ok, a friend had their car towed to a shop after a major major overheat. she knew that the thermostat was bad but drove it anyway. They looked at it and said it had a blown head gasket or a cracked block or a cracked head so she asked me to have a look. The car started up and ran pretty good, no coolant in the oil or anything so i shut it down and opened the radiator, I found the radiator empty. I filled it with water and then went to start the car and water shot out of the filler like a geyser, covering everything in water. Then the car wouldnt start unless i held the gas to the floor, and once it started it ran like crap until all the water was gone and then it ran great. My question is this, compression is without a doubt in my mind working its way into the cooling system, so it has a blown head gasket and probably a warped head because she let it overheat so bad. If the oil and coolant do not mix, does this mean the block is good and the head didnt crack? just a head gasket?

 

ummm lets see pay big $$ to get that engine rebuilt or get a used motor for the same amt and swap it in......I'd go the second route

car details plz

 

car is kinda off topic (sorry) 1997 ford escort with a 2 liter, 150k

 

If that thing has the motor I think it does in it, then the block is built like a tank. I'd guess that it was OK.

but you'll have better luck asking this question almost anywhere else.

 

In my personal experiences with a coolant geyser situation, no oil in coolant and/or coolant in oil, it's been a blown head gasket. Now where you are saying the operator drove the car and severely over heated it. The cheapest way to go would be put pressure on teh cooling system and see if there is any coolant in the block. If not, then remove the head & inspect the HG, rotate the crank and check the cylinder walls (doubtful you'll find any cracks if there is no coolant in the oil after the pressure test) Then I would definitely have the head checked by a machine shop for cracks and warping while you have it off. If all is good go ahead and just replace the HG and thermostat, a fail safe one preferably.

Depending on where you are you may be able to find a fairly decent used engine for the same price. But then you have to pay for, or DIY, the swap on top of that.

 

yeah im thinking pull the head inspect it all then send the head to a machine shop to get checked for cracks and have it milled flat, she drove it with a bad thermostat and ran the temp gauge as far hot as it goes until the car stalled but it does still run now that it cooled