These engines have steel cylinder liners,
unless you overheated the crap out of it,
it's a head gasket and you are on your way.

Top end set from most autoparts should be
less than $100, and a few tools and a book
you can do this.

Also if you don't know what you are doing,
and a mechanic knows it, it's ride time for
you, sorry to say, but I would be taking the
wife's car someplace else too.

Get the Trucklet home, and save it's life,
it won't take long, and less than $200 in
tools and parts, a far cry from $3000-4000


Ohh, and I have 275,000 miles on my engine,
rebuilt at 240,000 they last longer than your
has miles on it, you got lots of good miles left

Wild

How did the mechanic determine coolant was getting into the cylinders? How did the mechanic determine the steel sleeves were bad enough and the engine was totally shot?

The intake manifold, exhaust manifold, all the vacuum hoses, wiring, engine drive belts, bolt heads, etc should show some kind of removal and reinstall. The grease and grime would show something of use. He would have had to, MINIMUM!!!, remove a spark plug wire from the spark plug to pull the plug out and check that for signs of water/coolant in the cylinder.

If the engine is basically still evenly dirty, I'd take it to another mechanic for another 'review'. Don't tell him what your first mechanic told you.
To be able to claim a total on the engine, the mechanic had to get his hands dirty on the nut and bolts.

To add, without knowledge and understanding of how the combustion engine operates, and without a work place and tools to learn, then you are basically left up to the 'wolves'.

spoke with a friend's brother who owns his own garage and he seemed to agree with the assesment of the problem and the estimate.  Possible that I'm not explaining the situation here entirely or being clear?  Possible that I'm the only one in NY and prices here are completely out of whack with the rest of the country?  wouldn't be the first time...

Seems like pretty widely different views from what these mechanics are telling me and the opinions of site members.  

Well, I have a small piece of property and can't really have the car taking up the whole yard for the amount of time it'll take me to try this repair on my own.  I think I'm gonna see what I can get for it.

Are members on this site in the Staten Island area?  In need of parts?  I'm going away for the weekend and will post something in the garage sale space on Monday most likely.  Again, thanks for all the advice.

oh - and I guess I'll be selling my Chilton's book too if anyone is interested in that.

Brendan

Well, I guess your just takin the easy way out. The people here are the ones to listen to. Between everybody on this board, there isn't anything about these vehicles that somebody doesn't know. Unless new york has a different exchange rate, ya man, you were getting screwed. But I woudln't just throw in the towel on it, get your hands dirty and try turnin a wrench, you may just like it.  

Get your hands dirty and try turnin a wrench, you may just like it.  

Look at it this way, if you pull the head you'll know for sure what the deal is. I doubt that the mech you've talked to has pulled the head, so he's full of it. (and since he spewed that "aluminum sleeve" crap he OBVIOUSLY hasn't done his homework).

When it broke down, had it overheated? That may have cracked the head, but I agree it's probably a head gasket (if it REALLY does have coolant in the cylinders).

P.S. I really hate seeing mechs rip people off. My MIL took her car in to have a "routine" maintenance done before she was going on a 2k mile trip, 50 miles in (right after the "tuneup"), the rad hose bursts. I KNOW the bastard had knicked it with a knife so he could get her back in for an "engine replacement". The SOB stranded a 60 ish lady on the interstate so he could get his "good customer" to spend more money ... he deserved a baseball bat to the balls for that.

spoke with a friend's brother who owns his own garage and he seemed to agree with the assesment of the problem and the estimate.  Possible that I'm not explaining the situation here entirely or being clear?  Possible that I'm the only one in NY and prices here are completely out of whack with the rest of the country?  wouldn't be the first time...

Seems like pretty widely different views from what these mechanics are telling me and the opinions of site members.  

Well, I have a small piece of property and can't really have the car taking up the whole yard for the amount of time it'll take me to try this repair on my own.  I think I'm gonna see what I can get for it.

Are members on this site in the Staten Island area?  In need of parts?  I'm going away for the weekend and will post something in the garage sale space on Monday most likely.  Again, thanks for all the advice.

oh - and I guess I'll be selling my Chilton's book too if anyone is interested in that.

Brendan

I originally from Long Island, I know about that stuff and he is still gouging you.  Look,  you have to understand, you come to an enthusiast site, where most people here have learned to work on their own cars.  You know about as much as most of us did when we started learning, so we have all been there.  We just cant stand seeing a mechanic screw someone so blantly as they are trying to do you.  Most of us have seen it and thats why we have learned to do it ourselves.  Honestly for a $500-1000 you could put a running junkyard motor, or motor from someone on this board in there.  The chiltons book will tell you how, all you will need is a cherry picker and some tools.  I'd say you might even find some members in that area that might be willing to help.

If you decide to get out thats your choice.  Just dont expect us not to bust on this "mechanic" with what he has said.  He has already given you false info (aluminum sleeves??) and is trying to gouge you on price.

Good Luck...

I think it's time we all move to Staten Island and become mechanics. We'll make a fortune.

Ya, I could charge 15 Grand for a turbo setup

Changing the head gasket is its an easy job back when i was 16 i had to change the head gasket in my 89 tracker with little to no knowledge and the help of the gm service manual

the book calls for 7.5 hours to r&r headgasket on 8vlve with ac

the book calls for 7.5 hours to r&r headgasket on 8vlve with ac

So is that two or three six-packs of barley-pop?

Take 1000 bucks and pop in an engine... you'll get way more for it..

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