1995 c/k pickup: Engine studders and has coolant in oil. Blown head gasket?

[carrington312]

My truck overheated and now studders when started and also has coolant in the oil. Im thinking maybe a blown head gasket? Im not sure .
Please help!

[The_Mechanic_33]

what size engine and how many miles on truck and how long u drive it while overheating? Sound like u are right could be intake but if lots of miles might as well bite the bullet and do the heads too.

[ukrkoz]

you can have coolant leaking OUTSIDE through the intake gasket, but coolant in oil - headgasket it is.

i'd even add that because it studders - you have coolant leaking into the cylinder/-s. it's not too bad of a job to do, just time taking.
if you were to do it DIY, don't foget to dry out every bolt hole so that there's no coolant left in it before re-assembling. of course, you could pull your oil pan off, drop pistons down through the pan, and replace tierod bearings and piston rings same time. hone walls. some elbow grease to clean combustion chambers, re-grind valves - hey, new engine!

[wafrederick]

Another case is if one cylinder head or both cylinder heads are cracked.A reman engine is cheaper than rebuilding with a better warranty.A rebuild for a stock 350 is about fifteen hundred in my area and a reman Jasper is twelve hundred with a 3 year, 100,000 mile warranty.

[ukrkoz]

last time i did "in engine bay" rebuild my cost was $470 and 2 days of fairly intensive labor. if the motor as running good, no loss in mpg or smokes, indicating tight cylinder alls, standard piston rings and tierod bearings ill do.
so, you need honing tool, spring compressor tool rented, hand drill, headgasket, plenum gasket, exhaust manifold gaskets, maybe some minor ones here and there, piston rings, tierod bearings, hack might as ell do timing chain and all belts, hence you are "in there" anyway.

i doubt it'll cost even $500 oh, and lots of kerosin and nice wirebrush.

[herkyhawki]

Originally Posted by ukrkoz

...., tierod bearings, ......

CONNECTING ROD BEARINGS