Bought the car off my cousin back in Florida for $800 over a year ago. Always wanted a 'Maro, even as a kid. Learned he never maintained the car aside from new tires and oil changes in the nearly ten years he owned it. Also learned he ran the transmission dry as a bone. Astoundingly, it suffered no internal damage after tightening the bolts on the pan and refilling it with fresh fluid. My father helped me get it in tip-top shape for the 1,300 mile to Iowa. After getting here, I found that it was overheating like crazy so I started small: new water pump, coolant bypass hoses (don't know WHY GM thought plastic was a viable material.) Had the shop in town do a pressure test and, sure enough, blown head gaskets. Just wanting some help/advice on replacing them. Already bought the set. Never attempted this kind of endeavor. I refuse to pay $1,600 (which the shop quoted to fix it.) Any tips??

 

go here download the factory service/shop manual. use the 2000 file. be same as yours. https://www.mediafire.com/?40mfgeoe4ctti your going to need new head bolts, they are not re-usable.

 

Yes, I ordered the head bolt set, too, since I know they stretch. Just wondering if when I pull the heads off, if it's amicable to plane them if warped?

 

if you got coolant in the oil and it was brought up to temp then your going to be looking at bearings going out soon. if it was overheated and no coolant in oil i would have the heads checked and valve job if needed. in any case i would have heads checked and rebuilt if needed but thats me. if coolant got in the oil i would find a low mile 3.8 and install.