'98 Mustang Burning Coolant

[tokra]

Well here's the scoop. I own a '98 mustang with a 3.8 liter engine. I have noticed a slow loss of coolant for several months now, but after blowing a coolant hose last month, it has picked up speed to the point where I'm filling my reservoir every 3 days (average travel dist. of 60 miles). This was very puzzling to me because I've had no pooling under the car, and no symptoms of coolant in the oil. Well I recently noticed I have white exhaust smoke, (which has gone unnoticed in the cold this Michigan winter).

After reading several articles online, I'm 99% positive it’s a head gasket but I have no idea where to look for replacement parts or the first steps to swapping them out. I've never done any engine work myself, and with money being a little tight lately, it looks a lot more appealing. How should I go about fixing this problem?

[351wStang]

Take it to a trusted mechanic. I know that doing it yourself sounds better for your wallet. But a head job is a big job. Its not just a simple unbolt old part bolt on new part here. With your 3.8l there will be many electrical sensors and other small parts that you will have to remove to get to the heads. But you will have to put all those parts back in the right place. If you have never done any engine work then this is the wrong job to start with. Yes a mechanic will cost more, but you will get your car back sooner too.

To do it yourself you also have to know what to look for. You will need to check the head deck. It wouldn't be a bad idea to get the head with the leaky cylinder magnafluxed and machine out any possible warp. You will have to know exactly how the new head gasket goes on and if it takes any sealant or not, as well as any other gasket. Suck as the intake, valve cover, thermostat, throttle body...

Your not ready to do this on your own. It will be cheaper in the long run to take it to a good mechanic. You don't want to rip it apart and not be able to get it back together. Then you would be stuck with a tow bill plus the parts/labor to replace the head gasket, and possibly a little extra because the mechanic has to figure out where these parts you screwed with are supposed to go.

[tokra]

Darn... I guess I'll start making some calls tomarrow. Any idea what price range I can expect to pay?

[351wStang]

Not right off I don't, sorry.