OK I know someone said look in the radiator for small droplets of oil in the antifreeze while the engine is running as a sign of a blown head gasket. Other signs would include overheating, white smoke from the exhaust, and what looks like Kaopectate about 8 inches or more up the dipstick. Since from what has been described so far, I don't believe the head gasket is blown. Besides, from my experience, its very unlikely a blown head gasket would be visible with the head still installed.
>From the online conversations I've been following, I believe what the mechanic said and what misinterpreted by the OP was a blown header gasket. This would explain the excess noise and description of the problem. If there is a broken header bolt in the head, the price quote to remove the head to have the broken seems to fall in line with that diagnosis. However, I would take the truck to an independent machine shop and have them look at the problem to see if they think the bolt can be replaced with the head installed. Some machinists are very talented in problems such as this and you may end up saving quite a bit of money. They might ask you to remove the exhaust manifold to get at the bolt, but if you can save enough on the repair, you might be able to get the Gibson exhaust headers you want, in which case, you'd have to remove the old ones anyway.
Just my 2cents worth,
Ray
--- On Fri, 3/26/10, Zito, James A (GE Infra, Energy) <james.zito@ge.com> wrote:
From: Zito, James A (GE Infra, Energy) <james.zito@ge.com>
Subject: RE: DML: Blown "Head" Gasket
To: "Dakota list" <dml@dakota-truck.net>
Date: Friday, March 26, 2010, 7:02 PM
DML: Blown "Head" Gasket
Phillip B. writes: >> What else should I be looking for that would
point to a blown head gasket? <<
>Perhaps he said "manifold Gasket" and you heard "Head Gasket"... Maybe
not, but I
>do not understand how a blown head gasket would increase the noise..
That is
>typically a blown exhaust manifold gasket.. Like someone else said, try
another
>shop for the estimate....
>From experience I can assure you that a blown head gasket can increase
noise, if the gasket is blown it will provide another path for the sound
of the fuel detonation to travel. When my Ni$$an pickup blew a head
gasket it made what I can best describe as a knocking sound.
Jim
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