Sorry for another question but things just seem to keep happening:

My brother has a 2002 Dodge Dakota truck with a v6. King cab 150,000
miles. He took it to Midas and had a new heater core, coolant flush,
etc a month ago. Spent about 700 bucks.

Anyway he was driving it and it overheated and began blowing out
clouds of white smoke. He took it to Midas. They said it would be a
3-4 hour job at 70 bucks an hour to take it apart and find out what is
wrong. Since my brother mentioned to them that he was wanting a new
vehicle anyway, they offered to buy it as is for 275.00.

When my mother told me I called the mechanic at Midas. He said it was
billowing smoke so much they had to open the bay doors. Think he said
they did a pressure test and it was not holding pressure and it was
leaking coolant internally.

I got a call from my mom last night saying that if I wanted the truck
I could just have it. If not, they were going to sell it to the guy at
Midas.

What are the odds this is just a head gasket and not a cracked block
or head? I have replaced heads before but it was a long time ago.
Would this be worth me takign and trying to fix to sell it or am I
asking for a headache?

stryped wrote:
Very good chance that it's a bad gasket. The flush probably cleaned out
some deposits the were holding it together before.

--
Steve W.
Near Cooperstown, New York

On Dec 12, 12:58*pm, "Steve W." <csr684... (AT) yahoo (DOT) com> wrote:
Well, my brother is bringing the truck to me today. After the
holidays
I will take the heads off and see what is goign on. I fugure worst
case scenario I can haul it to the junk yard but it is a nice looking
truck.

I found out it is a 2000, not an 02 and has about 160,000 miles.


I have never done a head gasket on a car before. It is usually
obviosu
when takign the head off if it is the head gasket? I guess parts of
the gasket woudl be missing?


My brother said it keept being low on coolant and he kept putting
coolant in. It overheated on him and the dash light came on and he
immediately stopped and parked it across form Midas. The next morngi
he started it to drive it over there and that is when he noticed alot
of smoke.


He said it had been runnign fine but that for several weeks there
seemed to be hesitation with the engine.