[Pat41]

Hi auszookers,

I'm pretty sure the 1994 Suzuki Sierra SJ70 (g13ba engine with 150,000 kms) that I bought a few months ago has a blown head gasket or cracked head. The symptoms are:
- overheating after driving for several hours
- difficulty starting sometimes when cold
- stalling sometimes when idling before getting warm
- coolant not getting sucked back from the reservoir
- coolant reservoir and radiator smelling like exhaust when removing the caps
- blowing lots of white smoke from the exhaust before engine warms up (no smoke once at operating temperature). Maybe that's normal, I don't know
- engine power feels pretty gutless, but this is the only Sierra I've ever driven, so perhaps that's normal
- highish warm idle ~1200rpm

I was in denial about a cracked head/gasket until I noticed the exhaust smell in the coolant. So, my questions are:
- how much work goes into the getting the head off?
- if I find that the head gasket was blown, but there's no warping in the head or block, is it okay just to slap a new gasket on without getting the surfaces decked?
- if the surfaces do need to be decked, how much extra work goes into getting the block out?
- does the block need to be pulled apart in order to be decked? i.e., removal of crank shaft, pistons etc.
- if its a cracked head, how difficult is it to source decent G13BA heads nowadays?
- if I was to get a mechanic to do the job, roughly how much would it cost? I'm guessing a lot cheaper than doing the head gasket on a modern car.

I know there are plenty of threads of this, but I can't seem to find any answers to these questions. Thanks for any help.

[BlueSuzy]

Pat41 wrote:

Hi auszookers,
I was in denial about a cracked head/gasket until I noticed the exhaust smell in the coolant. So, my questions are:
- how much work goes into the getting the head off? Depends. These cars are quite simple. Simple tools. Helps if you have a workshop manual for reassembling later
- if I find that the head gasket was blown, but there's no warping in the head or block, is it okay just to slap a new gasket on without getting the surfaces decked? You may not be able to tell that it has blown, And you wont find a crack in the head unless you test it with the right dye procedures or pressure tests
- if the surfaces do need to be decked, how much extra work goes into getting the block out? Block should be ok
- does the block need to be pulled apart in order to be decked? i.e., removal of crank shaft, pistons etc. Block should be ok
- if its a cracked head, how difficult is it to source decent G13BA heads nowadays? You'd be able to find another second hand. I cant find them new with a quick google
- if I was to get a mechanic to do the job, roughly how much would it cost? I'm guessing a lot cheaper than doing the head gasket on a modern car.Last g16b head i took in was 600 and they supplied vrs gasket kit, But probably 1k now. You'd have to ask around shops Drive in Drive out would be more.

I know there are plenty of threads of this, but I can't seem to find any answers to these questions. Thanks for any help.

[Pat41]

BlueSuzy wrote:

Pat41 wrote:

Hi auszookers,
I was in denial about a cracked head/gasket until I noticed the exhaust smell in the coolant. So, my questions are:
- how much work goes into the getting the head off? Depends. These cars are quite simple. Simple tools. Helps if you have a workshop manual for reassembling later
- if I find that the head gasket was blown, but there's no warping in the head or block, is it okay just to slap a new gasket on without getting the surfaces decked? You may not be able to tell that it has blown, And you wont find a crack in the head unless you test it with the right dye procedures or pressure tests
- if the surfaces do need to be decked, how much extra work goes into getting the block out? Block should be ok
- does the block need to be pulled apart in order to be decked? i.e., removal of crank shaft, pistons etc. Block should be ok
- if its a cracked head, how difficult is it to source decent G13BA heads nowadays? You'd be able to find another second hand. I cant find them new with a quick google
- if I was to get a mechanic to do the job, roughly how much would it cost? I'm guessing a lot cheaper than doing the head gasket on a modern car.Last g16b head i took in was 600 and they supplied vrs gasket kit, But probably 1k now. You'd have to ask around shops Drive in Drive out would be more.

I know there are plenty of threads of this, but I can't seem to find any answers to these questions. Thanks for any help.

Thanks, Blue! I've read conflicting advice on reusing the head bolts, what's your opinion on that?

[fordem]

On a G13ba, there are no restrictions on the reuse of head bolts, all Suzuki says in the FSM is to gradually tighten with a torque wrench in the sequence provided, of course with the final torque being specified.