Bad headgasket? Opinions? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

kerry · #1 03-21-2010, 12:38 PM

Here's what I posted over on IHbmud.com about my wife's 'new' 94 FZJ 80 Series Landcruiser. I knew these FZ engines have a reputation for failing headgaskets but I wasn't anticipating an immediate problem. One person at Mud thinks the symptoms are not definitive for a bad headgasket but I don't know of anything that would pressurize the cooling system that quickly apart from a failed headgasket. Any thoughts?

Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 69

other HG bites the dust
I've only owned it about 3 weeks and it looks like the HG is bad. When I purchased it I checked for coolant in the oil and vice versa as well as checking for white exhaust. No evidence of any problems nor of any external leaks from the head.
Yesterday, I had the hood open and thought it looked like the coolant overflow tank was lower than the last time I checked. I opened it up to fill it up and took a whiff. I smelled gas. I hadn't thought to do this when I purchased it.
This morning when it was relatively cold I started it up to check the exhaust. A little grey when it first started but then about a minute later it started to put out some white smoke. Not a lot, but noticeably different from when it first started. I thought I'd check for bubbles in the radiator. By this time it had been running for maybe 3 minutes or so. As I started to remove the radiator cap, it blew coolant everywhere. There was a lot of pressure in the system. There had been no pressure in the system before I started it because I had checked the radiator itself for the smell of gas.
The only thing I can think of that would pressurize the coolant system that fast would be a bad headgasket. Not the kind of news I really wanted to hear immediately after purchase. Don't know if the PO knew it had a problem, whether it existed at the time but he didn't know or if it has occurred since I bought it. I'd definitely recommend the coolant reservoir sniff test to anyone contemplating a purchase. I know sometimes people put an emissions probe in the tank to check for hydrocarbons. In this case, my nose was adequate. Curious as to whether other people have been able to smell the hydrocarbons in their coolant tank when the headgasket failed.
Haven't decided whether to replace it myself or not. Any recommendations for good shops in Denver for the job?

soothappens · #2 03-21-2010, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kerry

Here's what I posted over on IHbmud.com about my wife's 'new' 94 FZJ 80 Series Landcruiser. I knew these FZ engines have a reputation for failing headgaskets but I wasn't anticipating an immediate problem. One person at Mud thinks the symptoms are not definitive for a bad headgasket but I don't know of anything that would pressurize the cooling system that quickly apart from a failed headgasket. Any thoughts?

Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 69

other HG bites the dust
I've only owned it about 3 weeks and it looks like the HG is bad. When I purchased it I checked for coolant in the oil and vice versa as well as checking for white exhaust. No evidence of any problems nor of any external leaks from the head.
Yesterday, I had the hood open and thought it looked like the coolant overflow tank was lower than the last time I checked. I opened it up to fill it up and took a whiff. I smelled gas. I hadn't thought to do this when I purchased it.
This morning when it was relatively cold I started it up to check the exhaust. A little grey when it first started but then about a minute later it started to put out some white smoke. Not a lot, but noticeably different from when it first started. I thought I'd check for bubbles in the radiator. By this time it had been running for maybe 3 minutes or so. As I started to remove the radiator cap, it blew coolant everywhere. There was a lot of pressure in the system. There had been no pressure in the system before I started it because I had checked the radiator itself for the smell of gas.
The only thing I can think of that would pressurize the coolant system that fast would be a bad headgasket. Not the kind of news I really wanted to hear immediately after purchase. Don't know if the PO knew it had a problem, whether it existed at the time but he didn't know or if it has occurred since I bought it. I'd definitely recommend the coolant reservoir sniff test to anyone contemplating a purchase. I know sometimes people put an emissions probe in the tank to check for hydrocarbons. In this case, my nose was adequate. Curious as to whether other people have been able to smell the hydrocarbons in their coolant tank when the headgasket failed.
Haven't decided whether to replace it myself or not. Any recommendations for good shops in Denver for the job?

If its blowing white smoke and has a sweet smell at the exhaust more than likely its a head gasket. My 240 would pressurize instantly when its gasket went also had bubbles in the coolant. No water in oil or vice a versa though.
The v6 toyotas had a problem with gaskets I believe there's a recall on them extended warr with unlimited miles regardless of owner . Worth a search on yours .
With all the pedal recalls they may welcome something different with open arms.

Best of luck !!

kerry · #3 03-21-2010, 01:02 PM

This is the 4.5l FZ straight six so it's not covered under the headgasket recall.

Hatterasguy · #4 03-21-2010, 01:11 PM

That sucks, it does sound like it needs a HG though. I don't know what else would presurize the cooling system so fast. Well unless it has a cracked head.

t walgamuth · #5 03-21-2010, 01:51 PM

Yep. Hope you got it for a good price.

kerry · #6 03-21-2010, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

Yep. Hope you got it for a good price.

Not a price that takes a headgasket job into account.

kerry · #7 03-21-2010, 01:57 PM

I started it up with the radiator cap removed. After about a minute of running it started pushing bubbles out the radiator. One every 20 or 30 seconds.

At least it's not a total surprise. These engines have a reputation of failed headgaskets. Toyota redesigned the eplacement headgaskets putting more metal in the headgasket. They typically fail around cylinder #6. Some have gone over 200k on the original headgasket but a fair amount failed even before 100k. This one has 137k so I was hoping since it had gone this far, it would continue for a while. Not in the cards.

retmil46 · #8 03-21-2010, 02:06 PM

Times whatever in agreement on the headgasket diagnosis.

Hopefully it's just the gasket, and not a cracked head - ie, even more money.

Another thought - any history of this particular engine developing warped heads? On the 3.7 L V6's in some Chrysler vehicles, if the engine gets overheated, even from using the wrong spec oil, it can cause a warped head and resulting gasket/coolant leak.

Know your pain - I went thru $3K on my own dime in the first two years to correct some of the half-a$$ stuff DaimlerChrysler pulled on this Jeep Lib diesel.