Need advice on brother's 2002 Dodge Dakota

Sorry for another question but things just seem to keep happening:

My brother has a 2002 Dodge Dakota truck with a v6. 150,000 miles. He took it to Midas and had a new heater core, coolant flush, etc a month ago. Spent about 700 bucks.

Anyway he was driving it and it overheated and began blowing out clouds of white smoke. He took it to Midas. They said it would be a

3-4 hour job at 70 bucks an hour to take it apart and find out what is wrong. Since my brother mentioned to them that he was wanting a new vehicle anyway, they offered to buy it as is for 275.00.

When my mother told me I called the mechanic at Midas. He said it was billowing smoke so much they had to open the bay doors. Think he said they did a pressure test and it was not holding pressure and it was leaking coolant internally.

I got a call from my mom last night saying that if I wanted the truck I could just have it. If not, they were going to sell it to the guy at Midas.

What are the odds this is just a head gasket and not a cracked block or head? I have replaced heads before but it was a long time ago. Would this be worth me takign and trying to fix to sell it or am I asking for a headache?

Reply to
stryped
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We need some diagnoses in order to come up with a reasonable guess. In any case, a 2002 Dakota without an engine here in Texas is still worth at least $2000. A running one with 100k miles goes for about $6000.

Reply to
Paul

ide quoted text -

What else do you need?

Reply to
stryped

i would say its probably head gasket failure. It could be cracked block, but i doubt it. i don't think there is any way of knowing for sure until you take it apart.

Reply to
hubcit

Is this a hard job on this model?

Reply to
stryped

You could invest $60 and buy some Blue Devil engine & cooling system sealant. I've sold a number of bottles without any customer complaints. Just follow the directions exactly.

Reply to
m6onz5a

Is this a hard job on this model?

That is a 3.9 litre engine, which is a relative of the rock solid 318 Dodge V8 engine. Your engine is not aluminum, but rather cast iron heads and block.

Dont know how your brother treats a car, but this should be a pretty tough block and heads. Makes me suspect head gasket or "something else".(** He obviously was having trouble when he went to Midas...What kind of trouble exactly?)

If the truck is decently maintained and not torn up, and I could get it for $275 or nothing, I would jump on it. At worst, you might have to find an engine at a wrecking yard, and you could have a pretty decent truck for not too much money.

Reply to
HLS

Smoke was rolling out the back and it overheated. He drove it for awhile whiel it was overheated. No body damage. Decent looking white truck with black interrior.

Reply to
stryped

Smoke was rolling out the back and it overheated. He drove it for awhile whiel it was overheated. No body damage. Decent looking white truck with black interrior.

**************

View it as if you might have to swap out a junkyard engine into it.

Say, for an estimate, $2000 for a good engine, and the work to install it.

Is it interesting to you?

Reply to
HLS

Reply to
man of machines

Reply to
man of machines

I've personally seen this stuff work. We got another 15,000 out of a ford escort using the stuff.

Reply to
m6onz5a

Well, my brother is bringing the truck to me today. After the holidays I will take the heads off and see what is goign on. I fugure worst case scenario I can haul it to the junk yard but it is a nice looking truck.

I found out it is a 2000, not an 02 and has about 160,000 miles.

I have never done a head gasket on a car before. It is usually obviosu when takign the head off if it is the head gasket? I guess parts of the gasket woudl be missing?

My brother said it keept being low on coolant and he kept putting coolant in. It overheated on him and the dash light came on and he immediately stopped and parked it across form Midas. The next morngi he started it to drive it over there and that is when he noticed alot of smoke.

He said it had been runnign fine but that for several weeks there seemed to be hesitation with the engine.

Reply to
stryped

What do you guys think?

Reply to
stryped

I think you need to stay away from Midas.

--scott

Reply to
Scott Dorsey

Since it was leaking for a while the cylinder it was leaking in to will most likely be clean while the others have carbon build up. The coolant acts as a very effective steam cleaner.

It isn't always obvious where the gasket failed. If you study it closely you can usually find the spot.

If I were doing this I would take the head to a machine shop and have it reworked and magna fluxed so you know it is in good shape and isn't cracked.

Steve B.

Reply to
Steve B.

Do the head bolts have to be replaced?

Reply to
stryped

I don't know about the head bolts, but the whole discussion worries me a bit. No engines used in the Dakota since the SOHC 2.5 last used in around 1995 are particularly likely to blow head gaskets. Methinks there may be an underlying cause here. At any rate, the truck without and engine has a decent value, and worst-case you get a used engine from a wrecking yard. Given the number of unknowns, I'd almost be tempted to start with that assumption.

Reply to
Steve

WHat could it be? AN intake mannifold gasket maybe? What shoudl I start with when I get it?

Reply to
stryped

Reply to
man of machines

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