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2G Blown head gasket help

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guerreroandrew4688

Proven Member
30
9
Mar 27, 2022
fullerton, California
I was wondering since I have a blown head gasket. Instead of sending mine off and paying 1k plus for it to get resurfaced. Should I just buy this and swap it out and put the new gasket on myself?

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I was wondering since I have a blown head gasket. Instead of sending mine off and paying 1k plus for it to get resurfaced. Should I just buy this and swap it out and put the new gasket on myself?

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Sounds like a good idea to do that, but why would you spend 1K+ on a resurface? Does it really cost that much? I don’t know how much resurfacing cost but 1K+ sounds like a lot. Or is the 1K+ You sending the car and them taking off the head and resurfacing the head? If that is the case why not just do the work and send only the head to get it resurfaced and not spend 1K+? You said you’d do the work your self if you got that used head for $200. If that is the case and there charging you 1K+ for the labor of taking apart the head and resurfacing it I think your better off doing the work and keeping your head and resurfacing it. Unless that’s actually how much they want for a resurface which would seem outrageous for a resurface if you ask me. I think it’s best to keep what’s yours and have it fixed, what if you buy the head and you blow another head gasket? Is that used head resurfaced already? Probably not since it’s $200 plus shipping.
 
I just called 3 shops near me and they wanted that much just to diagnose and to resurface it if it was blown. They said those are just California prices and I wasn’t sure if I should just do the work myself minus the resurfacing part.
 
Then that’s about right. It’s not difficult and the information is out there including many YT videos. Lot of us on here can help you along the way also. You will need some tools. Is your timing belt/water pump due for replacement? You’ll need some gaskets obviously and this would be a great time to replace valve seals

What’s your mechanical level?

Just a few thing you may run into along the way
-Striped threads/bolts (usually valve cover and/or exhaust manifold)
-Burnt valves ( you won't know until you pull the head)
-Valve(s) out of round
-Crack or damaged to head
-Seal leaking on the front cover

Tools
-Torque wrench
-Timing belt tools (not necessary but very handy)
-Basic tool set
-Breaker bar

That's just off the top of my head
 
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I’m pretty new to fixing up my dsm besides doing oil changes, changing the valve cover gasket, basic maintenance. I have the whole engine torn apart down to where the cylinder head is right now and just waiting to see if I needed a head gasket job or not.
 
It doesn’t overheat, has phantom coolant leak where it disappears after a day, white or gray smoke out of exhaust, it will smoke out the whole block just from starting it for 10 seconds, I haven’t ran any tests yet because I was away from the car for a while but everyone I talk to says it’s definitely a head gasket.
 
Are the tops of any pistons clean?
A few tests while it's all together.
Leakdown test - This will tell if air is getting past the hg into coolant system
Pressure test coolant system - This will tell you where the coolant is going
 
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