Poll on Head gasket problems (5 Viewers)

[soggy60]

201xxx miles on 94 . . . .rig has spent most, if not all, it's life in FL . . .used as 'family' rig, not offroad : that's what the 60 is for

and as far as I know orig HG; another 80 owner /mudder , looked at engine & thinks it's factory....

I do have the ultra slow drivers window closing safety feature
. . . it is a safety thing ain't it ? plenty of time to get hands, arms, fingers out of the way

 

[jhanley]

187k and original HG. Had a compression and leak down done at 185k and everything looks good... I don't want to jinx my rig but it runs so F#$%ing good!

 

[lndcruz]

187k no issues.

 

[fishwater]

244,011 miles 2 days ago when i started having some rough idling. then CEL came on ("cylinder 6 misfire" = "kiss of death") and smoke from the exhaust. head gasket kit ordered and i'm diving in tonight.
wish me luck...
-blumer

 

[Dave 2000]

I posted 200 - 250 ks for a clients car, many others no issues.

regards

Dave

 

[CycloSteve]

Update on my earlier post. HG was replaced originally at 95k miles, just after S/C installation...had blown in the classical style on cyl #6.

Replaced HG once again at ~158k miles, as PowderPig found a crack in the head next to one of the water jacket plugs. Only the 2nd documented case (IdahoDoug was the other). Could have been a bad casting from day one, or the PO had run the truck when overheated. New core from CDan ran about $1,100, but worth having a fresh start IMHO.

In anycase, the second HG looked pretty good when taken out with approximately 60k miles on it. So, the 2nd Gen gaskets seem to do better than the originals from the factory, even with an S/C pushing a few extra PSI into the chambers.



Steve

 

[faylo]

164,000 miles and no sign of impending problems.

 

[Dave 2000]

164,000 miles and no sign of impending problems.

Hmmm don't tempt fate

regards

Dave

 

[maineidyl]

REplaced Mine with 125,000 miles

Just did mine on my 1996 LX450. The head gasket was fine. I did it because I did not want to fear it happening while towing my boat with the family to the Florida Keys. Piece of mind issue for me. The valves were way out so I had the valves done, head slightly milled etc...Only issue that I have now is that it takes a few seconds to crank when cold. Never had that issue before.

Tom

 

[Dave 2000]

Just did mine on my 1996 LX450. The head gasket was fine. I did it because I did not want to fear it happening while towing my boat with the family to the Florida Keys. Piece of mind issue for me. The valves were way out so I had the valves done, head slightly milled etc...Only issue that I have now is that it takes a few seconds to crank when cold. Never had that issue before.

Tom

I hate this type of thing happening, you take apart a nice running car, spend good money on it as PM and then it is not right afterwards!! All you can do is check your settings in particular valve clearences, timing ect, very frustrating

regards

Dave

 

[maineidyl]

Head Gasket Replacement Woes

Don't get me wrong. It runs perfect. Just takes about 3 - 5 seconds to start. It used to start when you began to turn the key. For me, the piece of mind, the way it runs now and knowing that the internals of the engine where in great shape after tearing it apart are priceless for me. I plan on driving my 96 for 3 more years and then letting my now 13 year old have it as his vehicle.

Tom

 

[murf]

I personally feel that the headgasket issue is percieved as a bigger issue than it really is. I have an incredible sample size to base that off of and although it happens, IMO its not near the point where anyone should do a HG as PM. I was just talking to Christo Slee about this the other day and we agreed on this exact point and he also sees alot of LC's. Sometimes the internet/forums can cause a skewed viewpoint. (Like anything else )

I'd hate to see someone pass on buying an 80 with the fear that this is an issue that they can assuredly expect.

 

[Dave 2000]

I think you are right murf, there are so many variables that can have an affect on a head gasket, from wrong antifreeze to abusive driving style and everything in between.

regards

Dave

 

[Grouseman]

Bump

This is bump to see if we can continue this poll..

Grouseman

 

[Salt Cruiser]

No problems yet, 148k

 

[guzzla]

I selected 'HG has had no problem so far'
I pulled my engine down for a variety of reasons, one was a suspected HG issue. Turns out it was fine and the installation of a Cometic HG and ARP studs will ensure it stays that way.

A mate had his HG go around 330,000km

 

[kirkm76]

240k miles and no issues, however since I have now posted this I should go ahead and buy one I guess. Ah well, it can't blow parked in my garage with the front axel torn apart!

 

[Dan2722]

225K and no problems so far (knock on wood)

 

[thirdmatt01]

155xxx no signs of any issues! A local lc mechanic says this is rarely a prob for cruisers he services. And typically he says it s not an all out failure. We will have symptoms if you monitor your vehicle. It seems this may be an overrated pm
Well my two cents anyways

 

[bugsnbikes]

imho- at the end of the day- the HG pm is totally dependent upon intended uses of the vehicle and a variety of situations that can impact a decision.....

If you are a pavement pounder mainly- within reach of AAA tow and the ability to shut it down at first sign of impending doom----id say roll the dice and get her towed if it happens.

For those of you who venture far off the beaten path-----where no extraction is possible.......the choice becomes a little more difficult. Piece of mind and investment in keeping a $10k vehicle vs. leaving for dead in the middle of knowhere is cheap 10% insurance cost. Remember too- most people pay 5-10% of the vehicles cost on comprehensive coverage EACH YEAR..........HG is only once and should last for 5-10years.

The other scenario is if this is a wifey/gf driven rig where missing the signs of overheat---or lowend rattle could potentially end up in totally hammering an engine into the ground and a $6000 rebuild. Imho- in that scenario- i would be saving up my pennies and try to have it done sooner as a PM vs later as potentially parting out rig cuz girlfriend didnt notice a stumble and threw a rod thru the block.

In the end----theres no right or wrong on this issue---- everyone including robbie would agree----"its an issue".....and for some its worth rolling the dice ---and for others it makes sense not to.

*i chose to roll the dice first few years--then did a backcountry solo trip and realized-getting stuck was going to mean leaving vehicle for dead likely. Came home and scheduled Robbie to do the job. 120k miles on engine and Robbie saw "significant creep" on the HG which was ready to blow.* Best money ever spent and also addressed a ton of "while you are in there items like fuel filter-fan clutch-injectors-phh- rear heater delete -etc.