So - have I smoked a head gasket? If I have the cap off of the car and try to crank it over it will shoot a geyser of water/antifreeze out of the radiator. I checked the radiator flow and it's fine, just installed a new Hypertech 160 stat (does the same thing without T stat but from overflow tank). I'm gonna flush the heater core tonight but I have a feeling i'll have to rip it down and put head gaskets on.

Not too worried if it is the head gaskets but just curious on some of your thoughts before I break her down.

 

that what mine did and it was the head gaskets

 

Certainly sounds like a head gasket. Not the worst thing in the world if you have done it before, but still really irritating.

 

Doing the head gaskets doesn't bother me one bit - shouldn't take long. I'm just curious to see if anyone else has experienced the same thing. If I actually start the car it runs fine but that's pretty ignorant to do so I just let it sit until i'm ready to knock them out.

 

How long is it going to take a semi-experienced guy to change a head gasket on his first time? I have milky oil and bubbling in the radiator system that shoots out radiator fluid.

What sorta parts and cost will it run me to do it myself? Is there anything else I should try to change while I'm in there? I have gotten estimate from multiple people at a grand or more just in labor. Ugh. My grandpa can help me, he's worked on engines for many years, but he has pretty much just worked on older engines with more room under the hood and a lot less electrical stuff going on.

 

These cars are not hard to work on - frustrating yes, hard no - so you should take the initiative and get to know the thing. Not sure if changing a head gasket(s) is something that you want to learn on tho. You're going to need intake gaskets and make sure you pick up some "Right Stuff" to do the front and rear on the intake - this stuff rocks and is worth the money that it costs.

 

Well I have done a lot of stuff around the engine, but never really gotten into the engine before. Changed water pump, plugs, wires, basic **** like that. So I'm familiar with the engine bay, but not with the internals themselves.

 

sounds like somethings plugged up to me.

 

mine used to do that when i first rebuilt the engine.

it turned out that i had cross-hosed the hose that goes to the left of the radiator cap.