93 sunbird a few problems

[cartech1985]

ok so my friends mom gave me this 93 sunbird le with the 2litre 3 spd auto in it, it only has 87k on it. well the problems it has are the Temp gauge dont read it just goes up an down and if you drive the highway at 65 or so steady for a while when you get off it stalls out, but starts back up. i have no idea about these problems, but i do kno it has a blown head gasket, and was wondering how much of a pain in the ass it is to do. and if you can help with any ideas how to fix the other problems i would apreciate it thanks

[cbushnell]

The head gasket isn't really much of a challenge to fix. The big question will be, is the head still good? You really should have it tested after removing (before buying head gaskets and such). As far as the quiting problem... Is the car an automatic? If it is, does it quit when you stop the car at the end of the exit ramp, or when you let off the gas? I had an '88 cavalier that would quit when I stoped the end of the exit ramp. It would "buck" like stopping a manual without using the clutch. Anyhow, the problem was the locking torque converter. If this sounds like what you are experiencing you can unplug the small, black plug on the front of the transmission. I would recommend taping up with electrical tape or something, just in case that ends up not being the problem (you don't want the plug getting all dirty). If you do this you may notice a decrease in your gas mileage, since the torque converter will no longer lock into direct drive. But you can buy a lot of gass for the $250 cost of a new converter, plus whatever time/money expenses incurred with removing the transmission to change the converter. Hope this helps.

--Chad