Engine Head Gasket

[GhostStrykre]

So from what I understand, the 2.3L ecoboost block was designed in such a way that made a couple of the pistons close together and the head gasket could fail. This design was later updated to a longer block to address this concern (I forget which year, but I have a 2019 so I definitely have the original block design).

My Ranger lives outside. No room in the garage. So I ALWAYS remote start the thing and give it at least a couple of minutes to run before I leave. Especially for short trips. Is this habit a good habit to ensure the engine warms and coolant is flowing before working the engine on a drive? Or am I doing more harm than good? Curious what the collective thoughts are.

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[RangerBill]

So from what I understand, the 2.3L ecoboost block was designed in such a way that made a couple of the pistons close together and the head gasket could fail. This design was later updated to a longer block to address this concern (I forget which year, but I have a 2019 so I definitely have the original block design).

My Ranger lives outside. No room in the garage. So I ALWAYS remote start the thing and give it at least a couple of minutes to run before I leave. Especially for short trips. Is this habit a good habit to ensure the engine warms and coolant is flowing before working the engine on a drive? Or am I doing more harm than good? Curious what the collective thoughts are.

This is not an issue for the Ranger engine. The head was redesigned before it was used in the Ranger. It involved drilling diagonal water passages into the head between the two middle cylinders to eliminate a head gasket problem.

 

[Max Crafter]

collectively,
you worry too much

 

[Vitis805]

ALL 5g Rangers have the new design. The OG 2.3 litre Mustang engine used the slotted bore bridge design unlike the 2.3 litre Focus RS and Ranger which have a cross-drilled bore bridge design.

 

[OFC Ranger]

Does this list never end of worry warts around here?

Better go buy a catch-can while you can incase that evil moisture in your oil causes your engine to detonate.

 

[Grumpaw]

Does this list never end of worry warts around here?

Better go buy a catch-can while you can incase that evil moisture in your oil causes your engine to detonate.

You know better....it will never end....
Next up will be finding tranny fluid in the gas tank.....must be a leaking hose somewhere !!!

 

[SilverSlugger]

LOL.

 

[GhostStrykre]

This is not an issue for the Ranger engine. The head was redesigned before it was used in the Ranger. It involved drilling diagonal water passages into the head between the two middle cylinders to eliminate a head gasket problem.

ALL 5g Rangers have the new design. The OG 2.3 litre Mustang engine used the slotted bore bridge design unlike the 2.3 litre Focus RS and Ranger which have a cross-drilled bore bridge design.

Appreciate it! I genuinely was misinformed. I know I’d read elsewhere to the contrary, but the source was… suspect

collectively,
you worry too much

Does this list never end of worry warts around here?

Better go buy a catch-can while you can incase that evil moisture in your oil causes your engine to detonate.

Yeah I’m just trying to educate myself. I suppose it was a shameful ask but only one way to find out.

 

[SigOris]

Appreciate it! I genuinely was misinformed. I know I’d read elsewhere to the contrary, but the source was… suspect





Yeah I’m just trying to educate myself. I suppose it was a shameful ask but only one way to find out.

You’ve come to the right place to get kicked when you’re down ????

 

[NotBudule]

You’ve come to the right place to get kicked when you’re down ????

 

[Langwilliams]

You may have been confused by the Focus RS that had chronic head gasket problems.

 

[GhostStrykre]

You may have been confused by the Focus RS that had chronic head gasket problems.

yeah, that makes sense. Either way, now I know more. In the future, I’ll have to read into stuff more to avoid such snafus.

 

[Cabose-1]

As long as you use a

GEN-Y HITCH.

You will be fine!!

 

[ControlNode]

You may have been confused by the Focus RS that had chronic head gasket problems.

Ford just installed the wrong head gasket in them for over a year. A head gasket not designed for the updated cross drilled coolant passage.

 

[btsmith52]

Someone may jump in and educate me here, but I've never heard of a stock 2.3 having a head gasket problem, except the Focus RS with the head gasket defect. Every time I hear of a problem, it's after someone modified it . . . . . . usually to make 400+ hp. This is usually a Mustang problem and not a Ranger problem. If there are exceptions, I'd like to hear about it.

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