Blown head gasket
03-17-2009, 06:57 AM
#1
Blown head gasket
I found a 1990 Maxima for sale locally. Pearl white 5 speed with cloth and a sunroof for $400.00. Car has a blown headgasket. Over all looks to be in decent shape. What have you guys found with a blown head gasket. Is it just replace the gasket and resurface the head, or is there more damage. I just want some opinions of what other 3rd gen owners have found with this concern. I am thinking of this car for a DD.
03-17-2009, 07:43 AM
#3
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: NJ
Posts: 475
I found a 1990 Maxima for sale locally. Pearl white 5 speed with cloth and a sunroof for $400.00. Car has a blown headgasket. Over all looks to be in decent shape. What have you guys found with a blown head gasket. Is it just replace the gasket and resurface the head, or is there more damage. I just want some opinions of what other 3rd gen owners have found with this concern. I am thinking of this car for a DD.
03-17-2009, 10:30 AM
#4
I found a 1990 Maxima for sale locally. Pearl white 5 speed with cloth and a sunroof for $400.00. Car has a blown headgasket. Over all looks to be in decent shape. What have you guys found with a blown head gasket. Is it just replace the gasket and resurface the head, or is there more damage. I just want some opinions of what other 3rd gen owners have found with this concern. I am thinking of this car for a DD.
it is not at all unusual for someone to say the car has a blown head gasket when in fact it is a totally different issue.
as LvR said, I don't recall ever hearing of a 3rd gen VG with a blown HG
03-17-2009, 12:21 PM
#7
cracked plastic on the radiator, loose hose clamps, broken coolant resivoir, missing resivoir hose...
may wanna ask him how his heat is. if it sucks, may indicate a bubble in the system, that gradually gets filled (may not be, but
)
may wanna ask him how his heat is. if it sucks, may indicate a bubble in the system, that gradually gets filled (may not be, but
)
03-17-2009, 12:25 PM
#8
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Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 488
I don't think there is any real common problem with leaks or anything else with the cooling system. Most common problem ive seen on here is it not blowing warm air in the cabin, and the system needs bled of air.
03-17-2009, 04:34 PM
#9
Could be a bad water pump. I haven't had a VG, but on my VE, the water pump was bad and bailing coolant. It would still drive fine and the temp would rise some, but not overheat.
There would be a small puddle of coolant on the ground when the car was parked. I had it fixed immediately when I bought it, though.
Still, for $400 if the car is in good shape, it would be worth it to get a JDM engine and swap it in. You would have a running, driving 5-speed 3rd gen for ~$1000, maybe less, depending on costs and labor skills.
There would be a small puddle of coolant on the ground when the car was parked. I had it fixed immediately when I bought it, though.
Still, for $400 if the car is in good shape, it would be worth it to get a JDM engine and swap it in. You would have a running, driving 5-speed 3rd gen for ~$1000, maybe less, depending on costs and labor skills.
03-18-2009, 09:33 AM
#10
Could be a bad water pump. I haven't had a VG, but on my VE, the water pump was bad and bailing coolant. It would still drive fine and the temp would rise some, but not overheat.
There would be a small puddle of coolant on the ground when the car was parked. I had it fixed immediately when I bought it, though.
There would be a small puddle of coolant on the ground when the car was parked. I had it fixed immediately when I bought it, though.
03-18-2009, 10:23 AM
#12
I am going to go look at the car in person. The owner says that after 5 minutes of driving it gets hot and leaks coolant. He was told by a shadetree mechanic that it was the headgasket. And it is a 91 Maxima not a 90, if that makes any difference. Thanks for all the input.
03-18-2009, 11:42 AM
#13
It could be a waterpump or a bad radiator. I just recently replaced my friend's radiator on his Sentra, it was doing the same thing. Best thing to do is look over it, and if it is the radiator replace it. btw, is everyone here running an aluminum radiator? Several years back, mine died and I replaced it with a copper one, no problems ever since.
03-18-2009, 12:33 PM
#14
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Location: Pretoria - South Africa
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03-18-2009, 01:30 PM
#15
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Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 488
check the oil. if oil is milky then the head gasket is probably cracked. it sounds like the leak is elsewhere to me. If it only leaks once it gets hot after 5 minutes, sounds like the radiator is cracked to me. Mine had a crack, which is why I replaced it, and it would only leak once it got hot. as far as overheating, the thermostat could be bad too? sounds like the cooling system has been neglected.
check to see where its leaking, and what conditions it leaks. Does it leak cold just sitting there? only when warmed up? only when running? cold and running?
check to see where its leaking, and what conditions it leaks. Does it leak cold just sitting there? only when warmed up? only when running? cold and running?
03-18-2009, 02:33 PM
#16
check the oil. if oil is milky then the head gasket is probably cracked. it sounds like the leak is elsewhere to me. If it only leaks once it gets hot after 5 minutes, sounds like the radiator is cracked to me. Mine had a crack, which is why I replaced it, and it would only leak once it got hot. as far as overheating, the thermostat could be bad too? sounds like the cooling system has been neglected.
check to see where its leaking, and what conditions it leaks. Does it leak cold just sitting there? only when warmed up? only when running? cold and running?
check to see where its leaking, and what conditions it leaks. Does it leak cold just sitting there? only when warmed up? only when running? cold and running?
03-18-2009, 03:20 PM
#17
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 1,042
i can agree with you guys on this on the 3rd gen cooling system.
on the vg the reservior part that screws on was broke so the previous owner before me just tied it on with a wire tie.
well every once and a while the reservior whould rub on the compressor.
one day in the summer heat it took my car a long time for it to warm up.
and when it did the gauge was high...
almost all of the coolant was gone!
replaced it and she's fine
on the vg the reservior part that screws on was broke so the previous owner before me just tied it on with a wire tie.
well every once and a while the reservior whould rub on the compressor.
one day in the summer heat it took my car a long time for it to warm up.
and when it did the gauge was high...
almost all of the coolant was gone!
replaced it and she's fine
03-18-2009, 08:03 PM
#18
03-18-2009, 08:16 PM
#19
03-18-2009, 08:26 PM
#20
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Posts: 1,205
03-19-2009, 02:07 AM
#21
03-20-2009, 07:18 PM
#22
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Columbia SC
Posts: 2,284
The best way to verify if the car has a blown head gasket is a little machanical skills. If the oil is milky, and if there is a cloud of white smoke comming from your tail pipe, then you definetly know u have a blown head gasket! I would check everything out first. Just the other day, I was driving my 93 gxe down the road, and noticed a little steam coming from the engine. I immediately pulled over to discover that the top radiator hose had blown off. So I replaced the hose and clamps, filled it up with coolant, and no problems! But whenever I purchase a car, I always replace the water pump and the thermostat, because that is a sure way to loose your engine!
03-22-2009, 09:12 AM
#23
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 4
this is funny i just came on here after seeing your post dont know if you went to see the car but i think i bought the car your talking about it was in daytona? .....thinking of swaping motors it def has a blown head gasget
03-24-2009, 11:36 PM
#24
Look it over visually real good and perform a compression test of all 6 cylinders that won't lie to you! Check your fluids for mixing and run it to seem if it could be something like a stuck thermostat, bad hose, etc....
03-25-2009, 04:08 PM
#25
How did you determine that the head gasket was blown?
04-09-2009, 11:47 PM
#27
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