I don't mind paying that higher price at all. I have it already and I hope they do change it all. If it were HG would pressure not fall? I told him to do block test and I haven't talked to him yet but i will know what lead him to all of this probably Monday. I paid $2k just this past yr on all the electrical stuff so I had decided to fix it rather than sell it. I'm in too deep now so may as well replace as much as I can. Id like to get to the audio stuff and cosmetic/paint stuff eventually. I hope this mechanical crap will end for a while after this.

 

1) I was going on my bud's say-so on the 3rd gen head gasket job. Guess I need to have a talk with him.

2) It wasn't an issue for me but, Gorn, can you leave the exhaust manifolds on the 3.4 heads and get them out?

3) OP, you should scan the O2 sensors (L&R banks) for activity before pulling anything apart. If one is dead or lazy that's the bank to look at for a super clean spark plug as confirmation of a blown head gasket. It's not always there but it often is. And a crippled O2 sensor won't usually get the Check Engine lamp to turn on. On OBD 1 stuff the computer only picks up really bad O2 sensor failures like disconnected or shorted to ground.

 

None of the plugs were "clean". I had posted pics of them months ago. They've been changed since then.

 

What is a block test? The only block test I am aware of requirs the motor to be remove and disassembled.

If a head gasket is to too bad it will not show up with a pressure test. You need to use a 4 gas analyzer in the coolant system to look for hydro carbons. Hydro carbons come from combustion. This is also how the over the counter "head gasket checking kits " work.

 

Let me educate you lol. It's actually called Block Chek. It's what you explained but the brand around here is called Block Chek. For short, we call it "Block test". Fluid turns from blue to yellow to indicate combustion leak.

 

Yes I know that stuff, It has been around for a long time. Mechanic don't use it we have better ways. It something made for non-mechanic but it can only be used BEFORE the motor is torn down. So like I said he should know IF it needs head gasket BEFORE he gets the first wrench out to start the job.

 

Well I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt. I haven't talked to him (mechanic) since I dropped the car off and he hooked it up to pressure it. The office mgr is who told me that. But I also keep in mind, my car hasn't been a textbook fix no matter what's been wrong with it. It is possessed and that's why I keep fixing it lol

And as far as the Block Chec, I dont know what he calls his or what the brand etc is he has, that's what is sold in the stores here. Still works the same way.

 

Mechanics don't buy the stuff from the store. We have equipment to check it. He should have either a 3 gas or 4 gas analyzer. You can even get a PPM reading (parts per million). This is the same equipment used to sniff your exhaust to make sure your computer system and cat are working right.

Edit: I really need to keep up to date better. Seems they have obsoleted the 3/4 gas analyzers, now its all about the 5 gas ones. 3.5k for a hand held verision. Mine was part of my bear system, it cost over 40K back in the day.

http://www.etoolcart.com/hand-held-4...-analyser.aspx

 

Well I hadn't heard anything since Friday and mechanic just called and wants me to come in for a round table discussion and to show me some things. This can't be good.

 

Ok lots of info to process. They "thought" it was intake gaskets because there were no gasses being exchanged. (aka block check was negative). So it's been tore into. It's quite a mess being blamed on head bolt breaking. Head gasket was fine actually. 2 lifters were broke. Coolant was leaking into "intake valley" (I think that's what he called it. ) going into oil pan and would cause oil to be a little over filled. It's quite sad seeing the motor torn open.

He discussed several options. Patching this one which I declined. Getting a used one or rebuilding this one. He's going to look at a place he gets engines from to see what they may have. I'm leaning toward a rebuild though. Thoughts or questions I should ask?

Anyone ever had this head bolt issue. He said he had another camaro 2 weeks ago with same exact problem but posed itself slightly different. That guy did rebuild.