Ford F150 Pickup. Instruction — part 956

Fig. 720: Removing RH Cylinder Head
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.

44. Remove the bolts and the RH cylinder head.

2003 Ford Pickup F150

2003 ENGINE Engine - 4.6L & 5.4L - F150 Pickup

Discard the cylinder head gasket.

Discard the cylinder head bolts.

LH Cylinder Head

CAUTION: The cylinder head must be cool before removing it from

the engine. Cylinder head warpage can result if a warm or
hot cylinder head is removed.

CAUTION: Place clean shop towels over exposed engine cavities.

Carefully remove the towels so foreign material is not
dropped into the engine.

CAUTION: The cylinder head bolts must be discarded and new bolts

installed. They are tighten-to-yield designed and cannot
be reused.

CAUTION: Do not use metal scrapers, wire brushes, power abrasive

discs or other abrasive means to clean the sealing
surfaces. These tools cause scratches and gouges that
make leak paths. Use a plastic scraping tool to remove all
traces of the head gasket.

CAUTION: Aluminum surfaces are soft and can be scratched easily.

Never place the cylinder head gasket surface,
unprotected, on a bench surface.

2003 Ford Pickup F150

2003 ENGINE Engine - 4.6L & 5.4L - F150 Pickup

Fig. 721: Removing LH Cylinder Head
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.

45. Remove the bolts and the LH cylinder head.

2003 Ford Pickup F150

2003 ENGINE Engine - 4.6L & 5.4L - F150 Pickup

Discard the cylinder head gasket.

Discard the cylinder head bolts.

All Cylinder Heads

46. Clean the cylinder head-to-cylinder block mating surfaces of both the cylinder head and the

cylinder block.

1. Remove any large deposits of silicone or gasket material with a plastic scraper.

2. Apply silicone gasket remover, following package directions, and allow to set for

several minutes.

3. Remove the silicone gasket remover with a plastic scraper. A second application of

silicone gasket remover may be required if residual traces of silicone or gasket
material remain.

4. Apply metal surface prep, following package directions, to remove any remaining

traces of oil or coolant, and to prepare the surfaces to bond with the new gasket. Do
not attempt to make the metal shiny. Some staining of the metal surfaces is normal.

47. Support the cylinder head on a bench with the head gasket side up. Inspect all areas of the

deck face with a straightedge, paying particular attention to the oil pressure feed area. The
cylinder head must not have depressions deeper than 0.0254 mm (0.001 in) across a 38.1
mm (1.5 in) square area, or scratches more than 0.0254 mm (0.001 in).

CAUTION: Do not use metal scrapers, wire brushes, power abrasive

discs or other abrasive means to clean the sealing
surfaces. These tools cause scratches and gouges that
make leak paths. Use a plastic scraping tool to remove all
traces of the head gasket.

CAUTION: Observe all warnings or cautions and follow all

application directions contained on the packaging of the
silicone gasket remover and the metal surface prep.

NOTE:

If there is no residual gasket material present, metal surface
prep can be used to clean and prepare the surfaces.

NOTE:

The straightedge used must be flat within 0.0051 mm (0.0002
in) per foot of tool length.

2003 Ford Pickup F150

2003 ENGINE Engine - 4.6L & 5.4L - F150 Pickup