Hi everyone. I have an 05 DHS with 107k on it. Got it inspected last week, and started overheating going up hills. I checked the purge line and it was fine. Took it to my usual mechanic and it failed the block test. He's quoting me $2200 as best case scenario, but said I'd be better off selling it how it is.
Not really sure what to do and don't even know what it's worth. Ran perfect until the over heating. Interior is almost perfect, body is good except for a lot of scratches on the front bumper. Would it be better trying to find a lower mileage motor and swapping it instead of the just doing the head gaskets since it involves pulling the motor anyway?
If you like the car and the car is "worth it" to you, repair the engine. A top overhaul, using studs instead or inserts, is the long-term bulletproof solution. A used engine is a crapshoot - it could fail next week. Not a good idea from any angle.
Study the several sticky threads on the engine and other systems in the Engines; Northstar forum. you'll need some background knowledge before going off half-cocked.
Where are you ??? Many Northstar owners in here have experience with reliable cylinder block head bolt hole repairs and top overhauls. You may have an experienced shop in your back yard - and it takes someone who KNOWS these engines to do a first-rate job.
Please don't pour any snake oil into the coolant and further destroy the engine.
With engine failure the car is in POOR condition. Look up the closest pricing - for your area - in www.kbb.com
Yeah, that's why I bought an 05. But here I am with my luck. I'm in the Pittsburgh area. Starting to lean towards getting it fixed because I don't think the savings of the repair cost with the sale of it as is would get me a better car. And no, I won't use any of that miracle liquid.
My mechanic said that he's only done one of these before, and that has me a bit nervous. Are there any mechanics around me that have more experience?
The kbb value in fair condition (doesn't list poor) is $5800. I paid $4000 for it.
Be sure that whoever does the job is going to drill and retap all 20 head bolt holes and either insert or stud them and be sure they know that they cannot reuse the head bolts.
Not sure if you've got it taken care of or not, but a certified Cady mechanic in Limerick PA did mine and I've had no issues with it since , if you like let me know to give you his contact info
Well reading their explanation of their repair, they say they drill and tap the holes, then install new head bolts. So one would assume that they're using inserts, except the picture at the top of the page shows a studded engine.....
2005 already has coarse threads (i guess you could go up to NormSert thread pitch) but we have done headgasket jobs on quite a few coarse thread northstarts (2004.5-2011) and none have had pulled threads
We have had a few M11 x 2.0 Northstars through our shop, We had an 05 GXP with 5 Pulled bolts, you also have to remember with the Northstars its a matter of time when they start to fail not Mileage.
after talking w/ our HG guru a bit this morning it seems that all the coarse threaded HG jobs we've done have been due to loose bolts
friday afternoon or monday morning vehicles maybe?
after talking w/ our HG guru a bit this morning it seems that all the coarse threaded HG jobs we've done have been due to loose bolts friday afternoon or monday morning vehicles maybe?
They seem to be more common of the FWD Northstars VS the RWD but i still think they have issues.
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