Corolla Head Gasket Decision

Hello there,

I have a decision to make and I'm looking for input from the community. I have a 2003 Corolla S with 225,000 miles. There seems to be a head gasket issue that's only noticeable when it's cold, as the engine runs rough for about ten seconds burning off coolant. The mechanic I took it to (whom I trust, as someone fairly skeptical of mechanics) said it would cost around $1400 USD to fix. He recommended using Blue Devil Coolant Sealer to correct the issue semi-permanently. When I got the quote, I was planning on doing the head gasket myself. I've never done anything nearly that in-depth, but am a generally handy guy and figured with a Haynes manual and YouTube, I can do just about anything. After he suggested the Blue Devil, I'm unsure.

My question is this, if the mechanic said the leak seems to be relatively minor (but seems to be causing a misfire), am I better off leaving the ol' girl buttoned up and using the Blue Devil and hoping for the best, or biting the bullet and opening it up, taking off the Timing Chain, changing the gasket, and hoping for the best in that way? I have a motorcycle and a one car garage, so I have wheels in the meantime, as well as a place to park it while I take a shot at the head gasket. I'm just concerned I would get in over my head and trade a running car with a not immediately detrimental issue, for a not running car and a mess. Thoughts?

the car isnt worth much, try the sealer and see what happens. if it doesnt fix the issue you can try doing a head gasket yourself just prepare yourself to pay for it if you get over your head. not sure if that is an interference engine but if it is you have to get the timing perfect.

I totally get where you're coming from – car troubles can be a real head-scratcher. It sounds like you've got some good options to consider. Given your mechanical inclination and the resources you have, diving into fixing the head gasket could be a cool learning experience. But, of course, it's natural to have those "what if" worries.

Here is my head gasket .

Given your mechanical inclination and the resources you have, diving into fixing the head gasket could be a cool learning experience. But, of course, it's natural to have those "what if" worries. I once faced a similar dilemma with my old pickup. Coincidentally, I used an flip a coin to make the call – heads for DIY, tails for the Blue Devil route. It added a bit of fun and took the pressure off the decision. Turns out, the coin toss led me to giving it a shot myself, and it worked out surprisingly well! Considering the minor leak and your backup wheels, it might be worth giving it a shot.