head gasket leak?

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08-26-2005, 05:46 PM

rockin95

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head gasket leak?

i have a 95 3.8 with 84k miles on it. today i noticed that there is fluid covering the block and oil pan that is a conbination of oil and water. im thinking that the head gasket leaks. the only thing is that the engine still runs smoothlty. ive heard this to be a common problem with the 3.8L's. anybody got any thoughts or advice? if it is this, how much will this repair cost? ive heard thousands. thanks a lot,
matt

08-26-2005, 05:53 PM

Derf00

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RE: head gasket leak?

Could be the Intake Manifold cracking issue with 95-98 cars. There's a thread about it on here and I guess it's close to getting settled on by Ford.

Take it to a shop, have them diagnose it. If it's a problem with the manifold, be sure ot retain any and all receipts pertaining to it. My understanding is that if you have these records, sometime after Sept/Oct when Ford has the details worked out, you will be able to request a refund for parts and labor related to this issue. Don't quote me though until you find the thread on here and get teh details.

08-26-2005, 07:57 PM

rockin95

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RE: head gasket leak?

thanks for the info derf00, i just got back from the ford dealer. they dx'd a blown head gasket. told me it would be 1700 just to replace the gaskets. if the heads needed to be milled or replaced it would cost more than that. does this sound right?

here's what pisses me off. on the way to the ford dealer, the car ran great, cool temp, no noises. after the dealer was done with their diagnosis, on the drive home the car ran like ****,knocks, pings and was overheating. i dont know what to think about that. if anyone has any input i would appreciate it.

should i look into "non-ford" shops to have this repaired? should i look into a remanufactured engine? should i just put the 347 stroker in right away? haha

thanks,
matt

08-26-2005, 08:15 PM

Derf00

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RE: head gasket leak?

Quote:

ORIGINAL: rockin95

thanks for the info derf00, i just got back from the ford dealer. they dx'd a blown head gasket. told me it would be 1700 just to replace the gaskets. if the heads needed to be milled or replaced it would cost more than that. does this sound right?

here's what pisses me off. on the way to the ford dealer, the car ran great, cool temp, no noises. after the dealer was done with their diagnosis, on the drive home the car ran like ****,knocks, pings and was overheating. i dont know what to think about that. if anyone has any input i would appreciate it.

should i look into "non-ford" shops to have this repaired? should i look into a remanufactured engine? should i just put the 347 stroker in right away? haha

thanks,
matt

Ouch! For a 95 you should look at a local, trustworthy, shop. Probably cost you about 500 less. If you're going to get a stroker engine, don't wuss out though...do it right ($$$). Or, you could take this opportunity and do the work yourself and learn about your car. Don't do it though if you don't have the time or patience, get a repair manual, and PLAN. Otherwise it will turn into a nightmare. What you save in labor you can put back into the engine (heads) and get a set of performance heads for the car. Just a thought. When life hands you lemons, squish em.

08-27-2005, 12:40 AM

02StanGT

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RE: head gasket leak?

If this is not your daily driver, and you have lots of time and money, throw in the stroker. Otherwise, find a reputable repair shop, as they should be able to do it for cheaper.