tinfoil_hat
I'm Awesome
I am betting I have a slow headgasket leak that might be getting worse.
The truck has always blown bubbles in the puke tank after shut down. No oil in the water, no water in the oil (that I could see), no significant coolant consumption. This has gone on for eight years and about 50k miles. Hasn't gotten any worse. I always figured it was a lower intake leak, maybe the headgasket. About three years ago it started fouling plug #5 and throwing a misfire code. I had the compression checked at the time and the numbers were good. I have since replaced that plug about four or five times. It will foul that plug and only that plug every few thousand miles. Is the replacement interval getting shorter? Maybe. I haven't kept track of the dates. Now on really cold mornings (we have had a cold winter this year) I smell a little coolant on startup and she rattles a bit near that #5 cylinder for a few seconds then quiets down (it's done the rattle for years). I am about to change that plug again for the 5th or 6th time and I am starting to wonder if this is finally catching up with me.
What would you do in my place? Replace just one gasket? Both? Rebuilt heads? Crate motor? Spend the cash on a new truck? It's a great truck otherwise but it's hardly in showroom condition. It needs ball joints and tie rods, paint is going on the roof and hood. Everything else is in pretty good shape. It's my daily driver but I only drive about 6k miles a year. I think there is 225k on the clock, 50-60k on the trans. 4x4 works great, tires are good. I am hoping to get another 6-12 months out of it. Wife gets a car this year. Suggestions welcome.
The truck has always blown bubbles in the puke tank after shut down. No oil in the water, no water in the oil (that I could see), no significant coolant consumption. This has gone on for eight years and about 50k miles. Hasn't gotten any worse. I always figured it was a lower intake leak, maybe the headgasket. About three years ago it started fouling plug #5 and throwing a misfire code. I had the compression checked at the time and the numbers were good. I have since replaced that plug about four or five times. It will foul that plug and only that plug every few thousand miles. Is the replacement interval getting shorter? Maybe. I haven't kept track of the dates. Now on really cold mornings (we have had a cold winter this year) I smell a little coolant on startup and she rattles a bit near that #5 cylinder for a few seconds then quiets down (it's done the rattle for years). I am about to change that plug again for the 5th or 6th time and I am starting to wonder if this is finally catching up with me.
What would you do in my place? Replace just one gasket? Both? Rebuilt heads? Crate motor? Spend the cash on a new truck? It's a great truck otherwise but it's hardly in showroom condition. It needs ball joints and tie rods, paint is going on the roof and hood. Everything else is in pretty good shape. It's my daily driver but I only drive about 6k miles a year. I think there is 225k on the clock, 50-60k on the trans. 4x4 works great, tires are good. I am hoping to get another 6-12 months out of it. Wife gets a car this year. Suggestions welcome.