99% sure headgasket went

[Jeezus]

So I am 99% sure the headgasket went in the protege. Car would start, warm up, get hot, then die.

Checked the cylinders through the spark plugs, and the #3 would always be wet. White smoke through the tail pipe.

So with that said, besides the head gasket, what else would I need to get this motor running again?

I have dropped another motor in from a "reputable" place, only to find out that the $1000 motor with 80k on it is more like 180k, as it smokes like a banshee when I let off the gas (bad rings or clogged returns).

Could I get just the head milled, or does the head and deck need milled?

How can I go and find out what would/could be warped? Grabbing a home depot/Lowes straight edge is out of the question, I am dealing with thousands of an inch across 2 feet...

 

[cartracer12]

The best way to check to see if the head and deck are straight is with a straight edge and feeler guagues. I would personally block sand the surfaces clean with a 1200 grit plus paper and a hand block sander to make sure they are clean of debris. obviously look for cracks or other problems and the lay the staright edge diagonally and across the front and back of the surfaces. test with the feeler guages under the straight edge in multiple places between bores to look for warpage. anything over 0.003" would require machining.

(Mazda licensed technician with previous experience at a machine shop)