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After replacing the radiator on my well-worn "chuff chuffing" 307 it has become clear that the head gaskets need to be replaced (at least) as coolant is clearly getting exhausted (big sweet-smelling plume you can see below).



She's right on the edge of too expensive to fix engine-wise, and something tells me that even after the expense of redoing the gaskets that some other domino will then fall and it'd be a "waste" to have put in the gasket work.

She's down on power (always has been, for all I know, but she has a definite "limp" now, with pedal pressure "signal" not always making it down to the engine room and producing forward progress...), "chuffing" out clouds and takes nearly a minute of starter whirring and pedal pumping to get started. Once lit she stays lit, but is clearly having a hard time clearing her throat, so to speak.

My budget is hundreds, not thousands, and so motor swaps or total rebuilds are seemingly out of my reach. Her 307 (and carb!) are basically untouched by man, so her being just tired out is pretty likely.

Then again, she's running(-ish) and driving right now as-is, with the embarrassing smokescreen the biggest issue. She's had mostly-regular servicing her whole life as far as I can tell, and her oil, though dark, is metal-free and it stays where it belongs.

SO, each service provider I ask has a different opinion, but they are in two camps: roll the dice and fix the head gaskets or rebuild, period.

[BTW, if you have an idea of what those repairs would cost, I'd like to know to compare to any estimates I get...]

Thoughts?...

Tedd Thompson

If you have any skills and tools at all you could pull it down and replace the head gasket on a weekend, may luck out and only have to do one head if you know which one is leaking. Probably less than a $100 bucks in gaskets. Other wise probably 6 hours @ 60 bucks an hour for someone to do the job for you.

If you decide to run the poor beast like it is drain the antifreeze out and just run water. Antifreeze does poorly running through a engine for a extended time.....Tedd

BackInTheGame

If you suspect a head gasket, try and determine which cylinder bank is affected. Easy enough to do: remove all spark plugs then have an assistant bump the ignition a time or two while you stand back and watch. The offending cylinder(s) will spray coolant. I just did this on my son's car this past weekend. One cylinder was leaking. I bought a jug of B**e D*v*l head gasket sealer, followed the instructions, and viola! After about 3 hours of idling, no more smelly white cloud. I also replaced the two intake manifold gaskets as well, since one of them had blown (FOMOCO 4.6L engine).

Good luck!

oldcutlass

You have to decide if the car is worth putting any more money into it. Love is all well and good, but this is where money does buy love. Sure, you can cheap out and just replace a gasket, but why? If you plan on keeping this car, at minimum, I would perform a good valve job on both heads. While in there I would pull all the lifters and inspect them and the cam.

Octania

running 350/403 swap is another easy option

truckerlary

I just pulled a 307 out of a 83 to put in a 350. Has 57,000 miles on the 307. It is a complete engine minus the intake and dist. No smoke on this engine. Just put you intake and dist on and drop in and go. Asking $400. This is a vin 9 engine. Kokomo In area

joe_padavano

I'm with Chris. There's no way I'd spend a dime to fix a VIN Y, 7A head 307. The 350 falls into the engine compartment.

Lady72nRob71

All I can say is if you value the car, whether sentimentally or out of utility, put the $$ into it to fix it. Large, comfy, smooth riding wagons are a thing of the past, so getting another is not too easy. IF yours is nice all around aside the engine, it may be worth it. If only gaskets and such, I would go for it. If it needs a motor rebuild, go the 350-403 route - they are mostly a bolt-in job. I would never rebuild a 307. Only you know how much the car is worth to you, so only you can make that decision. Your value overturns bluebook value every time. Just remember if you are gong to fix it, do it right the first time - use quality parts and replace might-as-wells while at it, as long as you are not rebuilding the main mechanicals.

rustyroger

How are your mechanical skills?.
If you know your way round maintaining your car a diy overhaul should be within your budget, especially if you don't factor your time in the cost.
If you can't do much more than check the oil and fill it with gas then finding a good used engine and paying someone to swap it for you might be the best option.
There are many who will decry anything other than a full on mega buck build, but I guess that's not within your horizon. A refreshed engine (if it doesn't have worn bores or oval crank journals) or a good used one should give you plenty more mile, particularly if you don't beat on the car.

Roger.

olds 307 and 403

The above 307 is a good upgrade. There are a surprising number of good running Olds 350's from the mid 70's and near free. The swirl port 307 was an idle to 3000 rpm design, was embarrassing in the power department.

Professur

One more for the 350 or up swap. I've got the 307 in the olds, and a bowtie 305 in the parisienne. Both are eventually facing the same fate. $1700 for a fresh 350 sbo or sbc for either... and the aftermarket loves you forever. There is no 307 aftermarket. Same thing when you've got the old TH-200c transmission ... when the factory was trying to put numbers on paper, every ounce counted. This late in the game ... go big or stay home.