How far can you drive on a BHG?

[DonS1mpson]

I know, I can't believe I just asked that question either :3d_frown:.

Same old story, I've fallen in love with another supra, this one to be precise:
http://pistonheads.com/sales/614624.htm

It's exactly 20 miles from my front door, I have no means of getting it home other than driving it back under it's own steam. Now, would I be a complete and utter knob for even thinking for a second that the car might make the journey (with plenty of spare coolant and stopping off points)? I've never had a car with a Blown head gasket, so don't know the ins and outs of having on.

I don't plan of reusing the motor if you're worried I might cause terminal damage.

The more I think about it, the more retarded this idea becomes, but hey, what's the harm in asking?

Keep the flaming to a minimum please gentlemen.

Thanks

Josh

 

[ForcedTorque]

All depends on the severity of the gasket. If it's just losing coolant, you'll need to know how often you will need to refill. I drove a car for about a year with BHG symptoms, and just planned on replacing it when it quit. It lasted much longer than I expected. That car could be so bad that it won't crank, or it could be fine for a 20 min. drive. It also depends on if you are in 20 min. of traffic, or highway miles. You can't have it towed?

 

[GrimJack]

Depends on the condition of the BHG. If it's bad enough, it will overpressurize the coolant hoses and pop them like a waterballoon. Then you're not going anywhere.

 

[CyFi6]

If its bad enough that it cant push the excess pressure out the cap fast enough, id be more worried about it spitting out all the coolant from the head before anything else

 

[Slow_Sc3]

F it you dont plan on using the motor drive it till it locks up.

my car drove fine with bhg the only reason i noticed it was because the coolent had oil flowing through it lol, that was spring of 2002.

 

[xXslayrXx]

When I bought my car ir had a BHG and I drove it from Baton Rouge to New Orleans, around for the weekend and back to Baton Rouge before it started boiling on me. I drove over 250 miles on mine. It just depends on how bad it is. Keep a lot of extra water and coolant and make frequent stops. I say go for it! You aren't using the motor anyway.

 

[ForcedTorque]

After I drove mine for a year, I had a mechanic friend who wouldn't believe me. He insisted on pressure testing it. It passed that test, but two days later, it got real bad. I needed a refill every 3-4 miles. I wanted to park it, but had to go 10 miles each way to pick up my son in it one last time before doing so. I made it there with 3 stops for a refill and getting worse. I finally stopped to refill it, and couldn't understand why after two gallons I still had none in the upper tank of the radiator. I was almost home, so I thought O well, I'm gonna get 1 more gallon, top it off and hurry up and get home. It still wouldn't get full with a little more and I started hearing a sound. I couldn't find it under the motor, but soon realized it was pouring straight out my tailpipe. The car went no more!

 

[IJ.]

Josh: Depends on what sort of BHG it has.

If it's leaking to Oil I wouldn't drive it at all not even start it.

If it's leaking to combustion you can get away with undoing the rad cap to the stops so it doesn't over pressure and just take it gently refilling as needed.

Back in the 80's I had an L20B Nissan motor with the standard BHG, I drove it for almost a year before I got around to fixing it.

Biggest hassle was popping a plug so I could crank the water out of the cylinder to start it (was fine if it stopped with that piston up but if it was down it would hydrolock)

 

[Quin]

Doesn't seem like the typical IJ.

 

[IJ.]

It was a DD shitbox

Didn't want to work on it ever.

 

[SupraMario]

Josh: Depends on what sort of BHG it has.

If it's leaking to Oil I wouldn't drive it at all not even start it.

If it's leaking to combustion you can get away with undoing the rad cap to the stops so it doesn't over pressure and just take it gently refilling as needed.

Back in the 80's I had an L20B Nissan motor with the standard BHG, I drove it for almost a year before I got around to fixing it.

Biggest hassle was popping a plug so I could crank the water out of the cylinder to start it (was fine if it stopped with that piston up but if it was down it would hydrolock)

That is win!

I drove mine for close to 2000 miles before I pulled the motor and started dropping in a 2jz :biglaugh:

 

[MA70_Powa]

I had a BHG from the day I bought it (without knowing) and it took me 8 months to do something about it. I could drive it fine except stopping at traffic lights and then trying to go again would usually stall the car, it ran very rough and sometimes wouldnt start.
My coolant loss was Very little, too.

Strangely enough using 98 octane petrol (i think thats 93 ron for you guys? i dunno...) made the car run like it didnt have a bhg for about 4 months, then it just got reeaal bad...