What are the possible consequences and possible further damage of driving a car with bad bearings from a blown head/intake gasket?

I would really like to not pull the motor out, and just fix the gasket for now. I just dont know how much damage the coolant did to the bearings. It was driven 4 miles and parked. But of course it was 2 weeks before i could drain the oil and coolant, and do a little flush with some new oil.

If there would be no new damage than what is already done, or minimal further damage in regards to $$$, I would rather take that chance then having to purchase a cherry picker, stand, etc. And yes, my procrastinating working butt would buy versus rent those items.

Of course I wanna do this the right, cost-effective way.

 

4 miles won't matter much to the bearings. Don't drive the car. Replace the gaskets now. Or else, your bearings will stop liking you.
bsa

 

I just did that to a 95 Monte Carlo 3.1.

Intake gasket, but same thing. Filled that oral pan right up man.

I was ~40 miles from home. It took me about 15 hrs to change it.

I don't know if it hurt the bearings that much. Antifreeze/coolant has lubricants in it. I know they aren't close to the viscosity of oil, but better than straight water right?

But I made sure that the bearings didn't give me any problems after that. The secret is to sell it!!!!!

They haven't seized on me since I did that!!!!!

AJ

 

Its hard to say. Straight water would probably do less damage aside of rust than coolant would. Coolant and oil make a nice corrosive mix and that tends to eat the bearings. I'd say that the bearings are probably already pitted from the coolant but its probably nothing to worry about.
This is what coolant does to a bearing:

Obviously the score mark is from something else, but the pitting is from coolant. Supposedly the car was only driven maybe a mile or two and flushed right away, but something tells me it sat for longer than that, like a week or so.

 

Hmmm...mine sat for 2 weeks, so it kind of worries me.

So if i just replace the gasket, and the bearings are bad, what can i expect? Vibrations? Crank damage?