I have a 1993 ford taurus 3.8L V6 automatic GL. I have a blown head gasket. I would like to know if it would be best to get it fixed or get a new engine? Why does it cost so much to replace the head gaskets? If I decide to get a engine would it be better to get a new, rebuilt, or used engine?

Essentially the gasket is $10 and $800 to put in (or some outrageous amount). It is always better to repair the engine than replace it. For a new engine you're looking at a lot of money. For a rebuilt engine slightlyless. My mechanic always told me that if you replace an engine in a car, chances are you will have more problems versus fixing the original engine.

To replace the gasket essentially the engine must be torn down and that is a very time consuming project.

It also depends on how many miles the car has on it to begin with. How much did you pay for the car. Will the cost of fixing the engine be more than the car is worth? Consider everything carefully before going ahead on this project. You just might decide to junk the car and get a different car.

The Ford Taurus was not such a reliable car to begin with. My mechanic steered me away from that particular vehicle years ago when I asked him about that particular model. He said don't get one as there are too many problems with the Taurus. I took his advice and didn't get the car I was looking at.

Labor is the big cost. If it ran good and low miles, maybe keep car, unless it was severely overheated.
It is like a can of worms though, While the heads are off, might as well resurface heads, maybe valves?
You could probably get by with gaskets.

Any time you open an engine, you stand the chance of "opening a can of worms", like Stratmando mentioned.
The factory gaskets alone would run about $125.00 plus around 12-15 hours labor. Anything else the mechanic finds along the way would increase the price of the repair. This could easily balloon to $1500-$2000 for that car.
Consider what it would cost to replace the entire engine: around the same amount of labor time to do the swap, plus the cost for a "used" engine that nobody knows anything about.
Then you get to decide if all this is worth putting into that car. Only you know the answer to that question.

A 93 taurus isn't even worth the repair. Spend the money on a down payment for a newer car

I think ab3000 may be suggesting a good solution. Sale the car for scrap for about $150 to $200. And start with a different vehicle. And until you are into the engine and have the head tested you don't know that the head gasket is all you need. If your head is cracked and you are already that far into the engine, then what another $300 up for a new or used head?

Before you buy that gasket its important to find out why the gasket blew in the first place, they don't just wear out. Many head gaskets are blown when the engine has over heated warping the head. If you have to machine the head or buy a new one you doubled your expense. I would have at least two good mechanics take a close look and give you their estimates. I think you will find yourself looking for another car.

Did person that did compression test verify it was not the rings. In the old days we would check compression on all cylinders, 2 cylinders next to each other usually would be head gasket(unless 2 cylinders developed bad rings together), then a little oil in each cylinder, if it brought up compression it was Rings. Good Luck.

:mad: Whoa, whoa, whoa. First off where are you coming up with 10-15 hours labor and what kind of hourly rates are your mechanics charging to come up with a repair bill of $1,500. I changed the head gaskets on my daughters Mercury Sable. Basically the same car. Took a total 8 hours and that included beer drinking time, this on a car I have never worked on before. An experienced mechanic should be able to complete this in 4-5 hours tops. You also seem like the prevayors of doom and gloom, just because he blew a head gasket doesn't mean he will be opening up a black hole of hidden repair costs when they open up the engine. We are talking about detroit iron here not aluminum heads. Chances are pretty good that he changes the head gaskets and he is back in business.

As far as the Taurus/Sable having a lot of problems is "hooey" no more or less then most of the other cars out there. In excess of 150K and probably very little problems prior to that. My daughter bought hers without consulting anyone. Hey, it definitely would not have been my first choice, but since then other then tires and brakes, she has replaced an oxygen sensor, a water pump, and the head gaskets in 225K.

I say take it to a mechanic, let him give you an estimate and then decide if the repair bills is exceptable cost versus the condition of the car.

If this ANSWER help you please rate it.

ddollinger Keep Drinking that Beer while wqorking on Cars without any idea of what you're talking about.

1st:- Blown Head Gaskets always require that a Machine Shop Pressure test for Cracks (Especially around the Exhaust seats) AND they Re-surface the Deck Area to make it FLAT Since Over-heating & subsequently blowing a head gasket WARPS any Head... even cast Iron like YOUR Head.

2nd:- You have to CORRECT the Problem that initiated the BLOWING OF THE HEAD GASKETS Nimrod... & that could be as simple as a leaking Hose or a Heater Core Or even yet, a radiator.

3rd:- Don't comment on an issue that's beyond your PHD in Beer Drinking... "Bubba's" like you ought NOT show their deficiency in I.Q. so publicly, Please.

4th:- 10-15 Hours is about RIGHT start to finish on a FOUR Cylinder Motor... Much less a Sable.

If this Answer Helps ddollinger go back into his Bubba beer drinking man-cave, please Rape it!

OK, so my Subaru dealer telling me today my head gasket is blown and the cost will be $2,700.00 to replace it and they need to keep my car for approx. one week might be just a little excessive? I freaked out, my Subaru Outback has approx 62K miles on it and is a 2001 model. What! They are telling me this is not unusual at this point so I feel like I need to warn every prospective Subaru buyer that they can expect the same thing.

linann1, that is a pretty standard price for what's often involved--machining head, fixing damaged valves, and replacing head gasket.

These situations are usually preventable by ensuring the engine does not overheat--all it takes is once. Every 2 years replace the coolant with a 50/50 mixture of the recommended antifreeze and distilled water. Otherwise, use prediluted antifreeze (demineralized water).

Thanks TxGreaseMonkey, based on other posts, sounded like this was excessive. Appreciate the response.