Shop International Head Gaskets

1998
Pontiac
Van
3.4L
100+

Recently had head gasket replaced and heads machined. All gaskets on top part of engine were replaced and new hoses with oil flush and coolant flush. Recently broke down on side of road had towed home and engine not turning over. Tried again once at home called mechanic who originally performed repair, he said to try again and finally two days later after towed tengine turned over. Making some top end internal engine noise. Mechanic originally performed head gasket told me to take to another shop.

Took to DEALER and they stated cannot diagnose without disassembly, but pretty sure camshaft is broken. Is the shop that originally done the head gaskets rightfully reponsible, since vehicle is still under warranty from head gasket repair.

Another words is camshaft break, likely caused by or related to head gasket repair?

Revisiting broken camshaft(4/10). Thanks for original comments.

Brief History. 1998 Pontiac van 99kmiles, exc. shape, blew head gasket. Seemingly no signicant water in crankcase. Had local mechanic repair head gasket. <2000miles later engine seemingly seized. Turned over the next morning, would not run. Had towed to dealer upon original mechanic's recommendation. Dealer suspected broken cam, suggested to take back to original mechanic. Two months later, original mechanic looked at van and determined broken camshaft.

He states he is unable to make the repair at his garage(lift limitations). Is this broken camshaft, something (with great certainty) that he should be responsible for repairing from the original head gasket repair (as mentioned in thread). Would you hold him completely, partially or not at all responsible for the repair? Briefly, Why or Why not?

The repair is still under a 12,000mile/1yr warranty.

Many many Thanks!

If the engine ingested water when the head gasket went then that would be the culprit. Those are common for breaking the camshaft at the journal by the #5 cyl. The water reeks havoc with the bearings & they seize...

The main reassembly problem on those that I've seen is overtorquing the rocker arm bolts. It cracks the treads and pulls them out. Or mixing up the pushrods, they have different length intake & exhaust push rods but that would be obvious on start up.....

There was really nothing that needed to be done to the camshaft on a headgasket job but I am curious why he passed on the job........

I'm not sure of the mileage but at this point it might not be a bad idea to go with a short block (since the heads have already be done) instead of just a camshaft & bearing if you are planning on keeping the vehicle......... You still have the lower end to think about...........

Thanks Sidon very helpful.

I just had a leak fixed and new thermostat put on and now there isn't a leak but still getting the over heating.
What should I check next?

You may have done internal head gasket damage when it was overheated. You need to have some chemical tests done.

I have a 94 toy 4runner. I have a blown head gasket. Every time I start my car it make this noise like some had came loose and is hit something in the motor. When I rev the engine the clonking noise gets fast. It sound like a thocking noise or something. Qude that be is cause I have water in the engine or maybe alot worster problem. I plan on using kw hoping that noise is just there because my head gasket is blown and there is water in the motor. Thx if u can give me some advice

Without hearing it - it's hard to say...

Based on what you describe,you have an internal engine problem...possibly a rod or main bearing problem...
Definitely doesn't sound good for you for sure....

What are you referring to >>>>> kw <<<<<<<<<


JIm

Hello, first off I would like to say that I am new to this forum and hope to find some help to my questions so that I can sleep in peace tonight.
So basically, I have an 04 Hyundai Sonata V6 Engine (2 head gaskets) with 170,000 miles on the engine. I have had the radiator and timing belt replaced 40,000 & 10,000 miles ago. I also do believe that the car has had/does have a coolant leak some where in the engine. With this said, I have also been told that the head gasket is loose and thought it was time to replace it. I am getting the job done by a friends relative who is a mechanic in Mexico and therefore I am able to get the job done for ~$600 versus $1600 quote from the shop I usually go to. Now, you can see why this makes me uneasy and a little skeptical about what can happen with a faulty repair especially with a job like this. I have read horrifying stories of people of rods going through engines, oil bursting out engines, liquids seeping into parts they should not be in and causing corrosion that led to ultimate death of their car, and new head gaskets being unable to support their counterparts. I believe that this guy is a good mechanic, but everybody makes mistakes. What are some questions/confirmations that I should ask him about how he replaced my head gasket BEFORE I drive the car out of the garage and back to US. For example, was all the oil/coolant drained prior to repair, etc. Please throw me ANYTHING you might think would be helpful in this scenario and avoid the costly damage that a faulty head gasket repair could have on my engine. Thanks so much! Hope the community can save me on this one and make my car live a long, happy life! :)

Update: The parts being replaced are the head gaskets, new seal, new radiator hose (apparently it was bad, was soft when engine was running), and a new thermostat. He also mentioned he will be pulling the entire engine about because it is a 6 cylinder and there is not enough room to be working inside the engine bay.

The list for performing proper head gasket replacement is extremely long. He should have access to the manufacture's service information of head gasket removal, inspection, and reassembly hopefully. You shouldn't have to remove the engine to pull the heads on that one. Head bolts will probably need to be replaced and the heads and possibly the block decks may need valve or machine work due to mileage or other issues.

Since this is being done under the table by a non licensed or insured repair shop, you are fully liable for anything that goes wrong, either that be from improper service procedures to defective or inferior parts.

Did you get some other quotes from other shops in your area? I've never heard of head gaskets being loose. What makes you believe the engine has a coolant leak internally? Did you have the coolant system pressure tested? 2.7L really aren't known for head gasket issues unless you overheat the crap out of them.

I've been working on my brother's 01 Malibu (3.1 engine). The lower intake manifold gaskets were leaking badly externally (a common problem on this GM engine), so I did a cold compression test to also check for internal leakage. Everything was within spec according to the factory service manual (within 20% highest reading cylinder to lowest). Also, no oil in the coolant or coolant in the oil. So I figure that there is no internal leaking and the heads and head gaskets are good. However, I did not see the car in running condition to check for exhaust smoke, etc.

So I changed the lower intake manifold gaskets very carefully, torqued all bolts, etc. Then I did a cold coolant pressure test for about 4 or 5 minutes at 15psi and it held (usually meaning no internal or external leaks). When I started it up, the exhaust has thick white smoke which looks like burning coolant, from startup and throughout a fairly long period of running. Also, the coolant tank started to overflow (it was below the full mark when I started the engine). Then, when the engine cooled enough to remove the coolant tank cap, the coolant was steaming some white smoke. Also, the coolant was a quart low (much more than overflowed out). So I figured that the head or head gaskets are leaking coolant into the cylinders. But why did the pressure hold at 15 psi when I tested it?

So I thought maybe there is a head crack that opens up when the engine is warmed. So I ran the engine to warm it again, then turned it off and did another coolant pressure test but this time on the warm engine. Again, it held steady at 15psi.

So I am at a loss. I don't know why the initial compression test was good and the cooling system holds pressure during the pressure test, but yet the engine is burning coolant. How is it getting into the cylinders?

Thanks for your thoughts guys. Someone else also told me about a test called a Combustion Leak Test (or Block Tester) where it tests for exhaust gases in the cooling system. Sounds easy to test, so I ordered the kit from NAPA (part number 700-1006 if anyone is interested). I just wanted to be more certain that it's definitely a head gasket/head problem.