mjeff87 Posted October 19, 2005 Share Posted October 19, 2005 Not on my MJ, but on my DD....'94 Escort 1.9L, aluminum head. There's a tiny (and I mean tiny) crack along the inside wall of the #2 spark plug galley. Doesn't leak until the system pressurizes, and I'm loosing maybe 1 tablespoon of coolant per day (it leaks into the plug area and cooks off while hot). I priced a reman head from the local parts houses and they all come in over $550 :shock: so that's not an option unless I hit the powerball. But I expected something like that because the cam is built in, and it comes with the whole valvetrain installed along w/ the cam. I'm just worried that since it's an aluminum head, any one I get from the 'yard will have to be machined too much to make it flat, and then I'm gonna have clearance issues.....then again, I don't want to wreck my whole cooling system with some goop that may or may not do the trick. The timing belt is about 30K overdue for replacement too, so if I swapped heads I could take care of that as well. Any thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjeff87 Posted October 19, 2005 Author Share Posted October 19, 2005 Stupid question, maybe, but could the head be repaired by a shop? That way, all I'd need is the head kit (new gaskets, bolts, valve seals) and I could reinstall it...... my luck it can't be :cry: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87manche Posted October 20, 2005 Share Posted October 20, 2005 I had the same motor in a 93. If you break the timing belt it's no big deal, it's not an interference motor, ask me how I know :) Getting the head off isn't a big deal. If you need some help let me know, I took the head off mine, and I rebuilt an 88 323 motor that was basically the same block. The biggest b*@$£ about the timing belt is the tensioner that's built into the water pump houseing. If you can front the $50 to get a new one do it, other wise it's a total b*@$£ to get that pulley to move. I lubed mine up with WD-40 to get it to slide far enough for the new belt install. Smelled funy for a while till it burnt off, but never caused any problems. I'd take it to a good engine place, see if they can weld the head. If it's a pinhole maybe, crack not likely. Otherwise, I'd just go to a junkyard and pull a whole head off, pay a machine shop the $50 they want to deck it. I doubt you'll have clearance issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjeff87 Posted October 20, 2005 Author Share Posted October 20, 2005 Thanks for the reply. I absolutely LOVE this Mazda engine, and want to see it well past 200K... I took it to my machine shop today @ lunch and had the owner look at it. He says it's just a pinhole, not a crack, and to clean it real good with brake cleaner and put a couple coats of JB weld in it (really!) Since it only has to hold back coolant system pressure (16#) the JB will hold fine, and there's no need to go thru all the hassle/expense of pulling the head (**there's not too many shops left these days who are honest and won't try to skim you for your $$$ That's why I like small, independant shops like his :)) I think I'm gonna try the JB, but in the meanwhile I'm gonna pull a junkyard head ($25)and put it in safekeeping JIC I need to swap it in some day. I'm gonna replace the timing belt and thermostat, as well as a block flush/new coolant while I have it all apart too. Thanks for the tensioner tip....I might backchannel you if I run into issues when I rip into it this weekend. Here's a couple crappy pics of the problem....the leak is about 1/2 way down the plug hole on the left side, but you can't really see it. Jeff Image Not Found Image Not Found Image Not Found Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87manche Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 yeah, i had 150K on mine, but I traded it in on the mj. It wasn't worth much. One thing to watch out for with the escort is the fuel pump hanger assembly. Pull your rear seat bench, it should be held in by two white brackets, you push in the buttons to release the seat. There should be an access panel there, pull it out and inspect the plate there. Mine started to leak, and I didn't know it for some time. The hanger/sender assembly isn't painted, and it will rust. When I turned the key and energized the fuel pump fuel would just well up through the rusted metal like a water spring! :shock: Of course my wagon spent all it's life in Ohio, where salt is the states best friend. I finally just called it, the front subframe was all hosed, tranny was hanging from the motor practically. Always started though, that motor would have run right until it fell out of the car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjeff87 Posted November 7, 2005 Author Share Posted November 7, 2005 *UPDATE* Well, I tried the JB and it worked for 2 days...now it's leaking again, but not as bad as originally. Guess it's time to swap heads :( BTW, my fuel pump assy. is good to go. I know because at times I convert the vehicle (hatchback) to a redneck pickup truck. I pull the back seat out completly, and fold down the backs, and install a piece of 3/4" OSB cut to fit the whole rear from the front seats back. Don't laugh, but an escort can haul transmissions, transfer cases, Dana 30's, and even a complete 2.5L without missing a beat! (I hauled the engine 800 miles, up over the Blue mountains from GA back to VA, and still got 32-35 MPG :)) Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87manche Posted November 8, 2005 Share Posted November 8, 2005 yeah, my wagon was in pickup mode for a while. That rear seat folds down super flat without the bench in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjeff87 Posted December 5, 2005 Author Share Posted December 5, 2005 update #2..... I went and pulled a head off at the U-pull yesterday for $40. I can't begin to tell you all what an incredible pain in the @#%# that was :evil: Among other things that had to get unbolted were the passenger side motor mount and the alternator and mounting bracket! I'm shipping it off to the machine shop for some cleaning/decking later this week. Furthur proof that I LOVE my 2.5L and how easy it is to work on..... Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87manche Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 yeah, sorry I didn't tell you all that. I had the head off of mine once. Here's a word of advice about the water pump. The tensioner is atached to the water pump and it is a total PITA to get the belt back onn because it gets stuck. EIther spray it with some wd-40 or replace the pump assy. Make sure you do the wd-40 lightly, and befoer the belt gets anywhere near th engine. I wiped down the belt tensioner pulley with some solvent afterwards just to make sure it was clean. I've done the timing belt on a 323 after I burned through a piston, and twice on the Escort. Tey were all the same. Stupid pulley. Honestly, if I ever did it again, I'd just replace the pump while I had it apart, it comes with a new pulley spring tensioner gizmo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87manche Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 Don't laugh, but an escort can haul transmissions, transfer cases, Dana 30's, and even a complete 2.5L without missing a beat! (I hauled the engine 800 miles, up over the Blue mountains from GA back to VA, and still got 32-35 MPG :)) Jeff I hauled some big block chevy cast heads about 400 miles. on broken rear springs to boot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjeff87 Posted December 5, 2005 Author Share Posted December 5, 2005 Maybe I orta replace the water pump while I'm in there, then (?) AFAIK, it's original (160K miles)...it works fine and doesn't leak, but since I basically have to tear the WHOLE damn engine down to the block anyhow, I'll put a new one on. <> Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87manche Posted December 6, 2005 Share Posted December 6, 2005 last time I did it the pump was like $50. That was a reman pump with a new tensioner. I made the mistake of not doing the pump when I broke the timing belt the first itme. Then had to take the damned thing apart again when the pump was shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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