Help!!!She blew my Jimmy!!! - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

#1 10-19-2004, 09:59 PM

Hello,
Sorry for the title I couldn't resist

. I recently purchased a 1988 GMC Jimmy with the 2.8 engine---sorry it was cheap. It was in good shape and drove fine for two months with no problem, but a faulty starter. I let a friend borrow it and all hell broke loose.

1. The engine started running hot, so she put water in it and kept driving and putting water in it whenever it ran hot or did not start. Needless to say, the Jimmy didn't take kindly to this kind of treatment. The truck now spews out a tremendously excessive amount of white smoke from the tailpipe, enough smoke to cover the truck and obstruct your view. What does this mean, please help, this girl has killed my Jimmy and I need it back.

How much money am I looking at and what damage has she done, this crazy girl also started the car once, while I was doing an oil change and there was no oil in the Jimmy.

Please help, I appreciate any advice.

Thank you.

nhodges · #2 10-19-2004, 10:16 PM

Sounds like she blew the head and or the head gasket on your Jimmy.

Palangi · #3 10-19-2004, 11:16 PM

My advice would be to fix the truck and trade in the girlfriend.

danieldono · #4 10-20-2004, 05:05 AM

definately head gasket and probable damaged the head too.

check engine oil, if its grey and not black then you know for sure.

mught get lucky and only need head skimmed and new gasket for a start but you still need to fix the cause.

have fun

are you sure your not dating my ex by the way, blew the head on two of mine about four years ago. heavy throttle foot and lazy gearchange arm.

#5 10-21-2004, 09:44 PM

I really miss the open discussion forum, I feel like I'm breaking the rules talking about my Jimmy in here. I apologize if I am. Just in case, here's the latest update on the engine.

OK

It's official, the engine is a milkshake machine. I'm going to take off the valve covers and all the other stuff so I can take a look at the heads.

I drained the coolant and oil today. An "old wise mechanic" told me I shouldn't have drained the oil as this might make the crankshaft and some other parts in the engine rust. He scared

me enough to put some oil back in the engine. Is there any truth to this.

Thanks for the tips, I really appreciate your help now and the help I will be getting in the future.

Southern · #6 10-22-2004, 05:50 PM

If your "friend" put cold water into a hot engine that is the receipe for a cracked block. Thought I would mention this before you stated to sink money into it.

#7 10-22-2004, 11:02 PM

Thanks Ray,

I'm using this as a learning experience. I have two choices with this car, send it to a junkyard or try and fix it myself. Either way I don't have much to lose.

Thanks

Southern · #8 10-23-2004, 10:10 AM

Vanakin,

Good luck with your new "project" vehicle. Depending on the condition of the rest of your Jimmy you might consider getting a good used junk yard engine to swap out. This would be alot of work but it is an option to fixing up an engine that been run with coolant in the oil and been run without oil.

Regarding your "old wise mechanic", I believe there is some truth to this because if you drain the oil out of an engine there is still some oil coating the internal parts to aid in preventing rust. However if you drain the oil and leave it for weeks there is a chance that the thin oil coating may eventually drain off leaving the exposed metal prone to rust.

#9 10-23-2004, 09:59 PM

Hello Rnjonnie,
Eventually, I'll probably do the engine swap out, but do I have anything to lose by taking this engine apart.

Thanks for the advice

Southern · #10 10-23-2004, 10:26 PM

Vanakin,

Other than your time you have nothing to lose - it hopefully will be an learning experience.

Once you have the existing engine apart it is tempting to start buying new parts to re-build it. If your not carefull you can spend as much in parts as a used working engine costs.

I have an 1992 Chevy Astro with the 4.3 engine with 163K miles. So far the engine has been trouble free. I had to rebuild the differential about 1 year ago. I replace it with a limited slip, it makes a big difference up here in the Chicago winters provided you learn to ease up on the throttle when the tires start to spin.