While reading several posts about the troublesome headgaskets on the 3.0, I got to thinking - what should you do if it blows while you're 'wheeling?

Obviously, if it blows while on the road, pull over and call AAA.

But what if you lose a headgasket while on the trail? How far could you drive to get out? Short periods with cool down time, or is the cycling of temp worse than just keeping it warm?

 

better find someone to tow ya out. If you get enough anitfreeze in the cylinder, you can bend a rod, and make things worse than they already are.

 

I wonder if loosening the radiator cap and relieving system pressure would keep the coolant out of the cylinders long enough to make it out?

 

You should be able to drive with a blown headgasket to get out, as long as the truck isnt overheating. If antifreeze gets in the blown cylinder, I dont think your going to bend a rod. The motor isnt going to hydrolock because the coolant is jsut pushed back out where it came in.

 

I drove about 10 miles on my blown headgasket with the temp guage going up and down...if that helps.

 

Yeah, I drove quite a ways before I realized my 22R had blown its headgasket, but probably incurred some extra damage doing so.

So it's sounding like the big thing is avoid shutting the motor down? What about pulling that spark plug?

 

Yep. When my HG blew I was about 170 miles away from home, on a hunting trip in the absolute middle of nowhere. It made it all the way back with ease. Luckily it was in the dead of winter. During the drive back, it was probably 10*F. So overheating wasn't an issue.