Is it worth to replace head gasket

1996 GMC SIERRA
160,000 MILES • 0.5L • V8 • 2WD • AUTOMATIC
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ZORRAC
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I was driving and suddenly stopped in stop sign. so I called tow truck and went back home. I checked the oil and was milky I suspect is head gasket blown so I can’t perform any of the tests suggest in the video because is not running. do you think motor is gone?
Jun 12, 2019 at 1:40 PM
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KASEKENNY
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Hi Zorrac,

It is hard to say if the motor is in need of replacement or just to do the head gasket. If the engine was running well other than this issue then it may be worth just repairing.

The way I look at these is to just price it both ways, repair the head gasket vs replace the engine. You can get an aftermarket engine for a couple thousand dollars that comes with a warranty. However, just repairing the head gasket will be cheaper.

Ultimately, it comes down to how much money you want to put into it and which would make more sense. Meaning, if it is only going to be a few hundred more for an engine then that would make sense. If it is going to be a lot more then it makes sense to just repair it.

let me know what you are thinking or if you have other questions. Thanks
Jun 12, 2019 at 3:14 PM
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ZORRAC
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Thanks for your input. I’m thinking of just replacing the gaskets is cheaper was running fine before the incident. so do you think the motor wasn’t damaged or I have to open it to see and how I find out if wasn’t damaged? only thing I see is antifreeze in oil. Thanks in advance. I’ll appreciate your help and effort.
Jun 12, 2019 at 9:07 PM
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KASEKENNY
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In general if you don't run this oil mixture through the engine for too long and it is not knocking just before you repair it, it will not knock after you fix the head gasket.

Clearly there is always the chance of failure but we can't see the future.

If it were me I would repair it as well and just get good clean oil and see how it runs. I am not one to repair something that is not broken.
Jun 13, 2019 at 11:47 AM