allthefreakypeople

So my 2001 V6 has been overheating. Replaced the thermostat and flushed the coolant and now everything is OK driving around town. However, the engine runs very hot on the highway.

Received a diagnosis today:

1. Timing Cover Leaking- remove & replace

2. Resurface heads / check for crack

3. Cylinder Head Gasket- remove & replace both.


The parts and labor for these jobs totals over $3K!!!!


I've heard that the 3.8Ls have had the gasket problems but I'm posting this in the main forum to see if any GTs have had similar issues. Anyone have any advice for me? I definitely don't know what I'm doing under the hood and even more definitely do not have the money.

skunk21

over 3K get yourself a second opinion, that is way over priced. Are you loosing coolant, has in the coolant overflow is going dry very often? is there white smoke coming from tail pipe ? do you smell a fruity smell coming from the tail pipe ? do have an external leak ? cover leaking..replace, does it have a pin holes or is the gasket bad? did they pressure/dye test ? There are other tests that can be done to confirm this but it is very easy to get taken, get a few opinions, it make a cost a few bucks for the testing but you are looking at 3K from this garage so do the math.

allthefreakypeople

That quote was from Pep Boys so I am sure it is exaggerated. However, apparently it is a very labor intensive job- the 3K was like $200 parts and $2800 labor. I WAS loosing coolant and the car overheated last week but I did not think any further damage was done. The thermostat was just change and engine coolant flushed and changed. No external leaks that I know of. No tests performed that I'm aware of- I'll have to shop around and inquire.

skunk21

Pep boys, really..walk away. no test done , really how the hell do they know what wrong. alot of labor yes I agree I had my motor down to the block. They still want way to much.

check this thread for shops in your area, give them a call they may lead you to a better shop if they are more into perfromance mods. or you can check out LMMC
https://themustangsource.com/f645/lo...hop-ct-508833/

allthefreakypeople

Quote:

Originally Posted by skunk21

Pep boys, really..walk away. no test done , really how the hell do they know what wrong. alot of labor yes I agree I had my motor down to the block. They still want way to much.

check this thread for shops in your area, give them a call they may lead you to a better shop if they are more into perfromance mods. or you can check out LMMC
https://themustangsource.com/f645/lo...hop-ct-508833/

Thanks! Yes, I'm already own that thread as well. Took some work to Pep Boys since I'm new to the area and do not know a reputable shop. What a headache....

My car is overheating when I take longer drives on the highway. Is there any urgency to this problem i.e. if I take short drives around town, could I be doing further damage?

skunk21

It is going to be hot and really humid coming up so the air quality is not going to be great. think about it, the car is over heating so yeah it is a problem and yes you could do some real damage if she boils over on you w/o warning. I'm not going to tell you what to do, its your car but keep an eye on the coolant level and get going on finding a shop. keep you rides short and close to home. best of luck.

shaunrc

I don't know if you have said this or not but are you losing coolant

allthefreakypeople

No, not loosing coolant.

allthefreakypeople

A colleague suggested that I purchase an aftermarket gauge to keep an accurate eye on the engine coolant gauge. Said the gauge in the cluster could be inaccurate and it would be helpful to know the actual temp. Do they make such a thing and if so, is it worth it?

skunk21

Post #2

Inaccurate, well they are not the best. do they make better ones yes I run one you can check this thread out..https://themustangsource.com/f634/dd...le-hot-508860/.

what made you think you had an overheat problem?? just the gauge reading high ? you state it over heats on long drives/highway, what is it doing? to me overheating is just that overheating..boiling over, loosing power ,loosing coolant or the gauge is running high and alerts you to start testing things.

1st. pressure test the system to test for external/internal leaks and if the system holds pressure.

2nd. if it does hold pressure and no leaks found then check the gauge, sending unit and wires. the recheck/test.

3rd. If it holds pressure but still runs hot and gauge is fine. check for crap trapped in between the radiator and condensor that could be blocking air flow, chacks fans, check w/p, check radiator flow, test/check radiator cap on overflow tank isn't bad and isn't holding pressure, dye test for other small leaks, etc, etc, etc.

White94GT

That's only like $150-$200 in parts and new timing cover used $50-$100 , new about $100-$150.

Head gaskets $20-$50

I'd get a second quote that's very high, if you can pull the heads yourself if need be!

allthefreakypeople

It seems like from that forum that most people had good things to say about the aftermarket gauges. While they may not be perfect, are they better than the "dummy gauges"? If nothing else, they look cool?? And from my research, I think that Autometer is a reputable brand??

When I said it was overheating, it was because the gauge was actually in the red and the car was smoking. You can feel the heat coming off the hood even after a short drive. On the highway, I usually start my commute with the car cold, and by 10 miles or so the gauge is in the middle, then slowly starts creeping up to about 80% of the max by the end of my 20 mile commute. I did a pressure test and everything came out OK- did it twice in fact.

I simply don't know what I'm doing under the hood. Something my father never taught me I suppose. I found this guy who does work on the side- kinda sketchy. He was planning on replacing the water pump and radiator hoses. Took him a few hours, but in the end, he told me he "flushed" the water pump and replaced both hoses. He said there was a lot of junk around the pump that he cleaned up. However, he also asked me for electrical tape (aka black tape in the ghetto) which I gave him but didn't ask why. He did something sketchy with splicing a wire to the radiator fan. Anyways, now when I turn my car off, the fan will continue to run, even after the key is out of the ignition. Yesterday's commute was fine- the car did not "overheat" and was only half-way on the engine coolant gauge where it should be. It was a cold, rainy day however.