I'm 95% sure my headgasket blew.
A while back I ran my truck low on oil and it got pretty hot. Not overheating hot, 3/4 up the temp gauge. Filled her back with oil and away we went.
It had gotten hot enough to push a hose off the fitting a bit which dripped coolant on my block heater.
Plugged the block heater in a normal, the block heater shorted out and made a small fire (coolant = alcohol) which burnt through a hose.
I drove around, losing coolant until it finally lost enough coolant to rocket the temps. It never redlined but it was closer this time.
Got the block heater and hoses all fixed. Watching my oil more closely now. Starting a little rough.

Fast forward two months:
My coolant system is pressurizing way too much and blowing hoses off the fittings. And it's pushing my coolant out the overflow.
The engine starts rough for about 15-20 seconds after it's been sitting awhile.
Verdict:
Headgasket is blown and exhaust is pushing the coolant out.

What's the likelyhood my head is cracked and toast? Frame has 370k KM on it, engine was supposedly swapped out way back when, so 320k km on the motor.

Keep driving it around until I get a new head to drop on it?OR go ahead and tear into the motor and replace the head gasket and pray the head isn't cracked?

 

pull the head and get it checked at the machine shop. re-install with new gaskets

 

I guess I should let everyone know my timeline as well.
I'm doing this on my own, preferrably over the weekend.
How long to do a headgasket, before I get too far into this?

 

If you take that head off you really should get it checked at a machine shop before re-installing it. Otherwise you will be doing it again. Which means at least a day or two down time to have em check it and re-surface it if required.

 

Head gasket is easy, just mark hoses and keep bolts organized. If you overheated your motor a few times your head is surely warped and should get machined.

 

It took one person (me) approximately 3.5 hours to get the head off.
The dang wiring harness and connectors and the octopus of vaccum lines is what too the most time.
I got pics of it all.
Headgasket blew on 3 out of 4 cylinders.
I'm pretty sure that the head is warped. Not even gonna check it, I'll clean it up and take it to a shop to pressure test and machine. Preliminary inspection of the head looks like it's possibly ok, I can't see any cracks between the valves. I'll have a shop use some penetrant dye and check it out.
In the process of having my buddy clean the intake while I clean the block.
No one will be open on a Sunday to machine the head, so I might just be able to have myself a day off. haha.

 

Just some piece of advise if they have to take 10 thous off the head or more use a head shim as well, otherwise the cam timing is gonna be off and you'll loose some bottom end torque. But some people like it that way since it does add some mid to upper RPM torque due to the raise in compression.

 

Get a factory Toyota head gasket. Its simply the best.
It took me 4 hours to do mine, pulled into the garage to driving around the block, they arent difficult at all.

 

I'm guessing you didn't have the head machined.
I could easily shave an hour off disassembly time due to in-experience with the connectors.
If I had to do it again, it'd take half the time.

I got a complete gasket kit from Engnbldr. So I'm gonna be using that.
Anyone got any beef with the headgaskets in those kits?

 

GARBAGE.
DO NOT USE
Taking nothing away from Ted, great service, but Rock headgaskets are garbage.
Seem to last around 25-30K before they blow (between 3 and 4 ive seen)
Thats why I just replaced mine with a Toyota factory gasket

 

i have also heard VERY BAD things about rock headgaskets. get a toyota one. theres a reason these trucks run for 250k+ miles just from the factory

 

yeah, ordered a oem for my truck

 

Well, I think I may have to take everyone's advice.
I'll be having the head decked and valves cleaned up.
Oh and the exhaust manifold will get decked as well.
I'll have a few days to get a Toyota headgasket in.
I'll see what the machining and cleaning will cost me.
If it costs more than a new head (shipped), I'll be getting a new head.

 

im picking up my street rv head in a couple mins...but it took 2 weeks.. soo your truck will be down longer


dooo it!

 

A Street RV head would in the neighborhood of $625, not including taxes or duty to get it across the border.
A head check and refresh (vaccum test, pressure test and dye, re-surface, valve grind, valve guides/seals) would be around $300. I'm sure that i'll need some new parts so I'm gonna say $450.
And I'll get it back in a week.
Or I can just have the head re-surfaced, vaccuum tested and cleaned for $210.
Or just re-surface for $85.

Exhaust manifold or exhaust manifold head surface also needs to be re-surfaced. Another bit of coin there too.

Or I could just toss it back on with the Rock gasket and new headbolts I've already got and be on the road tonight. Hahah.
As you can tell options for from Best to Worst. Haha. Just gotta make the call.

 

yeah i hear ya man, longer downtime=mo money..

kinda funny how that works, how much did you pay for your head bolts..

comparing the oem hg and rock.. there is sure a difference.

 

I'll have both head gaskets to compare side by side on wednesday.
I might even got to NAPA and see if they've got a different type for a sweet photo.

 

worth keeping, worth doing with the best parts available.

 

I did a head gasket job on my old truck, it had 210 on the motor when it blew.

I wish i would have gone with a better HG from the factory, cause after the headgasket job it blew once again within 10,000 miles.

If you plan on keeping the truck...Id go with the factory...But thats just me.

 

Haha. I'm getting a Toyota Head gasket. It should be here wednesday.
The head is off to the machine shop. I'm just gonna have them machine the head down and the exhaust manifold as well.
I would totally love to get the head rebuilt but I would also need to redo the piston/rings and bottom end as well. And then i'd have a brand new motor. Haha. Read for another 320K.
Just gotta get 'er back on the road. The company truck was needed so I got yanked out of that. Time for the bus and it's only -24C right now with windchill, it says it feels like -41C. Snot-sickles here I come.