01 dts head gasket
#1
04-07-2008, 07:58 PM
01 dts head gasket
hey guys i was driving my car hard one night and popped a head gasket. i have an 01 dts. dealer said between $3500 and $6500 to fix. i don't know what to do. anyone know a good reasonable mechanic in the philadelphia, pa area??? thanks in advance.
#2
04-07-2008, 08:28 PM
RE: 01 dts head gasket
That's a lot of money at the dealer, my mechanic would of done it for $1200 here in the Chicago land. For 35 - 65 hund, you might as well get a different Northstar for $1500 in very good condition on low miles, and installed for another $500, or do it yourself if you can.
#3
04-07-2008, 08:54 PM
RE: 01 dts head gasket
yeah well they said that the head gasket swap would be $3500 but that's only if the block isn't cracked. $6500 would be if i need another block i guess. yeah i think they are crazy. i wish i could find a mechanic to do it for $1200. i'd pay that in a heartbeat. my mechanic told me he won't get involved with it. how hard is it do do an engine swap??
#4
04-07-2008, 09:45 PM
RE: 01 dts head gasket - spend the $25, save the $3,000 to $6,000
ORIGINAL: rwrows
yeah well they said that the head gasket swap would be $3500 but that's only if the block isn't cracked. $6500 would be if i need another block i guess. yeah i think they are crazy. i wish i could find a mechanic to do it for $1200. i'd pay that in a heartbeat. my mechanic told me he won't get involved with it. how hard is it do do an engine swap??
yeah well they said that the head gasket swap would be $3500 but that's only if the block isn't cracked. $6500 would be if i need another block i guess. yeah i think they are crazy. i wish i could find a mechanic to do it for $1200. i'd pay that in a heartbeat. my mechanic told me he won't get involved with it. how hard is it do do an engine swap??
IF not, a nightmare.
A one weekend job for a novice, I seen pros do it in two hrs.
In my area, there are dozens and dozens of companies that do exactly that. Find salvage and tested engines and swap them out. Cost .. I dont know.
Engine swap steps are:
- find salvage engine, low miles, COMPRESSION tested, get it home.
compression will tell you if that engine has a GOOD gasket aside other things.
never, NEVER EVER, buy a Northstar used engine w/o a compression test.
- disconnect everything on old engine, tagging everything as you go, EVERYTHING!
the one item that you do not tag will bury you later.
- pull old engine
- drop in the new engine
- remember the tagging ? now use it and reverse the reconnecting everything.
- - ohhh, dont mess with the A/C other than unmount brackets and move it aside.
do not undue A/C hoses, lines, nothing.
Now, tell us .. why did the coolant not get changed every two years?
To all that read this, please go to our FAQ and read up on headgaskets, coolant, etc.
spend the $25, save the $3,000 to $6,000
#5
04-07-2008, 10:03 PM
RE: 01 dts head gasket - spend the $25, save the $3,000 to $6,000
ORIGINAL: stomper
If you have a engine lift, tools, torque wrench, FSM, patience, tags, pencil, organization skills .. easy.
IF not, a nightmare.
A one weekend job for a novice, I seen pros do it in two hrs.
In my area, there are dozens and dozens of companies that do exactly that. Find salvage and tested engines and swap them out. Cost .. I dont know.
Engine swap steps are:
- find salvage engine, low miles, COMPRESSION tested, get it home.
compression will tell you if that engine has a GOOD gasket aside other things.
never, NEVER EVER, buy a Northstar used engine w/o a compression test.
- disconnect everything on old engine, tagging everything as you go, EVERYTHING!
the one item that you do not tag will bury you later.
- pull old engine
- drop in the new engine
- remember the tagging ? now use it and reverse the reconnecting everything.
- - ohhh, dont mess with the A/C other than unmount brackets and move it aside.
do not undue A/C hoses, lines, nothing.
Now, tell us .. why did the coolant not get changed every two years?
To all that read this, please go to our FAQ and read up on headgaskets, coolant, etc.
spend the $25, save the $3,000 to $6,000
ORIGINAL: rwrows
yeah well they said that the head gasket swap would be $3500 but that's only if the block isn't cracked. $6500 would be if i need another block i guess. yeah i think they are crazy. i wish i could find a mechanic to do it for $1200. i'd pay that in a heartbeat. my mechanic told me he won't get involved with it. how hard is it do do an engine swap??
yeah well they said that the head gasket swap would be $3500 but that's only if the block isn't cracked. $6500 would be if i need another block i guess. yeah i think they are crazy. i wish i could find a mechanic to do it for $1200. i'd pay that in a heartbeat. my mechanic told me he won't get involved with it. how hard is it do do an engine swap??
IF not, a nightmare.
A one weekend job for a novice, I seen pros do it in two hrs.
In my area, there are dozens and dozens of companies that do exactly that. Find salvage and tested engines and swap them out. Cost .. I dont know.
Engine swap steps are:
- find salvage engine, low miles, COMPRESSION tested, get it home.
compression will tell you if that engine has a GOOD gasket aside other things.
never, NEVER EVER, buy a Northstar used engine w/o a compression test.
- disconnect everything on old engine, tagging everything as you go, EVERYTHING!
the one item that you do not tag will bury you later.
- pull old engine
- drop in the new engine
- remember the tagging ? now use it and reverse the reconnecting everything.
- - ohhh, dont mess with the A/C other than unmount brackets and move it aside.
do not undue A/C hoses, lines, nothing.
Now, tell us .. why did the coolant not get changed every two years?
To all that read this, please go to our FAQ and read up on headgaskets, coolant, etc.
spend the $25, save the $3,000 to $6,000
#6
04-07-2008, 11:00 PM
RE: 01 dts head gasket - spend the $25, save the $3,000 to $6,000
should be fairly easy for the most park, just call auto wreckers from the yellow pages in your area and ask them for a northstar engine of the same years, or look on craigslist.com for any listings in your area.
#7
04-08-2008, 02:20 AM
RE: 01 dts head gasket - spend the $25, save the $3,000 to $6,000
ORIGINAL: rwrows
well i only bought the car in september of last year. i would have glady flushed the coolant if i had known. i am definately to blame. that night i blew it, i was putting some punishment on the drivetrain. i have all of that stuff you mention. i do small block chevy swaps all of the time. i'm waiting for one of the salesmen to call me back, to see what they can give me for my car as is. i'd love to fix it though because my car is fairly unique and i really like it. how hard would it be to find a motor?
well i only bought the car in september of last year. i would have glady flushed the coolant if i had known. i am definately to blame. that night i blew it, i was putting some punishment on the drivetrain. i have all of that stuff you mention. i do small block chevy swaps all of the time. i'm waiting for one of the salesmen to call me back, to see what they can give me for my car as is. i'd love to fix it though because my car is fairly unique and i really like it. how hard would it be to find a motor?
transferring a Northstar is no more difficult than the small Chev swaps you mentioned.
also, your being a car kind of guy, you might want to look for a wrecked car with a good engine. that may well be the most economical route and will also yield a bunch of spare parts .. plus .. a bunch of extra parts to sell off and possibly pay for the cost of buying the wrecked car. it is not unheard off to see a car parted out for 3X its book value.
the dealer's offer of $500 for the car, may shock you - hold on tight.
.
#8
04-14-2008, 10:24 AM
RE: 01 dts head gasket - spend the $25, save the $3,000 to $6,000
still trying to figure out what to do. dealer offered me $3000 for the car. i owe about $7000 on it. can i pull the motor out with a cherry picker or do i have to drop it from underneath?
#9
04-14-2008, 03:47 PM
RE: 01 dts head gasket - spend the $25, save the $3,000 to $6,000
ORIGINAL: rwrows
still trying to figure out what to do. dealer offered me $3000 for the car. i owe about $7000 on it. can i pull the motor out with a cherry picker or do i have to drop it from underneath?
still trying to figure out what to do. dealer offered me $3000 for the car. i owe about $7000 on it. can i pull the motor out with a cherry picker or do i have to drop it from underneath?
if not ..
let the MATH do the talking.
- walk away, you still owe $4,000, and no car?
- swap engines, $1,500, you still have a nice car
dont know if it comes out the top with the cherry picker of not, but
you still have the MATH to work out.
#10
04-15-2008, 05:47 PM
RE: 01 dts head gasket - spend the $25, save the $3,000 to $6,000
Engine Swap? It is very hard, a lot of stress and a lot of money.You have to get the right tools, good mechanic/engineering, and right parts. If your just swaping motor for motor, it's not all that difficult. If your swapping a smaller motor and going to a larger one, it's more complex. the most difficult time you will have with it, is the attention to detail that is required.