Head Gaskets!!

fratzke7

fratzke7

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:q:q:q:q happens and as it happened :q:q:q:q happened!! I had just bought my car from a guy I know who never drove it in the cold weather. I will give you a little history, the car is a 2000 with the V8 while at idle the car blows cold air however if I drive the heat will finally come out but once I come to an idle again it is cool again. One of the times when I drove it the car started to overheat really badly so I turned on the defrost and stepped on the gas to make the coolant move faster and the temp went down to the middle temp right away!! and instantly had hot heat! So I had my mechanic look at it and he started the car with the coolant cap off and after it started to warm up coolant was bubbling out of the tank...so I am assuming that the head gaskets are blown!!!! :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:
Does anyone have any insight on this for me, or recomendations that I can do when I change them? Should I do things to the motor? If I end up fixing it should I add performance to it or leave it stock, I am going to have about $1500 parts and labor right now, I wouldn't want to spend much more than $3-3500 total if the gains would even be worth it!! Please help!
 
There could be air in the system. Do a leak-down test.

If you do need new head gaskets, for what you want to spend, you MIGHT be able to have your heads worked over... Talk to a performance shop. Or you could have custom cams ground.
 
Sounds like the coolant level is too low. Might be helpful to flush the system, replace the thermostat, and have the air vacuumed out. Most dealers have special machines that do the whole flush/refill process automatically.
 
Ok well the coolant tank shows to be full? I did buy a thermostat today and am going to put it in tomorrow but I really don't want to waste time or money if that is not going to do anything!
 
97stscaddy said:
The reservoir may be full but that doesn't mean there are no air pockets trapped in the system.
Click to expand...

I just read the tech article on the forum, never even thought to look there :confused: So tomorrow when I do the thermostat I will make sure to follow step by step that process! Cross your fingers for me everyone!
 
good luck... and again... before you go throwing money into it for head gaskets, do a leak-down test first...
 
NateRW21 said:
good luck... and again... before you go throwing money into it for head gaskets, do a leak-down test first...
Click to expand...

How much does that cost? I called the 3 shops that I know and none of them have the equipment to do so?
 
really??? sounds like :q:q:q:q shops. You could do it yourself, just requires a leak-down/compression test set, and some time.
 
They are smaller low budget shops, they have great mechanics but just not a leak down test kit? I know all the mechanics very well and as a matter of fact one of them has a web site that I would like you to see its amazing!! :)
 
fratzke7 said:
I just read the tech article on the forum, never even thought to look there :confused: So tomorrow when I do the thermostat I will make sure to follow step by step that process! Cross your fingers for me everyone!
Click to expand...

Good luck, man. That should cure it.
 
as 97sts said... that's a basic set for engine diagnosis; it's really astonishing that a show would not have one... I'll get a look at that link
 
I looked... I find it hard to believe a shop with 4+ bays wouldn't have a leak-down test kit... Hell, you can pick on up at napa and still walk out with all of your limbs intact. (may not be the quality of some better, professional units... but it'll do the job)


Oh, and that's a nice vette... even though I usually don't like vette's... Not so sure about bragging up that it's a Z51... really there isn't much special about the Z51; better shocks, better sway bars... Nothing really notable. The fact that it's a Z51 really isn't the thing I'd be screaming about... that blower poking out of the hood... that's what I'd be advertising!!!
 
For the most part that page is very outdated he has done so much more since those pics, it is now a 9 second vette and switched from a manual to an auto...he is the best I know....
As far as the leak down test kit I'm not sure why he doesn't have one of those?
 
Seems to be fixed!

The car doesn't overheat anymore and it definitely heats up now....when driving it is very warm but when it comes to an idle it gets a bit cooler not much tho any ideas?
 
What work was done?

If you changed the thermostat, there could still be a tiny air pocket in the heater core.
 
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