I blew one of my head gaskets or possibly both of them but I'm sure it's just the one. Just to make sure it is a blown gasket, I'm loosing oil and antifreeze fast and also smell gas fumes in the antifreeze resevoiur, does that sound like it? Plus the car constantly smokes when running(white smoke). So what am I gonna have to spend to get one or both fixed? I have a 89 Iroc 350 and don't want to junk the car b/c I love my camaro has 80K on it and a 1600.00 tranny i just put in. So let me know what there gonna rape me for

 

It ain't gonna be cheap.. Any way you could tackle this?? Gaskets are only $40 or so, labor is gonna put you at a minimum of $500 I would think, prolly more.

 

Blown gasket?

Do you have coolant in the oil?. Check the oil dipstick.

 

Lack of coolant in the oil doesn't rule out a head gasket blown. If your radiator smells like exhaust you have either a head gasket blown or a cracked head.

If you pay a shop to do it, figure about $300-500 in labor costs.

 

why don't you leak it or do a compression test them you'd have a better handle on what your problem might be.

 

what kind of heads do I have? Cast iron, aluminum? They are the reg stock heads

 

They are cast iron if they're original.

Do a compression test before you start, see what's really going on.

 

Now the car won't even start at all since it was ran, any ideas of what it could be? Oil is good no antifreeze in it, antifreeze is good, car just won't start. Have power everything and the battery is maybe 2 mo new. Go to start and it just won't crank????Please help!

 

No crank???: Too many compression in one or more cylinders. Cause could be a missadjusted valve (it don't opens).

This was my problem.

Regards,

 

what was the price to have it fixed? Round about figure and I take it would be a big jog to do? Meaning call a reg mechanic or call a person dealing with motors

 

Price?, Only the spare parts if they are needed (the rocker arm nuts). I started with the job. All the help that you needs is in this forum (valve adjustment, etc, etc.)

 

If solenoid clicks but engine doesn't turn (or turns slow and stops) , and you suspect head gasket failure, you have an hydraulic lock caused by water in one or more cylinders. Water is incompressible and will cause the piston to stop dead. Not good for rods. Pull plugs and see if it will turn over then. Water will come out of the cylinders that are affected.

Andy.

 

well I lefdt a message for one of the local machine shops/engine detailer and he said from everything I described that the engine is froze, and can get me a used 350 installed with all my parts for 1995.00 but that is all I know, we are playing phone machine games right now

 

I wouldnt put a used engine in maybe a rebuild but you probably dont got that bad of a problem yet. you should pull the plugs and try to crank it. As for the head gasket...I would do that myself...But you want to keep your engine if it only gots 80k miles on it

 

No, no, no StylnCamaro:

If you ask to 10 mechanic shops, you' ll hear 10 different expensive "solutions".

This board has a most advanced tech level for your help.

it's time for start learning yourself about your fabulous engine. In the next future, you'll known all about the engine maintenance, repair and modifications.

Mech. shop will solve this problem only. The next month, you'll have other problem and then...? what...? more money?....

 

I'm going to give you a fun warning about head gaskets and mechanic shops. All of the shops around here quoted about $1,000 to change the head gaskets. I would follow every suggestion in this thread before you have that shop drop a new engine in.

I bought my 89' GTA with what I suspected was a blown head gasket. I would've changed the gaskets myself, but when we got the heads off we found two 4" long cracks in the water jackets. Cyl, 3&5, and 4&6 to be exact. Heh, guess that rules out a blown head gasket! *the search for a new engine continues!*

Do the compression and leak down test, and do everything else these guys have suggested. *Within reason though, not everyone who posts here is trained, and/or knowledgable. Especially me!*

 

stylincamaro:
my suggestion........bore your block out to a 383 and get a dececnt size cam and nice set of heads. this combo dont have to be extreme, just something to make that tranny work like it should. there are lots of quaility used parts in the classifed section and on ebay. this would save you that precious money and help ya get into that mid-13 second range that your looking for ------ for abou the cost of 3000 or so dollars. i got that good mechanic, just let me know what you wanna do, when you wanna do it and will bust our asses (me and nevinkez) to save you the most money and get you the most HP.

But, for ony having 80k on the block, it would have been a good idea to keep it, but a cheap 383 stroker kit and use that. get at me.