[s-cars] 1995 S6 - Overheating damage, now what?

[Andrew B]

I would have to agree; I'd expect to buy a new head, whether reman or from
another engine.  I bought a car with a bad headgasket, and though I never
"technically" had an overheating condition (the gauge was always fine), I
did lose some coolant regularly and have some smoke out the back, but much
less than yours.

I took my car to Force5auto where I was told it needed a completely new head
as the old one was warped out of decking possibility.  It cost me more than
I expected, and if I could do it again, I'd have the head worked on while
the car was still running rather than letting it rot in the shop for so
long.  I would not be surprised, based on my experience, to find out that
your head is way far gone, and somebody with more experience might be able
to suggest whether it has piston etc. damage or not.

On Tue, Sep 13, 2011 at 1:20 PM, Joshua Van Tol <josh at spiny.com> wrote:

> I'll add a counter point. If the engine was overheated enough, and it
> sounds
> like it may have been, the piston skirts could be scuffed, and the rings
> could be shot. Once the head is off, any scuffing or material transfer on
> the cylinder walls will be evident. If such damage has occurred, a complete
> rebuild or replacement is the only option.
>
> If your mechanic has a scope, it may be possible to look at the cylinder
> walls through the spark plug holes and see if there's any damage to the
> cylinder walls. Even if your mechanic doesn't have one, they're getting
> cheap. I saw one at Costco the other day for $180, including a video record
> function.
>
> Josh
>
> On Tue, Sep 13, 2011 at 11:16 AM, Sean Douglas <quattro20v at shaw.ca> wrote:
>
> > Thomas:
> >
> > I would recommend repairing it. I doubt the engine block is cracked, but
> > the head is probably warped and the gasket needs replacing.
> >
> > If you motor had good compression before and was not burning excessive
> oil,
> > then the piston rings should be fine.
> >
> > I would do pressure test on the head, check the valve guides for wear and
> > replace them if required. If you replace the guides, then a valve seat
> grind
> > is required.
> >
> > I just went through a head rebuild project and the machining was $400 and
> > the parts came to about $300 including some new coolant hoses and the
> gasket
> > kit, new head bolts, etc. I did all the labour myself, but if you were to
> > pay someone, it would add 6-8 hours labour.
> >
> > Sean Douglas
> > 1997 S6
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