98 Saturn: bad head and/or engine

[rover18]

I'm working on a 98 Saturn SL2 1.9L DOHC has just under 136,000 miles. A friend brought it to me thinking it was the head gasket because there was coolant and oil all over the engine and it had overheated.

I pressure tested the cooling system to discover a leak at the waterpump. So that solves that issue. I filled it up with oil and started it, it seems to run fine, but the oil leak is coming from a crack that is under the valve cover and just above the exhaust manifold. Did a compression check, 175, 165, 160, 125. That's from front to back.

So, obviously the head needs to be repaired if he decides to go down that route, but is the engine pretty much toast too??? I'm trying to decide whether or not I should tell him to fix it or sell it now and cut his losses. He's planning on selling it in about a month anyways.

Thanks!

 

[zukkev]

Time to do a cylinder leakdown test on cyl4, to determine exactly where the compression is going...but your last sentence sounds like he is done with the car anyway...

 

[rover18]

Yeah, he's moving to California and isn't taking the car. He wants to epoxy the crack, but I told him I don't want to have any part of that.

 

[skinny_pedal]

Yeah, he's moving to California and isn't taking the car. He wants to epoxy the crack, but I told him I don't want to have any part of that.

Seen them crack there a few times. Proper epoxy job could get him some more time out of it

 

[junkyard jim]

I'd try a head bolt retorque if they aren't hard to get at.