Harry from chicago Posted December 3, 2014 Report Share Posted December 3, 2014 I have a 1998 seville sls with 52,000 miles and have been told by cadillac that the head gaskets are blown. Most mechanics dont want to touch this...and I have decided to replace the engine with either a rebuilt engine or one from a respected(?) junkyard with 90,000 miles on it. Can anyone tell me what I should expect to pay and if this is worth it? I am only the 2nd owner and the car is in really nice shape. Any advise would be greatly appreciated. HH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockfangd Posted December 4, 2014 Report Share Posted December 4, 2014 I would only repair the current engine. only 55k miles that engine is not even broken in yet. My 96 has over 200k and runs like new. If you buy a used engine you may still have issues. You could go to Jasper. I think they still do them. Best of luck to you GM FAN FOREVER Nice, clean, luxury= fine automobile Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airmike Posted December 4, 2014 Report Share Posted December 4, 2014 I agree with rockfangd, Don't get a salvage yard engine. No matter how respected, they don't know the condition of the head gaskets on the replacement engine. You wouldn't want to drive it for a year and then be where you are again. If anyone is going to open that engine up to check, it might as well be your engine! Low miles and guaranteed to fit right back where it came from. If you are considering removing your engine yourself, you could then have someone else (dealer?) do the repair for a reasonable fee I would think. Cadillac Jim did the Jasper routine, and will likely chime in on his thoughts and cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHE Posted December 4, 2014 Report Share Posted December 4, 2014 How did the dealer determine the headgaskets were bad? I'm assuming the car is overheating but there are other things that will cause the engine to overheat besides the headgaskets. A clogged purge line is one of them. If the head gaskets are bad, I would definitely repair the current engine. You will then know exactly what you have. Barczy01 repairs them in the Indianapolis area which is not far from Chicago. I'm sure he will chime in here. Kevin '93 Fleetwood Brougham '05 Deville '04 Deville 2013 Silverado Z71 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barczy01 Posted December 4, 2014 Report Share Posted December 4, 2014 Listen to the members above a used engine is 90% more than likely to have a problem in 3-6 months with leaking oil and or overheating. A local cadillac dealer recently install 2 used engine in a car from LKQ and they both had bad head gaskets. Have the car properly diagnosed, don't install any stop leak or blue deville head gasket repair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry from chicago Posted December 4, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2014 Thanks! Cant believe how close i was to pulling the trigger on the used engine!! My mechanic repace the water pump and radiator but i kept leakinf anti freeze and my check engine light kept coming on, that is when i brought it to cadillac and they pressure tested the engine and told me the head gaskets were blown. Can you give me an idea on how much it would cost to repair my engine? Barczy01 would love to get this to you, just not sure it would make it to indy. Do you know of a way to get it to you, or anyone in the chicago area you could recommend? FYI...this is a great forum, thanks again for all the expert advise! HH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockfangd Posted December 4, 2014 Report Share Posted December 4, 2014 I had the engine done in my 97 Seville and I thank god I did. I go long trips and drive it hard, I know what has been done and that it is reliable under any condition I have put it through. Welcome to Caddyinfo GM FAN FOREVER Nice, clean, luxury= fine automobile Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHE Posted December 5, 2014 Report Share Posted December 5, 2014 Thanks! Cant believe how close i was to pulling the trigger on the used engine!! My mechanic repace the water pump and radiator but i kept leakinf anti freeze and my check engine light kept coming on, that is when i brought it to cadillac and they pressure tested the engine and told me the head gaskets were blown. Can you give me an idea on how much it would cost to repair my engine? Barczy01 would love to get this to you, just not sure it would make it to indy. Do you know of a way to get it to you, or anyone in the chicago area you could recommend? FYI...this is a great forum, thanks again for all the expert advise! HH Classic case of a mechanic who has no experience with a Northstar engine. They replace the radiator and when that doesn't fix it, they replace the water pump which still doesn't fix the problem. Why they replace the water pump is beyond me..... The pump always pumps coolant unless the belt is shot or the pump bearings are bad. If the bearings are bad, the pump leaks out the weep hole to the ground but it STILL pumps coolant. Check the width of the car - The Seville should be narrow enough to allow 3 inches per side clearance to the fenders of a tow dolly. You can rent a tow dolly from U-Haul for a two way rate for a decent price. If you or a buddy has a vehicle that can tow 4000 lbs., that would be the way to go. Kevin '93 Fleetwood Brougham '05 Deville '04 Deville 2013 Silverado Z71 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry from chicago Posted December 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2014 Listen to the members above a used engine is 90% more than likely to have a problem in 3-6 months with leaking oil and or overheating. A local cadillac dealer recently install 2 used engine in a car from LKQ and they both had bad head gaskets. Have the car properly diagnosed, don't install any stop leak or blue deville head gasket repair. Listen to the members above a used engine is 90% more than likely to have a problem in 3-6 months with leaking oil and or overheating. A local cadillac dealer recently install 2 used engine in a car from LKQ and they both had bad head gaskets. Have the car properly diagnosed, don't install any stop leak or blue deville head gasket repair. If I can get my caddy to Indy can you give me a ball park figure at what im looking at to have this engine fixed? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barczy01 Posted December 6, 2014 Report Share Posted December 6, 2014 1800$ lower bearing case reseal and inserts in block. It's gonna be a week but get it to me so I can fit you in line, I have 3 cars in line now and maybe 1 more on the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterset Posted December 6, 2014 Report Share Posted December 6, 2014 Leaking antifreeze - unless it is bubbling out of the surge tank is not a sign of a blown head gasket. If the leak is coming from somewhere around the engine, i'd lean more towards a rusted out crossover pipe. Consider performing the dye test on your coolant surge tank. Im not convinced its your head gaskets yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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