Cracked head or head gasket?

Question

Im thinking about buying a 1997 4 door 4x4 chevrolet blazer and a cheap price but there is something wrong with the head it might be the head gasket or a cracked head but i think i will need to replace the head or heads, but i need to know how much it would cost to buy new heads or a head gasket and how much it would cost to get it repaird at a repair shop

Answer 1

Most smaller "SUV's" (SUicideVehicles) are under powered and over weight and the six banger motors just don't hold up when you blast the A/C when you are running 75MPH or are constanly in a city environment and there's insufficent air flow to cool everything down.

If the head is cracked or the head gasket leaking (head gaskets leak due to slight warpage in the head from prolonged high temperatures) the heads would have to come off and go to a machine shop and be magnifluxed to check for cracks and then gauged and resurfaced before re-installing them. The typically check all of the valves and will replace valves and resurface the valve seats as needed.

This is the proper way to handle this and you can expect to pay about $200 machine shop costs per head. If the motor has high mileage, it would be best to rebuild the entire motor which will run you less than $1,000 depending on how crooked your local machine shop is or isn't. And of course you'd have to pay the labor to pull and re-install the engine. Many rebuilds have a decent warranty. I think Jasper has a 3 year unlimited mileage warranty but don't quote me.

I like keeping the same motor in the same car so I don't swap mine for another. I just pull 'em rebuild 'em and re-install 'em.

Just to do the heads, parts and labor and machine shop costs, would run you plus or minus a thousand dollars. It is standard procedure to do both heads on a V-6 or V-8 or any V-block.

They should install a new water pump and anything else that's buggered up while the motor is out of the car if you go the full Monty with it. A complete rebuild includes a new oil pump, pistons, rings, main and rod bearings, gaskets, and they will check the whole motor and intake manifold for cracks. This whole procedure including labor to pull the motor and re-install can run $2,000 to $3,000 depending on where you get it done and what all is broken. Plan for the worst and hope for the best.

Good Luck!

Answer 2

there's two separate prices on that one ,because it might turn out to be two separate jobs,if its the heads it can cost around a thousand bucks to get it back on the road,and head gaskets could cost as much as 600 or more,it all depends on what will is find when its tore down,its a gamble with that one,if you want to take a chance with it you can just be careful,and make sure the vehicle is worth fixing,good luck with it.

Answer 3

dodgemans right but it if it got hot enough to do the damage to the heads, there might be ring damage,and anti-freeze in the oil could cause bearing failure, in other words an engine

Answer 4

if its a stick use the starter have it in equipment and dad the take carry of the starter will pass the motor vehicle you could could disconnect the netural secure practices change to try this or get alot of friens over and a rolling initiate