Re: Am I asking for trouble driving my car before fixing....

newsqlman wrote:
> I had posted an earlier article about replacing the head gasket and
> img on an Oldsmobile.  Well they had done the ph test on the machine
> and determined it to be a blown head gasket.  The problem obviously
> either just started or has been there for awhile and the same shop
> hadn't diagnosed it previously when servicing the car.
>
> My problem is I need to get it between point A and point B now which
> is about 200 miles.  The car hasn't been driven really at all the last
> couple of months but I have a place that used to do work for me all
> the time and will change the gaskets at half the price basically
> saving me $500 from the other place.  If i was to have the oil changed
> and drive it the 200 miles will it cause much problems?  It's never
> overheated on me and hasn't leaked really at all I'm just going off of
> the PH test the service place did that says there is oil mixing in
> which means I need a new head gasket.
>
> Any thoughts for me on this?  I want to get this done but don't have
> access to a car trailer or truck to pull it over for another month but
> want to get it done soon.
>
> Thanks for any insight.

I wouldn't......you run a significant risk of completely wrecking the
motor 
and requiring a tow (a something under emergency 200 mile tow could be 
expensive<G>).......On my 97 Cutlass the lower intake gasket leaked (not 
uncommon) apparently it was a gradual failure to some extent since I had 
intermittent overheating over a 1000 mile period, eventually the "problem"

resulted in oil/antifreeze mixing.....the several overheating episodes 
eventually warped the head(although I had no headgasket 
failure)......Driving a car with oil/antifreeze mixing can or will among 
other things do internal damage.   Rod