austin4run

austin4run

thinking about getting: Bar's Leaks Hg-1 Head Seal Blown Head Gasket Repair to see what magic it can do, however unsure what materials are in the sealer.

128keaton

No, no that is bad! Any sealing stuff like that will only cause more catastrophic issues not too far down the road. Tearing into this engine is a PITA but well worth it.

RJR

If the oil leaks are just minor they are likely coming from the valve covers. The driver's side is easy to replace, the passenger side is more of a pain because you have to remove the plenum and keep a whole bunch of vacuum hoses straight. Still much easier and cheaper than a head gasket.

Don't automatically assume it's a head gasket - oil leaks aren't usually the first sign of a blown HG. It's entirely possible you could get another 50K out of that engine if you fix the leaks and keep driving it. How does it run? Do a compression check and see what that shows you. Change the plugs while you're at it if it's been a while.

Actually, if the leaks are truly minor, there's no harm in continuing to drive it. Just check the oil level regularly and put newspaper under it to keep your garage floor clean.

128keaton

I hate sharing this but I drove to Indy one weekend (8 hours ish) with a weeping rear cam plug. If it's minor, just park in a dirty space.

Terrys87

iTrader: (1)

Swapping in a 22re is not practical. To much difference in the two motors. 3.4 is a common swap, but if it was me and the motor runs great I would just fix what you have. If I had to replace it, I would stay with the 3.0.

wrenchmonster

To the OP... The 3.0 was/is a very decent and capable motor for its time. At this stage, the reliability problems are well known and can be sorted out. The main thing in my opinion is to get rid of the crossover exhaust pipe and either build off of the factory manifold ends separately to connect underneath or better yet, pick up some headers. Once that's done, there won't be any problems with head gaskets. They are indeed a bit sluggish, but that can be improved too with some modifications. It will never be any rocket ship, but it will keep up with modern traffic at 75mph no problem. The 3.4 is a fantastic motor, but if you're on the fence about doing a head gasket job, an engine swap is probably not in your future as that job is far more involved. Not to say that one can't learn, but for a newbie to dive into a swap is probably not the best idea unless you know some local people who can actually help and be there to guide you... not just a bunch of strangers on the internet. I'm not trying to be a jerk here, but do take into consideration experience, shop space, tools, etc. Unless of course you're just going to pay someone else to do the swap for you... but that's another story. Anyway, just keep grounded and be realistic. It's easy to get carried away looking at all the fun projects here, but don't bite off more than you can chew... either with your own skills or your wallet. Craigslist is littered with unfinished projects for sale.