hmm decicions.... head gasket or???

[DeanCampbell]

so ive have a blown head gasket for a while now, ive put 2 bars leaks in they worked for about a year, now i recently put "dike" in, apparently its preety good stuff, but still should be done properly, but i was told once i pullled the head all the water jackets and stuff would be all plugged up from bars leaks, so i have the option to pull the haed do the gasket and get the head machined... ooooooorrrrrrr, buy a new 3.0 form the junk yard with 114xxx for like 1800. wat do you guys think would be the best bet?

 

[crusin93]

How many miles on the current motor?

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

You could always start with pulling the heads off your 3.0L and seeing what kinda shape it is in.

If its not worth it pick up a good used unit. I could help you out with the swap if needed.

 

[snake]

I would swap the engine. Less labor, faster and cheaper. But $1800 for that engine is HIGH. Check out www.car-part.com and you should be able to do alot better...

 

[kimcrwbr1]

It`s a crap shoot gasket or cracked head it is not so hard cleaning the block out with the heads off but your radiator might be another issue and the heater core if you decide to have those heads resurfaced get them magnafluxed first to check for cracks but like was said it is not much harder to do a swap with a good long block and make sure you flush and backflush the radiator and heater core good. Fill them with a 50/50 bleach water mix and let that soak for overnite then blast them out both directions with the nozzle off the hose full blast

 

[DeanCampbell]

first of all i think it just turned 282xxx.. and i didnt mean to say 1800 i meant 800,, probley, she told me 7-1000 so i just assumed i could get it for 800,, also the heater core i was told was by passed, cause when my mom owned she went through 4 then ford eventully just by passed it cause apparently its not uncommon for it to happen on those,, also my heat doesent work.. just stopped like a month ago... cold as ice, changed the thermostat nothing... bled the system nothing,, could this be in part with the head gasket.. also ryan (sasquatch ryda) how long do u think it would take?? and how much beer?

 

[DeanCampbell]

wat the hell isup with me and writing huge numbers,, it just turned 238xxx

 

[OilPatch197]

but i was told once i pulled the head all the water jackets and stuff would be all plugged up from bars leaks

That is pure BULLSHIT!

I was told the same thing, "OMG DUDE you are going to plug up your heater core!" Yeah well my '87 is running great, coolant system sealed(used a full bottle of GRAY Bar's leak, it only recommends 1/2 bottle, but that didn't fix it, a full bottle, 1/2 bottle now and after a few miles the second bottle)

Everything works great, and I finally fixed a leaky thermostat housing, and I DID notice SOME buildup on the Thermostat, but the radiator, hoses looked GREAT.

But I did use double the dose.

 

[Ak_Ranger]

first of all i think it just turned 282xxx.. and i didnt mean to say 1800 i meant 800,, probley, she told me 7-1000 so i just assumed i could get it for 800,, also the heater core i was told was by passed, cause when my mom owned she went through 4 then ford eventully just by passed it cause apparently its not uncommon for it to happen on those,, also my heat doesent work.. just stopped like a month ago... cold as ice, changed the thermostat nothing... bled the system nothing,, could this be in part with the head gasket.. also ryan (sasquatch ryda) how long do u think it would take?? and how much beer?

I had a 94 Aerostar with the 4.0l in it and it blew a head gasket and did the same thing, no heat what so ever, later that same day ( atm I didnt know any better, assumed it was the head gasket but wasnt over heating so i wasnt sure) my temp spiked and the engine made a loud pinging noise, by by engine...ended up just getting rid of the van I had already spent 1500 to replace the heads on it a year before so i was done dealing with the pos.

 

[DeanCampbell]

I had a 94 Aerostar with the 4.0l in it and it blew a head gasket and did the same thing, no heat what so ever, later that same day ( atm I didnt know any better, assumed it was the head gasket but wasnt over heating so i wasnt sure) my temp spiked and the engine made a loud pinging noise, by by engine...ended up just getting rid of the van I had already spent 1500 to replace the heads on it a year before so i was done dealing with the pos.

well that didnt help me at all but thanks anyway.. i know my head gasket is done cause i know where the leak is

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Dike doesn't stick to anything, it just goes where the leak is and fills it up. A demonstration at a show was the lady had a coffeecan with a bunch of holes punched in it, she filled it with water and as it was draining dumped in the Dike... the leaks stopped. She dumped out the water and the dike went with it and the can was spotless clean.

Check out what you have, a JY motor could be a week away from needing headgaskets or could be full of stop leak itself...

 

[snake]

If that truck is eating up heater cores it has an acid problem in the cooling system that cannot be corrected, as once its in the block it is nearly impossible to remove. That is if I read that correctly... if so dump that block and start over. You can find a J/Y engine with 15,000 miles on it if you look hard enough and that engine wouldn't be a week away from blowing a head gasket... but your choice, I only swap instead of repair head gaskets because of experience... been there, done that. A lot more labor, time, running around chasing parts, two trips to the machine shop (if the heads are bad chasing more heads and more machine shop) etc. The swap should take less than a day and it is up and running. Let us know what happens tho, and if you do swap, find a lower mileage engine.

 

[AllanD]

More than $500 for a junkyard 3.0engine is robbery.

If you are local or reasonably driving distance from eastern Pennsylvania
I've got a 3.0 out of a 1993-94 Aerostar with <100k on it ran well (I SAW it run)
before it was pulled at the junkyard

you'd need to swap some of your "bits" (accessory brackets, exhaust manifolds and on engine harness) over to it to install it but a RWD 3.0 is a RWD 3.0

And I'd let it go for FAR less than $1800 (about 1/6th as much)

For $1800 I could buy atleast six or seven of those engines around here...

AD

 

[DeanCampbell]

ya im not anywhere near penslyvania,, haha im in northern b.c.. but ya i think ill shop around a bit more for an engine