Blown Head Gasket... What's next?

[joep88cheyenne]

Since you have to remove the intake, you may want to change your thermostat since it will be off and easy to do. Not necessary but if you haven't changed it now will be a good time. Also mark your hood at the hinges it will save time when reattaching and aligning.

careful when cleaning the old head gasket residue off the block so it doesn't get in the water jackets and cylinders. On the head bolts if you don't loosen them in reverse of the torque sequence you can crack or warp the heads.Ex-Father in law taught me this.

 

[professur]

Is one of the manuals better than the other? I was thinking about picking up a chilton manual but wasn't sure if there were any better alternatives. The one thing my garage is notorious for is making sockets and bolts disappear so I will definitely label everything I take off and bag the bolts that are removed. I was planning on sending the heads out to a machine shop to get checked. Also, I will be draining the engine fluids before I start the project to minimize the mess made on the driveway. Thanks for your help.

The factory service manual is the best. It can be had with a minimum of effort and expense.

 

[Curt]

Compression check is a good idea but the blown gasket will show

That's what I was thinking... I figured the wet compression test would give me a general idea of how the rings are doing. Although, I could be wrong about that too... opinions?

 

[Curt]

Since you have to remove the intake, you may want to change your thermostat since it will be off and easy to do. Not necessary but if you haven't changed it now will be a good time. Also mark your hood at the hinges it will save time when reattaching and aligning.

careful when cleaning the old head gasket residue off the block so it doesn't get in the water jackets and cylinders. On the head bolts if you don't loosen them in reverse of the torque sequence you can crack or warp the heads.Ex-Father in law taught me this.

Oooo I will definitely replace that now that you mention it. Anything else I should replace while it'll be easily accessible? I probably won't be doing the hood removal because I would be doing the head gasket replacement in the driveway and I don't like the idea of having the engine bay easily accessible.

The factory service manual is the best. It can be had with a minimum of effort and expense.

That's a great idea! I'll check up on them and try to find one.

 

[Eskimomann209]

Well
Testing the good cylinders will give you an idea on rings
And you need the dry test to compare the wet test to...
I'd skip the wet test tho...
Honestly
It's good info to have but you've already said you're not equipt to remove a motor and that's what it'll take to rering

And let me be the first to say I like what you've done with the truck
So I'm rooting for you to not get burnt out!
So... LS swap!

 

[Curt]

Well
Testing the good cylinders will give you an idea on rings
And you need the dry test to compare the wet test to...
I'd skip the wet test tho...
Honestly
It's good info to have but you've already said you're not equipt to remove a motor and that's what it'll take to rering

And let me be the first to say I like what you've done with the truck
So I'm rooting for you to not get burnt out!
So... LS swap!

Thank you for the complement! I would be doing a dry test, then wet when compression testing... I'm hoping for the best results possible, fingers crossed. My original plan was to LS swap the truck, but I don't have the time nor money to do so. I really want to but like you said, I am not equipped to remove a motor. If the compression test comes back with bad results, then I'll have plenty of time to think about the new heart... we'll see.

 

[professur]

I dunno about where you live, but the scrap yards around me up here in Canuckistan will transplant an engine for $900 or so, with a 6 month warranty. That's no LS swap ... but it's a quick and dirty way to get back on the road in a hurry without paying $3000 for a rebuild.

 

[Curt]

I dunno about where you live, but the scrap yards around me up here in Canuckistan will transplant an engine for $900 or so, with a 6 month warranty. That's no LS swap ... but it's a quick and dirty way to get back on the road in a hurry without paying $3000 for a rebuild.

They have those deals around here too, but I am picky when it comes to handing my keys to another person. Most of the work I've done on the truck has been undo-ing the past mistakes people (who have worked on the truck) have made. Being that we have a secondary vehicle I can use, it's not a big issue having the suburban down for a while. Also, I want to work through this whole debacle as calmly and methodically as possible. I don't want to make any rash decisions and spend money where I don't want it to be spent. If I need to, I'll park it in the driveway, cover it up, and save some money for whatever comes next. I was not expecting this to happen anytime soon, so I'm still overwhelmed by it. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[professur]

Been there done that. You're on the right path. Nothing worse than having to make decisions under the gun. The more time you take, the more options you find. I blew the engine on my old minivan pulling a tent trailer back up north from a vacation in Atlanta. Sitting on the NJ turnpike with a piston through the side of the block, a van full of kids, a camper on the back that I can't even use, and I'm due back at work the next morning. Felt like my head was stuffed with cotton. Found out a week later, I'd broken down less than 15 minutes from an internet friend's house, and he had an old V8 station wagon sitting in his driveway that easily could have gotten us home... if I'd taken the time to log online and check in. Take the time you need.

 

[Eskimomann209]

Shoot
For 900 I'd gladly pay someone to supply and slap in an LS and leave me to plumb and wire it LOL

Provide them with the 30$ engine conversion mounts
I'll tow it back home and finish it
And they can keep the warranty once I get it running and know the motor is good!