98 park avenue ultra bad head gasket.

[Buickty95]

So I picked up a 98 park avenue ultra for 800 bucks after I got in an accident in my regal gs. the park ave was running real rough bad misfiring with a blinking check engine light. Coolant reservoir was just barely low when I checked it. topped it off, there was brown almost plastic looking pieces in the radiator that I mistook for severely degraded gaskets/ dexkill. I also wrongly thought the misfire was an ignition or pcv issue like I’ve experienced before on my other Buicks I’ve owned. I didn’t even consider a head gasket on these because it’s rare, I don’t see white smoke from exhaust, I’m not noticing much coolant disappearing after approximately 150 miles of driving like I’ve experienced on other cars I would constantly refill the reservoir. But when I completely fill the system I get bubbles, not Very constant or aggressive but a bubble here a bubble there every few seconds and the coolant level will slowly rise up and overflow out the radiator then go down then come up, it won’t do this out of the overflow however bubble or over flow? But it runs very bad. I’ve changed upper and lower gaskets spark plugs coils verified icm works, can’t find any major vacuum leaks that would make it run this bad, mpg is terrible exhaust smells foul radiator does what I said… so I’ve come to the blown head gaskets conclusion, I bought the new gaskets and bolts and I’m broke until I start my new job soon, do you guys think the heads will be okay without machining them since they are iron, I don’t have the feeler gauges or equipment to determine if their warped, and I know machining is cheap but I’m tapped.. any suggestions, advive ,sweet nothings to make me feel better about slapping this all back together without machining the heads and hoping it runs good is greatly appreciated. 28 yr old father of 2 trying to make it happen. Thanks guys, sorry for the run on sentences adhd..

 

[BuickGirlFromMars]

So I picked up a 98 park avenue ultra for 800 bucks after I got in an accident in my regal gs. the park ave was running real rough bad misfiring with a blinking check engine light. Coolant reservoir was just barely low when I checked it. topped it off, there was brown almost plastic looking pieces in the radiator that I mistook for severely degraded gaskets/ dexkill. I also wrongly thought the misfire was an ignition or pcv issue like I’ve experienced before on my other Buicks I’ve owned. I didn’t even consider a head gasket on these because it’s rare, I don’t see white smoke from exhaust, I’m not noticing much coolant disappearing after approximately 150 miles of driving like I’ve experienced on other cars I would constantly refill the reservoir. But when I completely fill the system I get bubbles, not Very constant or aggressive but a bubble here a bubble there every few seconds and the coolant level will slowly rise up and overflow out the radiator then go down then come up, it won’t do this out of the overflow however bubble or over flow? But it runs very bad. I’ve changed upper and lower gaskets spark plugs coils verified icm works, can’t find any major vacuum leaks that would make it run this bad, mpg is terrible exhaust smells foul radiator does what I said… so I’ve come to the blown head gaskets conclusion, I bought the new gaskets and bolts and I’m broke until I start my new job soon, do you guys think the heads will be okay without machining them since they are iron, I don’t have the feeler gauges or equipment to determine if their warped, and I know machining is cheap but I’m tapped.. any suggestions, advive ,sweet nothings to make me feel better about slapping this all back together without machining the heads and hoping it runs good is greatly appreciated. 28 yr old father of 2 trying to make it happen. Thanks guys, sorry for the run on sentences adhd..

1998 3800s have a notorious reliability problem in the heads.

Get a 1999-2002, 2003-2005 set of heads to replace yours when you do the gasket.

machining isnt really that cheap.

 

[89KA30]

Hi

If your heads are still cast iron and the engine has not overheeted to much, you're probably fine.
Follow the pattern of the head bolts for removing and installing strictly to prevent uneven load on the head.

Did the head gasket of my Series 3 Land Rover this spring in the front yard, in the rain and it was fine.
I honestly haven't even checked for warpage 🙂 Its not warped until you diagnose a warpage. Schroedingers Head 🙂

Worst case for you is to do it all over if the gasket fails again. But if time isn't the problem, i'd risk it.

 

[G-909275]

Hi

If your heads are still cast iron and the engine has not overheeted to much, you're probably fine.
Follow the pattern of the head bolts for removing and installing strictly to prevent uneven load on the head.

Did the head gasket of my Series 3 Land Rover this spring in the front yard, in the rain and it was fine.
I honestly haven't even checked for warpage 🙂 Its not warped until you diagnose a warpage. Schroedingers Head 🙂

Worst case for you is to do it all over if the gasket fails again. But if time isn't the problem, i'd risk it.

Thank you.