after putting close to $500 in my car in parts in the the past month i found out today i have either a blown head gasket or blown intake gasket. anywhere from $500-$1500 job. is the job worth it? car has 152000miles its a 98v6.....keep,sell,motor swap? need advice plz

 

Do it yourself. It'd be cheaper to do a motor swap (then get a shop to do it) if you knew how, but if you do that you probably have enough mechanical knowledge to pry the head off and replace the gasket.

 

i dont have enough but i have enough to read on it and watch videos and do it but my question is it worth it because the shop that has the car said even after doin the job since water is already in the block that a bearing could go next or the engine could hydrolock or seieze up a month after

 

Water is in the block? When the gasket busted on my Mustang (I replaced having not much mechanical knowledge, it was just a ***** because I ran into some problems) there was coolant in the heads (duh) that I just removed. As long as you clean out all the fluids/debris you should be fine.

 

A gasket job isn't hard at all, I just got done removing the heads, cleaning, and changing the gaskets on a ford explorer (first gasket change) and it wasn't hard at all, takes a little elbow grease and a few hours of your time (since it was my first w/ cleaning it took well into 6-7 hours) Just get a haynes manual from an autoparts store to guide you on removing the plenum and heads, along with the torque specifications for the nuts/bolts being removed

 

[quote=Guitar;596471]Water is in the block? When the gasket busted on my Mustang (I replaced having not much mechanical knowledge, it was just a ***** because I ran into some problems) there was coolant in the heads (duh) that I just removed. As long as you clean out all the fluids/debris you should be fine.[/quote
it was water on the oil dipstick so he said its possible

 

ok if its the head gasket i will is there any special tools i need and do i have to remove or "drop" the engine?

 

/A swivel socket <--- I can't stress how important it is to have one.
/Extendable magnet(Don't NEED it but wouldnt hurt incase you drop anything)
/ A trusty socket set
/simple wrench set
/PB Blaster or Liquid wrench
/Shop towels/ rags
/Wire brush w/ WD-40 or Carb Cleaner for cleaning
/New gasket set
/Flathead and Philips screw driver
/RTV gasket sealant for the lower heads
/Time and focus

It's a timey process, wouldn't hurt to take small breaks or have a beer next to you

 

ok thanks

 

Edit* Brass wire brush so you dont harm any metal, good luck