how much to fix a blown gasket in a 1985 corvette?

Question

So i blew the gasket in my 1985 corvette. Does anyone know around how much it will cost to fix?
also, i want to fix it myself, because i enjoy working on cars, but i've never dealt with a blown gasket before. does anyone know where i can get quality instructions or how to's?

Its a head gasket, and i have the lift and have a workshop, i just don't know how to fix the head gasket, i can easily buy one, and i know i have to take apart the top part of the engine, but i still need help on how to. or how much would it cost to get it fixed?

blown head gasket, its steaming right at the spot, luckily it hasn't gone into the engine, its only going through the coolant/ water system, so i'm only losing water. there's no damage on the engine, thank god.

its an L98 350ci

Answer 1

Are you asking how much for a gasket kit or how much to get repaired by a top flight tech? Gaskets for this job should be under a couple of hundred bucks, but for a tech to do it for you it may well end up being in the thousand dollar area!! Stripping a small block down is not difficult if you have some experience with them. It is pretty basic mechanics. Any quality repair manual will give step by step instructions. A quick instruction would say something like: Remove battery connections, drain coolant, remove carb./TBI(whichever you have), remove front of motor accessories(alternator, PS pump, etc.), mark distributor location for timing and orientation and remove, remove intake manifold, remove valve covers, remove both exhaust manifolds(be careful here as small block exhaust manifolds have a tendency to snap together making them a real pain to re-install as the bolt holes will not line up again), remove all rocker arms and push rods, and finally remove both cylinder heads. You have to clean all surface areas very well with scrapers, sand paper, and finally with some type of a brake clean to remove any oils and small debris. You also should run taps through the cylinder head and the intake bolt holes as on small blocks you have to seal these with a gasket sealing compound as they will leak anti-freeze or oil respectively. I submit to you that if you go this far, get your heads overhauled and resealed(valve seals) and have a good look at the lifters and camshaft as small blocks do have a tendency of problems in this area. Good luck.

Answer 2

First make sure it is definitely a blown head or gasket. If there's coolant in the oil or oil in the coolant or coolant getting out without any external leaks, then the problem is probably around the head somewhere. As long as there's no coolant in the oil, you could try removing the radiator cap and trying to start the engine. In a worst case, you'll see water blow out of the radiator (I've seen it happen). If it's a small problem, then you'll see lots of bubbles in the radiator coolant when the engine is running. You could also test the compression of the cylinders to confirm that there's a leak if none of the above things happen. I wouldn't recommend any products that say they can repair a blown head gasket without physically removing the gasket and replacing it. You can easily change the head gasket on most cars without removing the engine. On horrizontally-opposed engines (like what's used in Subaru's, VW's, Porsches, and maybe some other cars), you might have problems getting the head off because of the clearance with the side panels or chassis rails. Also with some light trucks and vans that have cast iron heads, you might need a friend to get the head out because they can be heavy. I recommend having a a workshop manual (like a Gregory's manual) for the car so you have instructions on what to do and what to watch out for. Also have a heap of small containers (I use christmas pudding containers which I found on the side of road) to put the parts in and lots of small pieces of paper to label the containers. A digital camera is also useful for taking photos of the parts as you remove them in case you need to see how they go back on, and a voice recorder/ notetaker is good to take notes on how the parts were arranged and where the hoses, etc were connected. This all might sound like overkill but I've repaired a lot of cars and have learnt these things from my mistakes. Read through the workshop manual first before starting to buy anything else to see if there's anything there that you think you might have trouble with. There are tools that you will need including a decent (accurate) torque wrench which is probably the most expensive tool. I recently bought a Kincrome one and it's accuracy is tested by hand and it looks like a good one. You'll need to buy the new head gasket, intake manifold gasket, possibly an exhaust manifold gasket, rocker cover gasket, and so on before you start. Sometimes you can get these as a head gasket kit. You'll also need head gasket sealer (preferably one that can also be used on the intake manifold if possible), and exhaust gasket sealer. If it's an EFI engine (has computer that controls engine), then see if you can get an exhaust gasket sealer that is safe for oxygen sensors because oxygen sensors are expensive. You'll also need a wire brush and a can of something like RP7 for the exhaust manifold studs as these can be a real bi*ch to get off. I found that a brass brush for a drill works good and take your time with these because it's very hard to remove a snapped stud. Try lightly tapping the end of the stud with a small hammer while putting pressure on the nut with a ring spanner. You'll also need the standard tools like socket set, full set of combination spanners (or a set of ring spanners and set of open-end spanners), screwdrivers, feeler gauges, etc. There's one other main thing to remember. If you don't want to replace another gasket within a few months, get the head shaved. This makes sure the head is completely flat. Also, as you put everything back together, make sure you tighten the head bolts in order like it says in the manual (and sometimes they need to be removed in order too). You should also check the valve clearance once you put the rockers back in. The manual will tell you how to do this. Remember to make sure the camshaft pulley or sproket is in the same rotation position as when you took it off or else you could damage a valve or piston. The manual should explain this too. You might also have to retorque the head bolts after a certain number of kilometers and if the car has done a lot of kilometers and you don't know when the timing belt or chain was last replaced, you should look into doing this at the same time.

Answer 3

On this engine it is not easiest thing to do yourself, but not the hardest. Remember people this is a chevy small block. It is just hard because it is fuel injected. Go to autozone and get a haynes manual for your car. They provide step by step illustrated instructions and are only about 15 bucks. If they dont have it, just go up to the counter and they will order it for you. Also to get a top end gasket kit it will be well over a hundred bucks, And you will want to do both sides, not just the one. Hope this helps!!

O by the way I helped my uncle do the head gaskets on his 85 corvette. It wasnt too hard, I did one side he did the other. Good luck!!

Answer 4

the haed gasket should be no more then $150.00 but most of the time u need to have the head shaved and a new timeing belt
and your going to need a good set of tools air tools
you can buy a book at autozone and it will tell you how to rebuild the whole car it's only $17 go thier and pick on up
good luck

have a good day
and be safe when doing it

Answer 5

If it's the head gasket, you probably wont be able to do it yourself, as there is a whole lot of work involved with replacing one of those. The gasket itself will need to be shaved down, and cut with a C&C to actually fit correctly, assuming that the block is still intact.

For an older mustang, you're looking at about $1,300-$1,400 for parts and labor for someone to do it.

Answer 6

you don't need a lift to replace a head gasket...it's right on the top of the engine, you don't need under the car. it's really not that hard, just take off some of the utilities to get to it.

Answer 7

Cheap less than $100 for a whole gasket set. You should get a Chilton's manual. You can get both at almost any auto parts store. Also don't let anyone discourage you.

Answer 8

there are more gaskets, so be specific. If it's a head gasket or intake gasket- big money. and i would not reccomend doing it yourself without a lift and air tools! very hard!

Answer 9

What size engine and which gasket did you blow out?
How do you know you blew out a gasket? what is it doing?

Answer 10

not much fel pro head gasket set prolly 40 or less