Hello all. I’ll try to condense this story...
I had my 85 Bird for 23 years, but then had to sell her. She was gone for about 5 years when my situation changed and I was able to locate her and buy her back.
She was broken down, and clearly abused. I sent her to a restoration shop. They first dropped and cleaned the fuel tank, new fuel pump. Then discovered a blown head gasket. Head gasket was fixed and she got a new radiator. This is a 2.8 V6, about 60k on a Jasper engine.
I went to visit her Friday. According to pillar gauges, she was running around 215 degrees, but there’s almost like a knocking sound from engine, and the oil pressure seemed extremely low to me. Around 5 at idle. The shop said her engine would eventually go, but to “drive her in the meanwhile”.
Im not a mechanic. In fact, I’m a girl with only basic mechanical knowledge. But it seems to me that her engine could die with the quickness like that. The guy at the shop said she could go “another 20,000 miles”, but that doesn’t make sense to me.
My budget to restore her is maxed out, so an engine fix or swap isn’t possible.
My question...is there any chance this could be a simple fix? Like a bad oil pump? And if so, if there’s already knocking, does that mean the engine is toast? I’m trying to cling to a crumb of hope here, but I dunno.
Thanks for reading. Any advice would be great!

 

that engine is done, also highly doubt it’ll go another 20,000 with a knock and 5psi of oil like that shop says it will

 

Thanks for the reply!
I left her at the shop. Too uneasy about it to even bring her home.
I can’t be 100 % sure it was knocking, but I know it was louder than I’ve ever known it to be.
So no chance it’s an oil pump then?

 

i’d verify the oil pressure with an external gauge first, the sending unit for the gauge in the dash could have went bad or even the gauge itself.

as far as the oil pump goes, they rarely go bad. it’s a safer bet that the cam bearings are shot which is causing the low pressure

 

Sounds like the shop is trying to let you down easy, RE the condition of your engine. .

Did they not listen to the engine run, before recommending the H gaskets? Was is running before the H Gasket job? What evidence did they offer to indicate bad head gasket(s)?

 

I just read OP's 2011 thread on her F Body. Has anyone done a compression check?

What is the deal with "mechanics" not giving you invoices? I don't know about your state, but in cali it isa BAR (Bureau Of Automotive Repair) VIOLATION if a shop fails to provide a customer a LEGIBLE invoice/work order. It must show part numbers and indicate if the part is new, rebuilt or used.

 

So the blown head gasket can cause the bad cam bearings?
And I should ask the shop to use another gauge, just in case? The gauge I have is one installed on the pillar that I think I bought from Classic Industries about 15 years ago.
Should they also check the oil filter for signs of metal?

 

When they checked the oil stick, it was crazy high and there was nothing in the radiator.
They drained the oil and said it was “milk chocolate”.
Again, I’m not a mechanic, but I rather wish they’d done some further investigation before fixing the head gasket. It doesn’t make sense to me to fix a head gasket on a destroyed engine.

 

Pull the pan and roll in some new main/rod bearings. Won't cost much. Might get you a few more years if it's not a daily.

GD

 

And if you are in there, give a new high volume oil pump if it exists.

 

I think that's the last thing a weak engine needs.

 

if engine coolant made its way into the crankcase then yes. they can check the filter and oil for metal particles, it would confirm suspicions

 

this is what killed your engine bearings, could have been the intake manifold gasket that failed as well. if either of those gaskets fail they will let coolant into the engine oil which will kill the bearings in the engine. once those get wiped out you’ll have low oil pressure and a knocking sound.

 

The oil looking like "Milk Chocolate" is normal when the coolant gets into the oil from the blown gasket. It is also normal that a rod could get bent from coolant getting into the cylinder which would cause a knock. If this is the case the rod which is bent can be changed by dropping the pan and changing it from below. You could drive it with a bent rod but it would be just a matter of time before something terminal happens. If the car drives I would get a second opinion from another mechanic. Did your mechanic give you his opinion on what he thought the noise was? Did he think it was a bent rod?

As a mechanic I don't think you would want to run a car knowing it has a blown head gasket. As a mechanic knowing it has a blown head gasket I would think they should have pulled the plugs and spun the motor over to make sure there was no other issues before I replaced the gasket.

 

About THE VERY LAST THING to do in this situation, is to "rebuild" that POS 2.8.

If you want to keep it a 6-cyl and just get it to run, go get a junk 3.1 long block and stick it in instead.

Consider whatever money you've allowed "shop" to waste into their pocket on your behalf, to be a "sunk cost"; an installment payment on the dumba$$ tax, if you will. Welcome to the way the world works: If I had all of my payments on that that I've ever made, I'd be a wealthy idiot by now, instead of broke and destitute. DO NOT fall for the "I've already spent so much on this, might as well keep pouring more money into it" fallacy; aka "throwing good money after bad". See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunk_cost for help disabusing yourself of this mistaken irrationality.

 

Are you trying to make this car a daily driver? Will your livelihood depend on it's reliability? Are you on a tight budget?

If so, you might want to buy a GOOD CONDITION used, or lease a new. Toyota Corolla.

If you go this route, educate yourself about the car buying/leasing process! It too can steal your money!

https://leasehackr.com/blog?category=Leasing%20101

https://web.consumerreports.org/cars...E&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[QUOTE=ow85;6334805]

I sent her to a restoration shop.
It's been said a million times here , if your gonna own a vintage car you'll have to learn to do a lot of the routine maintenance yourself .

I’m a girl with only basic mechanical knowledge.

And sadly , there are all too many shops that'll take advantage of both your basic mechanical knowledge and the fact that you are a girl . Shops are in it for one thing and one thing only , making money , and sadly a lot of them see girls , yes even pretty ones , as an easy mark to fill their wallets from . If you put your mind to it and enlist the help of your friends , with advice from this board , you CAN do what needs to be done (replace the engine) .

My budget to restore her is maxed out, so an engine fix or swap isn’t possible.When they checked the oil stick, it was crazy high and there was nothing in the radiator.

Then the best plan would be to store it until you do have the money to buy a good condition 3.1 and install that as Sofakingdom suggested . Your 2.8 will cost 3X to rebuild what a good used "pick & pull" 3.1 will cost , and the 3.1 will put a bit more zip into it .

They drained the oil and said it was “milk chocolate”.

Again, I’m not a mechanic, but I rather wish they’d done some further investigation before fixing the head gasket. It doesn’t make sense to me to fix a head gasket on a destroyed engine.

Yep , they blew it , and you got stuck with the bill . Also like Sofa said , chalk it up to a learning experience and consider yourself all the wiser for it .

 

I’m in total agreement with you here.
Again, I had her for 23 years, and she only broke down on me ONCE (in 1994, fuel pump). Not to brag, but I took good care of her. I LISTENED to her. At the first sign of anything amiss, she was tended to.
So it goes against everything I’ve ever known to drive her while she’s obviously so sick. Yeah, gonna have to replace the engine. Everyone has verified that, pretty much. But what ELSE am I going to tear up in the meanwhile??
Now I have so many things to question. Among them, is how the shop thought it was acceptable to hand over the keys, and literally seconds before I’m about to sit down and drive away, “by the way, your engine’s about to go”. Maybe this should’ve been mentioned to me BEFORE the paint job. I specifically said that I DID NOT want to address anything cosmetic until she was mechanically sound. Now here I am. She looks lovely, but so do statues.
And I didn’t even talk about the fact that her steering is all over the place, with a pop noise, despite having new ball joints and center link. No turn signals. The fuel gauge is reading 2 tanks full.
I don’t suppose any of you are from Alabama?

 

[QUOTE=OrangeBird;6334886]Thank you for your encouragement Orange!
Ordinarily, I’d be all over fixing her myself. I even have the 10 pound shop manual that I’ve relied on for so many smaller tasks. My mind could tackle this. But I’m in poor health and major things would be beyond me now. (Not a sob story, just stating the facts.)
Im trying to crunch some numbers and see what I can do as far as the engine goes. My husband (God love him) says he’d prefer a new or reman, after I told him about a used 2.8 41k on eBay.
But maybe the 2.8 isn’t the way to go?? The 3.1...does that “fit” in my car without a lot of other replacements?
And then, how on earth would I ever find someone that I could trust for the swap?? So I have to think about that too. So frustrating...I was so sure these were decent people. I toured their facility, got references, etc, and yet, still feel like I’ve been wronged.
Im in Alabama, if you know anyone?

 

OW85, I've been trying to help you, what about my questions RE repair shops not providing you work orders/ part numbers, etc? Did you miss that?

 

That's kinda the problem (one of many) with "shop" and "mechanic" in general... even a good honest non-rip-off one, of which there are plenty as well as the ones that will rob you blind, doesn't make decisions or evaluations in the same order as a "hobbyist" would. You gotta ALWAYS REMEMBER, you have an ANTIQUE car, and "shop" is usually set up to deal with newer vehicles; not only their equipment and training and all that, but at a more basic level, their "process". Not that old vs new, in and of itself in mechanical terms, makes any difference; more that, if you have a relatively new car and something breaks, you can fix that one thing, and life will be good again. With older cars however, it's just not that simple. You can EEEEEZILY get into the situation you're in, where just diving in and fixing what's "broke" isn't the right answer, because everything else around it, that you have to disturb at the same time, is about a hair's breadth away from being totally wore out anyway.

60° 6-cyl motors are a dime a dozen in the boneyards. They're in about a billion S trucks and various other such things, as well as cars like ours. A potential replacement long block doesn't have to come out of a Camaro or Firebird, and doesn't have to have come originally with a carb on it like yours (I think) does. You can swap the parts off of your existing motor that are different, onto an other one. It's even possible to put a 3.4 in it (out of front wheel drive cars), but there's some minor detail differences about those that have to be overcome, that I don't know what they are, I only know that they exist.

The steering "pop" noise is likely something to do with the struts and/or strut mounts. Those are not too hard or too $$$$ to replace. Also wouldn't hurt to replace the sway bar bushings and end links; you can get those at AutoZone and similar, as well as sponsors of this forum, Summit/Jeg's, your local speed shop, etc. Put polyurethane ones such as Energy Suspension in it, NOT the stock rubber; get the greaseable ones if possible. That is probably the single biggest bang for the buck you can get as far as overall handling, tight feeling, etc. that you can do. Unfortunately the wandering is often due to the gearbox needing adjustment, which is a bit harder for a DIYer to really get right; and most "shop" won't touch it.

Turn signals may be as simple as just a fuse, or may need a flasher, which is under the dash about right above the driver's right knee. Metal can about 1Ľ" dia and 1˝" tall. Not hard to spot and very eeeeeezy (other than being a contortionist to get to it) to replace.

There's no shame in being a girl and owning a car like this, or not having mechanical knowledge. There's ALOT of stuff that doesn't take enormous strength, or skill, to do. We can help you with that. My daughter (about 5' 4" and 100 lbs) manages all sorts of things by herself, it's not out of the question.

No I'm not from, or even in, Alabama; although I do have relatives in the Huntsville area.

 

Thanks Mike!
Im not sure how to answer these questions exactly.
Yes, I have a daily driver ( a Toyota, in fact).
Does my livelihood depend on her? No, not in the traditional way. I don’t know how to explain it without sounding like I’m ready for the nuthouse, but she’s...my friend. I’m not sitting on the pity pot here, but for perspective’s sake, im in poor health. My life has been whittled away to the bare minimal of things that remain dearest to my heart (everything else is just “clutter”, right?) The Old Woman, as she’s called, has always been sort of an extension of me.
I know I will find a way to work all this out. I just have to find out what the best possible solutions are, and then make it happen.
If I have to whip out the Visa, well...life is short. Make it count.

 

Nope. No work orders. No part numbers.
In fact, I didn’t even KNOW they’d fixed the head gasket till it was already done. I would’ve jumped in before hand to ask about the health of her engine before authorizing that repair.
Im unsure how to post a link or anything here....
I can say that there’s a video of her on Facebook if you search crank n chrome garage. You can kinda hear her running in it.

 

I'm sure it was a case of simply not doing a thorough investigation into engine condition prior to replacing the head gaskets.

Look - I own and run a performance repair shop - it would be silly of me to claim I have never been in this situation before. You do the best you can and sometimes people make mistakes. But to be perfectly fair - we don't know what the oil/water mix looked like. They should have cut the oil filter and pulled the pan. But that doesn't rule out the possibility of someone having recently changed the oil eliminating a lot of the easy to find evidence of engine failure in-progress.

Given that it obviously had a severe head gasket problem causing mixing of oil and coolant you wouldn't want to run it up to operating temperature to find out if is has a bottom end knock. Also the shop has no basis upon which to judge what the engine sounded like prior to the failure like you do. I surmise that someone probably changed the oil and filter knowing it was mixing with coolant and threw away the evidence of bottom end problems.

So it's hard to say they did the wrong thing. They judged it to be worth doing the HG's and they made the wrong call. It could have been avoided but that's all hindsight and we have no way of knowing how much or how little evidence they had to go on to make that call. In situations such as this I usually offer the customer a discount on doing further work such as replacing the engine.

Again - I stress that it is NOT EASY to make these judgments sometimes. Especially when your customer is on a budget and is willing to do a little gambling. I make a real effort to indicate to the customer that there may be further collateral damage in cases such as this before I proceed with the work.

GD

 

the junkyard 3.1 swap is the best path cost wise. finding a shop to do it is hard.

pretty much every shop today is designed to repair 2014 toyota camrys by following a book or computer program repair guide, less than 95% of them would ever be properly ready to do an engine swap on an old thirdgen camaro or firebird unless the guy doing the swap was a longtime thirdgen enthusiast who was on this forum often.

kind of like asking a mcdonald’s cook to make you a turkey dinner. are they familiar with cooking? yes. could they probably make you a turkey dinner? yeah they’d get close. would it be the best and most accurate and attentive to details turkey dinner? no way.

your best bet would be having a shop do all the heavy lifting. have them pull the engine and bolt in the 3.1 and get it sitting in the car. then you come along and read up about the swap and do all the finishing work yourself since no shop would be able to do it as well as someone who’s following along and using the large amounts of info from this board on it.

alternatively you could take the time and find/print out all the good info on the swap from this forum and give it to a reputable shop owner and see if he’d be interested in following all the advice on here while doing the swap. unlikely a shop would want to do it but i’ve seen shops ask questions on here for customers cars in the past.

 

It’s hard to say exactly since I wasn’t there when they fixed her. Once they got her fuel pump and tank working, they were going to change her oil. I don’t know if they tried to run her at that point, and that’s when they found the head gasket, or if they just assumed a blown head gasket because of the color of the oil and empty radiator.
My main issue with this shop is that they called me on Friday and said she was “ready”. In my mind, that means she was relatively safe to drive off into the sunset.
This place is a restoration shop that only deals with domestic cars 88 and older, so naturally I thought we’d found the correct people for the job. I’d never expect a “modern” outfit to understand her. Or me! Lol

 

The shop that did the H Gaskets, should have (by law in cali) given OP an estimate of the cost and advise her of the risks, associated w/ the job! IE bad lower end.

 

For ow85's purposes it would be best to find a RWD engine , the starter on the FWD engine is on the wrong side for RWD use , and does require a bit of custom setup . An S truck engine would be great , I'm pretty sure the only difference there is the oil pan .

ow85 , I am sorry to hear of your health issues and understand completely that when you don't feel well the last thing you want to do is major car repairs .

 

So the general consensus here is a 3.1 then. Is that a superior engine, longevity-wise? I’m sure it would add some spunk to her! The 2.8 is rather sad. I’ve always found that for merging or hill climbing, you’d better think ahead and dig the spurs into her sides coupled with lots of encouraging words.
She was stolen back in 2000, and her original engine had 200k+. Never leaked. Didn’t smoke. My mechanic used to say you could’ve eaten off that engine. But the thieves blew that. I guess they were expecting a powerhouse.
When I recovered her from that ordeal, my mechanic (now retired unfortunately), put another 2.8 Jasper engine in her. He said it was the one he trusted most, even over a new one from GM.
So should I look into another Jasper, but a 3.1 this time? Classic Industries has some remans with good warranties?
Yes, I know we’re dealing with quite a bit more money than a used engine. But if I’m going to do this, I want this to be the last time I ever replace her engine. Aside from maintenance, I never want to address this again!!

 

Also, if you guys will allow me this EXTREMELY girly moment...
Thank you all for your words of encouragement and advice.
No one here has made me feel stupid, irresponsible, or bashed me for being the sentimental fool.
Ive cried my eyeballs out all weekend, but just to have that feeling of support from total strangers out there, has been incredibly uplifting!!

 

I'm glad we were able to be here for you .

Now , as to the engine ;

Since it sounds as if you and your husband are both on board with a new engine over a used one , the best advice I could offer would be to go with whichever company offers the longest warranty . Generally speaking the longer a company will stand behind their product the better it was built in the first place . Naturally the longer warranty engine will cost more but since it sounds like you and this car are "till death do you part" , paying a bit more upfront to get something that may last longer will be money well spent .

Just remember the usual mechanical caveats , no matter how new or old , well maintained or not , some parts will live up to their predicted lifespans and some won't . We can try to tip the odds in our favor by doing proper routine maintenance , but even then sometimes the mechanical Gods & Murphy's Law conspire against us .

 

Thanks Orange!
And so, generally speaking and horsepower aside, the 3.1 is simply a better engine choice?

 

Actually , any engine is only as good as two things , what it's made of and who put it together . The 2.8 and 3.1 in stock form are pretty much equal as far as reliability goes (as long as it's not an early 2.8 with the weak crankshaft) . The benefit of the 3.1 will be a slight HP increase due to being a little bit larger . It's not gonna be like you put a turbo on it or anything , it's just gonna have a little extra get up and go when you punch it (getting on a highway for instance)

 

So yea , go for the 3.1 , you won't regret it

 

I say just find a pull-out 305 TPI and put that in. I mean if you are going to do an engine..... do the one you really want.

GD

 

But...wouldn’t I have to have a different transmission? And lots of other things too, to make that work?

 

To make your car an eight cylinder , yes indeed the transmission , exhaust system , radiator , and front springs would need to be changed along with the engine , certainly not something you should consider at this point . All you need now is an engine , rather than an engine and the laundry list of parts to fit an 8 cylinder

 

Yes a 305 TPI would require a different transmission.

"Pullout" is junkyard slang for the entire front part of the drivetrain; engine & transmission, and usually most of the wiring and maybe various other bits.

While putting a V8 in your car would be a PHENOMENAL upgrade, there's ALOT more to it than just the engine and transmission. Most especially if it doesn't come with all the wiring and whatnot. The complete exhaust system for example. In 2019, coming up with a ready-to-drop-in ANTIQUE motor (newest 305 TPI is from 92... 28 yrs old now... ANTIQUE starts at 25) is, shall we say, not likely, at best. And having to deal with a swap at the same time as a can of worms used ANTIQUE engine, while some of us would consider that to be an afternoon's pleasant riddle, might not be everybody's idea of "fun".

That's the benefit of a 3.1. It's as close to a direct swap as you're going to get. Minimum changes, maximum benefit at that level of changes.

I would also add, the earlier 2.8 had an inferior bottom end to the later 6-cyl motors. Not sure the details; involves the crank somehow, maybe rod bearing diameters or that sort of thing, which in turn, determines the ultimate "strength" of the engine in terms of long-term reliability. I'm not the least bit of a 6-cyl person though. In fact I don't think I've ever even SEEN one in one of these cars, because I avert my eyes to avoid being tainted. I detest the very idea. But I know they're out there, and people have them, and sometimes want to make them as good as they can be (which even though I myself personally wouldn't be satisfied with it, is a noble goal), and it's always wise to look for ways to make things better, whatever they might be.

Given the nature of your questions, and the fact that you're going to have to pay somebody else to do it (or most of it anyway), might as well not bite off more than you can chew. Even if you could get a better result the other way. Look for a good used 3.1 long block.

 

Lol! Thank you for being as kind as possible concerning the V6! I’m not sure what Pontiac was thinking. Maybe they thought better gas mileage?? But I would think asking a small engine to pull a fairly heavy car just counteracted that idea.
I never considered it to be a “handicap” of hers. And we spent so many years together that it was the “norm” for us. On the highway, we were side by side with everything newer/faster/better...as long as it was fairly flat and no major passing necessary. And when I had to ask her to go, her a/c cut itself off and she gave me everything she had.
Her name, The Old Woman, is for good reason. She’s grey, and slow, from day one really! While it’s been acceptable for me, I totally understand the distaste from most F body-ers. But hey...it could be worse (the 4 cylinder).

 

they knew the hg was gone they nailed ya thats all
Reman 3.1 for sure why spend labor$ on a worn out engine?
They havent made those 2.8s? for a long time 40k claim would make me suspicious

 

I feel like trying to rebuild her engine isn’t the right way to go. It seems like that would be a whole lot of money with little to no warranties/guarantees.
Maybe I’m wrong here, but, using my form of logic, a reputable reman company carries a longer and more extensive warranty than a brand new crate. So that should be a reflection of quality of product, yes?
If that’s true, then does anyone have a reman company preference or experience?

 

Really depends - drop the pan and check the crank. If it's not in terrible shape and it hasn't yet spun a bearing then just clean it up with some fine grit and roll in some new inserts. Likely will last a lot longer than you think if you do a clean and careful job. But again - depends on condition. I would do the least possible to that engine and plan out a V8 swap for it. V8 crate engines are much more available from more reputable suppliers, and the wanted section of this forum can net you all the rest of the parts easily. I know you want that instant gratification of dropping in a 3.1 and calling it good but these cars really should have V8's and as much as you want to deny it - you know you want one.

I mean - if you are going to the trouble of painting an 85 V6 auto car..... this is clearly a labor of love not money. That car wasn't worth doing anything to from a value standpoint.

GD

 

There's not really any such thing in your case. That motor is an ANTIQUE. Think about trying to buy a "brand new crate" Frod flathead for your Model A... you're in more or less the same territory. Any "crate" motor you buy, will be a reman of some sort. Whether shipped in a "crate" or by any other packaging method. A "brand new" engine of that sort could ONLY come from GM; I'm not seeing where that would necessarily be of any less (or for that matter, any greater) quality than from anyone else. There's ALOT more to the reliability of an engine than the "age" of the castings.

Planning for a V8 swap is a great idea, if you have the time, and LOTS of patience. Not saying it's not. However the facts of this case don't point me in that direction. I would recommend against that, again, not because it won't deliver or you wouldn't like it or whatever else along those lines, rather, that it's more time, expense, risk, trouble, and learning, than fits into this particular case, of just getting your old car back to where you can enjoy it. I haven't seen one single word anywhere in your posts that tell me you're looking for more power or anything of the kind, for example.

What's written in the white space all around the words of your post is as important as the text you typed. The way you phrase your questions, the goals you sort of imply without coming out and saying "this is what I want: ..." tell more than what we can read. Looks to me like you just want your old car back; not looking to change it particularly. Simple and eeeeeeeezy would be better for that. A good used 3.1 long block, or a reman from a reputable rebuilder such as Jasper for example, would get your car back into service, with the best results available at that level of risk, time spent on it, expertise required to make sure all the details are right, etc.

 

Funny you said that...earlier today I watched a YouTube video of a mechanic fixing an engine with spun bearing with 400 grit sandpaper, new oil, and some Lucas.
My engine is thumping pretty bad. (I also watched videos of toasted engines to make fair comparisons.)
Id love to think they could patch her up, but at the same time, I could use the “patch money” towards a real fix (engine swap). I’m normally incredibly impatient, but when it comes to The Old Woman, I don’t mind the wait if it means she’ll be right in the end.
And yes, sometimes I try to imagine what she’d be like with a V8. It’s hard to picture that since I’ve spent the past 28 years kidding with her about her...ur....”shortcomings”?! Lol

 

GD , let's not forget that the Lady has already said her health will not allow her to undertake replacing even the original V6 herself , and that she'll be paying for the work to be done . Paying to replace the existing engine will be costly enough for the lady who has also already said money is tight , Good Grief Charlie Brown for the labor cost of a V8 swap she could go out and buy a mint condition one with low miles that has a V8 !

In this case , I think it's best to concentrate in helping the lady make the best choices while replacing her V6 , and leave the V8 swap talk for those with the abilities and facilities to do it for parts cost only ....

 

You’ve got me figured out! I have to commend you, because that’s not an easy thing! Lol
The goals you described are exactly what I’m aiming for. I just want her to be healthy, as healthy as an antique is capable of being and for me to be as safe as possible in her.
Im quite aware that, on paper, she’s worthless. Somebody else had used the term “labor of love”, and my retired mechanic said “this is all about the heart, because this has nothing to do with the brain”.
Im not aiming to relive the past, the “glory days”, but instead I’m hoping to create all new memories. We just have to get her well again!

 

Well, not hopeless. Those engines do have a problem witb headgaskets. My old shop had an S10 with same engine. Three sets of headgaskets in 8-10 years. Not real bad but you see what l mean. However on the last set we were getting low oil presure. Oil light flickering at stop lites. We put a crank kit in it at that last set of headgaskets. That was 6 years ago and trucl os still going strong.
Low oil pressure is usually caused bad rod bearings. Antifreeze amd bearings dont wear well together. Cam bearings are not usually excessively worn because more or less they just leep the cam syeady. Np throws like on the crank shaft bearings. Cam bearings do wear but not usually to the extent of 5 PSI.
Accrank kit with gaskets would set you back between 300-500. Then Labor to do the work. Remove engine, remove & replce crank.& reinstall. An up and coming dedicated mechanic might be willilg to help you out.
Jasper is good but expensive. You could probably get the crank done for less than a grand. Good luck honey, and congrats on getting YOUR car back.

 

Thank you for having my back Orange!
But please don’t be upset with GD! I’ve asked a ton of questions here, and I appreciate all the different opinions and options. Really, they span the entire spectrum from patch fixes all the way to the big V8 adventure!! Somewhere between those two polar opposites is where me and The Old Woman will find our niche.
There’s no way I can thank everyone here enough for making me feel less alone in this predicament, and it’s so heartwarming to get the support of total strangers! Oops. Another girly moment.

 

Thank you Mr G!
I probably wouldn’t be so hesitant about fixing her engine, IF I had someone I trusted to do the job. My biggest fear would be to plop the grand or so into repairs, only to discover more extensive damage, etc etc Kinda like the money I just wasted on the head gasket!! Lol.
Yep, Jasper is proud of themselves, price wise. Hey, maybe they’ll give me a small break since this would be my second one from them?! I’m dreaming now, but that would be nice!
MrG, did you “lose” your car?

 

Nobody is "upset" with him; he's a decent honest guy, I just think he has a different "read" on the situation that some of the rest of us.

People all the time come in here and are about "I want my 2.8 to run with the Pro Stocks but I only have $50 and I'm not willing to [fill in the blank] to get there". In that type of scenario, THE VERY FIRST THING TO DO is, yank that worthless POS and put in SOME KIND of a V8. I'm not seeing that in your vision of your car's future. I think he's looking at it from that perspective. (forgive me if I'm assuming too much)

Too often people forget all about getting from point B to point A, and get all torqued up about whatever is in between. The SIMPLEST thing to do is, focus CLEARLY on point B and point A, wherein one is where you are NOW and the other is where you WANT TO BE, and look at what it takes to get there. People who don't do that end up with "project creep", mismatched parts because when they started out they thought one thing but then halfway through they got bit by "might as well" something that isn't compatible with what went before so they have to start COMPLETELY OVER, and so forth. A CLEAR goal in mind, and a willingness to stay out of the "a little bit more" disease, often helps see a project through to a satisfactory end.

If you were happy with the "performance" of the car the way it was, and aren't looking to focus on that aspect of things, and all you want is for your car to work again, then attack it strictly from that angle. Get it to work. And the quickest eeeeeeeeziest cheeeeeepest path to that is, a 3.1 long block, with your induction system (carb, intake, exhaust, etc.) glommed onto it. It will drop in with the minimum of expense and hassle and risk, give you AT LEAST what you had before as far as "performance" and most likely ALOT more, and will get your car back working again without unnecessary drama.

Get yourself a 3.1 long block, either a good used one, or a reman. It will cost the same OR LESS THAN "fixing" your 2.8, but give you more in an overall general way; as well as, getting rid of the 2.8 POS factor.