Hey guys got a head gasket question. I recently bought a 88 4x4 pickup with a 3.0 engine and 180k miles on it. The truck has been running GREAT till the other day when I started blowing a lot of smoke out of the exhaust pipe. I went back and smelled it and it smelled like antifreeze. I'm mechanically retarted so I had no idea what that meant but after a little research it sounds like a blown head gasket. I drove the truck to my mechanic and the temp gauge started shooting right up to the HOT and it stayed there for a minute or so then started back down and then back up again and so on and so on (it was about 10 degrees out when I took it up there) Also while driving it the heat wouldn't come out of the vents all the time....at times it would come out somewhat warm but then it would quit and start blowing cold air again. My question is does this sound like a blown head gasket and or a radiator issue? The truck had been using a little coolant at times but it didn't seem to be enough to worry me (i'm sure I was wrong about that) Also is this a big fix? Would I be better to just pay some extra money and put in a new engine? Thanks for any advice!!

 

Blown head gasket, IMO. A radiator issue will not send coolant out the tail pipe. Yes, it's a big fix. The heads do not like to be overheated on these engines. Do a search of the threads here on top end rebuilds.

Reasons:
1) Using coolant
2) Smoke out tail pipe - white, I presume?
3) Smoke smells like antifreeze
4) 3vz tend to blow HGs

 

Got the word back from my mechanic....apparently its the intake. all the pressure and leak checks were good.

 

Hmmmm........i feel there is more to come.....stay tuned.

 

same with cman, thats no intake thats full blown headgasket failure, right at around 180k where they like to go, just because a leak down passed doesnt mean anything.

 

If a headgasket is blown the cyl will not hold pressure during a compression/leakdown test. If it's busted enough not to hold 15psi coolant away from it, it won't hold pressure for a leakdown nor will it hold pressure during a compression test. Not within the specs needed to pass anyway.

Now on the 3.0, I can't remember off-hand if coolant runs through it or not, but in the case of a 22r, it does and a faulty intake manifold gasket can cause coolant to enter a cyl.

 

Agree with 'rworegon' and 'cman1'...hard to believe that its just the intake due to the history of the #6 cyl. On my 3vze, the HG did was slowly failing on #6 for awhile...like 3 months. I was in denial since it seemed OK once the engine warmed, ....but when it finally 'gave' and I had the steam machine. Mine went at 225K...like many others.
My machinist suggested that when the engine reach operating temp, swelling may have allowed it to be OK for a short time before it completely failed. I did it myself with help from this forum. wasn't too bad.

 

I think that was somewhat a vauge diagnosis from your mechanic. what did he say was wrong with the intake?. I agree with the other guys sounds like headgasket failure, most 3vze eat headgaskets sooner or later. I hope its not as bad as it sounds. I still like em.

 

yep .. changed mine recently..with buddies help. still threw around a grand into fixing it

 

and it well........sucks to change.

 

Mine leaked coolant to the outside at back corner of #6,went ahead and pulled whole engine and did complete rebuild. Cost me around 1K for machine work and parts.