what a joke trying to pass these ridiculous questions just to get a password and username this is not making things easier. Anyone out there can help me. I have a 1989 l98 corvette convertible 170.000 miles i have owned for 20 years one of the best show room condition corvettes in Massachusetts. head gaskets finally gone blowing steam out the exhaust and eating up antifreeze.pricing on a rebuilt engine and not the bottom line has been around 3400. Its runs like a top,doesn't burn oil,oil pressure good ,doesn't hesitate,perfect throttle response no antifreeze in the oil Mechanics i know hesitate cant tie up there garage for a motor job,bunch of wieners mechanic here in Massachusetts maybe i should move to another state. I want o keep the original look to the motor for value consider replacement but know wants to help me list everything that gets a dressed to complete and tune the motor properly for total completion. I am a contractor if i approached my projects with the attitude i am getting from everyone i would be out of business,refusing work and trying to do a motor job that really wont work right. losing faith in people maybe i need to pray on it.

 

Something to consider. Bet the head gasket blew on #7 or #8. This is where they normally go because the water jacket holes are so close to the cylinder wall. Consider having the heads refreshed and just replace the gaskets. You should be able to get to the 220,000 mile range.

If this is not an option, then consider a short block ZZ4 and bolt your old parts on. As long as you keep the same cam or replace it with basically the same cam, you will not need a tune.

 

Good advice as long as the engine is running good. You probably can get by with just the heads surfaced.

 

Jesus, a head gasket blows and people are told to replace the whole damn engine?

You need a comptent mechanic who can pull and replace the heads with the engine in the car and a decent machine shop that can do a journeyman valve job. I hate to say this, but it's just a small block chevy....and easier to work on than most.

 

My sisters car had the headgasket go when i was in jr high, pulled the head, had it surfaced and valves gone through by a machine shop for less than $50.
​​​​​​​net head gasket, did the timing chain while i was there and she was back on the road running better than ever.

 

IDK. At 170K, you can pull the heads but that old a car, you might want to freshen up the springs and who knows what else. So, at the end of the day, when I present you with the bill and it lasts maybe another 20K, are you going to blame me? Kinda why I think it is better to just change the motor. If it has 50K, I'd agree we can pull the heads.

 

 

You've come to the right place! Lots of good people here! 170,000 on a "showroom fresh" '89 tells me this car gets a lot of love! Yes, it seems these cars will run forever, if you take good care of them! I have 240,000 miles on mine, so I've learned a few things!

At 170,000 miles, it may be tempting to just fix the head gasket, but as Aklim said, this would probably be only a short-term fix. Your timing gears must be just about toast! There must be some specialists in Mass. that can do a complete engine rebuild for you, and I'll almost guarantee you'll be surprised at how much better the car will run! Just like "showroom fresh"! You need to do more digging to find the right shop! Even if you go with a rebuilt "crate" engine, that would be better than a temporary (and inadequate) repair job.

 

Well, I don't necessarily think a total re-fresh wouldn't be better than simply replacing a head gasket...our two. Bearings, rings, oil pump, seals, distributor, timing chain/sprockets, cam, etc...are ALL on the same wear schedule. I can't fault the mechanic for suggesting an overhaul, especially at 170k miles. Wouldn't it be better to pull it and get it all done at once as opposed to being nickel-dimed to death? Besides that! What a great opportunity to do some upgrades! After all, it's a Corvette!

I dunno. I've built SBCs so many times since the late 60s that I don't think anything of it. (Summit has various mild to wild "kits" to choose from that makes it easy to do a quickie upgrade.) Find a shop to do the machine work (e.g., heads, valve job, guides (as needed), boring, etc. Then drive it like ya stole it (again)!

I've BTDT (cheap, as-needed) repairs for my own and customer's cars and suffered the consequences: I HATE having to redoux engine pulling to do that next thing that wore out - that could have been done during an earlier trip. Re-starting the mileage clock has a LOT of advantages, especially if trouble free is at all important to ya...just sayin!

 

Refresh the motor and maybe fluff up the heads and a different cam. Headers and intake too obviously. Get Bosch 3 injectors. Refresh the motor with a 383 and bigger injectors and cam and head fluff?

I'd go wild since I am already there. In for a penny, in for 100 pounds.

I would say they aren't "cheap" since you have to go in again and that costs more money. They are low cost today but higher cost in the long run. That doesn't say "cheap" in my book. OTOH, if you are dumping the car, WGAS? It runs today is all you care.

 

Maybe it's me but I really did miss the question??

 

Nope all i picked up was short wick attitude, I don't like the answers I'm getting.
Im reading this laughing thinking you have a 30 yr old motor with 170k its shot buddy. Time to rebuild the engine. Have the bottom end gone through, have the heads redone put it together and drive it.
What is there to be frustrated about?

 

Well, my head gasket blew at about 109K. At that stage I sent the heads to a machine shop where they were checked for cracks and straightness, refreshed, valve job, seals, guides, new springs etc. I additionally ported the plenum and installed 1.6 RR's and bunch of other minor things. Also got the injectors cleaned and checked. And then kept on driving.

But, if that would happen at 170K then I defenetely would consider full rebuild or replacement (also new timing kit and damper too). I would first make a plan for the rebuild with all the work and parts cost and compare that to available crate engines, then make my decision. Of course at the same time I would consider perf. upgrades.

 

coolemon: I feel your pain, I am in the middle of assembling my engine after having heads re-machined, while still mounted in car. Having your favorite car sitting, not driving and maybe..gasp...never driving again. Terrible.

I decided to do mine myself because this is my hobby and this IS my CAR! This is my first time, never tried heavy engine work before. Thanks to an FSM, this forum and its great members, I've made good progress. All in my own garage with mostly hand tools and an air this or that. Not saying you should try yourself, but do consider.

For heads, I got mine machined for $360 with a couple of valves replaced, new seals and so forth. Took some work to remove, but it is doable as a single person. FYI.

 

Bow Tie guy, when I was a kid you were lucky to get 50,000 out of an engine before a major rebuild. Not the case today. Bottom end in these cars are strong and can easily go 230.000 or more. Putting new or refreshed heads on this should not be a issue.

170,000 miles over 28 years and you have owned it 20. That is only roughly 6,000 yer year. If engine was good before the gasket went you should be able to get years out of this engine before really needing to address the bottom end. Having the head gasket fail on a car with a cast iron block and aluminum heads is a given....it is just a matter of WHEN.

Sorry you are upset at having to fill out some information to join the Forum and post your question. IF this is so difficult, scrap the car and move on. Your tapping into a wealth of experience here at NO COST TO YOU for good experienced advice. The 13 members above this post have posted to help other Vette owners 46,049 times and have been Forum members from 2000, 2004 and 2006 being the longest member in this post. Myself, I have been working on Chevy cars and trucks for over 50 years with many engine rebuilds, gasket changes and maintenance. It could be that we know what were are talking about. The different opinions here represent different points of view to give you choices and potential solutions to you problem.

A mechanic should be able to pull the heads in less than a day..but lets give the idiots a full day. Machine shop should be able to machine the heads in a day, but lets give them two. Put the car back together, another day. So max of four days. You indicate that everything was good and no oil consumption so your bottom end should be good. Just bolt the heads on and upward and your finished.

If you want to use the 170,000 as an excuse to go with a new engine....then go that direction. Give the mechanic two days to pull out the old, Heads are being machined while he is working on pulling the engine.Or buy a engine with heads already there. Put 90 percent back on the engine before dropping it in and then another day to drop it in and bolt everything up.....three days. If the new engine has a cam much different that your stock cam, you will require a tune to make this engine run right.

Can't find anyone to do the work. Then put on your big boy panties, get a manual and some tools and tackle this yourself. It is not that difficult. Just label every nut, bolt, bracket, hose, wire and anything else you remove WITHOUT exception. You don't need a lift. Everything is in front of you. Take the heads to a machine shop and have the work done, suggest your put new seals on all the way around. Just take your time putting it back together and follow torque sequences. I can send you a file on how to adjust the valves if you can't figure that out. Taking your time if you have never done this before and working weekends....a couple of weeks and save yourself at least $1000.

 

My head gasket went out about a year and a half ago I think it was. It was overheating one day the next day seemed ok. We replaced the thermostat and radiator and it seemed ok then the next day overheating again. In just a few minutes it got over 230 fan running or not. White smoke blowing out. No water in the oil.

I thought about having the heads done and got estimates that made me cry like800 to take off the heads and put them back on (some higher even). I think they figured 10 hours labor.

Jasper was what I was going to go with, they give a much better warranty and were less than Shreves here. They said 2800.00 for the whole engine.

Then I thought well if Im ready to have the engine replaced anyway why not try this blue devil everyone was telling me about. I bought some put it in when it got to 200 poured it in slowly. At first the temp still kept climbing but when it hit 212-220 it started going down. Smoke quit and Im still driving it. A year and a half but I didn't spend the money I set aside for the engine yet just in case.

Maybe its an option or maybe not.

 

That was my thinking at the time too, 900-1000 to do the head gaskets and what goes out next Maybe I got lucky with the blue devil, and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't?

 

yup this lol.

I resurfaced my heads myself with a piece of old granite countertop I bought for $20 and $15 of sandpaper and $7 for spray glue.

where I live, getting my heads resurfaced was going to be 350$ per SIDE. wtf. so I did that instead. worked perfectly. got it so that a .0001 feeler wouldn't fit under the metal ruler.

I highly doubt you need a new engine.

 

Finding a shop to do head work or any other work I need is becoming more and more difficult in my area in the last couple of years. There used to be a couple of go to shops that have closed due to retirement or death of the owner and nobody has stepped in to pick up the work. The shops that are still open are charging very high rates in my opinion and take forever. Their work is good, but not worth waiting weeks/months to get your parts back.

I've rebuilt many engines over the years, but I'm starting to think that crate engines are going to be a more practical option for me in the future.

 

I would check with your local Chevrolet dealer and see if they will r&r the motor with a GM remanufactured SBC. GM usually provides a decent warranty on their remanufactured parts if it is installed by a GM dealer. Don't forget to have the radiator cleaned out.

It amazes me that no one knows how to actually repair anything anymore. They only know how to replace.