2002 f150 5.4 King ranch. I have been having a misfire code on cylinder #4, rough start but then goes away after a few minutes. replaced plugs and the coil for #4. still get the code. Yesterday the engine overheated when I turned on ac but went back down after pulling over and turned ac off. Same thing happened today twice only when I drove the truck 10 min from a cold start then it does not over heat after that. And I can't reproduce it once it is warm. Now there is a little bit of white smoke coming out of the exhaust and I am losing coolant and oil with no observable leaks.

I think it is the head gasket. I would like to change it myself. I know it will be a pain and I have 3 days to do it. Any advice? I don't have 3+ grand to have a shop do it.

Any help/advice would be appreciated. Anybody in the San Antonio Area that has done something similar?

Thank you

 

I think you are pretty spot on on your diagnosis.I have never done head gaskets in a F-150. I have done them in a F-250, a V-10 in a E-350, and a 4.6 in a Town car. I found rubber bands to be useful in some of the jobs. Due to tight space constraints, you will not be able to remove the head bolts. I used rubber bands from head bolt to head bolt to hold some tension on them after I pulled them up. It may not make sense the way I described it but I can see it in my head. Also while the head (s) are removed, I would address the exhaust studs while they are more accessible. Here in Michigan they are known to corrode heavily and if you get near them with a tool they break. Easier to drill them out on the bench than in the vehicle.