Has baout 130k Miles. In good shape.

Better to have the head gasket job done or replacement motor, or just forget it because costs too much?

How much should a head gasket job cost?

 

It's nor quote clear from your post - Is the head gasket actually blown?

 

I should be more specifc...

here is what it's doing....on the drivers side, nearest to the cab.....once the engine starts to warm, you can see and smell antifreeze coming from the gastket area there. I have tried stop leak to no avail. I am not a mechaninc, and not entirely sure what I am seeing and smelling but also when checking the motor oil, it seems thin, light brown and I think has a smell of gasoline to it that I wouldn't expect.

It starts and runs fine. All the power stuff works, blows cold air....

 

You can get a head gasket testing kit in many auto stores or online. They are about $30+. You use it on the coolant and it will tell you if you have exhaust gas byproducts mixing into the antifreeze. If so - that's a confirmation, that you have a blown head gasket.
The second symptom you describe sounds more like an issue with worn oil control rings. If they are not sealing well, you'll get gasoline wash down the cylinder walls and into the crank case. Replacing the head gasket will not fix that. Also, that is not related to the blown head gasket. If it was (different head gasket failure mode), you'd get milky/whitish oil from having it mixed with coolant.
As far as work goes - head gasket replacement is not difficult for someone who knows how to wrench. You have to take few things off and to re-dp the timing after you're done, if you're going someone else do it, it would not surprise me if you'd be asked to pay couple thousand for it. Doing it yourself you probably end up less than $500 in parts.

 

tell me more about the oil ring problem. What is the fix for that? How much would it cost?

 

If your oil is milky, that means antifreeze (coolant) is getting in there. Water does not belong in the oil pan. Mixing of oil and coolant results in oil loosing its lubricating properties. You need to stop driving immediately and fix whatever leaking coolant into oil. Change oil. If you are lucky and lived a good life, that will take care of that. If you're not lucky, that ruined your bearings and you're looking at the engine rebuild.

 

its not milky. It does seem a little thin and smells like gas.

considering it has the problems I described, am I better off fixing those on the current motor, or getting a used motor put in?

how much should I expect to pay to a used motor replacement?

 

If it seems like oil has gas mixed in with oil, just do an oil change and drive. If you notice that by the end of your "normal" oil change interval your oil gets to this consistency (contaminated with gasoline), shorten the oil service interval a little. You can of course try some miracle products like Lucas Oil heavy duty oil stabilizer. Some of them may help to unstuck oil control rings. I've used that product on a worn out Chevy truck that was burning too much oil. It heled somewhat.

As far as price for a replacement engine, it depends on what and where you are getting. When I was looking at these options, the price of the engine from a auto recycler was from $1,500 to $2,000+. A fully rebuilt engine was from $2,500 to $3,500. In the end I found a good local rebuilder and had my existing engine rebuild/re-conditioned. That cost me around $1,200 plus extra gaskets and few other things I've replaced. Keep in mind, that engine removal and installation and most reassembly I did myself. If you want someone else to do this work, you'll have to add it to the cost. How much? I can't tell you.