is this a dropped liner?

[agbuckle98]

1998 4.0 SE. I was hoping just head gaskets, but I noticed yesterday while cleaning up the block to bolt the heads back down with new gaskets that there seems to be just the slightest ridge on #5 cylinder as if the liner is just below the deck of the block. #7 seems to be this way as does #6 on the other bank. The rest of the cylinder liners appear to be perfectly flush, the ones in question I would say are .001" - .002" below. I have pics, I'll get them up here in a minute.

 

[agbuckle98]

well, I said I was gonna post pics but discoweb won't let me attach files anymore

 

[jymmiejamz]

Link to photobucket...

 

[eliaschristeas]

some say if it fails the fingernail "ridge test" its a slipped liner. i have seen people with multiple liners like this, redo their headgaskets anyway and have it run fine....

 

[agbuckle98]

some say if it fails the fingernail "ridge test" its a slipped liner. i have seen people with multiple liners like this, redo their headgaskets anyway and have it run fine....

I would say this engine fails the "ridge test" on at least 2 cylinders, #6 is also in question, but is so slight that I think I only noticed it because the other ones made me paranoid. I'm going to stick gaskets on it and see what happens.

 

[singingcamel]

I would pressure check this block , See my write up on the Slipped sleeve syndrome on my site. tech section. This might help. www.singingcamel.com

 

[Drillbit]

If it fails the ridge test it's probably bad. I wouldn't roll the dice on gaskets, odds are you are going to be just be throwing your money away. Do Marc's test or start engine shopping.

 

[ptschram]

Do you feel lucky punk? (with apologies to Clint Eastwood)

How much do you want to gamble?

I've lost that gamble every time.

 

[Rover Mac]

some say if it fails the fingernail "ridge test" its a slipped liner. i have seen people with multiple liners like this, redo their headgaskets anyway and have it run fine....

On the 4.6 i swapped, i had pressure problems in the coolant, pulled the heads, noticed the "fingernail ridge", had hoped it would be just head gaskets . machined the heads and put back together, it ran for another 7k miles before i swapped with another engine).With benefit of hindsight, time and $ i should have had the liners pinned or top hats.

 

[eliaschristeas]

can you pressure test a block en-situ with the heads apart like that?

just an edit on the above post - not trying to be a loose cannon and say yea fix it. in FACT, john was about to build a 4.2 for himself on a stand with some cylinders as you describe and i urged him not to. it later became a parts motor. but as you can see, there is a possiblity of buying yourself time..... how much? Tick tock.....

 

[ptschram]

Yes, you can test the block in situ, check out Marc's site.

Once the intimate relationship between the block and the liner has failed (much like Marriage) it's toast. It's too late for pinning (or pining).

 

[eliaschristeas]

Yes, you can test the block in situ, check out Marc's site.

Once the intimate relationship between the block and the liner has failed (much like Marriage) it's toast. It's too late for pinning (or pining).

theres a hallmark card somewhere in there.....

 

[ptschram]

theres a hallmark card somewhere in there.....

Get to work on that TV show! Even Beth has begun to think there might be a plot (not that kind) here!