1993 5.0

I will be replacing head gaskets on a 1993 Taurus, it has a blown head gasket, do you need to have to do anything special to the heads, or just basic clean up on them?

I just wonder b/c on a quote my grandparents got for the repair, it said somthing likemachine work forthe heads.

Thanks

72MachOne99GT

I replaced a head on my 4.6.

The only machine work that MIGHT need to be done would be to remachine the surfaces so that they are smooth and basically perfect when you go to put the head back on the car.

Just curious, what was the labor cost/machine work costs totalling up to?

8-900 dollars?

brentloftis

Depends on the condition of the failure; did thecar overheat anytime in the recent months?
I always take heads to the machine shop and have them checked andmagnafluxed to be same. You don't want to spend the money on gaskets and bolts and wrench time just to do the job again the next day or week.You will also want to check the block, the Chilton or Haynes manual will let you know the maximum warp-age allowed.

1993 5.0

Yep, $900 for pulling the heads, machine work, and replacing gaskets.
and $950 from another place.

1993 5.0

The car never overheated, it was my grandparents, and they took it in for some minor repairs. They were talked into doing a cooling system flush, a tune up, new thermostat, and $800 later, Ohhhh you have a blown head gasket. and then wanted another $900 to fix that.So they said screw it and went out and bought another car.

After finding out they only drove the car 3 miles home, and it has sat in their garage not started for a month now.

so it would still be wise to take it in to have the heads cleaned up and checked out? The car had 84,000 miles on the 3.8 V6, which is notorious for blowing head gaskets, from what I have read.

brentloftis

Not sure about your area, but I dd my brother Taurus athree months ago and it cost a little under $100 bucks for resurfacing and the magnaflux. Extra piece of mind at the time since it was car to go back and forth to school in.................... of course never mind he totaled it 3 weeks later..... but the engine was still pretty sound.

I am wondering how the shop found a blown head-gasket..... after the coolant flush, some very shady shops out there, have you verified with a compressions test?

1993 5.0

I just picked up the car on Saturday and it is sitting in my garage, I haven't torn into yet, but it looks like the rear gasket gave out, smells like antifreeze and is wet on the back of the engine.

My gramps said it blew smoke all the way home, but never over heated.

Do you think when they did a pressure test on the car, they could have blown the gasket if it was already failing?

I believe they took him for alot of money, he got all new hoses for the coolant system, therostat, plugs, cap, rotor, wires, etc... and then oh hey you have a blown head gasket.

No compression test done.

brentloftis

well if its blowing white smoke then yeah the gasket is gone. It may have been on its last legs and depending on how they did the flush maybe pushed it over the edge. No real need compression test it since you got the proof you need. Not sure on the 93 but the 97 was pretty straightforward only tough spot was the exhasut manifold on the rear and getting hand room.

1993 5.0

Thanks for the info. looks like it should be easy, the rear looks like the harder one, we will see this weekend.