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

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In this video, I finished everything on my 2002 Ford F-150 SVT Lightning and then discover a major engine issue. I think the previous owner had to know but I'll let you make that decision on your own. Do you think this was from abuse or a factory weak point with this Ford engine?
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[@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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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?

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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 🤗

[@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.

[@vrydstrbd]

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

[@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.

[@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!

[@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!

[@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.

[@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.

[@willmatic84]

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

[@markopolo945]

Same here and he gets stuff done too!

[@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.

[@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‼️

[@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.

[@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!!

[@MiguelRuiz-up2ls]

Hey Alex, do the proper job, do not try that nasty cheap apparently solutions. You will have fun and serious good content on your channel, I just did my head gasket in a 2013 Volvo V40 T5 AWD, I know it is not the same…but it was a great project

[@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.

[@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

[@tractormatt4301]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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! 👍🏼

[@WouterB76]

Good luck Alex, seeing you do the headgasket test brings me back to exactly one year ago when I had the same happening.

[@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.

[@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

[@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.👍👍👍

[@rosewood1]

Thanks Alex. So many little pro tips in what you are doing. Really helpful.

[@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!

[@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

[@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.

[@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!

[@ronaldsmith4365]

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

[@zacharytribou2728]

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

[@Doc1310]

thanks for showing us how to use the tools and techniques that you use. I seem to learn something everytime.

[@jefftuckercfii]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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

[@marvingrajeda930]

I found your channel few days ago. I haven't stopped watching. You remind of Stacey David. I used to watching his show every Saturday and Sunday.. Bring back memories.

[@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.

[@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

[@hr007njnnnkkmkm]

Great vid bro as always very entertaining and full of information keeping the viewers glued

[@electroncommerce]

Always great content. Great advice as well. Looking forward to the head gasket video.

[@Jgrace-hu6xn]

You know Alex when I seen all the coolent and the stains underneath head gaskets crossed my mind it will happen to the best of us I definitely love the videos

[@grantbierlmeier7641]

I kinda had the same thought with the colour of the fluid too and the way it was blown all over but dry after he drove it. But I won’t say I knew it cause I didn’t - Alex is a way better mechanic than I will ever be.

[@Jgrace-hu6xn]

@@grantbierlmeier7641 everyone makes mistakes I have don't the same thing but with a transmission yes Alex is the best mechanic I've ever seen very ambitious

[@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

[@xFlow150]

Great video. Thank you for showing so much of the process!

[@wayneneher6362]

Do the cheap thing first...torque the heads. If that does not work, well, time to pull and do gaskets.

[@jeremyTallen1]

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

[@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

[@coastalrider1155]

Man a love this channel your so easy to listen to and watch mate keep up the good work and hello from Scotland

[@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!

[@titanicfilmsbymark]

I had a shut gun sparkplug on my 03 4.6 F150. It has 231k. I would re- torque the head bolts. I have heard of different heads that fix the spark plug problem.

[@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.

[@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).

[@7477238]

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.

[@stevenditullio6081]

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

[@petershulick5270]

How about using some bungee cords to hold your suspension equipment up and place while you install it? You can buy those at any dollar store for next to nothing or a container of 15 or 20 of them with varying length or sizes

[@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. :)

[@wickedlou9]

Hey look at it this way, you got the car for a deal and it will make for some great content. Win win!

[@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!!

[@EmetYAHU]

Caveat Emptor… Good thing you’re a MECHANIC 🧑‍🔧

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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?

[@chrish.538]

Hi Alex! How is the “Keep” hair stuff working out for you? 😂

[@joka9737]

Watching your 30min vids makes me feel like 10mins. Great content! Greetings from the country where your sonic tools from. 😉

[@BLENDIVERSE-]

All i have is respect for u and this channel,ur class at what u do👍

[@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.

[@aynsleyjeansonne]

Brilliant

[@vincentbarnes7839]

Love your videos you explain everything so well

[@Jon.O]

Great video as always. Can’t help feeling you look lonely in that big shop now. Kinda like the original home feel from the old one more. 👍🇬🇧

[@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

[@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

[@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!

[@ilyagolovey5248]

As always, great content Alex!

[@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.

[@kbaisley4947]

I would recommend adding some anti-seize on the front tie rod / suspension parts as you assemble them. Your future self will thank you.

[@jrome187]

I love your videos. I'm also very happy you finally got your own shop. If there is anything you can do about the audio quality, the echo when your inside your shop is brutal and it's even worse with headphones. I'm sure there is no short term solution but food for thought. Thanks.

[@victormanuelparraexposito2819]

If I remember correctly, there’s a Head update that was done under Recall by Ford to my 2003 Terminator Cobra that was supposed to correct that issue, so might have to do the same.

[@johnhammond4397]

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

[@mansoormalik9935]

Hello there

[@LegitStreetCars]

Hey!

[@mansoormalik9935]

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

[@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

[@nellof1244]

Great opportunity for upgrades. IDK if it needs better flowing heads but I would look into it. Perhaps a Cam definitely stud the block and consider upgraded head gaskets

[@jimschafer9196]

Good trouble shoot this weird problem, yea I would test the torque just to confirm a starting point the spark plug thread chase would be a good thing to know too. Thanks for the share look forward to the next reveal.

[@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. 😂

[@Kohoso95]

its a 5.4 I rebuilt a regular one after I did my 302, I can't wait for future videos you got this!

[@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.