Is it better to change a head gasket or change the whole engine block ?

I own a Pontiac Montana with a 3.4 litre engine. The head gasket is leaking.I%26#039;m told that to change the engine block would be a better solution than just having the head gasket changed. I just want to keep the car a few more years ! Any thoughts or comments please...This is very confusing!


Thanx|||it depends. when a head gasket leaks, there is a possibility that antifreeze can escape into other regions of the motor (i.e. cam, crank) the last thing that you want is antifreeze inside of your block... antifreeze can destroy the bottom end of a motor, particularly rod bearings which can lead to a rod knock, and possibly a thrown rod...





i say, change the oil, see if there is any antifreeze in it, ( you can tell for certian, because antifreeze will seperate from oil) if not, you can try just replacing the head gasket.





i honestly think you%26#039;re better off trying to find a motor out of a junkyard or something....|||depends on the mileage and the maintenance done on the engine. if you have keep up with oil changes and regular maintenance than i would say just the head gasket but if you haven%26#039;t, then when it gets taken apart, all the sludge in there can come loose and destroy the engine anyway.|||no, you just replace the head gasket


if there is no internal engine damage you dont rebuild the engine, and changing the actual block isnt a good idea|||You don%26#039;t need to change the engine for a blown head gasket..BUT be sure that if you have the head gasket changed that you also make sure that the head gets resurfaced to be sure that the head didn%26#039;t get warped. Most heads are made out of aluminum these days and when they get over heated they tend to warp and need to be flattened out ( machined ) so that the head casket can seal between the head and block..Its kinda a big job so be prepared to spend some cash ..$1000-$1500 maybe..good luck..|||How much money you got??