Replace the Engine or Head Gasket?

[Jscotty]

I bought my 2nd parts car last night and after driving the car and looking it over today I discovered that its in better shape than I thought. The only real problem with the car is that it needs a head gasket. It also overheats but I don't know if that is head gasket related.

Anyhow, I am considering making this car into another daily driver using the engine from my first parts car because the car was very well maintained mechanically until the guy wanted to get creative and make it into a 4-door convertable. He did all but the cut the car completely in half before he gave up on the project and gave it to me. Anyhow being that the engine is in good shape, should I attempt to replace the head gasket to see what happens next or am I better off swaping out the whole engine from the other parts car?

I am guessing that all of the tearing down that I would have to do to get to the head gasket would probably be the same amount of time and work it would take to pull the entire engine. Anyone have some insight on this? Both cars are 88's with diving boards so I am sure that it will be a perfect swap but I only want to do this if there would be equal or less time and labor involved.

[FredK]

Do you have an engine hoist? Pulling an engine isn't that bad.

You can probably do either job in a weekend, especially if the operation JUST involves R&R and no maintenance like oil pan gasket, timing belt and water pump, while the engine is out.

[JasonC]

I did my head gasket in two afternoons taking my time.

[Jscotty]

Oh yeah.. I never thought about doing the other maintenence items while the engine was out. Parts car #1 has a solid engine but I don't know if it ever had a water pump, starter or anything else replaced on it. I have access to a hoist and I figured it was easy as chaining it up, unbolting the transmission, the mounts and disconnecting the hoses and wiring. Depending on how easy this goes, I will probably start working on the engine from parts car #2 doing the timing belt, water pump, head gasket etc and then swap the engines back.

[Mr Deagle]

take the engine and trans out at the same time

[Jean]

headgasket is still easier to do compared to engine/tranny r&r imho. the thing I would be concerned about is when you do change the headgasket, will you check to make sure that's all it needs and head isn't warped/cracked etc, otherwise it would turn into a waste of time you'll be kicking yourself for not swapping the engine.

[Jscotty]

headgasket is still easier to do compared to engine/tranny r&r imho. the thing I would be concerned about is when you do change the headgasket, will you check to make sure that's all it needs and head isn't warped/cracked etc, otherwise it would turn into a waste of time you'll be kicking yourself for not swapping the engine.

Good point! At least if I swap the engine and tranny I know what I got and then I have time to fart around with the engine that I take out. I can take my time and completely rebuild it.

[Funkmasta]

The car is NOT SAFE for the road (or anywhere) without a roof. It is now junk.

[Jscotty]

The car is NOT SAFE for the road (or anywhere) without a roof. It is now junk.

Exactly. That's how I ended up acquiring it as my first parts car. I originally got it because I needed the instrument cluster, the window switches, a window motor for the rear passenger door and for a spare engine and trans once they died on the main daily driver. I would not even be able to get a roofless car through inspection let alone the safety issue. So the idea is to take the parts from this car and put it on the 2nd parts car which is in 70% intact (By the way, I discovered today that the heater core is leaking so that's something else to do) and make this into a second daily driver.

[Funkmasta]

Ah, couldnt tell what you meant in your first post. ;)