this has bugged me for years.... my father had a 1992 escort wagon with a 5 speed when I was little and one evening he was on his way home and his cooling fan relay blew out he was on the interstate in Atlanta GA. the next thing he knew he heard a loud bang and steam came up from his radiator. the cap had been blown off but that was all. he replaced the cap filled the radiator and put a new cooling fan relay in. the next day he started the car and heard a loud klacking sound. he took the car to a shop where they said that the head gasket was blown. fast forward a few months and he bought a new engine. would it not have been easier to just replace the head gasket and have the head redone?

 

I realize where you are coming from and can understand why you feel the way you do.
If everything was as we would like to think, maybe other things might have been done.
We don't really know what they found. The block might have been cracked, we don't know. There are a few other considerations that we don't know either and you may find that the more you learn the more it might be easier to accept what was done.

 

we know now the block was not cracked and that after we got rid of it the person who bought it put the new engine in and sent the old or off to be re done and they only had to re do the head and gasket.

 

Here again , we don't know if that engine didn't have problems later.
It has been found that some engines that experienced overheating wound up burning oil later on. Just because someone did a fast job doesn't mean all is well and that is why I said the more you learn , it just might make it easier to accept what was done.

 

I owned one later on and I could not even figure out where the head ended and the block began. Mine never over heated but burned oil and had oil in the pcv filter. Never could figure out why. But more the reason he bought a long block and probably could have just redone the top end

 

The one that you owned later on, did you purchase it new or used?
It's no secret, when a situation arises where it may be cheaper or less trouble than repairing it properly to just unload it or trade it in and just get rid of the potential for future problems or expense.
Your point is well taken, but sometimes vehicles have sentimental value and folks do different things that are difficult or impossible to explain.

 

I owned one later on and I could not even figure out where the head ended and the block began. Mine never over heated but burned oil and had oil in the pcv filter. Never could figure out why. But more the reason he bought a long block and probably could have just redone the top end.

I bought it used it was a 1994 LX hatch back. I had wanted a Escort for my first car. It had 100k on it and it had 118k when I sold it for a fox body 90 LX with a 5.0 H.O. to the day I got rid of the car it went through 2 alternators more oil than I care to know 8 spark plugs a IAC and a battry and 1 coil pack and wires......

 

I also replaced the PCV valve filter and hoses..... a set of new tires and I put all new bulbs in the dash.

 

I also replaced the front calipers and the rear brake lines

 

Nice pix,appears well cared for !