leaking headgasket

[doode]

So i have the 3.3L V6 while changing my oil i noticed a coolant leak under the car, rear of the engine.
Intake manifold area is dry as is the heater core lines.

I went to my mechanic who i trust and he said it's most likely the headgasket.
Thankfully there is no rough idle or white smoke so it's most likely only leaking out.
Radiator is green, oil is free of coolant and water.

Now the bad news : he said it is not worth it to fix and that i should just scrap it / sell it for parts and get a new car.
He has done more than a few and the labour charge is worth more than the truck itself.
He also said there is a strong chance that once he pulls the head, the engine block could be warped and then I'm really screwed.

He was totally against me doing it and even suggested I go to the dealership for a second opinion.
If i was dead set on doing it, he would, but no promises.

The truck has never been overheated and I can't see warping an iron block would be easy, but I'm no mechanic...

It's a 2000 with 176K miles.

Anyone here have a headgasket go bad ?
Am I better of selling it ?
Decent condition, some rust on fenders, but strut tower housings are rust free

Has anyone here got any advice or experience ?
A new car isn't the cards right now due to lack of funds.

[AZhitman]

Your mechanic needs to be smacked.

First off, if it's truly the HG, but it's as minor as you say (no contamination of oil / coolant), then the block wouldn't be warped. Warpage happens in SEVERE overheating conditions, and by then, the HG would be completely gone. If the block was warped, and the HG was bad, you'd have all the classic signs of a blown HG.

A few thoughts - he should have done a compression test / leakdown test to confirm bad HG before sending you off to buy a new vehicle... Grrr.

And what the heck does he mean by "no promises?" Sounds like an amateur. Walk away.

He just doesn't want to do it, because it can be a pain (or he doesn't know what he's doing). However, we can walk you through it (we even have the factory service manual for you), or you could find another mechanic (I prefer independent mechanics, or people who do "side" jobs).

Alternatively, you can get a known good takeout engine for around a grand - I like these guys: http://www.soshinusa.com/

Sure, your truck might not be worth a lot, but how much would it cost to replace it with a new one? Tell your mechanic HE can make the payments on a new ride - I'd fix the truck. My 2000 Frontier had 300k on it and when I sold it, it was still running great.

If your mechanic wasn't lazy, he'd find the source of the leak (it's easy). What if it's a bad freeze plug? Is that worth scrapping a vehicle for? 176k miles is just getting broken in good.

Did I mention he should be smacked?

[spike753]

I agree with the above, compression test would be a great place to start. A method that I often use when I buy used vehicles is when the engine is cold, take off the radiator cap and open the throttle body to give it some gas. Look at the radiator neck and watch the coolant. When you give it gas the coolant should lower slightly. If instead you see bubbles that confirms that air is getting in somehow, with the head gasket being a possible cause.

Also do an oil change to see the condition of it. This way you can tell if coolant is getting into the oil.