Worst luck possible I guess.. HG

[timer00]

I am supposed to leave for vacation on Sept 27th with the LC since my car can not carry half the stuff we need to take. I have been losing some coolant more and more from the overflow lately and the Check Engine had came on around the same time.

Lo and behold I have coolant leaking externally from the head near I think one of the knock sensors near cylinder 5 or 6 on the drivers side.

Nothing supposedly in the oil from what I can tell but can see the obvious external leak that drips near the starter into a little pool.

I have no other choice but to get this fixed ASAP before the 27th using my local shop. What is the current cost I am looking at since it hasn't been leaking a lot until about the last week. Is it about $1500-1800 or so to get her back running again?

I am almost ready to cry since this crap always happens when I have a big trip coming or no money to fix something.. I'll have to sell something to pay for this since its out of the blue. Only 121k miles

 

[Kohle]

Sucks man! Is there anyone near you that could help you?

 

[Sc0-]

DiY? I think I did mine for around $700 which included getting the head rebuilt. I do recommend resealing the oil cooler which is inside the block under the exhaust manifolds since they are easier to get to with the head off. If you dont want to rebuild the head with a fresh valve grind, surface, and valve guides/seals then it could be done for less.

 

[timer00]

Sucks man! Is there anyone near you that could help you?

Not really anyone that could help where I am at..though I was hoping of tackling the HG job at like 160-170k and take my time with it but now this has me all screwed up. My local shop has been doing my families vehicles for over 20 years and has done HG's on my cars in the past with no issues for the most part so I don't doubt that could do it since they see every type of vehicle there.

Right that pretty much that is my only option.

Yea I could try it myself but it'd take longer than 3 weeks for me along with getting the head all fixed up if it had to be plus if I screwed something up I'd jump off a bridge :/ hah

Plus it'd take almost a week just for the parts kit from american toyota to get to me.

 

[Impreza]

Is having your 80 imperative for the trip? Instead of a rush job, maybe you should just consider renting a 7 passenger vehicle as a substitution and deal with the 80 later. You don't want to rush the mechanic and end up getting inferior parts.

 

[timer00]

Is having your 80 imperative for the trip? Instead of a rush job, maybe you should just consider renting a 7 passenger vehicle as a substitution and deal with the 80 later. You don't want to rush the mechanic and end up getting inferior parts.

I am thinking that is my only decent option in such a short time frame. Though I did not figure the rental costs into vacation obviously and would have to figure some things out to make it work but yea its probably the only good option.

Thanks!

 

[scottryana]

Can you see it leaking out of the back of the head? Sure it's not the rear heater lines leaking?

 

[timer00]

Can you see it leaking out of the back of the head? Sure it's not the rear heater lines leaking?

It is leaking from the head gasket seam in a 4-5" line starting a inch or two left of the PHH to a inch or so past the PHH. Its not the PHH leaking which I have the blue silicone hose clamped on there for a few years. I bypassed the rear heater months ago and haven't had a issue plus its not coming from that side of the car. I can see it plain as day from the HG seam between the head and block.

It is still wet and then drips down the block to pool up on a ledge right under the starter type area.

I am going to rent and get the LC fixed after vacation hopefully.

 

[2fpower]

Friends had a car breakdown right before a vacation. Rented a car. Ends up the rental got over 24mpg. old car got 12. Almost broke even on the rental car cost with the gas savings.

FWIW

 

[timer00]

Friends had a car breakdown right before a vacation. Rented a car. Ends up the rental got over 24mpg. old car got 12. Almost broke even on the rental car cost with the gas savings.

FWIW

Exactly .. Should recover about half of rental cost in gas savings..

 

[baggar11]

I feel for you just about to leave for a trip. I recently had my HG go and was just about to head out into the woods on a camping trip. But... I did the whole job by myself in about 14 days total(once I knew it was the head gasket). So, if you're willing to put in the time, you could easily get it done before your Sept 27th trip.

You can check out my head gasket and timeline thread here --> https://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-tech/765806-head-gasket-complete.html

Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

 

[timer00]

I feel for you just about to leave for a trip. I recently had my HG go and was just about to head out into the woods on a camping trip. But... I did the whole job by myself in about 14 days total(once I knew it was the head gasket). So, if you're willing to put in the time, you could easily get it done before your Sept 27th trip.

You can check out my head gasket and timeline thread here --> https://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-tech/765806-head-gasket-complete.html

Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

Did you have the head sent out and all... Or just clean everything up and replace gasket and put back together

 

[bmw635]

I feel for you just about to leave for a trip. I recently had my HG go and was just about to head out into the woods on a camping trip. But... I did the whole job by myself in about 14 days total(once I knew it was the head gasket). So, if you're willing to put in the time, you could easily get it done before your Sept 27th trip.

You can check out my head gasket and timeline thread here --> https://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-tech/765806-head-gasket-complete.html

Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

Thanks for the link and pics. Must be HG season as I am losing power, fuel economy, coolant but no other telltale so I am planning to redo HG since it's 270k miles on original.

 

[BrotherRob]

Look at the bright side. It could have blown in the middle of your trip.

I had a radiator go two days before leaving for Moab. I was pissed. It would have been much worse if I hadn't caught it.

 

[baggar11]

I sent the head out and had it back next day.

Did you have the head sent out and all... Or just clean everything up and replace gasket and put back together

 

[timer00]

I sent the head out and had it back next day.

Thanks.. Saw that in your link right after I replied haha.

Yea could have blown during the trip... My original radiator blew about 6 months after my last vacation also hah