Well, i watched them magnaflux the suspected head and it is cracked between the intake and exhaust valves.
I had a few questions:
I appreciate your help!
Get another head at an auto junk yard.Have it magnafluxed.A rebuilt head should be alright.Some cracked heads can be repaired, I have never gone that route though. cuhulin
Ditto! It's not worth getting it repaired. Get a used one.
Okay, this is good! Now you know what is wrong?
Probably not. I have actually used filled epoxy on some head damage before, but there's a limit to what you can do.
A junkyard. Get a used one. Look for a car that has been in an accident with low mileage... that's your best bet for getting a good head for cheap.
Life's like that.
--scott
Well, it keeps getting worse, They are now telling me the other head is cracked as well.
How can I tell if a junkyard head is not cracked?
Also, can I buy a kit on ebay or somethign that would allow me to check for cracks at home.
What is this truck worth if I spend this much money to fix it?
The place that crack checked my heads said a replacement would be 291 bucks.
The only way is to purchase the used head and bring it in to be checked. Like Scott said find one with the low mileage and that will increase your odds that the head is good. We sell rebuilt heads for $300 + core so that will give you an idea on what to spend. Used ones might cost $50-200 each depending on where you go
This engine has been overheated, I bet.
You have it Magnafluxed. Or you pays your money and you takes your chance. If it's a car that has been wrecked, the chances are pretty good that the heads are fine. But they aren't 100%, which is why junkyard parts are a lot cheaper than new ones.
Not really. You can get a dye system that will find some cracks, but the magnaflux is better.
How much is "this much" money?
For a rebuild or a junkyard one? For a rebuild that sounds really good to me.... I'd take it.
--scott
If it was my project, I would be looking towards a replacement, junkyard motor.
The one you have got hot enough to crack both heads and I would bet that it also wiped out the oil control rings too.
Two new/used/rebuilt heads later you are probably gonna have an oil burner on your hands that will lunch cat cons often and quickly.
Cut and run from that motor and pull a lower mileage one from a local pick-a-part yard for under $500.
My problem is I dont have a good area to do this. I am having to work outside as it is on this. I really want a pole barn garage.
I found a 1996 Dakot engine that was hit in the front end (telephone poll) with 40,000 miles for 650.00 I dont know if it will fit a 2000 or not.
Also, the 291 bucks is for a rebuilt head. But now times 2 for both heads things are getting expensive.
How much more work would it be to pull the engine? I have the heads and intake and exhaust off now.
Is re ringing possible in the truck without pulling the engine?
Maybe but the repair will cost more than the cost of a used head.
Salvage yard, Take a look on car-part.com for a yard near you. $500-$800 for a running engine that will drop right in.
Heads run 75-150 for ones with 30 day return.
Yes you could run into problems. However since both of the heads are cracked I would drop in a used engine from a yard and go from there. If you want MUCH more room to work pull the front clip (fenders, core support and hood) Lets you access the engine easier.
Oh your 96 engine will not work. You need a 98-02 due to differences in engine controls and mounting points for accessories.
In a way that's GOOD news. Now you have a "smoking gun" and can worry less about the bottom end.
On the other hand, cracks between intake and exhaust valves aren't
*always* fatal. In fact you'd be hard-pressed to find a 2.2/2.5 head out there that DOESN'T have a crack there... but then that's an aluminum head. A 3.9 shouldn't crack there.
Probably not. Welding cast iron is dicey at best.
Car-part.com lists a whole mess of them for around $200 each
Well, if you're going for precision you could measure the volume of a chamber on each head and see if they're close.
But production engines have a lot of variation anyway- it should be fairly harmless. You could also use a steel shim gasket on the un-milled head and a thicker composition gasket on the milled one. Redneck engineering can be very effective on a daily driver.... ;-)
Well, you can also look at what PUT the truck in the j-yard. If it has a straight body without a dent and a radiator full of rust-colored goo- don't trust the heads. But if the radiator is spotless and the cab is crushed... the heads are almost positively *fine*.
Not bad advice either, now that BOTH heads have to be replaced. Its still quite likely that the heads were full of air and the block had enough coolant to protect it a bit longer, but without having been there when the engine was abused, I can't say.
Junkyard engines can be had pretty cheap and they often come with a short-term warranty that will cover a pre-existing defect.
It PROBABLY will- the 3.9 never had any big structural changes after it went from carbureted to "Magnum" style. But there were sensor changes, so you' might have to swap your current sensors over to the older engine. A junkyard with a Hollander's interchange manual should be able to tell you.
Not terribly hard at all. Un-bolt the torque convertor and slide it 1/2 inch rearward into the trans bellhousing, unbolt motor mounts, unbolt transmission bolts. Lift. The biggest hassle is that the hood may have to come off unless it's a prop-rod type that can lay back against the windshield (with a blanket on the glass, obviously...)
Don't go there....
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