I am so sad...

[jacktahoe]

I have 265,000 miles on my car....

I am starting to go through radiator water at the rate of a couple of gallons per month.

In the morning the other day, I notice a big white cloud coming out of the my car when I was driving for about a minute....

I think it is a head gasket leak.

Today, my car got hot, and needed more water again.

Is this my problem?

How much does it cost to fix it?

My body of my 98 does not have any rust on it, and the paint is still perfect.

Can I sell it in this condition? What should I tell the potential new owner?

Thanks ahead of time.

 

[t4r4life]

 

[4Running Daily]

Better to get it fixed.

You'll probably only see 2 grand for the truck as it sits.

Probably a grand to fix it and then it'll be worth 4-5.

 

[PitbullRescuer]

Eh, I'm betting on considerably more than a grand to fix it. But, hard to sell it as is.

 

[DirtDawg]

The best of luck to ya, but first check and make sure all your hoses are connected and in good shape. But yeah, you have a problem.

 

[A.Wilson013]

I don't know you, so forgive me for passing judgement, but it sounds like you're a bit over your head.

I would take it to a reputable shop and have them take a look. You have something going on, and it's not a good something.

 

[jacktahoe]

I am pretty sure I have a blown head gasket...I do not have the time right now to pull it and take it to the machine shops, and fix it...

I am going to sell it locally and fully disclose the issues.

I do have a 2004 4Runner with 120K miles on it too, so I will still have one to drive in the snow and tow with !

Thanks for the inputs guys !

 

[IanB]

If this has been going on long enough to know that you consume x amount of coolant per month, I'm guessing the heads may be warped, and the coolant may have contaminated the oil and ruined the bearings in the bottom end as well. Budget for a replacement engine and make your decision from there.

 

[t4r4life]

at this point its not even worth fixing.

 

[scottyb]

The thing is, is that it's hard to sell a broken down vehicle. You limit your market considerably to people with mechanical ability trying to get a good deal. If I were you, I'd fix it or pay someone to fix it. Unless you just want to get rid of it and take a loss.

The first time I did my head gasket, I went cheap and did it for about $500 for parts and machine work while doing the labor myself. Then it went out again about 7 months later.

This time, I ended up needing new heads because mine were at the minimum head height so they couldn't be milled flat. A brand new head has a head height of 4.808", where the minimum is 4.805" according to the machinist's handbook. So I had to find good used heads that have never been milled (new ones are like $850 a piece if I remember correctly so that was out).

This time I went all out with the Felpro MLS gasket kit, new head bolts, full head job, and did all the work my self and it was about a $1000 and a month of down time. It finally works great now.

If a shop were to do it I would guess somewhere around $2500 or so. It's pretty labor intensive.

 

[cj80cruiser]

It has good body parts you said right? Cut your losses and part it out. Take the leftovers to a metal recycler. Metal is going for a pretty good price these days.

 

[T4R_Finally]

Do what you want but it's always a red flag to me as a buyer to see someone selling something with known problems but with "fill disclosure". Makes me wonder why you don't just fix it before selling it, or is there something else wrong and it's costing you more to fix it than to dump in someone else. If they are issues that are just a nuisance, that's not so bad, but if they are things that prevent me from driving it until they are fixed, I run, not walk, away from anything like that. No matter how much it costs to fix, you should still get your money back and then some on resale. If not, then it isn't worth fixing to you or anyone else unless you are practically giving it away.