Truck goes into the shop tomorrow....

[cr_the_machinist]

My Ranger has just started to burn coolant though an internal manifold or head gasket leak. I have NO time at all to fix it between 12 hours at school and 50 hours a week at the guitar shop. Wish I could do it myself but I gotta fork her over to the pro's for this one. Anyone ever had a coolant leak like this before repaired at there local shop? How much did it run you about? I'm going to give the local shop I go to with all my major repairs and see what they think. I hate it when I can't fix things myself but the job will at least get done right the first time this way instead of going on one of my trail and error streaks.

 

[snake]

I'd hate to think what that will cost. A good shop that works fast and there are no problems (cracked head) and you may come out under a grand... Let us know, I've got a suzuki in the garage right now with a head gasket/cracked head- it was puking oil into the coolant. Still waiting for the machine shop to fix the head 4 me.

 

[cr_the_machinist]

I got a call today from the shop. They quoted me $600 if its just the lower manifold gasket leak. If it was a worst case scenario (as in all new heads and gaskets) it would be $2400. It was drivable as-is with on overheating when I drove it in, I just wanna get this fixed while I have the $$$. Hopefully it will be just the manifold gasket or just the head gaskets. If its the heads themselves I'm gonna have to unload some of my guitars and amps.

 

[BlackBII]

Good luck brotha...

 

[cr_the_machinist]

Man.... I'm driving my step-dads '08 Focus right now till I get my truck back.... THOSE THINGS SUCK! This thing has no pickup what so ever. I'm finding getting into traffic in this thing a royal pain in the butt. I want my ranger back!


Hopefully she'll be back by Wednesday and I'll be outta 2 weeks pay. I'll keep ya posted what was up with it.

 

[camping_mailman01]

About three years ago, my '98 4.0 left head cracked, and I had to turn to those around here that I trusted, and the bill ran close to $1100. The new head cost right around $817. They had me as I normally do all of my own work, so I checked all around the area, and no one had a used head that they would part with. I found a high mileage engine for for near $700, didn't quite trust that one. It had 137,000 on it then. Pushed it to 167,000 that year, and it developed a wrist pin knock. One of my customers had a '00 Explorer that ran great and one night experienced three rolls at 115mph, so I got that engine for $400. After I got a medical problem out of the way, I installed that engine put in. 218,865 miles on it. Some day I will tear the original down just to see if wrist pin was truly the problem. Little ole daily driver drives like a new one, but sure needs cleaned. The engine replace was optional as I couldn't let that engine get away. I replaced the catalytic converter at 214,902 as it blocked on the way home one day.

 

[cr_the_machinist]

Yeah, got the news today.... both heads are cracked.... even went to the shop and looked at it my self, no bs. I'm getting the motor rebuilt for $2800. Kinda steep bup they are already shoulder deep in the thing and it needs it, also I dont have the time to fart around with it.

 

[4x4RangerGuy]

Ouch, that sucks man. I'm guessing you're working weekends as well?

If you could find a weekend off, you and a buddy could easily do it in 2 days with a new/rebuilt set of head cylinders and the assorted gaskets and hardware.

 

[cr_the_machinist]

Yup... weekends too. I have Wednesday and Friday off and thats it and usually I'm taking care of stuff that I have to get done beside working on the truck. It would have been my first rebuild job but this is a very nice truck and I want to get it done right the first time.