Head gasket job worth doing?

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Merrix
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Head gasket job worth doing?

Postby Merrix » Mon Nov 11, 2019 10:49 am

I got a 97 Pathy 4WD that has been great to me but has had issues throughout the time I've owned it (4 years). This morning, it seems like the head gasket finally decided to retire. Plums of smoke, running rough, water on the dipstick... the whole works.

My question is, will it be worth it to replace the gaskets? I would do the work myself. She has 207K miles, everything works, she runs great (well until now), couple of small oil leaks (front main seal and valve cover gaskets), had some transmission issues till they recently stopped acting up...

If I were to do this job I would replace some gaskets and sensors while the intake is off. Do the timing belt as well. I have never done this extensive job on a Nissan before and doing other smaller repairs have been an absolute nightmare on this truck... so I can only image what's it's going to be like doing head gaskets.

Will it be worth it to do this job to keep her going and what else should I replace/check if I decide to go through with the job? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.


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palmerwmd
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Postby palmerwmd » Mon Nov 11, 2019 12:54 pm

Assuming you have the skills/tools to do it, then it really comes down to a balance of this:

-what is your time worth to you. How much do you make per hour after taxes? Say its 20 bucks (even number) and it will take you 30 hrs to do thats 600 dollars worth of your labor. remeber these things always take longer than u think.
- How much in parts?
-how much for a replacement vehicle.
- how much is the car worth to you after your work

Then Imagine you know 100% the condition of the vehicle.. all the positives and negatives.. if you had no truck at how much would you be willing to buy your that exact vehicle functioning after repair for from a dealer?

Lets say thats 4000 dollars (just as an example)

I always in my head calculate my time .. I take what I make at work multiply that by the time invested and then I look at a dollar figure (this calculation does not get performed when I am unemployed as my time then of course is worth near nothing)

So if you need to invest 1000 dollars worth of your labortime incl. parts to get it to that functioning state..
What it is real worth to you right now is : 4000 -1000
= 3000 to you right now.

Say trade-in in current condition of your truck is maybe 500 (that is a a loss of 2500 over what it would be worth to you if running)
So the cost of a replacement vehicle is the price PLUS 2500

All these numbers are pulled out of my behind just to illustrate.. your numbers will vary.

Put in your own realistic numbers to come up with a rational cost-benefit analysis.

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Merrix
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Postby Merrix » Mon Nov 11, 2019 3:26 pm

That is a great to think about it. Thank you for that. I don't mind putting in the time to fix it the right way. After doing some research, I have decided to put in the time and money to get her fixed back up. After some shopping I have decided to get/replace:
- Engine gasket kit, which includes an assortment of gaskets (heads, intake plenum, exhaust, valve covers)
- Head Bolts
- Timing belt and water pump
- Knock sensor
I'm sure there is some other things I'm missing. If someone could shed some more light, that would be greatly appreciated. Rather do everything right the first time.

Thank you

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smj999smj
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Postby smj999smj » Tue Nov 12, 2019 11:35 pm

Merrix wrote:That is a great to think about it. Thank you for that. I don't mind putting in the time to fix it the right way. After doing some research, I have decided to put in the time and money to get her fixed back up. After some shopping I have decided to get/replace:
- Engine gasket kit, which includes an assortment of gaskets (heads, intake plenum, exhaust, valve covers)
- Head Bolts
- Timing belt and water pump
- Knock sensor
I'm sure there is some other things I'm missing. If someone could shed some more light, that would be greatly appreciated. Rather do everything right the first time.

Thank you
Stick with reputable, name brand parts. For timing belt set and water pump, Gates Timing Belt and Component Kit w/ Water Pump is a good choice. Fel-pro is a good choice when it comes to gaskets. I would get a new bypass hose, thermostat and the rear elbow hose at the back of the intake plenum from Nissan. For the knock sensor, go with a brand like NTK, Hitachi, Denso or Beck~Arnley. If your replacing drive belts, Bando or genuine Nissan. Gates is good for radiator hoses, if you need them. NTK or Denso for O2 sensors, if you need them. NGK for spark plugs and wires, if you need them.

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Merrix
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Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2017 6:57 pm

Postby Merrix » Wed Nov 20, 2019 11:16 am

smj999smj wrote:
Merrix wrote:That is a great to think about it. Thank you for that. I don't mind putting in the time to fix it the right way. After doing some research, I have decided to put in the time and money to get her fixed back up. After some shopping I have decided to get/replace:
- Engine gasket kit, which includes an assortment of gaskets (heads, intake plenum, exhaust, valve covers)
- Head Bolts
- Timing belt and water pump
- Knock sensor
I'm sure there is some other things I'm missing. If someone could shed some more light, that would be greatly appreciated. Rather do everything right the first time.

Thank you
Stick with reputable, name brand parts. For timing belt set and water pump, Gates Timing Belt and Component Kit w/ Water Pump is a good choice. Fel-pro is a good choice when it comes to gaskets. I would get a new bypass hose, thermostat and the rear elbow hose at the back of the intake plenum from Nissan. For the knock sensor, go with a brand like NTK, Hitachi, Denso or Beck~Arnley. If your replacing drive belts, Bando or genuine Nissan. Gates is good for radiator hoses, if you need them. NTK or Denso for O2 sensors, if you need them. NGK for spark plugs and wires, if you need them.
Thank you so much for the advice and brand names. I did a quick search on rockauto and I believe they carry most of the brands you listed. Thank you again.


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