head gasket how long

[95z71performer]

How long does it take for head gasket replacement on a 95 5.7 tbi I'm going to need to do it this weekend and bought all of the gaskets that are going to be taken off so they will all be new just figure to ask here for a time range cause someone must have had to do it before

[Doug_Scott]

Since you are asking, it must mean you have never done this job. It would take an experienced person with the correct tools and replacement parts somewhere between 4 and 8 hours. But, if the heads need resurfacing (ask yourself why did the head gasket go), and you started this job on a Saturday morning, you may not get the heads back from a machine shop till Monday.

 

If something goes wrong, like broken exhaust manifold bolts, you can add hours to the job.

 

I am not trying to dissuade you from doing this, just trying to make sure you go in with eyes open.

 

Something you may want to also look at is how many miles on the engine, and has the timing chain ever been changed. The two jobs are not really connected, other than the draining of the cooling system, but, if there are lots of miles on the engine, it is not that much more work. You have the tools out already, It would add a couple of hours, assuming you have or can get the puller for the balancer.

[gmtech4]

How long does it take for head gasket replacement on a 95 5.7 tbi I'm going to need to do it this weekend and bought all of the gaskets that are going to be taken off so they will all be new just figure to ask here for a time range cause someone must have had to do it before

what doug said X 100

 

if you are thinking of time in the back of your head while doing this (not a first time) job ,you are in for a bad time ,,,,

 

consider an engine replacement if milage is way up there and you are gonna keep the truck awhile

[95z71performer]

so when you say a lot of miles how many cause my engine has 130,000 or so on it

[Doug_Scott]

Looking at your profile it looks like you did not buy the truck new. What do you know about the history of the truck? If it is not burning oil, or knocking, and compression is fairly equal across all cylinders, then the engine is likely still good.

 

You have not said why it needs head gaskets. This is actually one of the most important pieces of information needed. If the head gasket is blown between two cylinders, get the heads surface checked, and resurfaced if there is any warpage. One benefit of resurfacing is that they clean the face of the head for you. If head gasket was leaking antifreeze, you need to look at the spot where the gasket failed. If there is any mark in the surface of the head at that spot, resurface both heads.

 

While you have the heads off, see if the engine has roller lifters. Pretty sure it should be roller lifters. Since you likely do not have the complete history of the engine, it may not even be the original engine in the truck.

 

If it was my engine, I would check compression, check oil pressure with mechanical gauge, check the play in timing chain, and do a good inspection of all the spark plug condition. Look for deposits on the spark plug, paying attention to the colour. After knowing what the condition of the entire engine is, you can then make a more informed decision regarding what would be best.

 

One last thing, if you low on funds, and need to use the truck for work/school, do the checks above before you start tearing it apart. No sense starting something that there is no way you can complete it.

[95z71performer]

I have antifreeze in my oil and i also had my thermostat stick (i now have a new one) and overheat the truck and no its not the original engine the previous owner swapped it from another 95 and it also has headers and a throttle body spacer but I still have yet to check plugs cause of the headers being there and I don't wanna deal with those right now cause I'd sooner do the wires plugs cap and rotor while i'm at it

[Doug_Scott]

Isn't 95 right around the time the engines switched to Vortec?

 

If you have coolant in the oil, then you can be sure that will not be able to complete this job in one day. Heads will have to go out to be checked for cracks and if ok, at least a resurface.

 

If you do not know how long the coolant has been in the oil you will want to pull the oil pan and check rod and main bearings. I have seen coolant in the oil attack the bearing material, creating pits in the first layer of bearing. You will need to sit down and consider the costs involved in repairing this unknown engine. Since the engine was changed, how sure are you it is still a 350? You should also consider having bungs welded into the exhaust pipes to get the oxygen sensors back into the system. No o2 sensors mean no closed loop operation. Not good for drivability either.

 

If it were me, I would find out how much money I had available, from that look at what else the truck needs to keep it drivable (forget any mods like big wheels and tires, raising the truck, cosmetic crap). Then look at options for engine.. The engine options are the last parts to consider. Reason for this is simply because getting a monster price engine, then having nothing left to get the truck back on the road is not something you want to happen.

 

From the sounds of what you have described, I have a feeling the heads are toast. One thing I would not do is purchase a set of aftermarket heads and installing them on this engine, without having inspected crank and bearings. And also take a good look at cylinder walls once heads are off. Look for scratches, scoring, and pay attention to the very top of cylinder wall and look at the "lip". It is a good indicator of overall condition and wear on the core of the engine. I think you will find that your other issues of idle quality and sound will be resolved after a proper job is done on the main engine issue.

[95z71performer]

It was three gaskets the right side head gasket and both intake gaskets were also bad and it's getting finished up tomorrow everything went smooth and the engine itself was perfectly clean