Hey all, so my truck has a blown head gasket and is dying a slow death. It's not my daily driver. I have a new focus for that. Just kind of wondering what you would do. Truck: 2000 F150 Lariat, extended cab, 4x4. 208k miles, new tires, newer rebuilt trans, decent interior, 5.4 motor Bad: Blown head gasket, well more than average rust, rear end isn't in the best condition, needs exhaust (rusted in 2 at front of bed Needs: I don't put a huge amount of miles on it, but I put a few thousand miles a year hunting. Mostly interstate. Must be capable off-road as well. Also, I have 2 kids that would ride around in it. Able to drive it to work when it gets really snowy (I would my truck but the head gasket thing...) I need something I can load up and go to the cabin, or throw a few bags of decoys and a blind and go hunting. Options: 1. Sell it outright. Probably get $2k ish out of it and scrounge up a little more and get something else, maybe a budget of $4k. 2. Fix it and see how much time I could get out of it and hope for the best (if there's something wrong with the head, it may be cheaper to get a used engine. 3. Find a used engine and swap it. Not as easy as it sounds and is looking costly, around $900 4. Rebuild it, probably not a good idea, it will be 1k-1.5k Thinking: 1. Can I get what I want and it be cost effective? 2. It needs to be reliable. I can't be an hour and a half away from home and it break down 3. Do I want to spend that much on a used engine when the truck needs other stuff 4. Same as #4 but will be more expensive What I would buy: 1. Another F150, can get a pretty nice one, about what I have but nicer for $4k, but I have one, but it's rusty, will have the power to do anything I will ever need 2. My brother's F250 - Everything works great, a/c and all, new tires, but is single cab, has the power to do everything I will ever need to do 3. Lifted jeep cherokee - I would take out the carpet in the rear and put in the spray in liner. If I need power, will I be able to pull anything with it? Just kind of thinking out loud for most of it. Just not sure which direction. I'm tyring not to spend very much money at all because i would like to be in a new house this year and need to save money. But I need a vehicle to play in.
Put her down and get another. Wait...that's what I did with my first wife! LOL Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Fix it. It's only nuts and bolts. Head gaskets are cheap. Take stuff apart and put stuff back together.
As a professional technician, unless you reallllllly love this truck, punt it. If your doing hgs the rest of your engine has 208k on it. It's destined to fail. A used engine, well you have one of those.... who knows what ur gonna get when you get a junkyard engine. Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
Doing the work is no problem at all. I'm not a mechanic but I've built and worked on cars since we'll before I had my license. Well I think that's the best idea. I do REALLY love the truck. It was my first major purchase that I made. However, let's be realistic here.
I had a friend that had the same issue with around the exact same truck. I'm pretty sure he used some gasket seal or something and its worked fine ever since. Simple and cheap.
Is that the passenger side gasket? I know they had a problem with those leaking. I had to have mine changed on my 99 and I drove that truck forever until a drunk clobbered me. I say fix it if most everything else is solid. Get it done... 400-500 ish.
I've yet to have a chevy that wasn't a squeaky crapbox. The last one lasted about 115k when the torque converter detonated. It was then I promised myself I would never own another.
I'm not sure what side. My brother has a 99 and he had to change one on his truck. It's been bulletproof since. I think I'm going to go ahead and change them both, then start saving up for something new. I'm really liking the jeep idea though.
Im kinda in the same boat you are. 2002 f-150 5.4 250,000 miles. Nothing is broke yet but I can tell she is trying to tell me something is wrong. I think I am going to keep it until it cost more to fix it than what it is worth. When that time comes I will be looking into an SUV for my play vehicle. Something like a 4runner or Cherokee as well.
I would probably fix it up and still sell it. If the work isn't the problem and it's not your main driver, I would work on it and fix it up because that's a nice first truck for a young driver. Then I would go out and buy yourself a new one. Oh, and P.S. I would never buy a Chevy, not a chance.
And as an FYI to all, you can find auto parts on amazon for cheaper than you can at the parts stores.
for $15 at Pepboys or it can be ordered from Amazon. I have used a product called K-Seal.. I have put it in 5 vehicles with coolant leak/ head gasket problems just to get them by until they had time or money to fix them. 4 of the 5 are still fine after a year or two of use. If it doesnt work, your only out a few dollars.
If you really like the truck, and its only for hunting and cabin weekends.... Fix this one. You know what you have and what it may need down the road. Selling and buying used (2k to a 4k truck isn't a huge upgrade) puts you back at square one with a truck that could be due for new tires, a new tranny, etc in the near future. I bought a brand new 13 Tacoma last year with every intention of turning it into a truck like you have. Drive it til the wheels fall off and keep it as a hunting rig later on when I likely switch back to a car for daily driving...
