89 Engine Debate

89 Burb Debate- Help
89 burb with 4 inch lift and 33 tires. It has around 170k miles. Everything works great on it but I blew out the headgasket a year ago. It has been sitting in the garage while here and there I work on it. My question is do I sell if for a few hundred as is, put in a new engine, fix the headgaskets and hope it runs ok. With a working engine it might be worth $3000. I also have a 84 jeep that needs lots of love and attention. I have 2 kids and maybe more on the way. But wife would prefer to keep driving her honda civic. DO I keep it or get rid of it.

Also could I put a different engine in it that gets better gas mileage without a lot of modifications???:banghead:

Edit: Mostly used as a grocery getter, pulling cj7 jeep and canoeing.

89 Burb Debate- Help
89 burb with 4 inch lift and 33 tires. It has around 170k miles. Everything works great on it but I blew out the headgasket a year ago. It has been sitting in the garage while here and there I work on it. My question is do I sell if for a few hundred as is, put in a new engine, fix the headgaskets and hope it runs ok. With a working engine it might be worth $3000. I also have a 84 jeep that needs lots of love and attention. I have 2 kids and maybe more on the way. But wife would prefer to keep driving her honda civic. DO I keep it or get rid of it.

Also could I put a different engine in it that gets better gas mileage without a lot of modifications???:banghead:

Edit: Mostly used as a grocery getter, pulling cj7 jeep and canoeing.
You just are not going to get good milage with a suburban, you did not say its a 4*4 but I assume so...given the lift kit. Also is it a 350 or 454. You might gain some milage by swapping about a 454 to a 350 but, perisonally i would not do so. head gasket not a big deal to fix on a 350, assuming thats all the problem. I would fix the head gasket no mater, because you will not be able to get much at all (re-sale) if the engine does not work. Seems that if you have a large family the Suburban makes more sense than the jeep.

I agree with Elbert. Fix the head gasket, its not that expensive for the parts and its not very difficult. Also while you have the head off, might think about taking it somewhere to have it magna-fluxed for cracks. It's cheap and might prevent you from wasting your time reinstalling if the head is cracked.

It is 350 5.7 ltr, four wheel drive. With the lift I was getting about 9 miles per gallon. But I guess that isn't too bad for how much we drive it.
Elbert and Evsman, I have the heads off now, how technical is it to put the heads back on after machined and magna fluxed. I can rebuild a carb and put in a clutch but this head gasket thing is a little over whelming. I also have a full service repair manual for it. thanks for the input-- it helps a lot-- mark

It is 350 5.7 ltr, four wheel drive. With the lift I was getting about 9 miles per gallon. But I guess that isn't too bad for how much we drive it.
Elbert and Evsman, I have the heads off now, how technical is it to put the heads back on after machined and magna fluxed. I can rebuild a carb and put in a clutch but this head gasket thing is a little over whelming. I also have a full service repair manual for it. thanks for the input-- it helps a lot-- mark
If you have the heads off then you are close to half way through. Ask the machine shop to check for cracks and to check the head for general issues and let them know about the head gasket issue. Get all the gasket material off the block and the heads.. "clean is good" same thing on the intake. istall heads and make sure you torque the heads down in the correct manner according to the manual. The install push rods.....here is where it gets tricky. YOu can adjust the pushrods "cold" following the manual, or hot and I belive the manual addresses both ways. IF you do it hot then get some of the oil deflectors that attach to the rocker arms (messey job). Get a shop manual. Don't use the rubber gaskets at the front and rear of the intake, use a large bead of the appropriate silocone material at the front and rear of the intake to form your gasket. When you are ready to install the intake, apply a large bead to the referenced area, let it get tacky before you set intak on block (use the gaskets on the sides, like you normally do) I would change the oil before you start the engine, and shortly after you have run it for just a little bit. Coolant in the oil is bad news. THe part you need to read up on is adjusting the push-rods. Be good to ask a friend to come by thats done this before. Do the oil changes and save yourself some potential grief.
Adjusting the push rods also referred to as adjusting the valves on a small block.

Elbert, Doesn't seem too bad or difficult from what you have said. Maybe I will give this a try in the next few weeks when it's not 17 degrees outside.