taikowaza

is there anything that can be done to extend the 3vze HG's life? (driving style, mods, anything can be checked, tightened?)

My99

Extremes are what kill headgaskets. High temperature, high reving, and general wear. Detonation can also be quite harmful. If you hear pinging, try stepping up to a higher grade of fuel, or do a seafom cleanser to see if that helps. Take it easy on the revs, keep your water and oil clean, and use common sense. You don't have to be the first one to the top of the hill and it's okay to drive below the speed limit on steep grades. Headgaskets usually fail when you're pushing the truck the hardest and in the hottest temperatures. Unfortunately, if it's going to happen, there's not much you can do to stop it. The best thing you can do is have yourself a little headgasket fund. If you're going to have someone else do the work, you'll need to save about 3-4X as much. How much that is, I'm not sure. You could shop around your local area to get some quotes just to be prepared.