Tune-up shop wanted $650 to replace the whole head gasket kit.; $200 parts/$450 labor

I quickly found the head gasket kit for about half their price (at $110) and I'm nearly certain their labor prices are inflated too.

Looking for advice on whether this is a feasible one-day task for a novice mechanic with a Haynes manual or if I should let someone else do it; if the latter, what's reasonable to expect to pay?

Another option pitched to me was a block sealer product, which doesn't sound like a good long-term solution.

Thanks in advance


Modified by Deacon at 2:05 PM 1/9/2006

 

Call labor 75$ an hour, it does NOT take that long to replace one. A good shop can do it in a hour.

 

the headgasket plus the new headbolts is probably around 200...dont think they were trying to rip you off there...most likely on the labor...if your lazy like me you can just undo all the headbolts and lift the head up and slide the old headgasket out and put the new one back in...yeah you could do it in one day with a haynes manual...thats the manual i started out with and i did a mpfi swap into an 88 civic hatch with it

 

you can get a oem headgasket for 50 bucks, your headstuds are fine
might aswell do the timing belt and water pump if they arent new, thats another 100 bucks. maybe 200 in labor max

 

no, you need to replace the headbolts, dont listen to timmay on that one

 

Go to http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com to get your headgasket and look in the FI sponsors section for ARP headstuds.

headgasket will be about $60, studs should be about $80.

It took me about 7 hours to do the headgasket and headstuds because I went very slowly so I didn't expletive anything up.

The reason I say to get ARP headstuds is becuase they're not much more than OEM headbolts and they're reuseable, as opposed to OEM headbolts that have to be replaced every time the head comes off.

 

i have a set of arp headstuds that were in the engine for a total of 2 hours running before we threw a rod on the dyno...60 shipped

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by x_outlaw_x &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">no, you need to replace the headbolts, dont listen to timmay on that one</TD></TR></TABLE>

lol ok, ive only been doing this stuff for 6+ years

 

every engine builder i have talked to said that unless you are using ARP headstuds told me to replace the head bolts everytime the head gets pulled...and these guys are building 500hp + hondas weekly...i think im going to trust them

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by x_outlaw_x &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">every engine builder i have talked to said that unless you are using ARP headstuds told me to replace the head bolts everytime the head gets pulled...and these guys are building 500hp + hondas weekly...i think im going to trust them </TD></TR></TABLE>

well i work for a Honda Certified mechanic shop, and we go by OEM manuals.. on a stock car that isnt getting modded, there is no reason for replacing headstuds. maybe if he is gonna boost it or somehting then yes

 

do you mean studs or bolts because you keep saying studs...you dont need to replace studs, but you do need to replace bolts

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by x_outlaw_x &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">do you mean studs or bolts because you keep saying studs...you dont need to replace studs, but you do need to replace bolts</TD></TR></TABLE>

i call them headstuds, either way oem or not

the bolts that hold the head to the block- is that better?

 

honestly i would replace them anyway, because they stretch and then the torque readings arent accurate...i would rather spend the extra money and know that it is done right and im not going to have to pull the head again