Recently I discovered my coolant drain problem was caused by the water getting into my oil. I was able to get at least 6 quarts of water in my oil in matter of 5 hrs where I only drove 20 minutes and let it sit for the other 4:40 cooling down while I was in class. I was wondering if this much leekage is possible through just the head gasket or am I looking at a cracked head? BTW #8 seems to misfire after a couple hundred miles from burning oil(don't know if this is related, but was something my mechanic told me about).

Also, I am a mechanical engineering major, but I don't have much automotive mechanic background, but am learning fast how to do my own work on my car. I was wondering how hard of a job is this to replace the gasket/gasket+heads, and if I can use the heads off a stock 350 TPI engine in my 305??

 

You could use them, but you'd lose compression putting 350 heads on a 305.

None of the work is especially difficult, just time consuming, depending on how much stuff is in your way.

 

if your lucky its just a blown head gasket . good time for a valve job and heads to be resurfaced . anyway lots of $$$ for a student . good luck .

 

How much is this much you refer to, because I can afford up to like 600 to fix it, but more than that I might have to do the work myself. BTW the car only has 41k original miles and spent the first 18 years of its life going 19k miles garaged most of the time, so I really do think it is a gasket that over time wore down -- paper gaskets in 1986.

 

yah it's possible its just a head gasket, i'd personally do it myself. Its not a ton of work, lots of taking things apart but, (im new to this stuff to) i tend to take digital camera pics as i dissasemble and before and label and arrange things so they are easy to get to put back on.

the gasket set will cost you about 70$ bux or so if i remember correctly. btw i agree with the above post send the heads to a machine shop while your at it, make sure they pressure test them in case there is a crack you don't see, have them resurfaced, a 3 angle grind and have them install new valve seals to of course. that'll run you between 200-300$

if you take it somewhere and have them do the labor thast 800 dollars worth before machining if my memory serves me correct, thats at a lenient independent garage not a dealer to.

btw if the front and rear intake gaskets r cork dont use them, if rubber you can but, just make sure to put a glob of rtv at the corners where they meet the heads, or just run about a 1/4in beed of silicone in the front and in the rear of the manifold.