Procrastination Really Does Screw Yourself

[CountryMud]

To those of you who are always sayers, and not doers (procrastination)..... this is to you. When you notice something wrong on your truck, fix it soon as possible, unless something you are positive isnt very serious.

At the begining of November, my dad and I moved into a new house. Since roughly August, I have had the intake gasket leak (rear of driver side engine bay)... Lately it would drain the radiator in a matter of 2 days. So finally, my dad agreed to help me get it done due to the cold.

I took it to our mechanic yesterday. He called at the end of the day to come pick it up. So I came home and fininshed my day then. This morning I woke up and there was another orange puddle underneath my truck. So I took it back to him, and he used a pressurized setup to look for leaks. Water pump, due to low coolant, cooking it. This also has resulted in what I believe to be a dirty lifter, for it is ticking somewhat as I accelerate above 1500 rpms, getting louds as it goes higher.

My gas mileage went to sh*t, I had no heat, it fouled up my oil, and took out the water pump... But the worst was when he saw the gasket... He was highly surprised neither the driver side rear piston, or passenger side front piston were not burnt. The STOCK gasket was destroyed, granted was at 134.5k miles.

I now have:
a new gasket - couple beans
a new water pump $40
changed my oil and filter $25
oh, and roughly 9 hours labor, if he decides to charge at $40 an hour.. $360
--- total - $435 so far

Finally, Can any of you give me some insight as to what might possibly be the ticking as I accelerate higher? I'm guessing dirty lifter - hoping, but not sure.

Below is a pic, DRIVER SIDE is top, and REAR of engine is to the left... Not good... This could of been a lot more expensive, if it already isn't looking to be.

http://home.mchsi.com/~countrymud/intake_gasket.jpg :(

[DROPPEDGMC]

ouch!!! that gasket looks like $%&T!!!

[s10blazed]

I bought my truck with the same problem. It was a much slower leak and towards the front of the motor. It was a mystery leak for about a week. I kept filling it up with fresh fluid to keep it cool but when it finally broke free I had found the leak but also had to fix it immediately. As it was leaking, it filled the bottom of the A/C bracket. When it was idling or off, I couldnt see where the fluid was going and the only time it leaked was when that bracket got full or it splashed around. I thought it was a drain hole or a cracked block for a minute. It was a rather simple fix once I figured it out. My intake bolts where also chewed up. I think the car lot mechanic from where i bought it had tried to torque them down to stop the leak. My coolant system to this day still shows some flakes of the stop leak junk they must have used too. Even after multiple flushings. But it stays cool and doesnt leak anymore!

[firehawkclone]

try the seafoam to see if it breaks up the junk in the engine.you will have to change the oil again in 2/300 miles.but it better than having to do the same job over again to replace the lifters.Also recheck the rockers!

and $40 hr is not bad at all,but i say learn to do it your self!

[CountryMud]

Changed the oil - Mobil 1 last night, and then I put seafoam in the brake booster, and oil this afternoon. I am 'sorta' praying that it works... Then again, this would be the perfect time for something like this (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&tc=photo&rd=1&item=7943907185&category=33615)
to be put in. New motor mounts, oil pan, transmission adapter, wiring harness, and computer..... Rest would be mainly bolt up would it not?

[Krazny]

Would it physically fit in an S10 without serious modification is the question. . .

[CountryMud]

Its a short block, plenty of space ;)

[firehawkclone]

it will fit easy,but you will need so much more to make it work!like $$$$$

[CountryMud]

LoL, money doesnt make it work........ Tell me what you think does :D :p

[Krazny]

Ahh.
I suppose it could.

[CountryMud]

Alright professor technical :p I was referring to the actual parts and mods needed to make it work...... lol

[CountryMud]

The engine is officially dead. Today started it up, and even at 500 rpms, there was enough friction, and knocking you could hear it at the end of the street.
I know for a fact it was the mech's fault, because we have had this leak since the end of July, with no problems still, yet THE DAY after the intake gasket was replaced, this started happening. I can guarantee he did not drain the radiator first, resulting in a large ammount of coolant dumped in the oil.
Drained the oil again, and it looked like a little girl had been playing with a bag of glitter, dumping it in the oil. There was so much metal shavings from the cylinders, and such, unbelieveable.
If started again, within a while, will seize up, and I don't feel like being that rough on my truck. So I have declared her immobilized until further notice. Looking for a new 4.3 "W" motor to drop in it.
Until then, I should be able to pick up my new set of wheels temporarily Wednesday. Blah.

Learned this today too from a friend whos a mech -


January 02, 2005 01:55 PM
ynotortsac
It's not the coolant getting into the engine causing the bearing failure, it's the grit from the Roloc surface prep discs used to clean the intake mating surfaces of the heads falling into the valley and finding it's way into the oil pan. The grit is so fine that it can pass through the oil filter and be forced into the bearings, and cause failure. A shop I worked at had a big problem with "engine failure" every time one specific mechanic replaced an intake manifold gasket on a GM car or truck, wich are prone to failure, but the rest of us never had any problems. After several expensive engine replacements, tecnique was (finaly) called into question and we found out the only real difference between the way we all did the same repair was that most of us use plastic brisseled surface prep discs, and he was using the old Roloc brown 3M discs. After we convinced him to switch, we never had another problem.
I also pour about a gallon of transmission fluid down the valley right before I install the intake, just to be absolutely sure everything is flushed

[bvr775]

I've never heard of overheating causeing a water pump to fail, but it's posible I guess. a faulty water on the otherhand could cause an engine to overheat. more likely the waterpump was on it's last leg and the pressor from the newly sealed coolent system cause the seal to blow. It's even possible that the water was bad from the get-go and that cause the intake gasket to blow.
Either way you got taken. The tech should have done a got the engine up to operating temp under load(test drive) and pressor tested the system before the truck even left the shop.

He used sand paper on you aluminum intake and heads...???????.... If you can prove that the shop owes you, at the least, a rebuilt engine. I recomend an oil analysis by a independant lab.

[CountryMud]

Oil is at the landfill now. It was replaced last Monday, and I changed the oil the next day (which the engine was already knocking, ticking, wtf ever you want to call it), and the trash went Thursday. I changed it again today, filled with metal shavings.

[bvr775]

you need to get ahold of the shop and see if their willing to make it right. you shouldn't have done anything to the truck except have it towed back to the shop, but they should still make it right if they'er a reputable shop.
DON'T WALK IN WITH AN ATTITUDE. you start yelling, cursing and treating them and they won't even look at you. be cool. be smart. know your options and take your father.
you biggest aginst you is you let the repair go too long and apearently overheated the engine. You probally did more damage to the engine than the tech knew about, but if he was a good he would have know the risk and explained it to you. i wouldn't have touched the engine knowing that it had been driven that long with a bad intake gasket without telling you that risk of preexsiting damage and that I wouldn't be able to garentee the work.

The invoice should be itemized. what all did they charge you for?