1999-2009 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
What are your opinions/chances/experiences of just replacing and retourquing bolts to cure coolant loss and overpressurized coolant system vs new head gasket job? Been driving it daily 50 miles for several weeks with losing maybe pint of coolant daily until diagnosed head gasket leak with help from responses to my earlier post. went though approx 1/2 gallon in 2 weeks.. doesn't appear to be oil in coolant or coolant in oil from visual looks but not certain.. didn't notice steam from tailpipe until this am after 10 degree cold start up on way to work and saw large billows of steam behind me after about 5 min drive.. before could pull over to check it stopped steaming and seemed to run fine.. probably stupid but had to keep going as had meeting to get to.. semed OK from there on.. few weeks back it did overheat when I blew hose and I cooled and drove cooled and drove on and on for 2 miles home in 10 degree weather.. first stupid move perhaps??
I feel I want to try the bolts first but don't want a blown/seized engine also.. any way other than yanking head to determine if gasket is blown? I assume perhaps if I check head bolt tightness and none are severly loose that would indicate blown gasket, but not sure if I want to chance tightening existing bolts if they are original or is that wise tail I read?
Anyone try new bolts/torque with my symptoms that cured the problem?? Please say yes...
What am I risking if I try this route first and see what happens? Would I be able to reuse a new valve cover gasket if this doesn't work and need to pull apart again for head gasket? Are the Elring brand gaskets OK?? europarts do not Saab brand?
I have time off over holidays and am not totally opposed to tackling head gasket, but am quite short on cash after christmas and other recent needed repairs and am not overly not thrilled to tackle in winter where can only pull car 1/2 into barn to work on... brr and nice vacation..
175,000 miles and seems to run OK otherwise, doesn't use much oil, but oily engine/leaking valve cover.. also has not had PCV 6 update as of yet..
If the consenses is replace headgasket or my tired engine is doomed to fail, anyone have a link to DIY head gasket job? I tried to download WIS but when tried to load got error message like "Shell.dll file missing" or something like that..
Any opinions or comments from folks who have been here and done that would be extremely appreciated..
Happy holidays???
posted by 64.222.222...
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