Fix It

Bug shields protect the leading edge of your vehicles hood from bugs and stone chips. When a large object or blunt force cracks the plastic bug shield, your hood protection is lost. Regular glues will not bond to plastics. Fixing plastic cracks requires an adhesive designed for each specific type of plastic. Manufacturers use either ABS plastic to make opaque bug shields or Lexan plastic for clear or tinted bug shields.

Instructions

1

Spray window cleaner on the cracked area of the bug shield. Wipe the cleaner from the crack with a clean rag.

2

Stick the end of a syringe in an open container of plastic adhesive. Pull the plunger located at the back of the syringe toward you to fill it with adhesive.

3

Align the tip of the syringe with the center of the bug shield crack. Pull the syringe along the crack as you push in on the plunger. Make sure you fill the length of the crack with adhesive.

4

Set a spring clamp across both sides of the crack. Inspect the crack to ensure that both sides of the crack are at the same height. Leave the clamp on the crack for 24 hours.

5

Remove the spring clamp.

6

Sand any excess cured adhesive from the crack with 600-grit sandpaper. Avoid sanding the surface of the bug shield to reduce scuffing.

In modern automobiles, the exhaust manifold is part of the larger manifold system. Its function is to remove engine exhaust--air and vapor, along with any uncombusted fuels--and inject it into the exhaust pipe to be carried out and away from the engine. A cracked or otherwise faulty exhaust manifold can result in inefficient fuel consumption and a pronounced drop in engine performance. It can allow harmful exhaust fumes to accumulate in the engine compartment, where they can then make their way into the cabin of the vehicle.

Pronounced Exhaust Odors

The most obvious sign of an exhaust system problem is the presence of exhaust odors in the passenger cabin, though this can also indicate a breach of the exhaust pipe beneath the car. To differentiate between the two, run the engine until its warm and open the hood. If there is a distinct smell of exhaust originating from the engine compartment, the problem is very likely in the manifold.

Performance and Noise Issues

Because combustion engines use the natural vacuum pressure caused by the compression, combustion and evacuation of air and fuel, another symptom of a cracked manifold is an obvious drop in engine performance. Weak acceleration accompanied by a stuttering effect may indicate a manifold problem, but it does not necessarily mean the manifold is cracked.

This obvious loss of performance accompanied by louder engine noise points more definitively toward a breach in the exhaust manifold. The noise will typically manifest as a louder exhaust rumble, or a wide-open sound. Again, a breach in the exhaust pipe may also cause this, so be sure to check under the hood while the engine is being accelerated to ensure that the noise is coming from the engine compartment rather than beneath the car.

Identifying Cracks in an Exhaust Manifold

A cracked exhaust manifold is not always immediately apparent. Stress fractures caused by excessive heat can start small and widen over time, making the effect difficult to notice until the engines performance is noticeably diminished.

Because most fractures are caused by heat stress, cracks will form where the heat is most concentrated, in this case where the manifold joins the engine. In older manifolds made of cast iron, cracks are usually harder to see, as rust accumulates rather quickly. In newer engines with aluminum manifolds, cracks may be more readily apparent thanks to aluminums lighter color and resistance to oxidation. Removal of the exhaust manifold and a close physical inspection may be necessary to locate cracks.

The head gasket provides a tight seal between oil, coolant and the engines main cylinders. Regardless what type of car you own, the symptoms of a cracked or damaged head gasket are the same. Although your Ford engine requires both oil and coolant to run effectively, parts of your engine suffer if oil or coolant are allowed entry. If you diagnose the problem early enough, you can stop it before it causes you to have to replace the entire engine.

Blue Smoke

If you see blue smoke coming from your Fords exhaust, you most likely have oil getting through cracks in the head gasket and into the cylinders. As it burns in your engine, the car produces thick, blue smoke.

White Smoke

In a similar fashion, white smoke plumes coming from your Fords exhaust are an indicator that engine coolant is working its way through cracks in the head gasket to the cylinders. As it burns, the coolant produces white smoke.

White Paste in Oil

You should check your oil often using the dipstick. Checking your oil regularly ensures you are familiar with how normal oil looks. If you begin experiencing engine troubles, check your Fords oil to see if there is any foreign substance mixed in with the oil. A white, pasty substance in your cars oil indicates that your cars head gasket is damaged.

Visible Leaks

Check your engine to see if oil or coolant are splashed onto the engine parts. This indicates that they are probably leaking from the cracked head gasket. Large leaks will occur underneath the car when you park it.

Continuous Overheating

If your engine is continuously overheating no matter how much coolant you add to the reservoir, your head gasket may be cracked. Large leaks underneath the car may indicate a problem elsewhere in the cooling system, but you can perform a quick test to see if the more likely culprit is the head gasket. Remove the overflow cap and have a friend rev the engine. If you see air bubbles in the coolant when the engine revs, the problem is with your head gasket.

Rough Engine

If your head gasket is cracked, oil and coolant are able to get into places they should not be. As a result, the engine will start to sound and feel different than it normally does. Other symptoms present more quickly, but a rough-sounding engine will not improve on its own.