Mercury 9L3Z-6049-HA Cylinder Head Assembly

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The rocker arms and valve lash adjusters must be removed before performing any repair procedures on the cylinder heads, timing chains, and jackshaft chains.

1. Relieve the fuel system pressure. 2. Disconnect the cable from the negative battery terminal. 3. Drain the cooling system. 4. Remove the strut tower cross brace mounting nuts and brace, if equipped. 5. Remove the valve covers. 6. Remove the intake manifold and the coolant crossover housing on 4.6L engines. 7. Remove the engine. 8. Remove the exhaust manifolds. 9. Remove the timing chain, tensioners, and sprockets. 10. Remove the camshafts. 11. Following the reverse of the tightening sequence, use a breaker bar to remove the cylinder head bolts. Loosen the bolts in sequence, 1/4-turn at a time. 12. Lift the cylinder head(s) off the engine. If resistance is felt, place a wood block against the end and strike the wood block with a hammer. Caution: The cylinder heads are aluminum; store them on wood blocks to prevent damage to the gasket sealing surfaces. 13. If the head sticks, use a prybar at the corners of the cylinder head-to-engine block mating surface to break the cylinder head gasket seal. Do not pry between the cylinder head and engine block in the gasket sealing area. 14. Remove the cylinder head gasket(s). Before removing, note which gasket goes on which side (they are different and cannot be interchanged).

Ensure the new gaskets are installed on the correct cylinder banks, as they are not interchangeable.

Check the rocker arm pivot contact areas and fulcrums for cracks and wear.

Disconnect the cable from the negative battery terminal.

Beginning at one end of the head, lubricate and install the first valve. Apply moly-base grease or clean engine oil to the valve stem.

Because specialized tools are necessary for disassembly and inspection, and replacement parts may not be readily available, it may be more economical to buy replacement heads.

Push the valve back into the head and deburr the area around the keeper groove with a fine file or whetstone.

Check the spring retainers and keepers for wear and cracks, replacing any questionable parts to prevent extensive damage during engine operation.

When the camshafts are not on the cylinder head on V8 engines, only the valve spring compressor type shown can be used. The special compressor uses the camshafts for leverage and is used during disassembly only.

The remaining installation steps are the reverse of removal, and then change the engine oil and filter before starting the engine and checking for leaks.

Ensure the mating surfaces of the cylinder heads and engine block are perfectly clean using a gasket scraper and a solvent like lacquer thinner or acetone.

Relieve the fuel pressure, then disconnect the cable from the negative battery terminal.

Lift the cylinder head(s) off the engine carefully. If resistance is felt, do not pry between the cylinder head and engine block. Instead, place a wood block against the end of it and strike the wood block with a hammer or pry against a casting protrusion.

Use a pry bar at the corners of the cylinder head-to-engine block mating surface to break the cylinder head gasket seal. Do not pry between the cylinder head and engine block in the gasket sealing area.