To rebuild or not to rebuild

[mazdajack]

Hey folks.

Looking for some sage advice.

So i discovered a massive gushing head gasket leak on my truck. I have a new head that's all done up. I think I'm going to pull the engine because I want to replace the front and rear main seals and the oil pan gasket that have been leaking forever.

The truck has been running great. Some blow-by but nothing massive. It definitely has quite a few miles on it.
My question is whether or not i should go ahead and do a full rebuild on the engine, or if i should just put the new head on and call it a day.

What have been people's experience with buying bearings and piston liners that fit properly?

I definitely know that i want to rebuild the engine. The question is whether i just do it now, even though it's not totally necessary, or wait until things get bad enough that i have to

Thanks for all the info people are posting here!

[rob]

Finding the correct parts is going to be the biggest hurtle. After reading your post, my first thought was just replace the head gasket. I'd even put the push rods back in the exact same place. Use a wet vac to get any water out of the cylinders if any. Good luck. PICS!

[tempforce]

if your getting a lot of bloby, your rings are getting worn. good time for a complete rebuild.

[DieselDavo]

SO; I had the same case as you and just did the gaskets and seals also pump seals and clutch.
I'm very happy with the results. No leaks starts and runs fine. Engine has about 250,000 or better miles.