# Head gasket? Or what? Lots of white smoke **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** chevrolet\ **Created:** [April 22, 2015, 9:32am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/head-gasket-or-what-lots-of-white-smoke/89738 "2015-04-22T09:32:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![2002\_z71\_tahoe](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/2002_z71_tahoe/32/2940_2.png) [@2002\_z71\_tahoe](https://community.cartalk.com/u/2002_z71_tahoe)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2015, 10:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/head-gasket-or-what-lots-of-white-smoke/89738/61 "2015-04-30T22:57:12Z")
Car is at a shop now. I found an engine for 500$ with 165,000 miles and 3 month warranty and a shop that is putting it in for 500$. I also got a free spare ECU and fuse box in the deal. And I already have a buyer lined up for the old engine for 300$. ---
**Author:** ![2002\_z71\_tahoe](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/2002_z71_tahoe/32/2940_2.png) [@2002\_z71\_tahoe](https://community.cartalk.com/u/2002_z71_tahoe)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2015, 10:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/head-gasket-or-what-lots-of-white-smoke/89738/62 "2015-04-30T22:57:27Z")
Thank you everyone for your help ---
**Author:** ![PvtPublic](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/pvtpublic/32/13089_2.png) [@PvtPublic](https://community.cartalk.com/u/PvtPublic)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2015, 11:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/head-gasket-or-what-lots-of-white-smoke/89738/63 "2015-04-30T23:14:58Z")
$500 for an engine with 165k? Keep digging you are bound to hit bottom soon enough. ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2015, 1:46am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/head-gasket-or-what-lots-of-white-smoke/89738/64 "2015-05-01T01:46:34Z")
Assuming that 165k miles engine is half decent I don’t think the price is out of line and especially if they’re throwing the fuse box and ECU in as part of the deal. The yards around here will ask for triple or quadruple that on a somewhat low miles engine. Selling the old one for 300 leaves you with a net 200 in it so that ain’t bad at all. ---
**Author:** ![shadowfax](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/shadowfax/32/13026_2.png) [@shadowfax](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shadowfax)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2015, 5:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/head-gasket-or-what-lots-of-white-smoke/89738/65 "2015-05-01T17:49:34Z")
Net 700 - he’s still paying that guy to install it. ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2015, 5:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/head-gasket-or-what-lots-of-white-smoke/89738/66 "2015-05-01T17:58:23Z")
True enough but I was just looking at it from a parts standpoint. He would possibly pay the same labor even if the engine were brand new and a freebie. ---
**Author:** ![shadowfax](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/shadowfax/32/13026_2.png) [@shadowfax](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shadowfax)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2015, 8:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/head-gasket-or-what-lots-of-white-smoke/89738/67 "2015-05-01T20:04:42Z")
That’s true as well. I’m looking at it from a “You’re putting HOW much into this heap that someone else destroyed before unloading it on you!?” perspective. At some point, preferably very much before this point, OP should cut his losses. ---
**Author:** ![Honda-Blackbird](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/honda-blackbird/32/3159_2.png) [@Honda-Blackbird](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Honda-Blackbird)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2015, 9:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/head-gasket-or-what-lots-of-white-smoke/89738/68 "2015-05-01T21:03:46Z")
Not too bad of an “Out” for this I guess. I dont know what to say sometimes when I give advice because I am of the mind to simply repair it myself. But what happens when you dont know how to do this or dont have the insane number of tools it takes sometimes. Glad you are on the way to a resolution. In the future…if you dont have a mechanic type in your friends or family group…Go grab any mechanic and hand him some cash to “Go Over” the vehicle you are thinking of buying. Most guys wont mind doing this at all really. Its cheap insurance against a nightmare like this one. Blackbird [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/head-gasket-or-what-lots-of-white-smoke/89738.md?page=3)