Sorry in advance for the long post.

My significant other got a used 2001 Navigator w/112k from a couple in NC. Overall she checked out good. Had a solid 2 owner history. All her dealer & maintenance paperwork available. Friendly 2nd owners whom disclosed the problems they knew of (VCR doesn't work, needed an oil change in 500 miles, Also,when using my OBDll scanner, it only gave me a code for an out of range transmission sensor. So, we bought her & Drove her home home in the middle of the night and the (original) alt went out. Thought it was a bad battery at first, so made a quick trip to Walmart to buy one. Went 30 or so miles and then realized it was the alt. Long story short (and long trip), but we made it home pulling off every so often before she died to charge her system.

The morning after we bought the Navi, I went outside to meticulously inspect her myself. I found that the coolant overflow tank was low & looked muddy. My OBDll gave me the code C1226 for a brake warning indicator output short circuit to ground. Noticed a few missing fuses & a relay in spot #1. So, I informed by boyfriend of all of this. Told him that after we put the new alt in that night, we should flush the cooling system, replace the Trans Range Sensor & connector, look into the error for the ABS system & fix it, and change the oil and filter out.

Long story short, he drove the Navi piror to repairs & maintenance (aside from the new alt) and did not monitor her temp or coolant levels. He drove our Navi and from what he described to me, it sounds like she overheated due to lack of coolant/coolant flow. He drove her about 14 miles, then she shut down completely on him. At that point, he didn't pull off and examine what could have caused the issue. He forced her back on and drove her an additional 2 miles; throwing her into neutral at red lights & revving her so she wouldn't turn off.

Once he got home, and I learn of all this, I lost my mind (obviously).
I let our Navi cool down and checked her with our scanner. It gave me code P1285 for an overheated cylinder head. He stupidly, turned her over about 2 hrs after the overheating incident and she was shaking terribly and making a rough/loud/rapid tick-tick-tick from the engine. And, the following morning, she had white streaks in her oil and it was milk chocolate in color.

So, I am assuming blown head/gasket? Also, could the ticking noise be the rod bearings? The Navi is at a shop right now getting ready to be looked at. Me and my mechanic have talked and we both think that it is the heads and bearings. If so, I've been told it's better and more cost effective to drop a new engine in (we'll be using a reman one from Ironclad if it's the case), is this correct?

 

Sounds like bad head gasket and/or heads. The ticking sound is hard to pinpoint through text, but an overheating engine being revved and pushed will most likely damage several things inside as the oil looses its lubrication properties when overheated. I'd say you're looking at a engine rebuild, or a new long block. Or alternatively get a used motor from the wreaker.