How common is Gen 2 Head Gasket Failure after 300,000 miles?

I've got too many engines sitting around here that are good to worry. I might tear it down later and see what I see but probably not much to see .

 

I have a bunch of engines cars and parts here on my property so before I go crazy with diagnostics . I can swap the engine about as quick as hair pulling . Then later should I decide I can tear the stuff up that I took out of the car and I can play surgeon or such . I mite never find the problem . But I'll be driving the car 24 hours later for another 10 or so years . That's kind of what I mean..when I'm all in . I am..

 

Well the ones I have here are in cars that I was driving that daughters and so on have plowed into other cars so they were running perfectly when they got smashed . Do I'm just removing my running perfect engine out of my kid wrecked chassis . Why i save them . So 8 know the three here are fine . They been mine for oh 10 plus years. No smoking no lights on etc

 

I bought my gen2 with a failed headgasket but I didn't know. It kept going for another 10,000 miles. I had the cold start death rattle and misfires. Kept chasing the misfires but couldn't find it. My coolant was presurising and had exhaust gasses present when tested with a home brew air lock and some testing fluid that turned from blue to yellow.
I had some fun and games attempting to use steel seal to fix the issue but it was too far gone. It's incompatible with pink coolant so I had to flush everything through with water. I bypassed the heater core with some copper pipe and hose clips but still found the gasket was porous at the end of it. Before you do the engine swap, it's a possibility and it may work better with coolant in the oil. I have had friends who had good success with it. Steel seal has gone up in price since I last used it but still cheaper than a used engine if it works.

I wasn't prepared to do the headgasket myself so looked for prices and a used engine swap was cheaper for me. Still drove to the garage for the engine swap at 280,000. The next engine has been ok but still burns oil. On 320,000 now

 

If you have the engine out of the car and you have time nows the time to refresh . A complete engine internal kit for a one NZ is very inexpensive Pistons all of it . You can re to g one of these pretty easily . Without machining. just depends how you want to go .