i own a 93 merc. cougar with a blown head gasket. i tride to take it to several auto shops where i live and no one will touch it, why is that? is this somthing i could do my slef, and is it worth it?
Alexis
Let me guess, it’s the 3.8L V6. The reason nobody really wants to do it, is because the cost of the repair will come close to value of the car. This not a job you can do yourself if you don’t have a machine shop in your garage.
Let me first say a decent shop will tell you exactly why they don’t want to do it. If it is the over all cost they should be up front and say so. It is not clear if you gave them a chance to explain themselves. In any event, Fo Daddy is correct. You need to have the heads inspected for cracks and machined flat. You could do much of the work your self and send the heads to an automotive machine shop that will do the inspection and machining. Also, you don’t have to do both heads. I know there will be some professionals out there swearing at me and ready to call me a moron. But, a friend of mine has the same car and only repaired the side that blew 4 four years ago. It has run great since. Is there some risk… yea. If you are going to do the work yourself it is well worth it in my opinion.
If you are not going to do the work yourself you need to evaluate differently. I know the cost at a shop few years ago was around $1200 in a Taurus/Sable with the 3.8L. Being front wheel drive it is tougher due to more obstructions etc. The rear wheel drive Cougar should be a bit easier.
My sister-in-law has a 95 Mercury Cougar with the same motor and problem. Shops wanted anywhere between $1200-$2000 to fix the problem. Pricing depended on how much damage was caused by the leaking head gasket to the rest of the motor. This is definitely not a DIY job unless you own both a garage and a machine shop. And engine sealers are useless.
there is a machine shop nearby i know them personally i go in with my mom alot, the car is rwd. i want to do the work myself because it is my first car and this is wat i want to do for a living and wat better experience than on my car, i dont have to worrw about messing up someone elses.
It would probably be far more economical to find a used engine and install it. I know that is the case for 4.6 l V8s in RWD vehicles. In this case it depends on the supply of the engine you need.