[Jerkey]

First: Yes Fireguy, I did an extensive search. :angel

When I was selling my old car to my regular mechanic shop and was telling the guy I needed the money for buying my Bronco, he said "Make sure with those things you check the head gasket. If it blows fixing everything will be like $2-3,000. It's not good."

Now that I've read umpteen posts on head gaskets .. that statement is sounding a little wrong to me. They're really nice guys and I don't imagine they'd try to screw me on a car I didn't even own .... but maybe they're just used to ricers?

And would one tell if a head gasket is in need of repair? (still waiting for my Hayes manual.)

Thanks for any input on this discussion!

Jerkey

 

[The Yak]

$2-3k sounds excessive for changing head gaskets.

Usual common symptoms of a blown head gasket: water in the oil, foam in the radiator, or a 'miss' or 'missfire' if the head gasket is blown between cylinders.

 

[Ironclad]

Heck man! I'll do it for a $-thousand-$

:lolup

 

[SquattyD]

it will probably cost you $2-3k if you drive it for another 50k miles after the blown headgasket and your engine shits the bed. but if you do a quick check of your engine every now and then, you will notice this kind of thing. and yes windsor h-gaskets seem to go more often than other motors.

 

[81Bronk36]

800 bucks tops! Parts is like 100 with all the fluids.

 

[xxxxxxxxxxTCRIMSONK]

You may also want to do a compression test before you buy anything. It's pretty simple. If all cylindars are consistant, then chances are the headgasket is good.

 

[ValkariaKid]

and yes windsor h-gaskets seem to go more often than other motors.

Complete BULLSHIT!

 

[Jerkey]

well i already DID buy it and am damn happy regardless. but thanks for all the replies!
and Squatty, your advice was great. I'll make sure to keep that in mind and make frequent checks.

compression test ...... hmmm ......that must be something a mechanic has the ability to do.

but not me.

 

[81Bronk36]

Yes you do... if you can pull spark plugs you can definatly do a comp test!

 

[Jerkey]

81Bronk

Yes you do... if you can pull spark plugs you can definatly do a comp test!

Thanks . But seriously I don't. This is so frustrating to me because now that I have a Bronco I'm so excited to work on anything I can -- but I can't cause I don't know shit about vehicles. I can change a fuse and check the oil.

I tried looking for an auto shop class but no such luck yet in my city..... hmmm.

Thanks.

 

[81Bronk36]

someone should do a write up on it!!

We would do that for ya!

 

[Jon0807]

Re: 81Bronk

I tried looking for an auto shop class but no such luck yet in my city..... hmmm.

Skyline College in San Bruno has a great auto shop class if you're interested

 

[50ClubCoupe]

Classes???? Just relax and do it.... It's much easier than you think.... A good manual and head full of common sense will go a long way....

Best thing to do is do a little reading on common maintenance, oil and oil filter, radiator fluid, gear oil, tranny fluid, brakes, hoses, belts, air filter, etc... and then do it as required.

I actually go through any car I get right from the start so I know what I am starting with and can go from there. So what I would recommend is that you do that. Start with changing the oil, do the tranny fluid and replace the filter too. Change out the gear oil. Then check the brakes. As you ease into the maintenance some of the bigger projects won't seem so daunting.... Make sure you log this stuff so you know when you did it and when you'll need to do it again.....

Brakes are a good thing to do as you start your mechanical self-tutorial. They are relatively simple and easy to do. For the 4-wheel drive the fronts wheels will require a special tool (FYI) Go through your manual and go over their descriptions. Then just do it.....

Try to keep it down to one project at a time so you don't take yourself off the road by getting too deep in too many things.... Take it apart, clean it up, replace what makes sense and put it back together. If you make a mistake you'll learn not to do that again. Trial and error I find is the best way to learn anything.

Besides, the more work you do on your own the greater the pride of ownership. :beer Drive with pride knowing that the jackass next to you wasted $$$$ having someone who didn't care about their car do mediocre work. If anyone is going to do crappy work on my car it'll be me and we all know that won't happen.....

but that's just my $0.02........

 

[Jerkey]

50 club

Thanks - that's all great advice. I am still waiting for my manual I ordered in the mail. A Hayes -- sounds like that's what everyone else uses.

Meanwhile I just got ripped on brakes because all of a sudden it was metal on metal. Had to go to Midas ... $150 bucks they said. Then all this shit about rotors bad, someone tried to do their own work and f ucked it up, etc etc etc. I didn't even have the wheel lock key (just bought it off some guy 3 mos ago).
$80 to cut it off and put on regular ones.

Some shit about a bushing and need to replace shocks etc etc etc. One shock is leaking.

fuc k this sh it.

 

[DogFuzz]

I've heard that the late model Expeditions cost close to that to change a head gasket. Something about some clearance issues and that either the engine needs to be out, or the body needs to be unbolted and moved.

 

[Jerkey]

Dogfuzz

Wait, what??

what are you referring to?

Excursions? Cost close to what?

Jerkey!

 

[Foghorn]

Jerky,
You can do the maintance on that thing it's realy not as bad it all seems...I started with these folks back on the old board and I really did'nt know much about vehicles. Thanks to these folks on here I installed a 4in suspension lift and replaced my clutch by myself, ( yah, I dropped the trany on my arm but I got it done and learned a lesson) among other things. Before that I was doing good to do a tune up......If you ask questions, you will get good answers and usually a pic or two to help out..........Good luck-----Fog