kevin 2.8

people tell me my exhaust smells, and it does smell a bit sweet
so thats probably my 19 year old head gasket is shot
i know i have a wimpy 2.8 but would an aluminum head gasket last longer and give a wee bit performance? dont poke fun

aklim

No

kevin 2.8

so its not the problem
or its not a good idea to replace a cork gasket with a metal one
or is it that i wont notice a difference in performance

TheGreatJ

You won't notice much difference on the V6...just go with a stock-style (I like Fel-Pro) fiber gasket.

FYI...the 60* V6s are real bad about blowing intake gaskets and leaking/burning coolant. You might want to take a closer look before you condemn the head gasket.

aklim

I don't think they use cork gaskets in the head, do they?

Is your coolant level dropping? If it is, it is being burnt. If not, the problem lies elsewhere. Also they can pressure test a cooling system to see if it is leaking. Another indication is if the oil looks like chocolate milkshake or the coolant has oil in it.

kevin 2.8

yes the coolent was dropping, and yes it was black. it was probably the original coolent the car came with from the factory in 85 though

kevin 2.8

what else could make the coolent burn
what was common issues for the 60* v6?

on and hey since i gotta take my top end off can i port it with my dremel?

aklim

Nothing else but a leaky hose or water pump could make the coolant level drop.

You can port it but if you go thru to the water jacket, you're screwed.

90rocz

Factory aluminum heads were bad for warping and cracking if really overheated, always have a shop check them. Some crack won't open until heated. If cracked you'll save money by NOT getting junk heads machined. If good they'll brobably mill them a little to flatten the gasket surface.
Don't go cheap on replacements, you don't want to do it again soon..

kevin 2.8

what do you mean junk heads? do you mean getting the warped ones machined? or if i grabbed heads off a car from the junk yard

aklim

I think he means that if the heads have a leak, it would not help to throw good money after bad by having them machined. You should have the heads pressure tested before doing any milling or porting.

kevin 2.8

im guessing the coolent may have just been black because the car was barley used and oil/coolent seeped thruogh the cork and now the cork is weak

however if my car is burning coolent, ie leaking thru the heads into the combustion chamber, would that mean theres coolent in my oil? or no

my car is in outdoor storage, if theres coolent in my oil -which i dont think there is, but im not a mechanic, my bearings and crank will rust -right?

aklim

Firstly, I doubt they use cork for a head gasket. It should be able to hold up to leaving the car sit.

If there is a leak, it could be leaking coolant into the oil and/or combustion chamber. Your plugs might be white if that were happening. Black coolant? Is the coolant totally black or just the top? You could drain it and flush it with some soap to remove the oil and see where you go from there.

Your crank and bearings will wear out because coolant is not much of a lubricant.

kevin 2.8

i had the coolent flushed before the car was put in the woods for sotrage

aklim

So is it still black? Is it dropping in the level? What is the oil like now?