Calling all car mechinics

[skeeter2010]

I have a 1998 Dodge Ram 3500 with a V10 that has 75000 miles that is using 1 gallon of coolant in about 1000 miles. My oil level has not gone up and is not creamy. It is also not holding pressure with a leak down test through the radiator. I suspect either a head gasket or a cracked head and I am leaning toward a cracked head just because of all the stuff I read on the internet. New OEM head assemblies are $2800 pre head without installation. I found a place on ebay that rebuilds heads for the V10. I guess they crack in between the intake and exhaust valve When I called and asked about them he said that I will not find a head for a V10 that has not been repaired. When I asked what type of repairs are made he said that most are welded. The welding is what I am concerned about I know that welding cast iron is not the most reliable type of repair. They do offer a 2 year unlimited mileage warranty. The remanufactured heads are $375 per side plus installation

 

[bouncer]

Nothing wrong with a welded cast iron head if who ever is welding it knows what they are doing. With a 2 year unlimited mileage warranty I think they know what they are doing. Just my 2 cents but I would trust them.

 

[srt20]

Why dont you have a engine shop weld up yours? Prolly cheaper yet.

 

[slimcake]

I agree with srt. Take your head off and see what it looks like. Then take them to the machine shop to have them stress checked. They will find the problem and fix it for I would think less than 375. You can weld cast if you know what you are doing. I just had my ford diesel 6.0 blow the head gaskets and it was pushing water out of the overflow tank but nothing got into the motor. goood luck

 

[dmsrx]

Go to an auto parts store and buy a leakdown tester. Get the engine up to operating temp and check each cylinder. You may well find an issue with a cylinder but at least you'll have a good reason to tear it down and when you do you'll know which cylinder to look in for the problem. I wouldn't buy any parts till you do tear it down and do an inspection. You can usually see cracks in between the valves just by wire brushing in between the valves. While the plugs are out and it's still warm pressure the radiator again, if there is a crack or a bad gasket you should see anti-freeze in a cylinder. It is worth the time to really go over it and check everything before you start making assumptions. Just my 2 cents.

 

[lx700kev]

Ditto what dmsrx said. You may just have an intake gskt leaking and would not even need to pull the heads. Look at the spark plugs also. Sometimes you can see a color difference if a cyl is burning coolant. Otherwise I agree with people above..remove heads and have them checked by a head shop for cracks or for being warped.

 

[makintrax73]

This may also be a good time to get some oil test kits from Blackstone Labs and make darn sure none of that coolant is getting into the oil. For $30 the oil analysis gives you a pretty good rundown of what exactly is in your oil (such as coolant, bearing material, etc.)

 

[danzo]

Im with slimcake...take it off and inspect it. take it to a knowledgable auto machine shop and they will fix it up for you the right way. No problems welding it if its done with a guy who knows what he's doing. $2800 is outrageous!!