Head gasket Blew...What to do Now?

[Swans.2000.3500]

Well guys, my motor supposedly has 157xxx miles on it and yesterday something went in the motor and antifreeze got mixed in with the oil. I'm not sure exactly what the cause of this was but two days ago i checked the motor oil and it was good and i also changed my thermostat so everything was in check. It drove great until the next day when it ran hot and sputtered at a stop light and then shutdown a mile down the road. Steam was coming out of the air filter and I pulled my dipstick and sure enough it was milky in color. After it cooled down she started right back up and i got her home but now i don't know what to do? Find a new motor or fix the gasket? My only worry is that it has never been rebuilt and once i fix the gasket it will blow up in a few thousand miles. What do you guys think?

 

[great white]

DO NOT RUN THE ENGINE ANY MORE!

NOT AT ALL!!!!!

Antifreeze in the crankcase will wipe out a set of main and rod bearings faster than you can say "cat in the hat".

A head gasket seems likely from your description.

Confirm this is the problem, swap em out and change the oil before you even think about hitting the starter again.

Another 50-75,000 or reliable service out of a chev small block that's currently at 157,000 wouldn't be unusual.

Small blocks can hit 300,000 before they're worn out but you're getting iffy in the 200-300,000 range. Some have gone a bit longer, but that's more the exception than the rule.

Of course, all this is based on an engine that has had regular maintenance and hasn't been abused by a PO.

The only way to know if yours will go longer is to do a bit of investigation like compression tests, oil pressure checks, etc....

 

[454ss]

you need to check the heads with a straight edge to see if they are warped. when you get it back together, run it till warm then change the oil again. while its apart id have a valve job done if it was mine since they may need to be resurfaced anyway.

 

[SAATR]

You won't know anything for certain until you pull the heads. It could just be a head gasket, but a cracked head is also a distinct possibility. Take the heads to a machine shop and have them checked out. They will magnaflux the heads to look for cracks, check for warpage, and machine them if necessary. Pull your spark plugs out before you do anything else and look for one that is wet with water or really, really clean. Water intruding into the chamber will effectively steam clean it, making the plug, chamber, and crown of the piston look practically new. If you find a plug that fits that description, then you know where your failed cylinder is. I don't recommend it, but on a tight budget you can just pull the head on the bank with the problem, and save yourself the money and time of a teardown on both. It can save money in the short run, but in the long run you are likely to have a failure of the other gasket.

 

[Swans.2000.3500]

How much (roughly) would it cost for the machine shop to do this? I have no idea so any rough estimate would be great

 

[heavychevy98]

I think my local guy checks them out for free if you get them cut, which is $50 a pair to me. If you didnt have to get them cut then he'd probably check them out for next to nothing i would suppose.

 

[great white]

How much (roughly) would it cost for the machine shop to do this? I have no idea so any rough estimate would be great

Phone book.

Call a couple local machine shops.

Any price someone gives you over the net is essentially useless as it can vary widely area to area.

 

[Swans.2000.3500]

Just got time to take her into the garage, so first thing i did was a compression test. All cylinders were right around 156 psi so i guess it's not my head gasket, but most likely my intake gasket. Does this sound right?

 

[LoudnLifted88]

if its vortec the intake gaskets failed common problem

 

[Tomcat71]

in 20 years of working on SBC's I have never seen one blow a head gasket. not even overheated. I'm tossing my vote for intake gasket as well.