stockgp Posted April 4, 2007 Report Posted April 4, 2007 it's a wonderful life... just found out my mom's lumi has a suspect head gasket. this after i found out my car blew an intake gasket yesterday. so hopefully i get mine back together today so i can start on hers tomorrow. how common is it for 60* motors to blow a head gasket? it's my understanding that this isn't the first time this car has blown a head gasket. has a new radiator and thermostat as of last summer. roughly 180,000 miles on it, but it still runs excellent. i'm assuming it's a head gasket because under heavy acceleration it's getting something like gas knock. also, the coolant is bubbling back into the reservoir and there's a little pudding in there. damn i hate w bodies. if this shit keeps going on, my family is going to be w free very soon... Quote
Nick1234 Posted April 4, 2007 Report Posted April 4, 2007 i didn't think head gaskets were a problem except on newer 3400 motors. Quote
FordBoy Posted April 4, 2007 Report Posted April 4, 2007 Someone is having some bad luck problems happen on cars its a thing of nature "Shit Happens" Quote
slick Posted April 4, 2007 Report Posted April 4, 2007 I've never had a problem with headgaskets on 60*, in fact, I don't that it's very common at all. Quote
GnatGoSplat Posted April 4, 2007 Report Posted April 4, 2007 My 89 blew a head gasket around 160k. It's the only one so far though. Quote
stockgp Posted April 4, 2007 Author Report Posted April 4, 2007 i didn't think it was all that common. but i know this is at least the second time the lumi has blown a head gasket. Someone is having some bad luckproblems happen on cars its a thing of nature "Shit Happens" gtfo of my thread. i' ve had enough of these evil bitches. i'm allowed to be pissed if i want Quote
94CutlassSLCoupe Posted April 4, 2007 Report Posted April 4, 2007 From my experience, a head gasket going above 150k is very common on almost any engine no matter how well designed. These things are made out of a composite material and due to the fact that its a bi-metal mating surface (Aluminum Head on Iron Block), the heads "scrub" a little on expansion and contraction, causing the gasket to eventually wear out. So needless to say you shouldn't be so pissed. Quote
gp90se Posted April 4, 2007 Report Posted April 4, 2007 This is why I support the duke, all made from pig iron. Id be willing to bet motors that don't live in extreme temp climates and are given a chance to warm up (allowing both metals to expand) before driving have less head gasket issues. Quote
DOHCRagtopguy Posted April 4, 2007 Report Posted April 4, 2007 I've owned lots of 60 Degree V-6 cars and NEVER blew a head gasket. Lower intake gaskets, had to replace 2 sets due to leakage. But never the head gasket. Considering the mileage though, maybe it was due. Depends on how well it was maintained, usually they don't just blow. First they will overheat (maybe due to thermostat failure) and then will blow due to the overheating. Quote
Crazy K Posted April 4, 2007 Report Posted April 4, 2007 pretty unusual! at least on my car which is giving me overheat lights and such, I have no such signs! Quote
stockgp Posted April 4, 2007 Author Report Posted April 4, 2007 the lumi hasn't overheated yet. the coolant light has come on a few times and started running a little rough yesterday. other than that there have been no telltale signs. Quote
rudefyet Posted April 4, 2007 Report Posted April 4, 2007 My 3.1 blew a head gasket at ~170k and wait, you live in WV? anywhere near the Ohio border? Quote
GnatGoSplat Posted April 4, 2007 Report Posted April 4, 2007 Id be willing to bet motors that don't live in extreme temp climates and are given a chance to warm up (allowing both metals to expand) before driving have less head gasket issues. I doubt it. Mine didn't fail from any kind of shearing action of dissimilar metals expanding at different rates. It failed because the coolant passages rotted from the inside-out. Quote
stockgp Posted April 4, 2007 Author Report Posted April 4, 2007 and wait, you live in WV? anywhere near the Ohio border? yes, but nowhere near chillicothe. i'm in the northernmost part of wv, 40 minutes west of pittsburgh, 5 minutes from the ohio and pennsylvania borders and yay for rotting coolant passages. at this opint, my step dad isn't sure he wants to put any more money into it. he's considering trading it in (not that he'd get anything out of it) for a cheapie korean car. after i told it's going to be around $215 in parts he seemed pretty set on getting rid of it Quote
Brian P Posted April 5, 2007 Report Posted April 5, 2007 I have to question the quality of the last head gasket job, if it failed in short order. Quote
DOHCRagtopguy Posted April 5, 2007 Report Posted April 5, 2007 Better check the block surface and head surface for straightness. I agree w/Brian P, for it to go that soon after the last repair suggests another hidden problem. Quote
stockgp Posted April 5, 2007 Author Report Posted April 5, 2007 i don't know that it's the same head gasket that went. i don't know which head gasket was replaced. all i know is that the last lady that owned it had one head gasket replaced. Quote
White93z34 Posted April 5, 2007 Report Posted April 5, 2007 if you end up wanting a hand with it i could come down and help out possably. Quote
stockgp Posted April 5, 2007 Author Report Posted April 5, 2007 awesome. thanks for the offer. i'll keep you posted Quote
GutlessSupreme Posted April 5, 2007 Report Posted April 5, 2007 i don't know that it's the same head gasket that went. i don't know which head gasket was replaced. all i know is that the last lady that owned it had one head gasket replaced. why would you only replace one? I know it wasn't you.. but still, that makes no sense. if one's going to go the other's sure to follow soon enough. Quote
stockgp Posted April 5, 2007 Author Report Posted April 5, 2007 who knows. the guy that did all of that lady's work was a little shady. shit, my mom took the lumi to that guy to get it inspected, and they torqued a couple lug nuts down so tight i couldn't break them loose even by jumping on a 24" breaker bar. so, he may have replaced both head gaskets. but, i wouldn't be surpised if he only did one. Quote
rudefyet Posted April 10, 2007 Report Posted April 10, 2007 and wait, you live in WV? anywhere near the Ohio border? Oh I don't live in Chillicothe anymore, my parents do, but I haven't been back in a few weeks, I live in Athens, OH, but I've been hanging out a lot in Parkersburg too, it's only 20 minutes from my house Quote
stockgp Posted April 11, 2007 Author Report Posted April 11, 2007 ah. parkersburg is closer, but still a good clip from me. and i guess i'm going to change the t-stat and see what happens. my brother is insisting that's what it is. i don't think so, but i hope he's right. Quote
RJansen658 Posted April 11, 2007 Report Posted April 11, 2007 Any mechanic that agreed to do just one head gasket is not the mechanic to use. There is absolutely no reason not to do them both, especially on a 3.1L/3100. When it is apart you should ask to see the block and head surfaces after they have been cleaned, it may not even be worth putting another gasket set on if the block has been damaged by a less than apt mechanic... at least not without decking it. Quote
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