Head gasket leak, What to do ?

[Walnut777]

I found out that the reason I am losing coolant is due to a head gasket leak.
It's on the driver's side head.
I have 2 choices.
Buy a head gasket kit and pay a guy 350 bucks to replace both head gaskets.
Or
Put in some of that head gasket repair liquid. Now alot of peopole swear by this repair stuff.

I am kinda weary of the repair liquid. If it can stop up a leak what else can it stop up?

One guy told me to just trade it in on another car. Which would be nice since I need something with better gas mileage. But I don't want to pawn my problem off on someone else.

My Explorer has 157,000 miles and runs very strong and solid. Does not burn or leak oil. The only leak I have is this stupid coolant leak.

What would you do?

 

[Turdle]

Which engine is in your truck?

 

[James909]

I personally would stay away from the stop leak stuff. I would only use that stuff if the car was running very poorly and you needed to drive it for another month or so before you were able to do the repair. Because imho the only way to fix a head gasket leak would be to pull off the heads and replace the gaskets. But since it sounds like the truck runs very well, I would say either continue to drive it like it is or fix it the right way. How much coolant does it use? If not a crazy amount than you also have the option to continue driving it as is unless that bothers you (it would bother me). As to whether or not you should get a different vehicle that's your call, it all depends on how much you like your Ex. Is the $350 repair an actual quote, because if it is I would consider that very reasonable, a head gasket repair requires a significant amount of labor. 157k miles isn't much at all for these OHV engines so I wouldn't be hesitant to do the repair if you plan to keep the vehicle. My main concern however would be that the heads are cracked which is very common problem on these engines. If you had to replace one or both heads that could add a significant amount to the repair cost. All in all if it were me as long as the truck is in good condition I would do the repair.

 

[Walnut777]

Which engine is in your truck?

4.0 OHV

 

[Walnut777]

I personally would stay away from the stop leak stuff. I would only use that stuff if the car was running very poorly and you needed to drive it for another month or so before you were able to do the repair. Because imho the only way to fix a head gasket leak would be to pull off the heads and replace the gaskets. But since it sounds like the truck runs very well, I would say either continue to drive it like it is or fix it the right way. How much coolant does it use? If not a crazy amount than you also have the option to continue driving it as is unless that bothers you (it would bother me). As to whether or not you should get a different vehicle that's your call, it all depends on how much you like your Ex. Is the $350 repair an actual quote, because if it is I would consider that very reasonable, a head gasket repair requires a significant amount of labor. 157k miles isn't much at all for these OHV engines so I wouldn't be hesitant to do the repair if you plan to keep the vehicle. My main concern however would be that the heads are cracked which is very common problem on these engines. If you had to replace one or both heads that could add a significant amount to the repair cost. All in all if it were me as long as the truck is in good condition I would do the repair.

I'd say that the coolant reservoir goes dry every 2 weeks.
$350 bucks was an actual quote.
I think I will go ahead an let him do it. I can't stand for something to be wrong on my car.
As for how much do I love my Explorer? Not too much, since gas prices have risen. I actually need a minivan, but if I get one of those that I can afford I will be in the same boat when it comes to gas mileage.
I have invested alot of time and money in this Explorer and that's the only reason that I have not sold it.
I bought it 2 years ago with 137,000 miles on it. It seems like after the 1st year all I have done is replace stuff. But I suppose that's what you get when you buy a high mileage vehicle.
In just the past 12 months I have replaced the following:

starter, battery, battery cables, front and rear brakes, tires, front inner and outer wheel bearings, outer tie rod end (Left side), upper control arms left and right, lower balljoints left and right, new shocks, sway bar links, fuel pump, heater core and EGR valve.

Not including having the a/c recharged a week ago, wheel alignments, radiator flush and other small maintenance.
With all that money and work tied into there is no way I could let it go for what an explorer is worth. I'm guessing $3,000 is what it would sell for?
I'm sure not going to sell it once I have the head gasket fixed. I would just be losing money.

I practically have a new Explorer once you add in all that stuff.

She still runs strong on Valvoline Max Life 5 w30.

Oh well, guess I'll keep her, she's only left me stranded once and I take good care of her so she takes good care of me.

 

[TheJackal]

I've got this same problem. Fortunately I don't think coolant is getting in with the oil.

I'll probably work on this in the next couple of years or so. It does bother me, but it'll bother my folks even more to do this kind of work in the driveway.

 

[wangbungal]

350? hes not pulling the engine out? or your mechanic never have done this?

 

[rickybobby1985]

I am about to do both my head gaskets is there a good write up on this forum

 

[alohamonte]

350 is very reasonable. i'd have it done in a second at that price. most places charge 1500.

 

[italianbigsky]

Forgive me for this stupid question, but I think I can have the same problem on my Explorer.

Water pump was replaced a few miles ago, they said it was broken, but now I have a coolant leak again and I don't think it's the water pump again... even if it's wet.

Anyway, the question: why should coolant leak thru the head gasket? I mean, is a coolant leak (reservoir empty in a couple of weekes) possibly a sign of a damaged head gasket? how can I understand if oil is involved too? (my oil level is still ok...) there should be an oil leak under the engine, or should I check other simptoms?

And what's the long term consequences of this coolant leak, considering tht I add it regularly?

Thanks for your suggestions.

 

[JimMadsen]

From wikipedia:
The usual internal combustion engine is a water-cooled four-stroke petrol design. It uses three circuits of working fluids:

Combustible air/fuel mixture
Water based coolant, usually with glycol admixed
Motor oil for lubrication

These are all vital, but must never be allowed to intermix. Apart from sealing the cylinder, the head gasket also seals water and oil conduits between the head and block. Any connectivity between them will cause engine failure, or significant problems like burning oil (smoke from the exhaust). Blue exhaust smoke may be indicative of oil burning. White exhaust smoke is an indicator of coolant burning, another sign of head gasket wear.

Occasionally, the compression in the cylinder will cause a leak to form in the gasket and the gasket will have to be replaced, or severe damage can take place (a "blown" head gasket). This problem has been exacerbated by the use of aluminum rather than iron cylinder heads; while lighter than iron, aluminum has a much greater thermal expansion rate, which in turn causes a great deal more stress to be placed on the head gasket. Engine makers have responded to this by adding a non-stick coating such as Teflon to the surface of the head gasket.

If the gasket fails, a variety of problems can occur, from compression loss (leading to power reduction, or a rough engine), to exhaust gases being forced into the cooling system, leading to the engine overheating and increased engine wear due to the motor oil being mixed with antifreeze. Coolant can leak into the cylinders, causing the exhaust to issue steam[3] and the catalytic converter to be damaged. If a very large amount of coolant does this, hydrolock can occur, causing extensive engine damage. Sometimes, all that may happen when a head gasket is blown is excessive steam erupting from the tailpipe; yet the engine may act and drive like normal, until all the coolant is gone and the engine overheats. In other occurrences, compression leaks into small spaces between the gasket and either the cylinder head or engine block trap air that is then released when the engine is turned off, which then escape into the coolant and create air pockets. Sometimes, these air pockets can get trapped in the engines coolant thermostat, causing it to stay closed and further the overheating issue, thereby creating still more voids between the gasket and the engine. Air pockets can also cause the engine to expel coolant into the overflow or expansion tank, thereby reducing the amount of coolant the engine has available to stay cool.