Turning the Crank?!

[TheRoaringEagle]

I need to take the heads off a Ford V6. It's not a pro-touring car but you guys are always so knowledgeable. I have a manual for the 3.0L OHV and the first step towards taking the cylinder heads off is to crank the engine so that the piston in cylinder #1 is at TDC. How can I crank it and know when that piston is at TDC??

It's a 99 Ford Taurus SE. It's smoking white coolant smelling clouds and overheats due to loss of coolant which isn't leaking. Head gaskets right.

[graycamaro]

Heads are probably cracked. Pretty common on those engines.

Take the valve cover off and watch the exhaust rocker on #1 when it closes then your just about there you can take the spark plug out and hold a finger over the hole and bump the engine over and feel a puff of air at the end of the puff your at top dead center approxamatly. Sorry for the terrible explanation easier to do than describe. I dont think it is that important to have it a top dead center though.

[TheRoaringEagle]

I hope the heads aren't cracked, doesn't look like it, but the gaskets seem to be fine too. Thanks for the info, got it turned. I'm not partial to Fords...