So my baby has been acting up lately - coolant loss, temp gauge getting warmer than normal, misfire cylinder 3 and 6, rough idle at cold start, white vapory smoke for 1st 2 minutes of start up... So mechanic says they are detecting exhaust gases in the coolant - system hold pressure when off but loses pressure when running... so pretty indicative of a Head gasket issue. Truck has 195K on odometer but its probably closer to 210K with the bigger tires throwing off the odometer for the last 130K miles.

Not sure what to do... HG replacement is quote is roughly $2400. Bluebook value on the truck is roughly 5K in good condition - which with engine issues it's not. Used engines with 110-150k miles on them are roughly $1000 to $1300 out of junk yards - but that seems like a crap shoot on what you are really getting...

So - Any sage advice from those who have had a similar issue or knowledge in this area would be helpful!

John

 

Perfect time to get intimate with your trucks engine and do it yourself.