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Autopapyrus · Ford C-Max 2.0 Duratec HE (2005)
https://autopapyrus.com/guides/ford/c-max/cylinder-head-removal-and-installation/
Compiled automatically from service literature and owner experience. Specs are for the typical configuration — check them against your exact car before you start.

Ford C-Max 2.0 Duratec HE (2005): Cylinder Head Removal and Installation

The 2.0 Duratec HE engine (145 hp) is an aluminum engine with a chain-driven valve train and two camshafts in the head. The head has to be removed after a blown gasket, overheating or a warped mating surface. Key points: lock the valve timing accurately, clean the mating surfaces properly, use new head bolts, and tighten them strictly in the sequence and to the values in the manufacturer's manual.

Difficulty: Hard Time: 8-12 hours (not including head surface machining and pressure testing) Steps: 19 Tools: socket set and ratchet, torque wrench with angle attachment or angle gauge, TORX (star) socket for the cylinder head bolts (check the type and size on your own bolts), camshaft and crankshaft locking tools (timing tool set for this engine), hose removal tool/pliers, syringe or bulb for removing oil from the bolt wells, straightedge and feeler gauges, cleaning fluid for the mating surfaces, plastic scraper, containers for coolant and oil.

Part

  • 🔩 cylinder head gasket set (cylinder head gasket, valve cover gasket, spark plug well seals), new cylinder head bolts (they are tightened with an angle turn and are single-use), exhaust and intake manifold gaskets, antifreeze, and engine oil with a filter. Replacing the timing chain, tensioner and guides is recommended if they show wear
There's a full repair manual for this car Every system, wiring diagrams and torque specs — not just this job. Haynes and 4 more. See manuals →

Step by step

19 steps
  1. Preparation. Let the engine cool down completely and disconnect the negative battery terminal. Remove the engine cover, the air filter with its ducts and the resonator. Drain the coolant from the radiator and the block (if the block has a drain plug). If necessary, drain the engine oil so it does not get into the cooling system during disassembly.
  2. Fuel system. Relieve the pressure in the fuel rail (remove the fuel pump fuse or relay and run the engine until it stalls). Disconnect the fuel line from the rail and plug it so fuel does not leak out. The rail with the injectors can be removed together with the intake manifold or earlier, whichever is more convenient.
  3. Disconnect the connectors and hoses. Label or photograph all connectors: throttle body, ignition coils, coolant temperature and camshaft position sensors, oxygen sensors, oil pressure sensor, crankcase ventilation, vacuum hoses, and the cooling system hoses at the head and thermostat.
  4. Remove the ignition coils and spark plugs. Pull out the coils and remove the spark plugs with a spark plug socket. If the wells are dirty, blow them out with compressed air before unscrewing the plugs.
  5. Exhaust side. Remove the heat shield and disconnect the exhaust manifold from the head (soak the studs/nuts with penetrating oil beforehand). If necessary, disconnect the downpipe from the catalytic converter. Be careful with the oxygen sensors and disconnect their connectors.
  6. Intake manifold. Remove the intake manifold with the throttle body assembly (loosen the bolts in a spiral pattern starting from the center). Cover the open ports with a clean cloth so nothing falls inside.
  7. Valve cover. Remove the accessory drive belts if they are in the way, along with the mount and brackets. Remove the valve cover bolts and take off the cover with its gasket. Wipe the oil out of the wells and passages.
  8. Setting the valve timing. Turn the crankshaft clockwise to top dead center (TDC) of cylinder 1. Lock the camshafts and the crankshaft with the special locking tools (the factory marks on the sprockets, and the crankshaft pin/locking tool). Mark the position of the chain relative to the sprockets with paint to make reassembly easier. If the chain is not being replaced, tie it to the sprockets with wire so it cannot slip off.
  9. Removing the camshafts or sprockets. On this engine, the head can only be removed after loosening and removing the sprockets (or the entire camshaft assembly), depending on the design. Release the chain tensioner according to the documentation, take the load off the chain, then remove the sprocket bolts. Do not turn the camshafts with the chain removed and without locking them. It is acceptable to remove the upper chain cover first if it is in the way.
  10. Loosening the cylinder head bolts. Loosen the cylinder head bolts in the reverse of the tightening sequence (from the edges toward the center in a spiral), in 2-3 passes, with the engine cold. Use the correct socket so you do not strip the bolt head. Verify the exact sequence and bolt type for your engine.
  11. Removing the head. Lift the head straight up. If it is stuck, do not pry at the mating surface with a screwdriver; tap the sides lightly with a rubber mallet, not the edges. The head is heavy (aluminum), so remove it with a helper or take great care. Remove the old gasket and place the head on supports with the mating surface facing up so the valves do not rest on the surface.
  12. Inspection. Check the head's mating surface with a straightedge and feeler gauges along its length and diagonally. The allowable warpage for aluminum heads is usually very small (on the order of hundredths of a millimeter; check the manual for the exact value). If the surface is warped, have it machined or replace the head. Check the block for signs of gasket failure, cracks and foreign objects in the cylinders. Inspect the valve seats and valves if necessary.
  13. Cleaning. Clean the block and head mating surfaces with a plastic or soft scraper and a cleaner, without scratching the aluminum. Do not let debris or old gasket material get into the cylinders or oil passages (cover them with cloth or paper before cleaning). Clean the threaded holes for the cylinder head bolts (remove oil and coolant from the wells with a syringe), otherwise hydraulic lock in the threads and incorrect tightening are possible.
  14. Installing the head. Place the new gasket without sealant (unless the manufacturer specifies otherwise) in the correct orientation according to the "TOP" marking and the dowel sleeves. Lower the head, make sure the timing locking tools are in place, and insert the new bolts. Lightly lubricate the threads and the underside of the bolt heads with clean engine oil if this is specified for these bolts.
  15. Tightening the cylinder head bolts. Tighten with a torque wrench in a spiral sequence from the center outward, in several stages: first with a low torque (about 20-30 N·m (15-22 lb-ft)), then to the specified second value, then with an angle turn (usually in 2-3 stages, 90-120° in total). Take the exact torque and angle values for this engine from the manufacturer's manual; do not substitute approximate ones. Cylinder head bolts are single-use.
  16. Timing drive. Install the camshafts/sprockets and the chain according to the marks, with a new tensioner and guides if necessary. Tighten the sprocket bolts to specification, release the tensioner, and remove the locking tools. Turn the crankshaft by hand through 2 full revolutions and make sure the marks/locking tools line up again and the engine turns without binding. If it is hard to turn, stop and find the cause (risk of the valves hitting the pistons).
  17. Reassembly. Install the valve cover with a new gasket (tighten the bolts to a low torque, about 8-12 N·m (6-9 lb-ft), in a spiral from the center), the intake and exhaust manifolds with new gaskets, the spark plugs, the coils, the fuel rail, and all connectors and hoses according to the labels made earlier. Change the oil and oil filter if you drained it or if there is coolant in the oil.
  18. Filling and bleeding. Fill with antifreeze and warm up the engine with the expansion tank cap open until the fan comes on. Bleed the air out of the system (if necessary, raise the front of the car or open the bleed valve, if there is one). Top off the coolant to the proper level after the engine cools.
  19. Final check. Check for oil, coolant and exhaust leaks, any fault codes stored in the control unit, and a smooth idle. After a short drive (about 500-1000 km), recheck the coolant and oil levels. Re-tightening the cylinder head bolts on these engines, which use angle tightening, is usually not required; confirm in the manual.

Common mistakes and warnings

  • Valve timing and cylinder head bolt tightening are critical: being off by even one or two chain teeth, or tightening incorrectly, will cause the valves to hit the pistons or the head gasket to fail again. Verify all exact tightening torques, angles, the sequence and the type of cylinder head bolts against the manufacturer's manual for this engine. If you have no experience with chain-driven engines and precision measuring tools, leave the job to a repair shop.