my car had a small antifreeze leak the mechanic said i need a intake gasket, he said he said it may need a head gasket but he need to fix the intake gasket first. i said can you see if i need a head gasket, i want to know if i really want to invest further in the vehicle he said he has to fix intake first.now he tells me i need head gasket,my car was running perfect it was not running hot just a very small leak. what did he do wrong? i really feel like i’m being taken for a ride.
Find a mechanic you trust to work on your truck. You will never have any peace of mind if you think you are being cheated. Maybe the mechanic was trying to save you money. Maybe he was just stacking the work and profit. There is no way for anyone to know from reading posts on a forum.
The intake manifold gaskets were a weak point in those engines; head gaskets seldom failed because the head and block were both cast iron. My 1988 Chevy V8 (305) had a leaking manifold gasket which got repaired for $150.
The radiator shop where I had a leak fixed spotted it immediately, did additonal leak tests and concluded the head gaskets were OK.
By all means go to a knowledgeable shop and get it fixed properly without guesswork.
Look in the CarTalk Mechanics’ Files for a good mechanic. This leak could get worse.
okay
okay.i called another mechanic and told him exactly what the first mechanic said, and he said i need another engine and not to bother with the head gasket.