Recommended shop/person for head gasket replacement?
Last edited by silvergga; Apr 8, 2015 at 05:58 PM.
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I blew my headgasket and I was quote over $1k and since I ran for a while with the headgasket messed up, it damaged a few other things...soo I ended up with a new motor haha
If in doubt, FLAT OUT
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Stuff, comments like this, is why I gave up the idea of being a mechanic. It's also pretty infuriating to hear people get pissed off when a job ends up being more than the estimate, or when someone gets a quote for a job, and their knowledge-free deduction of the situation is that it should probably be cheaper.
If in doubt, FLAT OUT
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This is why I never discuss, with anyone, how much a repair cost me. I mean, in order to say that - you must have personally checked out the car before/after and reviewed the paperwork pertaining to the job, right?
Stuff, comments like this, is why I gave up the idea of being a mechanic. It's also pretty infuriating to hear people get pissed off when a job ends up being more than the estimate, or when someone gets a quote for a job, and their knowledge-free deduction of the situation is that it should probably be cheaper.
Stuff, comments like this, is why I gave up the idea of being a mechanic. It's also pretty infuriating to hear people get pissed off when a job ends up being more than the estimate, or when someone gets a quote for a job, and their knowledge-free deduction of the situation is that it should probably be cheaper.
If I told you what I paid for my timing belt, you would probably say the same thing
But I had other things done at the same time, so it wasn't just the normal stuff.
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Well let's lay it out....
OEM Gasket Kit - $300
OEM Head Bolts - $135
OEM Timing Belt, Tensioner, Idlers, Water Pump, Thermostat + Gasket - ~$750
Vacuum test heads, resurface heads - ~$250
Oil, Filter, Coolant, Spark Plugs - ~$100
That's $1535 BEFORE labor. Most shops will charge $1500-$2000 in labor for this job.
So I would say $3200 is right on the money to do it right... and that's assuming the heads vacuum test out ok and don't need any additional work.
Of course you can cut corners, re-use parts that should be replaced, forego machine shop work/testing, slap stuff back together and call it a day. That's the only way a shop is going to get you pricing that was mentioned earlier in the thread. Good luck to those shops and those customers who choose to go that route!
-- Ed
OEM Gasket Kit - $300
OEM Head Bolts - $135
OEM Timing Belt, Tensioner, Idlers, Water Pump, Thermostat + Gasket - ~$750
Vacuum test heads, resurface heads - ~$250
Oil, Filter, Coolant, Spark Plugs - ~$100
That's $1535 BEFORE labor. Most shops will charge $1500-$2000 in labor for this job.
So I would say $3200 is right on the money to do it right... and that's assuming the heads vacuum test out ok and don't need any additional work.
Of course you can cut corners, re-use parts that should be replaced, forego machine shop work/testing, slap stuff back together and call it a day. That's the only way a shop is going to get you pricing that was mentioned earlier in the thread. Good luck to those shops and those customers who choose to go that route!
-- Ed
If you NEVER want to worry about it ever again.^
Or buy a hoist at Harbor Freight and go for it.
And JSC Speed for the necessary parts. (DONT reuse your factory head studs...period)
If your heads need refacing, you'll want to consider contacting LIC for their adjustable idlers.
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Seriously... for that much money I'd buy a new motor and have that put in. Then take the perfectly good motor you just had pulled out. Do the work on it while it's out of the car and sell it to offset some of the cost.
But it's not outrageous to spend $2500 on a head gasket by any means. It's a butt load of labor.
Seriously... for that much money I'd buy a new motor and have that put in. Then take the perfectly good motor you just had pulled out. Do the work on it while it's out of the car and sell it to offset some of the cost.
But it's not outrageous to spend $2500 on a head gasket by any means. It's a butt load of labor.
But it's not outrageous to spend $2500 on a head gasket by any means. It's a butt load of labor.
And if you are not reusing gaskets, o-rings, and other componants, $2500 is not way out of range for a reputable shop to do it. I replaced EVERYTHING and it was around $1500-$1800 to do it myself.
(This included EVERY gasket removed right down to the valve covers, AVCS, header, turbo, exhaust gaskets. ARP, LIC, Grimmspeed, Cosworth, Subaru... no ebay stuff...) I did not want to have to worry about anything when she was back on the road.
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Inflated how?
The pricing I listed for parts is lower than retail list price. Those are all the parts I would recommend replacing when doing a head gasket job unless those parts were already replaced recently.
Hell, I didn't even list exhaust gaskets in there!
Quality work and parts cost money... simple as that. You can do the job yourself, not re-use parts instead of replacing, re-use gaskets, etc and save yourself a decent chunk of cash while taking a significant risk with your engine's reliability. But why would anyone expect a shop to offer that kind of work and that kind of pricing?
-- Ed
The pricing I listed for parts is lower than retail list price. Those are all the parts I would recommend replacing when doing a head gasket job unless those parts were already replaced recently.
Hell, I didn't even list exhaust gaskets in there!
Quality work and parts cost money... simple as that. You can do the job yourself, not re-use parts instead of replacing, re-use gaskets, etc and save yourself a decent chunk of cash while taking a significant risk with your engine's reliability. But why would anyone expect a shop to offer that kind of work and that kind of pricing?
-- Ed
Last edited by EQ Tuning; Oct 25, 2012 at 01:39 PM.