1995 Mustang Gt Convertible Newbie Need Opinions on Car Issues!
 

Good day
I just purchased my first Mustang 1995 GT convertible, which has turned into a slight nightmare and have been told that my head gasket is leaking and I have damage to my #2 cylinder. Not to mention that I have replaced the rad fan, all window motors, lock switches and the odometer works when it wants ( not disclosed until after purchased) my due diligence was certainly lacking and trust in fellow man let down….no one to blame but myself.

My question is where do I go from here mechanically? What is the best option financially (least expensive, yet intelligent) I’d like to work on myself , however, I currently do not have the space or mechanical aptitude. Rebuild, crate, swap, repair? Also what alternative engine will fit? Sorry about all questions but I am slightly disappointed and want to make my situation right

Thank you KC!!! Appreciate helping me get started. :)
Believed mileage 143,K, no budget yet determined, trying to get an idea if I need to sell a kidney or 2 to make situation right LOL
I have approx 2500 in already after purchasing for $14K, always loved the Mustang and has been a goal of mine to own someday. Once wife gave go ahead I jumped all over it (before she changed her mind!!)
My mechanic instructed me the piston damaged cylinder walls, had all repairs done by mechanic. The mechanic I used was convenient and used by my wife's company to manage their fleet. I would like to get a second opinion from a mechanic who specializes in "performance" vehicles
Symptoms are, car quickly overheats on highway after extensive coolant investigation (rad flush, thermostat replacement, fan replacement) paid to get "scope" done instructed calcium deposits in #3 cylinder and cylinder damage in #2. No cloudy oil, no exhaust smoke, apparent mico bubbles in oil?
I will get pic up ASAP?

Thanks again!

ooops micro bubbles in coolant system

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/themust...84eebeead7.jpg

I am hoping for this to be MY "toy" car, are you suggesting a rebuild of engine if possible? I'd like to do some of the things myself, however, I think a rebuild may be a little too much for me to do as I would like to be back on the road for next spring......thats what friends are for perhaps?
I do not know of any limitations here in Canada, however, I am not looking to mod the heck out of it either. I am looking for something that will be reliable and also fun to drive. It is a 5 speed manual (only way to go!!)

No mods that I am aware of, it has been lowered which I am not sure I like, especially as I get older, getting in and out is a chore.
I would like to get it back close to original shape and be my summer toy...our summers are very short so probably 3 - 3.5 months of maybe 3x a week driving.
I was crushed when I was informed of the issues which has only made me speed up the addition for my garage!!
So, here I am looking for guidance and knowledge.
Ironically, my nickname is Chevy!!! LOL

Time is something I have an abundance of!!
I sincerely appreciate the help and thoroughly enjoy the discussions! :)

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/themust...e4f19a862.jpeg
Looks OK from "outside"
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/themust...8782def3a.jpeg

Love It!

I Love the Sound of a Healthy Pushrod V8!

It's What I Grew Up With!

You Can Pretty Those Up Real Easy as Well!

I look Forward to Pauls Take on the Car!

It Will Take a Gentle touch on All the Underhood Rubber and Plastic Items!

Vacuum Hoses & Tee's Will Need Close Inspection and Replacement Where Brittle & Spongy.

Belts & Tensioners Will Need Close Inspection as Well!

If You Want to Detail That 5.0 Plate Make Sure & Soak the Screws First! They Like to Weld Theselves into Manifold! I Think I Got A New One of Those Somewhere. if I Can Find it I Will Post a Pic Of What they Look Like Fresh! May or May Not Be Same Year Though!

KC

bringing the excitement back for me KC!

Great engines for low-end torque. They are often redlined at 4200-4400 RPM, but the torque comes on quick. Lots of fun to drive.

I remember that well thanks for sharing! :chirp:

Welcome to the site! I am a mechanic and own a restoration/performance shop....as such I can be extremely skeptical of "mechanics" simply because most today are parts changers and just know how to fire the parts cannon at a problem rather than diagnose it. You may have a good mechanic there but they are a rare find these days it seems....

Window motors are extremely common on the 94-95 cars and it seems every car needs them, The Odometers ALL have issues, you can buy a $10 kit on ebay to fix that problem...it's a plastic gear that has broken or is breaking. Lock switches aren't as common but typically can get gummed up depending on the elements they have been exposed to. The radiator fan could be related to the cooling system damage if in fact that's the case. These engines are pretty durable and it would have had to have gotten pretty hot to hurt anything. Did they do a compression test? If yes what were the results? What exactly is the "Damage to #2 cylinder"? I'm asking more questions because I've seen many shops just tell someone they have headgasket problems when they really don't know.

IF you need an engine, you have options from having it built yourself to a crate engine but beware...not all crate engines are the same.

143K miles....the only time this will be a concern is if the engine has not had frequent oil changes. My first Fox Mustang I bought from the original owner with 123K on it...it was an '88 LX 5.0. He did NOTHING other than regular oil changes every 2800 miles...even the spark plugs were original. I proceeded to hot rod, race and generally beat that car like it owed me rent through my college days. I didn't pull the engine until 320K miles and it was still perfect inside...I had blown a head gasket because I had over tightened the lower intake manifold when I installed the GT40 intake...so it was my fault. Transmissions didn't hold up as well but the engine was rock solid. The only difference between that engine and yours is that the '88 had forged pistons and yours has Hypereutectic pistons.

So what exactly is the damage to the cylinder walls? if the car sat with water in the cylinder then I could see rust pitting if an extended length of time but in order for there to be damage to the actual cylinder wall, there would need to be either ingestion of foreign material or catastrophic failure of the piston or valve.

So the car quickly overheats.....Did he use a thermal imager or Pyrometer to check actual temperatures in different areas of the engine cooling system? faulty sensors or gauge can often be misleading, a thermal imager will remove all doubt. Now that is a $1100 tool so not everyone will have one(I do) but a pyrometer is cheap($69) and there's no excuse for a shop to not have one of those. Is the water pump working properly? Calcium deposits can build in the radiator and sometimes flushing it won't remove them...that could be an issue. The claim of Calcium deposits on #3 cylinder is a HUGE BS red flag for me...Ive never seen a 5.0 with calcium deposits and certainly not on one cylinder....now if it sat with coolant in that cylinder and corrosion started on a piston I could see something there but this screams nonsense to me.

There is a test you can perform to check for exhaust gasses present in the cooling system but often you can even smell that when you remove the radiator cap. If they didn't perform this test then they have no idea if this is the case.

It's a great looking car!

There are a lot of Mustang guys in Canada so I'm sure you can find a local group that may be able to give you on site advice and maybe even help. I don't yet think you are ready to condemn the engine though. There are companies who perform oil analysis and I'd suggest sending a sample of your engine oil to have that done as it will help identify what is going on with the engine oil side of things. What does it look like when you remove the oil cap and look inside? is it super clean or is it an oily build up? That might help guess on the oil change history. I'd first rule out the radiator before condemning the engine...I'd want a compression test as well...if the compression test checks out then you don't have a blown headgasket. They sold you on a scope but did they take a picture of inside the cylinder or did they just tell you there was damage? My borescope on my scanner allows me to take pictures so I can share with the customer what I am seeing and help explain what is going on.

[QUOTE]
Looks pretty stock...the alternator has been replaced. Could use a good cleaning but otherwise looks like a good start. I can tell you from the pic that your strut mounts are worn and should be replaced.

Good day svopaul!!
First of all, THANK YOU for taking the time to provide a thorough and enlightening response!
You have helped me to realize that a much deeper diagnosis is required. While our mechanic has treated us well, I feel perhaps he may skim the surface when it come to my Mustang and the parts canon found its target. All I have ever been asking from him is that the problem(s) be diagnosed so I can get on with enjoying my car. (just purchased in June)
I understand and can accept that I purchased an older car and parts will need replacement. I would like to fix the problem(s) ...understanding the issue and repairing it so I have the confidence and piece of mind that I won't be stuck on the side of the road with my family.
I had requested pressure flow check on rad after replacing thermostat (160) and performing rad flush with flushing agent however, he was unable to do that. Immediately after picking the car up after that the rad fan seized, needing replacement. No compression check has been performed, no thermal image or pyrometer check, however, I can feel the heat being thrown off engine and there is a constant smell of coolant. I did entertain rad replacement prior to the blown head gasket and possible cylinder damage (Mishimoto).
The explanation I received for the cylinder damage was "piston damage to cylinder wall due to previous work performed".... I've asked my mechanic if he has/had any photos of the scope I better understand what he has told me.
Also, the car has been lowered, (not really a fan, being an older dude) would that have any impact on the strut mounts? Possible to return to "stock" height" relatively easy?
My apologies as it may have become painfully obvious that I and VERY uninformed beyond the basics of auto mechanics
Having said that I realize that I need to find someone who is reputable and knowledgeable about my particular model and suggest confirming rad pressure check, engine compression check, possible oil analysis and/or exhaust gases in coolant, thermal image/pyrometer.
Snow has fallen last night and I have little room in my unheated garage so hopefully its not a long cold and thought provoking winter.....my wife has already heard enough!! hahahaha
I look forward to doing what I can to get my piece of mind back :)
Very much appreciated!!!!!!

You are welcome, I hate to see people misled or be taken advantage of and lose their enthusiasm for the hobby...unfortunately I see that more than I'd like

If you smell coolant than there is likely a leak externally unless it's just blowing out of the overflow. A simple cooling system pressure tester can alert you to a leak in the system. This might be a time to add some tools to your collection when they are not expensive...for example here is a cooling system pressure tester that is less than $50 . You simply install it where the radiator cap is and pump it up to the PSI of your cap (IE: 16psi) and let it sit and see if the pressure holds firm or drops.

A very common issue is bearing wear in the water pump and there is a weep hole on the snout that will leak...often after the car has shut down and is cooling off, if you see evidence of fluid stains coming from this hole then that's definitely a problem. This will leak and allow air into the system and it can overheat. Also your stock radiator has plastic end tanks that prone to leaking...as the aluminum is clamped around the end tanks and they are two different materials, this can be a source for leaks.

The Mishimoto radiator is a good one and they have a lifetime warranty...including accident damage...just send in your receipt and copy of the accident report and Mishimoto will send you a new Radiator...nobody else does this.

This tool is SO cheap you must have one...this is the pyrometer and it has a laser so you point the laser at the areas you want to measure and it will tell you the exact temperature at that spot. This can also help you if you ever have a misfire because you can point it at individual header tubes and tell which cylinder is cold/not firing.

Wow! I mean...WOW! This guy must be a psychic to be able to make that statement!!! Sorry for my sarcasm but there is NO way possible he can legitimately make that statement. He can't possibly not only know WHAT work has been performed, he can't know that this mystery work caused said "damage". This smells to me to be the kind of Nonsense answer someone gives when they are backed into a corner and have no legitimate answer...it's just a way to use verbal judo to get someone who isn't very knowledgeable to stop asking questions.



Not at all, the strut mounts being worn is just due to age and mileage. It's very easy to return the car to stock height or what I would recommend is just buy these springs which are a 1" drop from stock. These cars seemed to sit kind of high to begin with and the 1" isn't that noticeable and much cheaper than buying stock original spring replacements from Eaton Detroit Spring. BMR Suspension SP027 - Lowering Spring Kit, Set Of 4, 1" Drop - 1979-2004 Mustang . I've personally used these on my sons '94 GT and it's still pretty stock appearing and they are far easier to install than originals although you probably aren't going to be comfortable with this job with your limited experience.


No need to apologize, everyone has to start somewhere. Never be afraid to ask a question...

You can learn to do things yourself as needed and you can do some of this testing yourself....Here is a compression test kit which is inexpensive...sure there are nicer ones but for a hobbyist this would do.... The process is simple, remove a spark plug and install this in the spark plug hole. You will want to disable the fuel pump(there is an inertia switch inside the trunk you can unplug or trip-it's like a circuit breaker) or you can remove the coil wire(inertia switch would be preferred) and one at a time you turn the engine over until this gauge stops increasing and it will give you a number...for example on a 5.0 135-150 is acceptable for the compression number. If you get these numbers and they are consistent then you do not have a blown head gasket.

Now for the block test kit to see if there is exhaust in the coolant you just need this: . Very easy to do and also inexpensive.

Typically with a blown head gasket you would see white smoke out of the exhaust on acceleration but there are other ways it can blow...but that's the most common thing you'd see. This kit would remove all doubt of an issue that wasn't visible from the exhaust.

The engine oil analysis kit I recommend is SPEEDiagnostix this is by far the best analysis company out there and they tell you far more than the others do. All you do is collect a sample of your oil and mail it in. Lake Speed Jr. Designed this...I met him at SEMA one year and he took the time to actually stop by my shop and spend half a day with me. He is a wealth of knowledge...he has a youtube channel that is worth subscribing to as it's quite informative. The Motor Oil Geek - YouTube

Everything I've laid out for you here you can do yourself and buying the tools is much cheaper than what that "mechanic" is charging you and then you own the tools in case you ever need them again...or need to help a neighbor.

What part of Canada are you in? I have a few car friends up there and maybe one of them is local and may be able to help direct you....