[goren813]

Long story short the car was acting up, almost dying, idleing below 500rpm. After 20ish seconds it came back to life, then after a few hundred yards died completely, wouldn't crank afterwards.

Instinctively I checked the engine oil dipstick, and sure enough, chocolate milk, more than half way up the dipstick. Def. coolant in the oil.

Gonna tear it apart on Friday morning. Anything other than a head gasket or *hopefully not* a cracked head/block? Advice, tips, etc. to get into and replace the head gasket? I've got to run compression tests before tearing it apart to determine which head it is, but other than that I'm just getting at it.

Just almost hit 150k too! Problem after problem for the past couple months. Almost thinking to get a used engine so I can use that for meantime while I build mine. Meh, not swimming in cash to really make that happen any kind of quick...

[X98stangX]

sorry to hear it bro my 98 has 175,000 on it and the original motor lol just waiting on mine to go but i would buy a cheap motor throw in it and drive it while you build the beast lol

[RedDevilGT]

Just make sure you get your head machined, or at least have it looked at to see if it needs machined. The last thing you wanna do is replace a head gasket the second time due to a faulty seal. If you weren't running it under extremem temperatures then you shouldn't have a cracked block. Never hurts to get it checked out though. Good luck man.

[desertt5]

May look at doing both sides if you can find the time and extra cash. My theory is if one side failed, the other has the same miles on it. Plus you awill already be in there with most everything off needed to pull the other side.

As already said, make sure you get the head checked. I almost cheaped out on my son's grand am, but at the last minute took the head in. It was cracked.

[Loki]

Originally Posted by desertt5 May look at doing both sides if you can find the time and extra cash. My theory is if one side failed, the other has the same miles on it. Plus you awill already be in there with most everything off needed to pull the other side. As already said, make sure you get the head checked. I almost cheaped out on my son's grand am, but at the last minute took the head in. It was cracked.

Are you talking about the head gaskets? You ALWAYS replace both sides, no questions asked. Lol Do only one and you are GUARANTEED to be doing the other within the next month, if that.

[goren813]

Had to wait until tomorrow to even test it and tear it apart.

[99 BLUE V6]

Originally Posted by goren813 Had to wait until tomorrow to even test it and tear it apart.

With 150,000 miles you really need to just go ahead and do a valve job. and valve seats tend to get tweeked a little in aluim heads especially after getting hot.you may not get a accurate compression reading with a leaking head gasket. make sure you use MLS gaskets and replace your Torque to Yealed head bolts . good luck

[GreenMustang00]

Time for engine swap! haha

[stephen]

Originally Posted by goren813 Long story short the car was acting up, almost dying, idleing below 500rpm. After 20ish seconds it came back to life, then after a few hundred yards died completely, wouldn't crank afterwards. Instinctively I checked the engine oil dipstick, and sure enough, chocolate milk, more than half way up the dipstick. Def. coolant in the oil. Gonna tear it apart on Friday morning. Anything other than a head gasket or *hopefully not* a cracked head/block? Advice, tips, etc. to get into and replace the head gasket? I've got to run compression tests before tearing it apart to determine which head it is, but other than that I'm just getting at it. Just almost hit 150k too! Problem after problem for the past couple months. Almost thinking to get a used engine so I can use that for meantime while I build mine. Meh, not swimming in cash to really make that happen any kind of quick...

I hope it will turn now. With all that water in the oil it might have seized. The least you should do is to remove the heads and get them reconditioned, checked for cracks, and surfaced. Then put it together with new gaskets and head bolts and change the oil several times. It would also be a good idea to replace the lifters.

[GreenMustang00]

It can get costly..

[goren813]

Update:

Engine in pieces, I'm down to the heads but have to get a compressor from Advance to remove the valve springs, so I hit a stopping point last night. Everything looks good so far, no oil build up at all, nothing bent or visually damaged or rough. Looks much better than I thought it would at 150k.

That being said I'm very optimistic that it is just a head gasket. I'll be replacing both sides. I should have the heads at the shop tomorrow morning to get machined, but I'm trying to decide if I should go further.

To me it makes sense to have the heads and intakes p&p'd since they're off anyway. Anything else I should replace or upgrade while I'm in there? I'm not gonna go crazy with the thing, and can't afford a cam at this point, but anything smaller that's worth doing?

Otherwise I'll be replacing all the gaskets and having everything cleaned up nice. Plan to get her running and last me though the year, and for a xmas / early bday gift I've been looking at s197 GTs.

Convince me to keep the sixxer and spend the dough on her, or convince me otherwise. I'm on the fence at this point since I've been working on the car so much recently. Butttt now that most everything has been replaced once it's back together, it may be running good for some time. But may not ... input! Go!

Edit: I will be replacing head bolts as well.

[Green_6er]

get a 3 angle valve job done aswell as getting the heads and intake p&ped. but i would get the gt. i love my sixer but i would much rather have a gt.

[goren813]

Got quoted $400 for P&P intakes and heads with valve job. Another place ~$1500!!! Wow what a diff. What kind of prices have you all seen for that? I know its a lot of labor for everything, I think $400 is damn good considering the other quote. Keep in mind all parts are off the car already.

What about a tune with the P&P? I don't think it'd be required, but would def. help. Step up timing a tad, I know you can do that with a stock motor ... thoughts on that?

[GreenMustang00]

Originally Posted by goren813 Got quoted $400 for P&P intakes and heads with valve job. Another place ~$1500!!! Wow what a diff. What kind of prices have you all seen for that? I know its a lot of labor for everything, I think $400 is damn good considering the other quote. Keep in mind all parts are off the car already. What about a tune with the P&P? I don't think it'd be required, but would def. help. Step up timing a tad, I know you can do that with a stock motor ... thoughts on that?

400!
That seems too cheap

[ESG-642T]

Originally Posted by goren813 Got quoted $400 for P&P intakes and heads with valve job. Another place ~$1500!!! Wow what a diff. What kind of prices have you all seen for that? I know its a lot of labor for everything, I think $400 is damn good considering the other quote. Keep in mind all parts are off the car already. What about a tune with the P&P? I don't think it'd be required, but would def. help. Step up timing a tad, I know you can do that with a stock motor ... thoughts on that?

400$ barley seems like enough to cover cleaning the parts and machine work on the heads without putting any time into porting and polishing.

[Green_6er]

or you can do it your self for like $50 worth of sanding roll things.

[qwiksilvermustang]

why are you removing the springs just to change the hd gasket?

[goren813]

Not gonna spend the time to try it myself, especially not having extra sets. I need the car running. The guy said $400-420, was referred by a machine shop I've done business with before that has a good reputation, and the guy worked with one of the most popular auto performance gurus in the Bay area for a decade. Says he hasn't upped prices since he started out over 10 years ago.

Trying to get some more info on him through local forums, and of course will attempt to see some previous work before I hand it over to him.

I was quoted by the machine shop $98 to clean and machine the heads, the P&P guy doesn't do that. So in reality, like $500 total.

Edit: Removing the springs is necessary to have the heads cleaned, machined and P&P'd is it not?

[qwiksilvermustang]

i thought you were just changin the gaskets, and the machine shop should do that for you though i find they like it when you do it yourself, saves them time and you may get a price break.

[goren813]

Exactly. I didn't want to take the chance of the bath ruining the springs, or them fucking them up, or losing them, or any un needed headaches. I've rented the tool already so it shouldn't be too bad.

My buddy (guy builds and tunes some of the fastest cars in the Bay area) suggested getting a diff. fuel pump (not the SVT Focus pump that many use, name started with a "w" but i don't remember exactly. Step up the fuel about 5% over stock. This was in subsitute of an Xcal.

What do y'all suggest? Just getting the SCT (what I'm leaning towards) or the new fuel pump? The reason for either one is to match the better air flow after the P&P'ing. Either running more fuel with the new pump, or stepping up the A/F ratio via tuning. I plan on removing the EGR for looks and ease of other engine work, so I'd need the tune for that CEL... I figure installing the pump would be more of a PITA then having my guy tune it.

Thinking out loud here, still trying to determine what all I want to do while this thing is in pieces.

Kyle... check for a PM.