Hello. I posted here a while ago about my coolant leak, and now that I replaced the radiator, it looks like I finally found my leak, and I imagine there is no other answer than the head gasket. So before I settle in and get started on this (the radiator is the biggest job I've ever done, although pretty simple), I had a few quick questions. Here is a picture of the leak that I was able to take. You can see what looks like a bolt missing above the stream of coolant pouring out. Is there any chance that's the cause of the leak, or am I just replacing the HG? (very sorry for the quality of the picture).

The real question, since I have always been prepared to find out it was the HG, is what do I need to be prepared for? I'm out of work, and I understand I can get the gasket set and bolts for about $200 or a little under. I understand that I should have the heads machined, but what does that cost? And basically, what other costs am I looking at? It looks like I have no option but to do this on the street in front of my house, and the neighbors probably aren't going to be thrilled about that, and the last thing I want is to be half way through and find out that I need something else that I don't have the money for, and letting the truck sit a month or two while I scrounge up a bunch of cash.

Many many thanks in advance.

Also, for what it's worth, it's a 94 with the 3.0.

 

excuse the bump. Just hoping to get an answer on this.

 

The photo is of a common head gasket area that develops leaks. Usually they are internal. Have you pulled all of your plugs to see if one is wet? Start with the one there at rear driver side. Remove oil filler cap and look for white goo which is another indication of internal leak. Don't recognize the threaded hole but I doubt that is your problem. Likely and unused hole.

Take heads to a shop. They need to be cleaned and inspected for cracks. If ok, get a basic valve job and ensure the valve clearances are set at the shop. If head is warped, a good shop will heat the head and straighten them VS trying to machine it out. A 0.010" skim cut would be advisable to ensure no future leaks.

When ready to assemble, use paper towels or compressed air (be careful here and wear glasses) to clean out head bolt holes. Water and oil will partially fill some and give you a false torque reading at assembly....leading to future gasket problems.

I think you are over your head to do this job. But, you must take many many photos of tear down and label each vacuum hose to get a good reinstall of all the parts in their right places. Going to need lots of tools tool.

Best of luck....and get some talented help.

My $0.02

 

The heads will probably be $50 each to machine. While your ate it spend the extra money to have them check for cracks and let the machine shop check the head and determine whether or not valve work is necesary. You will need new valve guide seals and possibly more if they are original heads with 100k or more. I would estimate over $200 at the machine shop if your heads have nothing significantly wrong with them. Chances are if they are originals, and you have let it get overheat due to collant loss they are garbage.

Id estimate another $100 for random supplies as well. like brake clean, rtv etc...

 

There are SEVERAL EXCELLENT threads on here; search on "3vze head gasket rebuild" and you should get loads of them. I have two, I know several others have posted as well.

I recommend springing for the MLS (Multi Layer Steel) head gaskets, and they require a specialized resurfacing of the block & heads. They are as close to bulletproof as you're likely to get, though. You DO NOT want to get this all done & wish you had resurfaced everything when it blows another HG in 8k miles like mine did

*DOH!*

 

And you'll need intake and exhaust gaskets... might want to have the timing belt inspected or just replace it for peace of mind.

These are one of those engines, particularly if you've never worked on them before, that you don't want to put together and find something else goes bad in a few months or few thousand miles, which could've been prevented for a few hundred more cause then you're out the time and money taking it all apart again.

Like said, search the forums and see what others have gone through. You might want to take a look at the threads about rebuilding the engine too, if for no other reason than to get more information.

 

Get the engnbldr top end rebuild gasket kit. It's like 250 and includes everythjing you need including to HGs. All you need aside form that is head bolts, and misc. other stuff you might wanna replace (pulleys, idlers, sensors, etc) As for the machine shop, the guy I took mine to estimated like 400 bucks for a full cleaning, machining of the mating surface and rebuild of both my heads, with new valves, seals, guides etc. But my heads were cracked (both of them, believe it or not) so I ended up getting reman ones through him at 400 bucks a pop. Yeah it was pricey, but in other parts of the country, those prices should be less.

 

And what if they are garbage? Then what? It very barely overheated, and I was able to shut it right down when I sprung the leak, but if this turns out to be the case, I just need to know what I'm looking at. A new engine?

TNRabbit wrote: "You DO NOT want to get this all done & wish you had resurfaced everything when it blows another HG in 8k miles like mine did "

Well, there is no way I'll have this truck in 8k miles. I just want to get rid of this thing and get a pickup. With that being said, I want to have this entire job done the right way, so what kind of cost am I looking at to have the block and heads resurfaced?

abecedarian wrote: "You might want to take a look at the threads about rebuilding the engine too, if for no other reason than to get more information."

I've already been through some of those posts. Great stuff, and extremely informative. Truly A+ stuff.


To be honest, while I appreciate all the replies, they've been kind of discouraging, and I'm left wondering at what point I ought to just put this thing on Craigslist and dump it. The engine has always been a weak, gas guzzling piece of for me anyway. If I'm looking at much more than $500 to get this done myself, I'm not sure I really care to get into it.

 

I think the underlying point everyone's trying to make is there's no way to know exactly how much it'll cost or what to expect until you have it apart and have the heads checked for warpage.
If you tear it apart, you're going to be out a few bills for gaskets, etc. Any other machine work necessary is would be determined later. Total cost could be anywhere from what the gaskets cost to ... if the heads are fine that's the end of it ... if they need decked / surfaced the cost goes up ... if the heads need replaced the cost goes up higher ... if something else is wrong, even more cost. You eventually hit a point where maybe a used engine is a better alternative, but then that's an unknown... and then there's the rebuilt option which is in the thousands of dollars.

I'm sure everyone wishes they could give you more definite answers but there are a lot of unknowns to consider.

 

Fair enough. Many thanks for the help.

 

Between gasket set & head resurfacing, you're going to spend more than $500....FWIW...