it even better was almost everything new had a grease fitting. Good to see someone else on the Milwaukee team.

[@abu_ghaleb]

Sorry to hear about the truck. But I like your attitude, when life give you 🍋 make some lemonade. I suggest you re tourqe the head bolts, nothing to lose there. Great and genuine content as always.

[@orlandopiedra2996]

For the experiment def check the threads to the spark plugs first and then attempt the torque down. But with all this in mind you may want to just be ready with the preventative - supercharger removal, s/c oil change, rotor inspect, IC cleaning, then remove heads/gaskets for something better along with cams and then put it all back together. For sure longevity.

[@MK-gt1ez]

I had the same problem on a diesel car, was driving perfectly fine but when I flor it a bunch of times the coolant was coming out, and I decided to do the head gasket job, did the job and the car was the same, then I changed the front radiator and the heater matrix and the problem was solved

[@redwalsh87]

On my 03 Mach 1 I had the spark plug threads upgraded from the 4 to a 9 thread, good piece of mind. I also went back with ARP studs because the factory torque to yield bolts are harder to install (crazy torquing sequence with torque and degree, backing off etc), meant for a one time use and not as strong. For a few hundred dollars the studs make a ton of sense.

[@tractormatt4301]

It’s like Christmas every time you post. I visibly light up, and click on the video instantly. Thanks so much.

[@Lions7.62mm]

Absolutely do NOT use band-aid in a bottle! But I do like the idea of popping the valve covers off & replacing the head bolts with some ARP studs‼️ GOOD LUCK‼️

[@willmatic84]

That why I watch this channel 💪🏽😤 always challenging different types of projects

[@markopolo945]

Same here and he gets stuff done too!

[@TheDeadmandillon]

I kinda want to see you make some upgrades to the transmission a little bit. Albeit it's understandable if the transmission is still operating like it should, but at the same time, it is an older model truck with a few exceptions that have just been replaced brand new and done properly up to this point. Either way, it never hurts to replace a few engine parts vs. spending a lot to do a complete engine swap.

[@GeFeldz]

Please don't gum up the cooling system with snake oil =) Re-torqueing the heads seems to be the first step, like you said!

[@BustedGeezerGarage]

Hey Alex, I was thinking of the same thing about checking the head bolt tightness before tearing the engine down. I have found similar issues on diesel generator sets. I had a huge gen set that was run by a Perkins 4 cyl, 4 stroke engine. It was donated to the college I retired from for a student project. The students and I checked it out and one of the problems was loose head bolts. There was no oil/coolant mixture in the radiator or crankcase so we just drained everything and added new oil and coolant. We torqued the head bolts to spec, ran the engine until it got hot, let it cool down and all was OK. We also used a pressure gauge on the radiator and lost no pressure. All was OK after that and it ran perfect. We sold it for a profit on E-bay. One model of the Ford 5.4 3 Valve V8 engine had a problem with the timing system in the engine. Make sure you don't have that engine. Those engines need replaced I have heard. Car Wizard has some low opinions of the Ford engine I'm talking about. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rpSxkIqZfNdneLc

[@luissilva4551]

If it was me i would do: ARP head bolts, ported heads, pulie on the supercharger and tune for e85 that would be sick

[@stephendwinells8260]

Around 450 hp you should overhaul the whole engine I am learning that lesson

[@braydonbroome7473]

Ported heads really won’t do much if you’re not pushing in a LOT more air, (more than a pulley) your money is better spent porting the supercharger way before the heads. As someone else commented it doesn’t matter becausd by the time you do bolt ons and a good tune your approaching the stock block’s (namely the rods in the block) limit.

[@stephendwinells8260]

@@braydonbroome7473 everyone says the limit is 500rwhp it’s not 450 and it’s a ticking time bomb… I like mine 435 hp with a lower pulley for tq and it’s just a 4 pound lower. When I bought my cobra it had 6 pound lower see ya later went to a stock lower and a whipple fucken nuts.

[@toomanyhobbies2011]

@@braydonbroome7473 A supercharged engine needs smooth-ported heads because it's PUSHING air into the engine. None of that special normally-aspirated head work means anything to a supercharged engine, especially if it's fuel injected.

[@braydonbroome7473]

@@toomanyhobbies2011 the problem being is when you port the heads the air is less condense if the supercharger isn’t pushing any more air.

[@robertseymour9023]

I had a 97 F150 4.6L 2V that had a blown head gasket, and similarly to yours, it wouldn’t trip the testing fluid when you did the test per Napa’s instructions. No overheating, no smoke, no chocolate milk, etc. the only “symptom” was blowing the radiator every six months. The nice thing I found out about the job is that you DO NOT need the special timing chain tools to pull the heads. It wasn’t a bad job, but I’ll never pull heads in a F150 with the engine in the bay again. It’s possible to do but you’ll be fighting it the entire way.

[@Ali-bz9gd]

Be carful of the driver side last head stud, it tends to round very easy as you don’t have enough bite on it.

[@timzimmer2686]

Sorry about your luck Alex, but this is why I think you have the best automotive content channel on KZbin. You’re an average Joe like the rest of us. Sometimes you get a great deal and sometimes you get hosed, but you make the best of it. Keep up the great work!

[@BajaVRB]

I love how you post really long videos with the whole process. I hate it when youtubers make 20 part series and each video is 10-15 mins long.

[@tihspidtherekciltilc5469]

Cough Tavarishcoughcough.

[@spdodger]

I'm sure it's just a coincidence YT pays beginning at the 10 minute mark. ;-) Tavarish, Tyler Hoover (a guy whose greed is so bad he wanted to start a Just Fans page until he read the reactions), Ed Bolian, etc., are breaking them up to get paid for 3 10 minute videos in place of 1 30 minute video. The other move is to create the 2nd channel (Tavarish, Tyler, Doug DeMuro...)

[@BajaVRB]

@@spdodger rebuilding Maclarens is expensive work 😀

[@YungEagle3k]

@@BajaVRB lmao

[@tinystar3010]

I agree but he still stretched out the video 20 minutes before he began even talking about the major issue. That suspension stuff was long enough to be its own big detailed video.

[@lovejones72]

This is my favorite automotive KZbin channel yet it’s the one I get the least content from! Not a knock - I just wish we got more frequent posts. Alex is the best

[@hobbytrucker]

Hey Alex. Have you though about installing some sound baffles on the roof to lower the amount of echo you get in the new workshop ? Loving the content mate. Gday from Australia 🇦🇺

[@sph_holl2650]

I concur with this comment! I wonder if it's on his to-do list already? Either way, absolutely one of my favourite channels! I'm from the UK!

[@musicmanbc9613]

Also closed foam insulation is a cheap way to fix it and it’ll help insulate it in the winter.

[@tintinlavigne5257]

Perhaps a good micro ( moumouté)

[@zkdadof4]

Needs a wireless 🎤

[@greatpix]

If he gets into building sound baffles he could also build those really cheap popular panel speakers and hang them from the walls, or ceiling. Fantastic DIY Speakers for less than $30! kzbin.info/www/bejne/sJXOqnp6prpqrqM

[@1234567890CAB]

This same thing happened to my friend's car. Short story: the previous owner definitely blew the head gasket and put in head gasket sealant to sell the car making the coolant brown and staining the cooling system. Long story: last year he bought a 2013 Chevy Sonic Turbo. When we went to look at it we knew it had problems but it was a good price, he needed a car, he liked it, and it drove fine you couldn't tell the head was blown even when flooring it. The first sign was his coolant was a dirty brown color and the coolant reservoir was stained so we did coolant flushes to clean it out and changed the coolant. The next sign was it would slowly loose coolant over time. He'd probably still be driving the car and we wouldn't know about the head, but the turbo ended up breaking. We had to take the broken turbine wheel out and put a pod filter on the intake so he could still get to work. The car didn't like that and it kept the fan on full speed which ended up frying the fan and eventually the car overheated making the head worse. Finally we had to fix it the right way leading us to find the head gasket sealant when we took the head off.

[@zacharytribou2728]

You need a bungee cord to hold stuff up, it will help your sanity in the long run

[@Paulscnccreations]

I have the exact same problem with a 2009 Hyundai i30 1.5 tdi. When I checked the coolant cap it literally fell apart, so I replaced that then I replaced the thermostat as that was faulty. The coolant would bubble and over flow on revs over 2500rpm. I then realised that somebody had tried to flush the engine using dish washer tablets. So I flushed it out and put the correct coolant/antifreeze in it. I haven’t done the coolant check yet as i do not have the special tool. Thanks for the video it has hopefully helped me. I’m a vehicle mechanic of 20 years and I have never seen this problem before.

[@11cramm11]

Is it possible tightening up the head bolts could make it seal better even if it's just for a temporary fix

[@toomanyhobbies2011]

No!

[@kickblake]

The factory bolts are "torque to yield," Once they're tight, that's it. All you're going to do is stretch them if you keep going.

[@tour80]

Same issue on my 2011 Legacy GT. Car never overheated and never smoked, everything worked great. The thing that I should have noticed is that the overflow tank was empty and when filled up, you could see air bubbling up and with enough heat it would expand and overflow. Things are all good now after a full rebuild!

[@TheAlanFish]

Brother, you need a but of sound deadening on the walls at the Legit Streetquarters. Doesn't need to be like professional treatment, just something less sound reflective than the concrete walls. Some banners or something would help quite a bit.

[@reallyhappenings5597]

No need to drape the walls, a mic adjustment will kill the echo

[@TheAlanFish]

@@reallyhappenings5597 not without changing the sound in possibly undesirable ways. Taming the reflectivety of the room is less technically challenging/time consuming, and more permanent. You don't need to cover all of the concrete surfaces, just enough to tame the sound's tendency to ricochet back and forth.

[@thh420]

@@TheAlanFish some old blankets from a thrift shop in hte corners and a Soundcloud above him made from old raggedy blankets will work great too.

[@TheAlanFish]

@@thh420 yeah, but I'm guessing he doesn't want some ratty blankets in the background of his videos, which is why I suggested banners. Flags could also work well. I actually use quilted wall hangings my mom made because my concrete walled German apartment was so live it made me cringe. Lol!

[@thh420]

@@TheAlanFish I meant out of frame, like way up by the ceiling. big moving blankets would work too. rubber mats would help on the echo off the floor. my dad used to mount speakers in the corners by the ceiling in our shop and had glued moving blankets to teh ceiling because it echoed so loud in our shop.

[@buckaroobonsi555]

Get a factory air box and get rid of that K&N. Do a UOA Used Oil Analysis. See what you are working with! If your going to pull it apart get ARP studs, new pistons and rings! CNC Port the heads, intake and throttle body. New seals and screens for the injectors!

[@sethanderson6727]

I am pretty sure I saw a torn boot on the upper control arm bushing on the passenger side. Love the videos.

[@joe.81]

Ball joint

[@samuelrivera3557]

Me as a lightning owner for 20yrs your probably getting a lean code which is usually a vacuum leak. I Just about done everything on the truck myself. But I love it don't regret buying it new and wouldn't get rid of it. I always get good comments about the Lightning.

[@pugs1377]

Bummer on the hg. I would definitely try retorquing the bolts first. I've seen it do magic on old Cressida engines that Toyota torqued wrong from the factory

[@kentmckean6795]

Go with ARP studs first, who knows, it may solve the problem (not likely), but you can reuse the ARP studs and they are way better than stock head bolts so no loss there. As far as a "head gasket fix in a can", DON"T to it, at best it will be a temporary band-aid, plus they all plug up your rad and heater core. And YA, the previous owner knew. This may be your excuse to do rods and pistons (by all accounts, they are the weak links in this engine).

[@jeremyTallen1]

Its crazy how the same mechanics issues can haunt us over and over

[@UltraMagnis]

I give the same advice to anyone buying a boosted car. Beat on it for a good minute then pull over and just listen. Most of the time you can hear or smell if anything is leaking. ARP head studs once you remove the head and replace the gasket and you'll be golden. Get a performance gasket even if you plan on keeping it stock. They are built to handle higher boost so you'll never have an issue.

[@ronaldsmith4365]

My Explorer had same symptoms and it was a thermostat that was half stuck open.... thankfully not head gasket for me ..

[@CloverTroll]

I own a 2002 Harley Edition F-150 and love watching these to get an idea on what to replace and how (relatively same as lightning). Just bought my end links, control arms, and pitman arm today and stumbled across the video. Another thing I would HIGHLY recommend on these trucks are catch cans. My HD always had a little oil residue on the intake manifold and inside the intake elbow and the factory trucks tend to blow a little oil by. Yours may not be doing that since its a 80,000 mile lightning but I beat my head in trying to find the fix for it so I figured I'd leave it here in case you notice the same. Love the vids and if you happen to get a catch can Id love to see an install. (Transmission valve bodies are a cheap way to have you nearly spinning through 3rd gear if you are looking for a performance mod. I Recommend Punisher Valve Bodies personally)

[@IKhanNot]

The comments and the content here are golden. This is why I love KZbin. So much knowledge scrolling down which is specific to this truck.

[@Saved4Life777]

Would love to see a collab with FordTechMakuLoco - BSG Automotive in Chicago. Nobody knows these Ford trucks better than Brian!

[@Saved4Life777]

Alternatively, I’m down in Springfield, IL if you want to sell it to me!

[@chicagoslick]

I was going to post the same thing. I learned so much watching Brian's content. He is a true Ford guy.

[@not2fast4u2c]

Make Double Sure the heads or block is not warped See if you can use studs instead of bolts when you re- assemble it

[@sarahdell4042]

The downside to rockauto is the shipping when purchasing a ton of stuff. Always ships from multiple warehouses, and they charge separately

[@robertvance1873]

I never had that problem with charges they most of the time offer if you order a certain amount free shipping. No extra charges

[@sarahdell4042]

Robert Vance Rock auto has never had free shipping. I’ve been ordering from them for at least a decade. The shipping is very expensive with larger orders, even if you can somehow get everything from the same warehouse. Usually not the case, so you end up paying shipping charges on each order from separate warehouses. It really adds up if you purchase a ton.

[@robertvance1873]

@@sarahdell4042 I have been ordering from them for years and once my order got above $50 dollars taxes paid and that's it. Anything below I got charged I don't if it's location or what. I have no reason to lie.

[@kevindelacoudray7272]

And one day shipping could get a little expensive in my experience.

[@michaelbolton1090]

This is super common, the head bolts stretch under boost. You can try doing one stud at a time if you replace them with ARP studs. Do not add any of that head gasket sealant snake oil crap. Also, you can check head gaskets under load by hooking up a pressure gauge in line of the degas bottle. Obviously combustion pressure is substantially higher than cooling system pressure. Hope this helps if you encounter this again. This is what we do on diesels

[@FifiFifi-il1qu]

I would like to see every type of test that the may need. You could probably do them by episodes since it may take you a lot of time to test all.

[@nothingtoseaheardammit]

I just had a similar experience. Just bought a '03 H1 that looked *mint*. I test drove it, everything was great except of an ABS light- everything was in like new condition or as good as can be expected for an 18 year old truck. Drove it home 1300 miles. On the way, the starter died. Got that swapped out, only to get it home and discover that the belt tensioner was gone - along with the belt. Then find out the windshield reservoir tank is cracked and leaks everywhere. Get it to my mechanic and he discovers that the whole steering system needs to be replaced practically. The power steering lines, the steering gear (was holding on to the frame with one bolt) the pitman, idler and tie rods. All need to go. Oh and my tires were rubbing up against my sway bar. Fact of the matter is that unless you spend a day thoroughly going through a vehicle, you won't be able to find EVERY problem on these older vehicles.

[@bruces12]

Alex, you're putting out the BEST DAMN videos on KZbin! I can't applauder you enough for your content and presentation...keep up the good work!!

[@rocketsurgeon11]

I drove my '88 Daytona Shelby Z around for a LONG time with a compromised head gasket, but didn't know it. The car never overheated, made 22psi of boost, power, did track days with it...never once gave me an issue...just blew bubbles in the expansion tank. I eventually DID pop it by doing a lot of low speed, high load driving and it did get too hot due to lack of air flow to keep it cool. We are talking 15+ minutes of hooning it around a small parking lot to practice left foot braking. Even then, it only ran a bit rough, but wasn't consuming any coolant.

[@davidguille5992]

ive seen a similar issue on a ford v6 (sierra xr4i) and i fixed it by the thing you suggested towards the end of the vid, re torque the head bolts. hope that fixes your issue alex.

[@erikwordal6096]

I know many mechanics will disagree but have you considered Blue Devil head gasket repair fluid? I did it on a Ford 4.6 for my neighbor. His Expedition had a badly blown head gasket, steam from exhaust. I used Blue devil exactly as it instructed and it has worked for 4 years. Trust me I am not a guy who uses this kind of snake oil. But I would try it on another car if I had a blown head gasket. I think the combustion gases are what makes the stuff work. Not sure if it would work if the coolant was going into the oil. Worth a try….follow the instructions. It might work.

[@stevenditullio6081]

Wow, look at how full the garage got already. Outstanding. Some great content coming out of the shop!

[@bakerloobadboy]

The only sealant I would trust for repairing a dodgy head gasket is a product we use here in the UK called "A new head gasket". Trust me, sealants just clog and block up everything without really addressing the issue - Don't do it. Plus, when Ford changed the heads from 4 thread spark plugs to 8 threads I think they fitted a beefed up head gasket (3mm if memory serves) this may well solve your issue, however check the head bolts for torque settings. You may get lucky

[@stevesnvegas9040]

Sometimes when I watch these Lightning videos I really miss owning one....and sometimes when I watch, I really don't miss owning one. If you are taking it apart, fix the spark plug threads (if they haven't been done yet) lose that stock supercharger and get a Kenne Bell. Those Lightning forums were a godsend when I owned mine.

[@konstantindufnik696]

Is there anything wrong with the stock one? Got a friend trying to put that engine in a crown Vic.

[@dkdj5]

I've had engines I suspected a combustion leak but would always check okay when using the blue fluid. I'm probably not the first, but I've never seen anyone else do this. Simply put compressed air in through the spark plug holes. You will have to turn engine to where valve are closed on that cylinder. My leak showed up right away with bubbles in the cooling system. Don't waste time trying to tighten head bolts. Disassemble and check surfaces, replaced gaskets and install studs.

[@ScottDuBose]

Lay a plastic sheet on your table to keep it nice and when it becomes a mess all you need do is pull it off, put on a new plastic sheet, and boom! Nice table again!

[@rogerwhittemore9950]

similar to visor tear offs.

[@mvining7]

I had a 2001 Mazda B3000 (i.e. a rebadged Ford ranger with the 3.0L) that had a blown head gasket when I bought it. It presented almost exactly the same as your truck. No noticeable loss of power or anything except excessive pressure in the coolant system and occasional overhearing on long high speed trips (basically it blew almost all of the coolant out of the overflow and was low on coolant). I ended up driving on it for almost 3 years before it finally blew the bottom out of the radiator and I bit the bullet to replace the radiator and do the head gaskets and head work.

[@sphinxtk]

I love Alex’s torque specs 👍🏼 Always remember him doing up a spark plug and just saying “click....click” 😄👌🏼

[@jamesmoreton]

Thats nothing have you seen Derek from Vice Grip Garage his arm is fully calibrated to 200ft pounds.! And he can literally chomp on anything and tell you the age, lick the oil tell you its 15w30 and lift a fuel tank with gas inside swish it about and say 17 gallons then he empty it and its 17 gallons He's the best check his channel

[@hilema41]

I used sodium silicate. Will not clog because it need heat and co2 to transform into glass. So will only form glass at the crack. It then takes 800°C+ to melt again so pretty safe. It saved me on various TDI 110 which might very well have even higher pressure than the triton.

[@AT_motors]

Perfect time to send the blower to jokerz for porting. Hes local in Chicago.

[@402SHO]

Jokerz has insane pricing for the gains. Example my buddy paid 700$ for a hand port in his s4 blower. Then he met another s4 same mods as him but with Jokerz blower and a ms109 tune and my buddys car with the hand port blower just barley got edged out because he was a manual on e40 tune

[@brizax]

B8 s4 love over here as well

[@gabrielorozco5647]

I did the head gaskets and oil pan on then my fathers which is mine now. I did it all in the truck. I bought the 3 volume workshop Manuel which helped with all the torque specs and special procedures. Truck is in storage now just resting out of the elements.

[@johnhammond4397]

I can't wait for Sat morning and Legit. My wife thinks I'm having an affair.

[@samuelgoodman2825]

Blue Devil head gasket sealant has worked many times for me personally.Just get the prep procedure right and follow the instructions.

[@mansoormalik9935]

Hello there

[@LegitStreetCars]

Hey!

[@mansoormalik9935]

How are you. This is Mansoor from Pakistan. Really like your content

[@JimmyMakingitwork]

If you’re replacing the suspension parts, no need to remove the cotter key, just buzz it off with an impact socket hammered over the cotter key, done. Pitman arms I use a cut off wheel on an angle grinder to cut most of the way thru, then pop it with a chisel and it falls off…but since you’re not on flat rate…lol… Intercooler issue? Edit: bummer, combustion test proves it’s a gasket. Hopefully it doesn’t have pulleys and other things that contribute.

[@chesspiece81]

I almost bought a Lightning but the more research I did on them I found that if you start to make power the block is weak, so is the transmission. Dollar for dollar the LS based engine performs better but I really like the way the Lightnings look.

[@Broadpaw_Fox]

Some advice on further troubleshooting- pull a spark plug and use a borescope to check the threads in the head. If it's been 'repaired' you'll immediately know, since the repair involves adding threads to hold the plugs better. Also, I'd definitely pull the valve covers and check the head torque - I'm quite certain that it'll at least help, even if it's not the root cause (which I think it is, personally). Free except for time, and maybe gaskets depending on their condition or type (do these use cork? I'm don't remember)...

[@kavinskysmith4094]

2:53 headlights out on the left side, well your right, also if your worried about dinging up your bench there, go to like a bed bath and beyond and put down a rubber matt or two, the kind that you stand on to take pressure off your feet, forget what their called.

[@drtb69]

When you put new head gaskets on, be very careful , get very good head gaskets, and you should get the upgraded longer circular insert deals that go between the block to head as well.

[@jefftuckercfii]

Great job with the new front end components. Things are so much easier with the proper tools.

[@brycejames2127]

Hey Alex , I have a red 03'lightning , was a one owner truck , low k's , loaded , done some professional engine mods , smokes tires all day long ! Haha ! Love the supercharger noises most ! Good luck with your truck ! Look forward to more videos ! Take care , stay safe!

[@griffinbrown3089]

I've used blue devil head gasket sealer with great success many times. On vehicles I've personally owned. One being on my 2003 bmw 325xi. I drove it like that for about 3 years and still would if I hadn't hit a tree head on. How ever you need to get the bigger bottle that requires you to drain the coolant and remove thermostat and replace with water. Follow the directions to the tee. And if it don't work for you the company will reimburse your purchase. So honestly you have nothing to lose but a few hours of your time!. Also with you having the issue only at boost you might need to get creative to allow that sealer to get into the gasket faults.

[@rsmith6572]

Wow, sorry to hear about the issue with the top end. If you need the run the truck till winter, just baby it along, but i would check the oil level every day to see if you start to get water in there. if you do shut her down, totally not good. also check over flown tank after every drive, just to check on it. I would doubt you have a loose torque bolt but anything is possible. if you do, know you will need a new set of heads cause warpage is really in the books. Good luck. Hope you have a good machine shop to work with.

[@du4-fpv777]

Headgasket sealer worth a look is the small little blue bottle the size of a 2stroke mini bottle. I think the product is called "K2" or "K12" but it gave me an extra 20,000mi on my 5.4 Triton. And also know the spark plug problem! I've installed 3 of the repair kits for the known issue. Good luck! And I know how much you enjoy that lightning, I drove one around for a week and probably took 10 years off it's life. But he said he built it for that. 😂

[@milokerrigan7256]

This is super helpful, had a mates lightning doing the exact same thing and couldn’t solve it!!! Learn so much from your videos! Looking forward to seeing you resolve this one! 👍🏼

[@MN2_Kevin_Hill_1970]

A good head gasket sealer is liquid glass. It has copper flakes and sodium silicate so it will definitely seal the leak. I bought a 2004 Z71 Tahoe that at 190,000 miles it overheated on me and blew the head gasket. I installed 2 bottles of that sealer following the instructions of course and I currently have 303691 miles and zero coolant loss.

[@mil-specgarage55]

Sucks people will sell a car they know has a massive problem. Good for you for not throwing the sellers name on social media. Be the better person.

[@timothycc711]

Alex love the video. I'm a Ford guy and love the content. Strange situation ...maybe put stock pulley back on to see if it gets rid of blowby?

[@Adam-724]

Yay! You finished a repair in one video. Its been a while since that has been done. Cheers! keep at it we are all watching. :)

[@dealerauctionnightmare4689]

Definitely worth a shot at torquing the head bolts. I've used Bars Leak Head Gasket repair with great results just, to prolong it before an actual repair could be done.

[@tboneforreal]

I had that same issue with the coolant turning brown in my 2000 Ford Focus. Eventually the car started overheating even though the I replaced the water pump and thermostat. I used Thermocure to remove the rust in the coolant system and it fixed both issues.

[@dannythomas6194]

Liquid Glass for a head sealer. Bypass the thermostat before running it thru the engine and reconnect after flushing.

[@1towmater1]

Ive used rock auto, good and bad dealings. Easier to buy locally than deal with returns online. Working on turbo diesels, an easier way to test for blown head gasket is install pressure gauge in degas hose at coolant reservoir and than do some WOT boosted pulls and watch the pressure gauge. If its a head gasket the pressure in the cooling system will jump to 20-30 psi over the cap rated pressure easy peasy and no risk of burns

[@abursaw]

Rebuild the engine, upgrade the internals and be done with it. Also give that supercharger some love and dont skip over it.

[@claudioagmfilho]

Best channel for mechanics in North America 🇺🇸👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻