Today my water pressure had a significant drop and the engine started to knock. White mucus like liquid was all over the oil inlet hole and there is a clear pesence of condensation on the cap. Oil is extrmely low and the dipstick was extremely hard to pull out because of a powdery, burnt material covering the entire chamber. The oil was fine 2 weeks ago.

Ok, I know I have a big problem. But, how big? Has anyone here replaced a head gasket and about how much did it cost? And if my luck is really bad, does this sound more like a cracked head since the problem occured so fast?

What is my best course of action, because I just frove 200 miles away from home (no tools) and I need to go back in 2 days.

My car is a 2002 3.8 liter Camaro, regular oil changes using synthetic oil. Only 84,000 miles.

Thanks

 

If you don't have your tools, it sounds like your at the mercy of a shop. A head gasket repair can easily tally a grand in cost. If you caught it right away, there is a chance that you just blew the gasket and there is no head damage, but you won't know for sure until it is pulled off.

 

Are you 100% sure it is the head gasket? did you drain out the oil and see collant in there?.. anyways like said above you can't really tell untill it is pulled off but it really helps if you can detrmine what side the problem is on. Did you get any SES codes as sometimes they will point to a particaulr cylinder (or do a compression test).. mine was readign P0304 when I broke down on I-95 this lead me to misfire on #4 cylinder and sure enough that was on the Left side right and when I pulled the left side gasket it had a tear in it right by that cylinder...

Anyways, to do a head gasket I would say about 5 hours to pull the cylinder head and then a little less to put back on (getting the exahust mainfold took me the most time as mine was rusted out, 145K, but your may not be as bad)...really didn't need any fancy tools ( a large 1/2 drive flex rathect or breaker bar is usefull to pull the head bolts other than that you can probably get by with a regualr 3/8 drive set and most likely need an 02 socket) and a Chilton's is very very helpfull but could get by withount it if you are farimialr and I am sure we can sort out the issue with tourqe etc.,

The one thing here is the time issue.. you said you have to go back to orlando in two days.. could you pull it now then rent a car to drive home or fly and then come back over the weekend to put it back on?? the reason I ask is that you may need to take the heads to a machine shop if there is valve damaged or cracked head (again can't really tell untill you get it of).. so you may want to check with the machine shope around time or theroetically buy a new cylinder head but that probably needs to be ordered (unless you are in a bigger city like Miami.. and a few phone calls should answer that, napa quotes $224 online for a cylinder head ,I'd also ask about avialbility the gaskets, they'll try to sell you a full set but depedining on the conditon you probbaly won't need a whole set and may be able to just get by with a new head gasket for say $20) ...OK this is worse case scenario but is way cheaper than sending it to a shop.

 

smithtim...I'm not 100% sure its the head gasket. Over the course of a month I've had to replace plug wires and I've been loosing coolant to an unknown location. However, when I had my problems on Friday I did see a white, milkshake like substance caked all over my oil cap. I can only asume that happens when water is in the engine.

As for getting home I was relieved to have my dad come over and tow my car home with a flatbed trailer... what I relief. Car is in the shop now, I'll know the problem sometime tommorrow.

 

glad to hear you got the car home + made it home safe...

the myseriously missing collant is a clasic symptom of a head gasket, but techncially the leak could be something else but if it was you would probably see the coollant on the ground or something... anyways let us know what the shop says about it

 

leaky intake manifold gasket...no biggie. Got new belts, water pump, and coolant while I was at it.

 

good news that it was just the gasket and you got it before any damage was done