Head Gasket repair or motor swap - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

IrishRedneck86 · 03-03-2015, 04:58 PM

Well this morning I just confirmed my truck blew its head gasket. Now the question is do I go through with full repair or maybe just swap to a different used motor and slowly rebuild the one I take out? So I'm looking for some opinions from y'all.
The truck is a 1987 Chevy R20 Silverado 4x2
Motor is a Chevy 350 5.7L TBI but it is a replacement marine motor not the original with long tube headers and true dual exhaust 700R4 trans and 4:10 posi rear end

Bears63 · 03-03-2015, 05:46 PM

What you do comes down to one key question.... What is your budget for the project? There are a myriad of ways to go but it all comes back to that one question.

IrishRedneck86 · 03-03-2015, 06:19 PM

Well since my Dad is a master mechanic and Im am very mechanically skilled as well and we have the tools we would be doing the work ourselves. So probably looking at a budget of between $600-1100 right now. I could maybe bump it up with working some more overtime, but this kinda hit me out of the blue. So I really don't have an oh **** fund like I normally do since I just started a new job and have done other work on the truck previously that ate away at savings since it's my daily driver.

ZacharyDouglas1992 · 03-05-2015, 04:46 PM

Did the truck overhead at all when the head gasket failed? If its a daily driver, and you're confident that the block is fine, I would think its best to get it back on the road for now. Maybe still pick up a used motor, and build that one up to be ready to do a swap later on down the road? There's lots of ways to go about it... but if it's a daily driver I would lean towards getting it back on the road sooner.

greg64 · 03-05-2015, 05:11 PM

I would question what condition the short block is in? Is oil pressure still good? What about a compression check on the bank that still has a good head gasket? If the short block is good, I'd swap the head gasket and get it back on the road. If the short block is near done, I'd consider other options.

IrishRedneck86 · 03-05-2015, 06:20 PM

According to my temp gauge it hit 230* but it never shutdown due to over heating. I'll be pulling the heads tv is weekend to check how bad it is and get a better idea of what to do. Unfortunately for me I don't know truck motors as well as I'd like to my forte outside of welding is motorcycles.

**old Rusty C10** · 03-05-2015, 08:49 PM

I would inspect both the head and the block really well if its just the gasket with no crack in anything else id replace the gasket until you can do the proper rebuild or repair as soon as you can save up the bucks

thirstybob · 07-02-2020, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by old Rusty C10

I would inspect both the head and the block really well if its just the gasket with no crack in anything else id replace the gasket until you can do the proper rebuild or repair as soon as you can save up the bucks

Word. ^

SunSoaked · 07-02-2020, 11:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thirstybob

Word. ^

Awesome follow-up after 5 years!

thirstybob · 07-02-2020, 11:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SunSoaked

Awesome follow-up after 5 years!

Glad to know you're on duty.

03-03-2015, 04:58 PM	#1
IrishRedneck86 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Gurnee, IL Posts: 3	Head Gasket repair or motor swap Well this morning I just confirmed my truck blew its head gasket. Now the question is do I go through with full repair or maybe just swap to a different used motor and slowly rebuild the one I take out? So I'm looking for some opinions from y'all. The truck is a 1987 Chevy R20 Silverado 4x2 Motor is a Chevy 350 5.7L TBI but it is a replacement marine motor not the original with long tube headers and true dual exhaust 700R4 trans and 4:10 posi rear end

03-03-2015, 05:46 PM	#2
Bears63 ...just another truck junkie.. Join Date: May 2009 Location: Watertown, SD Posts: 698	Re: Head Gasket repair or motor swap What you do comes down to one key question.... What is your budget for the project? There are a myriad of ways to go but it all comes back to that one question. __________________ Mike "Bear" Shea

03-03-2015, 06:19 PM	#3
IrishRedneck86 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Gurnee, IL Posts: 3	Re: Head Gasket repair or motor swap Well since my Dad is a master mechanic and Im am very mechanically skilled as well and we have the tools we would be doing the work ourselves. So probably looking at a budget of between $600-1100 right now. I could maybe bump it up with working some more overtime, but this kinda hit me out of the blue. So I really don't have an oh **** fund like I normally do since I just started a new job and have done other work on the truck previously that ate away at savings since it's my daily driver.

03-05-2015, 04:46 PM	#4
ZacharyDouglas1992 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Fowler California Posts: 140	Re: Head Gasket repair or motor swap Did the truck overhead at all when the head gasket failed? If its a daily driver, and you're confident that the block is fine, I would think its best to get it back on the road for now. Maybe still pick up a used motor, and build that one up to be ready to do a swap later on down the road? There's lots of ways to go about it... but if it's a daily driver I would lean towards getting it back on the road sooner. __________________ 1967 CHEVELLE MALIBU 427/700R4 1971 CHEYENNE 10 350/350 1983 GMC K3500 454/400/205 1987 R10 TBI 350/700R4 2014 CRUZE 2.0 TURBO DIESEL

03-05-2015, 05:11 PM	#5
greg64 Registered User Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Kimberley, BC, Canada Posts: 799	Re: Head Gasket repair or motor swap I would question what condition the short block is in? Is oil pressure still good? What about a compression check on the bank that still has a good head gasket? If the short block is good, I'd swap the head gasket and get it back on the road. If the short block is near done, I'd consider other options. __________________ Greg 64 GMC Suburban - 283, NV3500, 14 bolt 77 C10 swb - 292, SM465, 12 bolt

03-05-2015, 06:20 PM	#6
IrishRedneck86 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Gurnee, IL Posts: 3	Re: Head Gasket repair or motor swap According to my temp gauge it hit 230* but it never shutdown due to over heating. I'll be pulling the heads tv is weekend to check how bad it is and get a better idea of what to do. Unfortunately for me I don't know truck motors as well as I'd like to my forte outside of welding is motorcycles.

03-05-2015, 08:49 PM	#7
old Rusty C10 Robert Olson Transport Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: recent transplant to NC USA Posts: 20,260	Re: Head Gasket repair or motor swap I would inspect both the head and the block really well if its just the gasket with no crack in anything else id replace the gasket until you can do the proper rebuild or repair as soon as you can save up the bucks __________________ Bob 1951 International running on a squarebody chassis "If a man's worth is judged by the people he associates himself with, then i am the richest man in the world knowing some of the fine people of this board" http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/a...t.php?f=25&a=9 (you can review the site rules here!) PM Me for your vehicle/parts hauling needs in the North East US or see my Facebook page Robert Olson Transport Live each day to the fullest.. you never know when fate is going to pull the rug out from under you... I hate cancer!!



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