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So I took my 2004 GMC Yukon into get looked at early this week as I was losing oil and coolant, the diagnosis was not good. I have a cracked head and I have a few options on the table. Option one is to get a new engine through the dealership, and for the price they quoted me, it ain't happening. They could try to repair the problem but said it would be 2,100 and not even a sure fix in the long run. I could just cut my loses and trade the thing in and get something new or my last option is, I know a mechanic who can put in an engine with 10k miles on it for 2k. My biggest concern is dumping that kind of money into a truck with 160,000 miles on it and then have the transmission crap out on me or another costly fix is needed. The biggest bitch of it all is I have 2 payments left on the truck until it’s paid off. Thoughts?

Weston81 wrote:So I took my 2004 GMC Yukon into get looked at early this week as I was losing oil and coolant, the diagnosis was not good. I have a cracked head and I have a few options on the table. Option one is to get a new engine through the dealership, and for the price they quoted me, it ain't happening. They could try to repair the problem but said it would be 2,100 and not even a sure fix in the long run. I could just cut my loses and trade the thing in and get something new or my last option is, I know a mechanic who can put in an engine with 10k miles on it for 2k. My biggest concern is dumping that kind of money into a truck with 160,000 miles on it and then have the transmission crap out on me or another costly fix is needed. The biggest bitch of it all is I have 2 payments left on the truck until it’s paid off. Thoughts?

Burn, rape and pillage.

If it were me I would go with your mechanic friend for 2000. No payments is where its at.

It should be noted that before taking it in I did piss on the engine, but no dice.

Have your buddy put the new engine in. Like the black man said, no payments are very nice.

Would love to go with no payments.

Why don't you just go with an engine from a junker?
When the engine went in my 2002 tahoe, my dads mechanic friend pulled the engine from a newer totaled out silverado with only 60k miles on it to replace it. I was less than 2 grand for the whole job.
That 5.3 vortec has got to be the most common engine on the planet. They ran from 1999-2007 in the gmt800 trucks. the exact same engine.

Weston81 wrote:through the dealership

Definitely not this. They're nothing more than part-swappers with a giant overhead for you to cover for them.

Go the "mechanic friend replaces with reman engine for $2k" route. Drive it for 6 more months and dump it on a trade.

Have the mechanic show you exactly where the crack is. Get some clay and mix super glue in it at a 1:1 ratio and patch it. Just have everything ready cuz it will dry wicked fast.

Mornin Beef wrote:Eat the truck and drive a sandwich, I'm stoned.

What?

mmmmm tahoe taco

Mechanic friend. After a year of no payments, a new trans won't be an issue if needed.

Just a cracked head? Buy another head... if you have a basic mechanics tool kit, torque wrenches, and a case of beer you can replace it in a weekend. I'd buy used remanned head and slap it on. Of course if there is more problems you'd have to address those. Your head probably cracked because you blew the head gasket and never addressed the problem.

With 160k on the clock, you are getting close to needing a new engine. Get the mechanic to put in the used engine for $2k and while you are at it, have the radiator boiled and checked. Cracked heads are indicative of cooling problems. If everything else is in good shape, you should easily get another 50-60,000 miles out of it. You will feel better about the car if you have it detailed and catch up on any maintenance that you might have neglected in the past. Get the tires balanced and the front end aligned and it will feel like a new vehicle.

Thanks for the input fella's.

FlintRiverFowler wrote:Why don't you just go with an engine from a junker?
When the engine went in my 2002 tahoe, my dads mechanic friend pulled the engine from a newer totaled out silverado with only 60k miles on it to replace it. I was less than 2 grand for the whole job.
That 5.3 vortec has got to be the most common engine on the planet. They ran from 1999-2007 in the gmt800 trucks. the exact same engine.

there are several variants of that 5.3.not exact same engines from 1999-2007

Olly wrote:Just a cracked head? Buy another head... if you have a basic mechanics tool kit, torque wrenches, and a case of beer you can replace it in a weekend. I'd buy used remanned head and slap it on. Of course if there is more problems you'd have to address those. Your head probably cracked because you blew the head gasket and never addressed the problem.

Had the truck looked at a few months back and the head gasket was fine, or so I was told. My guess is it cracked because I have a coolant lose issue that got addressed too late and the engine ran hot and possibly cracked it. I think shop number one just replaced a bunch of crap associated with running hot such as the water pump etc and I got screwed. Who knows if they even looked at it or not, I would figure they would jump at the chance though to replace one and make more money if they were shady. I am actually going up there to get all my service records from them to review. Shop B that my truck is at now is a dealership.

one2many wrote:

FlintRiverFowler wrote:Why don't you just go with an engine from a junker?
When the engine went in my 2002 tahoe, my dads mechanic friend pulled the engine from a newer totaled out silverado with only 60k miles on it to replace it. I was less than 2 grand for the whole job.
That 5.3 vortec has got to be the most common engine on the planet. They ran from 1999-2007 in the gmt800 trucks. the exact same engine.

there are several variants of that 5.3.not exact same engines from 1999-2007

This is the smaller V8, the 4.8

I haven't seen the pictures yet but when I go up there this evening to get my truck I will look at them. Said my engine looked like shit, for lack of a better word, tons of sludge in it. I don't know much about working on trucks, especially newer ones with all the compturized stuff.

Weston81 wrote:

one2many wrote:

FlintRiverFowler wrote:Why don't you just go with an engine from a junker?
When the engine went in my 2002 tahoe, my dads mechanic friend pulled the engine from a newer totaled out silverado with only 60k miles on it to replace it. I was less than 2 grand for the whole job.
That 5.3 vortec has got to be the most common engine on the planet. They ran from 1999-2007 in the gmt800 trucks. the exact same engine.

there are several variants of that 5.3.not exact same engines from 1999-2007

This is the smaller V8, the 4.8

Oh shit. That completely blows my theory out of the water.
I'd go with what Olly said anyways. Replace the head. I had to replace my entire engine but that's because my catalytic converter clogged up and melted a few pistons and warped the heads. It was fucked.

Olly wrote:Just a cracked head? Buy another head... if you have a basic mechanics tool kit, torque wrenches, and a case of beer you can replace it in a weekend. I'd buy used remanned head and slap it on. Of course if there is more problems you'd have to address those. Your head probably cracked because you blew the head gasket and never addressed the problem.

The point at which he has coolant in the oil, I'm guessing crank bearings and he lower end are toast too.

FlintRiverFowler wrote:

Weston81 wrote:

one2many wrote:

FlintRiverFowler wrote:Why don't you just go with an engine from a junker?
When the engine went in my 2002 tahoe, my dads mechanic friend pulled the engine from a newer totaled out silverado with only 60k miles on it to replace it. I was less than 2 grand for the whole job.
That 5.3 vortec has got to be the most common engine on the planet. They ran from 1999-2007 in the gmt800 trucks. the exact same engine.

there are several variants of that 5.3.not exact same engines from 1999-2007

This is the smaller V8, the 4.8

Oh shit. That completely blows my theory out of the water.
I'd go with what Olly said anyways. Replace the head. I had to replace my entire engine but that's because my catalytic converter clogged up and melted a few pistons and warped the heads. It was fucked.

damn you smoked that thing

one2many wrote:

FlintRiverFowler wrote:

Weston81 wrote:

one2many wrote:

FlintRiverFowler wrote:Why don't you just go with an engine from a junker?
When the engine went in my 2002 tahoe, my dads mechanic friend pulled the engine from a newer totaled out silverado with only 60k miles on it to replace it. I was less than 2 grand for the whole job.
That 5.3 vortec has got to be the most common engine on the planet. They ran from 1999-2007 in the gmt800 trucks. the exact same engine.

there are several variants of that 5.3.not exact same engines from 1999-2007

This is the smaller V8, the 4.8

Oh shit. That completely blows my theory out of the water.
I'd go with what Olly said anyways. Replace the head. I had to replace my entire engine but that's because my catalytic converter clogged up and melted a few pistons and warped the heads. It was fucked.

damn you smoked that thing

Idiot brother had it for a few weeks. Ignored all the warning lights. Fucker. My granddad paid for the engine and I'm not sure if my brother has worked the full amount off at the farm yet.

DeadEye_Dan wrote:

Olly wrote:Just a cracked head? Buy another head... if you have a basic mechanics tool kit, torque wrenches, and a case of beer you can replace it in a weekend. I'd buy used remanned head and slap it on. Of course if there is more problems you'd have to address those. Your head probably cracked because you blew the head gasket and never addressed the problem.

The point at which he has coolant in the oil, I'm guessing crank bearings and he lower end are toast too.

also would want to check piston and cylinder wall for damage.
2k for a good used motor installed sounds like the best route

DeadEye_Dan wrote:

Olly wrote:Just a cracked head? Buy another head... if you have a basic mechanics tool kit, torque wrenches, and a case of beer you can replace it in a weekend. I'd buy used remanned head and slap it on. Of course if there is more problems you'd have to address those. Your head probably cracked because you blew the head gasket and never addressed the problem.

The point at which he has coolant in the oil, I'm guessing crank bearings and he lower end are toast too.

Yea, after he said new engine on the phone I kinda let my mind wonder off as he rambled off all the shit that was broken.

FlintRiverFowler wrote:Idiot brother had it for a few weeks. Ignored all the warning lights. Fucker. My granddad paid for the engine and I'm not sure if my brother has worked the full amount off at the farm yet.

brothers are a pain

So I need to try and figure out how to make an ice eater out of my old vortec 4.8L V8. I may need to reach out to AT on this one.

While your having your mechanic buddy do the engine, have him do a trans flush, filter and lube, good for another 40-60k