Trying to cure 2.2 head problem

[Chevy 1995]

Hi everyone,

I am new to this forum, and I desperately need some help here. I have the infamous 2.2 liters engine in my 95 s-10 and it just blew its first head. I had to replace it, because this truck is my daily driver and I needed it to be repaired quickly. But now that it's running again, I will do whatever I can to prevent that problem from happening again. Searching the internet for info about fixing the problem led me nowhere. Every site I found showed how to swap the head for a new one, but not how to prevent the damn thing from breaking again.

A friend of mine told me it was possible the put a 2.3 head on my engine (same bolt pattern), but it would make the comp. ratio go up. So, my first question is "Is this true?". If it's true, then we could start talking about the technical stuff.

One other option came to my mind. First, is there a place *somewhere* on this planet where they sell 2.2 CAST IRON heads? That would get rid of my problem...but I guess such a thing doesn't exist.

Before anyone starts talking about an engine swap, I can't do this now. I am a college student, and an engine swap would cost more than what I paid for the truck. Also, if I *could* actually swap a 4.3 fairly easily and cheaply, with gas costing almost a 1$ / liter (yes, you read liter) here, I could not afford to feed the engine.

If someone has another option to solve my problem, please tell me. I would like to avoid changing the whole truck, because it is clean like when it left the factory, and only has 110 000 km (about 68 000 miles). A clean truck like this, with low mileage is very hard to come by, not mentionning that it would be expensive. I paid 7500$ for mine 2 years ago and now it is only worth 2000$ ...

Thanks for your time.

[BlazerLT]

Leave the truck alone and drive it.

You cannot do anything to stop them from blowing.

And don't start swapping different parts on it seeing your friend doesn't know what he is talking about. Best not to listen to him anymore.

Just keep it tuned up completely and if you have a 5 speed, learn to not lug the engine. Rev the engine up to 2500-3000rpms before shifting so you are in the power band.

[kenyonja2007]

I agree, just leave it alone. Buying a much more expensive, possibly "less apt to break" head would probably set you back more money than leaving it alone and seeing that you may not have the same problem again. If it happens again, than you can count me wrong, but I don't think it would. Plus, I've never heard of a 2.3L.

[BlazerLT]

Actually, 2.2L heads are cast iron.

[Chevy 1995]

yeah....I was afraid the 2.3 head thing was just a "myth" or something. It seems there's nothing to do to solve the problem (within my budget). So I'll go to plan B : find a new truck, a reliable one that won't break .

I've heard a lot of good things about ford rangers V6 3.0 1997 and up. Pre 1997 3.0 are presumably prone to head gasket failure (besides, changing the truck is a good occasion to go with a newer one). Would a, say, 98-99 ranger be a good reliable truck? I do mostly highway driving with it and I have a very gentle driving style, I'm not rough with the engine. For further information, it would be a 2x4, standard cab, automatic. Would my nightmare end with a vehicule like this?

I think if I sell my S-10 myself, I'll be able to push it up to about 4000$. I contacted a car dealer, and he said he could find me a ranger like I described, very clean and with low mileage, for 6000-6500$ max, including taxes and everything (prices are in CAN dollars). Paying a balance of 2000-2500$ would not be so bad. A 3.0 engine would also give me good mpg, heck, I'm sure I could get more mpg than my S-10 during summer. I only get 31 mpg now at the very best. My father gets 38 mpg with his 3.1 grand-am!

[BlazerLT]

Originally Posted by Chevy 1995

yeah....I was afraid the 2.3 head thing was just a "myth" or something. It seems there's nothing to do to solve the problem (within my budget). So I'll go to plan B : find a new truck, a reliable one that won't break .

I've heard a lot of good things about ford rangers V6 3.0 1997 and up. Pre 1997 3.0 are presumably prone to head gasket failure (besides, changing the truck is a good occasion to go with a newer one). Would a, say, 98-99 ranger be a good reliable truck? I do mostly highway driving with it and I have a very gentle driving style, I'm not rough with the engine. For further information, it would be a 2x4, standard cab, automatic. Would my nightmare end with a vehicule like this?

I think if I sell my S-10 myself, I'll be able to push it up to about 4000$. I contacted a car dealer, and he said he could find me a ranger like I described, very clean and with low mileage, for 6000-6500$ max, including taxes and everything (prices are in CAN dollars). Paying a balance of 2000-2500$ would not be so bad. A 3.0 engine would also give me good mpg, heck, I'm sure I could get more mpg than my S-10 during summer. I only get 31 mpg now at the very best. My father gets 38 mpg with his 3.1 grand-am!

Honestly, what is with the exaggerations?

Your head gasket is fixed, why are you constantly worrying about it?

If it runs and runs well, why the hell are you selling it. You worried sometime in the next ten years it will blow? My god, overreact much?

Head gasket could blow on the new truck as well. These things just happen.

The ranger is a gutless piece of crap and gets about 17-18 mpg on the highway. It is underpowered and is geared really low especially if you get a 4x4.

So drive you truck, the 2.2L is not a "infamous" engine to blow heads, they all do and the 2.2L is actually a VERY strong engine aka "Iron Duke".

Why are you complaining about getting 31mpg?!!!!

I get 23MPG with a tail wind. Don't start comparing your TRUCK with a CAR'S economy. 31mpg in a truck is borderline stellar so enjoy the truck and save your money.

But for god's sake, RELAX and bury the paranoia.

[Chevy 1995]

I'm not worried about it breaking in ten years, I'm worried about it breaking in 6 months. I think your are confusing the engine with another one. I have a 1995 s-10 with the same engine as the cavalier. My uncle has a 2.2. The head gasket broke 2 times last year. There's a s-10 exactly like mine where I work, the head gasket broke 3 times last year and the temp gauge is starting to act funny again. My neighbor has a 2.2 too, and it keeps blowing the head gasket. Even when I called to buy a new head and gasket when my truck broke, the guy asked which engine, I said 1995 chevy 2.2, he replied he makes almost half of his year profit with gm 2.2 heads...I thought when I bought my truck that if I didn't beat it and if I was gentle with it, it would not break like everyone else's engines. God, I was wrong. I broke even with my careful maintenance and gentle driving. That piece of crap broke anyway! And no, the head is not cast iron, it is definately aluminium. Older 4 cylinders had cast iron heads however. The "Iron Duke" engine you are talking about is an old 4 cylinders used during the 80' , it was used on some jeeps : http://www.off-road.com/jeep/tech/engine/gm151.html

Head gasket could blow on any engine, right. But this generation of 2.2 engine clearly exceeds what is considered as "normal maintenance". Changing a cylinder head every 2 oil changes isn't normal.

About comparing cars and trucks fuel economy: this was just a very empirical comparison. As a better comparison, a friend of mine has a ranger (supercab) with a 3.0 and he gets 35 mpg on the highway during summer. I only get 28-29 with a 31 mpg absolute record with my 4 banger. During winter, sure, it's different. But I don't care if it costs me 5 more dollars per week if I get the reliability.

I don't want to do burnouts, or race against corvettes and mustangs and I don't drive at 90 mph on the highway neither. I drive at 60 mph on the highway (100 km/h to be exact). I don't mash the gas to accelerate. I don't care about low gearing either. Like you said, it's a truck, not a car. I'm not racing with it.

This is *not* supposed to be rude or anything. I am just explaining exactly what the situation is. I'm not trying to start a flame war or something like that. Please forgive me if this sounded like a personal attack, it is not. My sentences may not be perfect because english is not my first language. So, my writing is a little crude and may look childish at times.

Now about the ranger being a gutless piece of crap, I understand this was not the best place to post about this vehicule. I mean, this is the s-10 forum, and there's all this never ending chevy-versus-ford war. All I'd like to have is an objective opinion on the ranger I described above, about its reliability in daily use.

My apologies again if this sounds harsh, I just needed to explain my point a little.

[BlazerLT]

Originally Posted by Chevy 1995

I'm not worried about it breaking in ten years, I'm worried about it breaking in 6 months. I think your are confusing the engine with another one. I have a 1995 s-10 with the same engine as the cavalier. My uncle has a 2.2. The head gasket broke 2 times last year. There's a s-10 exactly like mine where I work, the head gasket broke 3 times last year and the temp gauge is starting to act funny again. My neighbor has a 2.2 too, and it keeps blowing the head gasket. Even when I called to buy a new head and gasket when my truck broke, the guy asked which engine, I said 1995 chevy 2.2, he replied he makes almost half of his year profit with gm 2.2 heads...I thought when I bought my truck that if I didn't beat it and if I was gentle with it, it would not break like everyone else's engines. God, I was wrong. I broke even with my careful maintenance and gentle driving. That piece of crap broke anyway! And no, the head is not cast iron, it is definately aluminium. Older 4 cylinders had cast iron heads however. The "Iron Duke" engine you are talking about is an old 4 cylinders used during the 80' , it was used on some jeeps : http://www.off-road.com/jeep/tech/engine/gm151.html

Well, from moderating and supporting these forums here, we would definitely have a good grasp on repair problems seeing a lot of people some to this forum for help and we have yet to see any real head gasket issues here. Actually, I don't think I can name one or two within the last 6 months or more other than yourself. I own a 1994 cavalier 2.2L with over 130,000 miles on it and it is driven daily and it has the factory head gasket on it.

So just relax and drive the truck and quit worrying about your truck being like anyone elses.

Originally Posted by Chevy 1995

Head gasket could blow on any engine, right. But this generation of 2.2 engine clearly exceeds what is considered as "normal maintenance". Changing a cylinder head every 2 oil changes isn't normal.

Again, an exaggeration that can easy be proved as wrong by seeing exactly how many 2.2L owners here have had the issue you are talking about.

They are a very dependable engine if driven correctly and maintained and not lugged.

Originally Posted by Chevy 1995

About comparing cars and trucks fuel economy: this was just a very empirical comparison. As a better comparison, a friend of mine has a ranger (supercab) with a 3.0 and he gets 35 mpg on the highway during summer. I only get 28-29 with a 31 mpg absolute record with my 4 banger. During winter, sure, it's different. But I don't care if it costs me 5 more dollars per week if I get the reliability.

Your friend is full of crap. A 2005 Ranger with a 2.3L I4 gets only 29mpg on the highway through EPA measurement and as we all know, no one ever reaches their perfect evironmental conditions.

Do some reasearch and you will see your friend is full of crap. The 2005 3.0L V6 gets 18MPG CITY and 23MPG HIGHWAY. Your friend is ful of it and your truck is doing much better than his trust me.

Originally Posted by Chevy 1995

I don't want to do burnouts, or race against corvettes and mustangs and I don't drive at 90 mph on the highway neither. I drive at 60 mph on the highway (100 km/h to be exact). I don't mash the gas to accelerate. I don't care about low gearing either. Like you said, it's a truck, not a car. I'm not racing with it.

Very smart line of thinking, I respect that you know your vehicle's purpose.

Originally Posted by Chevy 1995

This is *not* supposed to be rude or anything. I am just explaining exactly what the situation is. I'm not trying to start a flame war or something like that. Please forgive me if this sounded like a personal attack, it is not. My sentences may not be perfect because english is not my first language. So, my writing is a little crude and may look childish at times.

Neither am I, I am trying to clear the round of bull people have stuck in your head. Your truck will do just fine and trust me, if you keep the cooling system well managed, you won't have a problem with your head as long as it was installed properly.

I know you are being nice but I am just being firm with you that your truck is a good truck and you selling it for a gutless ranger with NO TORQUE and a drastic reduction in fuel economy is just not worth it. Hell, the 3.0L only puts out about 120HP to the wheels. Yours is probably putting out 95-105HP but you are getting 31 MPG which I wish I could get.

Originally Posted by Chevy 1995

Now about the ranger being a gutless piece of crap, I understand this was not the best place to post about this vehicule. I mean, this is the s-10 forum, and there's all this never ending chevy-versus-ford war. All I'd like to have is an objective opinion on the ranger I described above, about its reliability in daily use.

No, don't start into my reasoning being because I am against Ford, I have owned several fords and I sold them perfectly happy and I enjoyed them greatly. I have no brand loyalty. The I hate Ford because I drive GM bullcrap is for morons with childish attitudes.

Originally Posted by Chevy 1995

My apologies again if this sounds harsh, I just needed to explain my point a little.

No, you were perfectly honest and quite calm and I appreciate it, but just drive your truck would ya. It got you through 10 years without this problem, so don't start with the "it is going to break today" paranoia because it doesn't deserve that. It has served its 10 years better than my 1995 Blazer.

[Chevy 1995]

Well, I'm not the first owner of this truck. I only had it for about 2 years now (a little less than 2 years, to be exact). I got it in 2003 when it had 92 000 km (57 500 miles). I don't know what happened to it during the first 8 years of its life.

[BlazerLT]

Originally Posted by Chevy 1995

Well, I'm not the first owner of this truck. I only had it for about 2 years now (a little less than 2 years, to be exact). I got it in 2003 when it had 92 000 km (57 500 miles). I don't know what happened to it during the first 8 years of its life.

Doesn't matter, the fact is that it is still running very well and can easily go over 200,000 miles if properly maintained and driven properly.

[kenyonja2007]

Actually I am currently replacing the head gasket on my '94 2.2L. I took the head off, and was preparing to give it to a machine shop. I showed it to the machinist, who has been doing automotive machining for years and years and years, and he checked it out before he took it, saying that 99% of all the heads brought to him for that engine are cracked. And lo and behold, mine was cracked, so I had to buy a new one, which I will assemble soon. I was also told by my friend that this 2.2L head gasket problem is pretty common (he owned a '95 S10 with a 2.2, and he has had to do the same exact thing). I don't mean to argue, I am a newbie here.

[dmbrisket 51]

ok b4 we all get into it, lets think back, 95 was now ten years ago, i would say a piec of brass, or a rubber seal of ten years of age, proporly maintained or oiled, its time to put it out to pasture so to speak, its kind of like when i bought my 89 honda civic, i had to put about 200 into fixing it, and my mom thought, damn, for being so old why so much into it, and it all goes back to what blazerlt lives by, it was not proporly maintained so it needed pistin rings, oil change and a couple other nickle and dime items, to have parts last a deckaid in a vehical is pretty good if you ask me, and if you want better gas mileage i reccomend getting a honda or geo or something along thoes lines, you want a truck that gets 40 fricken miles to the gallon, in your dreams buddy, not to flame, but its not going to happen unless its one of the hybread peices of shit they have started to come out with... my on the subject or 2 bits by now (a qtr for any one whos woundern)

[PurpleBeast94]

first off, ford sucks. period. my buddy has a 3.0 mustang and he is on his second head gasket since hes owned it (about 8 months). that engine is crap. u want reliable. just look at some of the members mileage on their trucks. i know that my father owned my truck before me and he was the only owner as he bought it new in 94. my truck sat for 5 years because my parents did not need it any longer. i went out and started the truck every day just to keep it running. i bought if off my dad with about 99,999 miles literally on it, put new brakes, tires, and tune up. it has taken me everywhere i want, or need to go. i now have 119,000 miles on it, flowmaster exhaust, bunch of other crap on my truck but still the same engine, and head gaskets (knock on wood). just relax. chevy isnt exaggerating when they say, "longest lasting, most reliable TRUCKS on the road. 2.2 or not, they are the best. and i hate GM for scrapping them. I will have this truck for life. If this engine goes, i will buy a new car, but i will never get rid of my PurpleBeast because i know that i can and will buy a crate motor and make it run once more.

PurpleBeast94

[BlazerLT]

Originally Posted by PurpleBeast94

first off, ford sucks. period. my buddy has a 3.0 mustang and he is on his second head gasket since hes owned it (about 8 months). that engine is crap. u want reliable. just look at some of the members mileage on their trucks. i know that my father owned my truck before me and he was the only owner as he bought it new in 94. my truck sat for 5 years because my parents did not need it any longer. i went out and started the truck every day just to keep it running. i bought if off my dad with about 99,999 miles literally on it, put new brakes, tires, and tune up. it has taken me everywhere i want, or need to go. i now have 119,000 miles on it, flowmaster exhaust, bunch of other crap on my truck but still the same engine, and head gaskets (knock on wood). just relax. chevy isnt exaggerating when they say, "longest lasting, most reliable TRUCKS on the road. 2.2 or not, they are the best. and i hate GM for scrapping them. I will have this truck for life. If this engine goes, i will buy a new car, but i will never get rid of my PurpleBeast because i know that i can and will buy a crate motor and make it run once more.

PurpleBeast94

Please stop the Ford sucks bullcrap based on your one example.

GM has a lot of vehicles with problems as well.

Please just grow up and drop the agressive brand loyalty.

[dmbrisket 51]

brand loyalty is fine, brand ignorance isnt, ford, dodge, chevy and chrysler all make exceptional vehicals and at the same time all have atleast one vehical that isnt shit, so knock it off, if you have an opinion on the 3.0 then state is as though you have left middle schol