i have a gmc sonoma 02 4.3l with what i think is a blown head gasket. i want to know if i should keep this truck and fix it or sell as is? ive put about 3000 into it since i bought it and something constantly keeps going wrong on it. the head gasket is going to cost about 850 to replace and if the head is cracked about 300 more on top of that. a new engine is going to run me 1400 with 50000 miles on it. the truck also has a salvage title and i made the mistake of buying it and not having a mechanic take a look at it first.
02 gmc sonoma 4.3l 6cyl blown head gasket?
- Thread starter Mike
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Molson02536
New member
Keep it and if your think your better off replacing the engine for $1,400.00 that's you to decide. As for head gasket going bad, it's more the intake gasket going bad. The heads are torqued down tight on the Vortec engines and rarely to have a head gasket fail. In a 4.3 Vortec engine that has a supercharger added to it, if there is any major detonation, the crack gives out first rather then the head gasket.
If the body is good and electrical, have your engine repaired and also replace your crank shaft bearing to ensure that there will not be any issues from the coolant in your engine's oil system corroding your internal bearings. Or as you mentioned $1,400.00 for another engine.
Good luck and keep us posted.
??????????Bearings???If the body is good and electrical, have your engine repaired and also replace your crank shaft bearing to ensure that there will not be any issues from the coolant in your engine's oil system corroding your internal bearings. Or as you mentioned $1,400.00 for another engine.
Molson02536
New member
Yes Bearings, the coolant mixed with your engine oil will corrode the crank and main bearings. The longer the coolant is mixed with your engine old, the more damages your engine will experience.
As a golden rule to having a engine rebuilt, we change the oil and filter after the first 1000 KM (600 miles) and test the oil for any cross contamination and do it again on the second oil change.
It's cheaper to test the engine oil first before we rebuild the engine again within 6 month for a slow coolant leak from a bad gasket, or just something that has not set right when the engine was put back together.
P.S Coolant in your transmission fluid that get's in through a bad cooler at the radiator will also kill the transmission.
Hope this helps you sleep at night.
