Blown Head gasket

[clayb226]

Hello everybody,
I have yet to own a SHO, but found one, I'm hoping to get pretty cheap. The problem is they said it had a blown head gasket and the speedometer quit working. In my experience with other vehicles; when a head gasket blows, it is usually due to the car overheating, and it blows the gasket and warps the head also. My question is, is this a usual scenario with the SHO. And if so what does a head usually run. I am trying to guess what the SHO may be worth in the as is shape. By the way, if it matters, it is a 1992 with 156,000 miles.
Thanks in advanced.

 

[St Louis SHO]

Depends on where you go as far as price. Where in Missouri are you? I have alot of parts here.

The car with a blown HG will cost you about $500 in parts/machine shop if you know how to do the work yourself.

- James

 

[frosho]

SHO's VERY rarely blow head gaskets, but your potential failure scenario is correct. I don't know what heads go for, though.

Do you know why they think the head gasket blew? I've only heard of one or two failures myself.

 

[clayb226]

Where in Missouri are you?

I am located 2 hours south of Kansas City.

 

[hawkeye18]

Yeah, you really need to figure out for sure whether the head gasket really blew or not - coolant in oil / oil in coolant, etc. A lot of failures on SHOs can be confused with head gaskets.

 

[clayb226]

Yeah, you really need to figure out for sure whether the head gasket really blew or not.

I am in the process of trying to get a hold of them to see.

 

[AREA 91]

Hello everybody,
I have yet to own a SHO, but found one, I'm hoping to get pretty cheap. The problem is they said it had a blown head gasket and the speedometer quit working. In my experience with other vehicles; when a head gasket blows, it is usually due to the car overheating, and it blows the gasket and warps the head also. My question is, is this a usual scenario with the SHO. And if so what does a head usually run. I am trying to guess what the SHO may be worth in the as is shape. By the way, if it matters, it is a 1992 with 156,000 miles.
Thanks in advanced.

As said, it could be a lot of other things than a head gasket. Check the coolant lines around the throttle body. Check the heater hoses and pipes.
On a few rare occasions, the head gaskets have given up on these cars. This seems to be related to the right bank (cyl 123) on the 3.2 auto cars. I have never seen it myself though.

Get yourself a coolant system pressure tester, and go from there.

 

[clayb226]

On a few rare occasions, the head gaskets have given up on these cars. This seems to be related to the right bank (cyl 123) on the 3.2 auto cars. I have never seen it myself though.

Get yourself a coolant system pressure tester, and go from there.

They said it is on the right side. I am also looking at another one, where they said the water pump is out and it has been sitting. After they said this, they said it would run better after it had a much needed tune up. I am concerned about crank cancer on this one. The illusion of only needing a tune up, and the crank keyway being messed up. Is crank cancer caused by rust in the keyway, or just the key going bad, making it beat up against the sides of the keyway widening the gap?

 

[clayb226]

I am in the process of trying to get a hold of them to see.

They will not return my e-mails, it may be gone, anyway I am giving up on this one.

 

[clayb226]

I heard back from the one with the blown head gasket, she said she took it to get checked out and they said it was needing plugs and wires. She also said it started running hot, and leaking coolant.

 

[Devin]

I have an idea: start out with a car that works right. You should be able to get a running SHO for $500-$1000. A broken SHO at $250 (or whatever) is not a good deal.

 

[clayb226]

I have an idea: start out with a car that works right. You should be able to get a running SHO for $500-$1000. A broken SHO at $250 (or whatever) is not a good deal.

I can not find any SHOs for $500-$1000 that run right. All SHOs I find are that price that needs work.

 

[Huntervf]

Why not just pressure test it?

 

[mooseSHO46]

pressure test it