On Mar 1, 10:34 pm, jim beam <spamvor...@bad.example.net> wrote:
> nipr...@yahoo.com wrote:
> > Just heard back from the shop and they tell me that it's definitely a
> > blown gasket and/or cracked head. They haven't pulled the head yet
> > though.
>
> > I'm just wondering how common is it to crack the head on these
> > engines, when the head gasket goes? Even if they have to mill the
> > head they told me I'm looking at a ~$700 repair, which seems
> > reasonable. If the head's cracked... not sure I even want to think
> > about that.
>
> don't repair, replace. you can buy a replacement jdm engine for
> substantially less. - ~$300. only reason to repair is if it's new or
> rare. your motor is neither.

Agreed. Also, the folks doing swaps to the DOHC B series are pretty
much giving the old motors away; only, of course, you have to get a
guarantee that the new motor doesn't have a cracked head.

Although an drivetrain swap sounds more drastic, in fact there are a
lot more things that can go seriously wrong with replacing a head, let
alone rebuilding/resurfacing it, than with a simple power trains swap.
Including long term problems like when it turns out the new head
wasn't torqued down right and blows the gasket again a year or two
later...