i was driving my truck the other day and shifted at about 4k and accidentally went in 3rd and it redlined briefly. now it idles really low and misses. it looks like oil came out the back of the head and down the side of the transmission on the drivers hand side. it still runs and drives but it misses where the oil came out at and there appears to be oil in the antifreeze reservoir. is it just a blown head gasket? the engine is a 350 sbc. also how much does it cost to have it replaced and is it a difficult job to do yourself? thanks
2006-06-24 08:06:18 · 14 answers · asked by jesussaves 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Car Makes ➔ Chevrolet
Shifting gears at 4K? Maybe just the #7 plug is fouled, but I doubt that's all. The head gasket can be replaced, but you need to have a compression test performed. If you've never done a head gasket before, recruit a friend to show you how it's done. If you don't, you'll end up taking it to a shop, anyway.
2006-06-24 16:04:02 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Jeez, just hold on a minute. No sense in taking it to a shop and letting them just tear into it. SBCs are the easiest motors ever made to work on. First off, run a compression test on each cylinder. That'll tell you if you've got a problem in your valvetrain, hence causing loss of compression. Secondly, go get you a block test kit. It basically "sniffs" the gasses in your radiator and tells if exhaust gasses are present. If you do, you have either a blown head gasket or a cracked head. What year of truck is this in? If it is a pre-96 TBI, or an older carbureted model, all the work will be simple, and if it ends up being a blown head gasket, expect about $100-$200 in repairs, and a afternoon of working on your truck. Go get a chiltons or haynes manual so you can make sure you do everything right, and go to work on the bad boy. I say dont take it to a shop because a head on a 350 chevy usually takes about 3-4 hours to do, and thats 60 bucks an hour. Not even to mention parts, etc. If you do have exhaust gasses in your coolant, make sure you get the head magnafluxed to check if it is cracked or not. Better safe than sorry. Hope this helps, and hope you get your truck going soon.
BTW, if it is an intake gasket, its about a $40 replacement upper gasket set.
2006-06-24 17:25:10 · answer #2 · answered by cumminsedge 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If the oil is backing up into the antifreaze res. It is the intake maifold gasket. If the head gasket was gone it would be antifreaze in the oil. You'd be over heating and blowing white smoke out the exhaust. Both are not cheap to fix and the longer you leave it the more it will cost. You'll have to flush your entire coolant system as well to get the oil out. What year is the truck. Might be better to sell it as is if it's an older model.
2006-06-25 03:48:55 · answer #3 · answered by Judoka 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like you blew out the head gasket. If you have oil in the antifreeze. Have the car towed to a shop and repaired. If you keep driving you could crack or warp the head. Should be about $600 to $1,000 depending on how much damage.
2006-06-24 16:43:20 · answer #4 · answered by uthockey32 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Does it make any noise's. You should probably get a compression guage and test the engine compression to determine if you have damaged something internal. clean off the oil and determine exactly where it is coming from, may have broken something in the valve train and put a hole in the valve cover. Compression test and see exactly where the oil is coming from and perhaps remove the valve cover and inspect for damage. It is not likely you blew a head gasket and a piston will not leak oil externally. More likely you broke a rocker arm or something of that nature.
2006-06-24 15:20:06 · answer #5 · answered by King E 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What year truck and missing might just be a sparkplug fouling as for the oil running down the back that might just be a gasket leaking have you checked the oil how much is it using a lot or a little ?
2006-06-24 15:11:46 · answer #6 · answered by Stang 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You will need a head gasket kit & probably need to send the head off & have it measured & re-done (if it isn't damaged beyond that point). It is an easier rebuild than teh newer engines are. Good Luck!
2006-07-01 10:27:01 · answer #7 · answered by chevygirl440 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like the head gasket, and it is expensive and a job for someone with engine building experience.
2006-06-26 12:10:05 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do a compression test on that side to find out..
It may cost about 300.00 to replace the head gasket
2006-06-25 08:41:30 · answer #9 · answered by Vulcan 1 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yup! You blew it!No way to know what the extent of the damage is till you or a good mechanic takes it apart.If your lucky it's just the gasket.If it's missing you might have bent a valve or two.Difficult? Not if you buy a good manual and have the tools to do it.If not I hope you've got deep pockets or a sympathetic daddy!
2006-06-24 15:18:37 · answer #10 · answered by thetdw 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋