how much will it cost to put in a new head gasket? how difficult where can i get the part?


Year: 1994
Make: Acura
Model: Integra LS
Style/Body: 2 Door Hatchback
Engine: 1.8L I-4 MPI

 

A new headgasket can be purchased from Acura/Honda.

If you need to ask how hard this job is... it's too difficult for you. A HG is not a simple job, and requires a lot of work.

 

how much would it be to get it proffesionaly done?

 

if you get it done cheap w/part over $400.

 

Are you sure its the head gaskets because you have a picture of just the top of the head?? But then again the head is in peices?

 

it look like valve cover gasket to me. headgasket need to take out the head

 

i am fixin to buy this car, it is just all that is wrong with it is it needs a head gasket from what i have been told.. does't bother me to much because i am buying it for 1200 and i can fix anything that is wrong with it between my doing and friend's help. i was jsut wondering what you guys think of replacing the head gasket how much i am looking at doing that. how much does the part cost, cuz i can do it myself by just taking the time

 

Sorry for the long post.

The part is about $50 for an integra. If you can replace a timing belt yourself, the head gasket's not too much more work, assuming you're not machining the head or anything.

But yeah, what the other guys said is right. You're looking at the top of the head. That whole thing has to come off first.

Here's what you should be looking at if you have the head removed. Minus the rags and paper towels. I was chiseling off deposits on the pistons. This is from my civic.



Here's how you do it. This was a writeup I posted on some other forum where someone gave directions on how to do the hg but what they wrote was directions on changing the valve cover gasket.


Drain the oil and coolant.

Remove the valve cover gasket.

Then disconnect the exhaust and intake manifolds. The intake manifold probably has a brace on it that will not allow you to push it away from the cylinder head. Remove it from underneath.

Then disconnect all hoses and sensor wires connected to the head.

Then by the driver's side front tire, you should see a pulley and a 19mm bolt. This is the crank pulley and crank pulley bolt. Remove this with an impact wrench. If you can't remove it, then remove the flywheel housing cover, it's on the passenger's side of the oil pan. Should be 5 bolts. Then stick a screwdriver in the flywheel teeth to hold it still and remove the crank pulley bolt with a breaker bar.

Then remove all accessory belts, then pull off the crank pulley. Make note of the notch in the crank pulley, that has to align with the notch in the crank sprocket.

Then remove the upper and lower timing belt covers, just a bunch of 10mm bolts.

Then remove the timing belt by loosening the tensioner bolt, then you can push on the tensioner and slide the timing belt off. If you're replacing the belt, you'll need to support the engine by putting a jack under the oil pan. Then remove the top driver's side engine mount so the timing belt can come out.

Then remove the cam journals and distributor. You'll probably have to tap them with a mallet to loosen them after you've removed the bolts. They will be labelled such as "IE4" which means "Intake cam journal #4". Keep them in order. Then remove the cams. You may have to soak up the oil sitting in the cylinder head in order to see the head bolts. Remove these in the order specified in your shop manual to avoid warping the head.

Then remove the head, you may have to tap it and pull kinda hard to get it off. Then remove the old head gasket and use a razor to scrape the top of the block and bottom of the cylinder head clean so there's no part of the old gasket left. Put shop rags in the water jacket around the pistons so no junk falls in.

Then put the new head gasket in, put the head back on, and tighten the bolts in the proper order and use a torque wrench to tighten them to the proper spec. Don't just "go by feel" or you might warp the head.

Then put the cams back in, and put assembly lube around the journals. Tighten them to spec also. Usually you tighten to a certain torque in a specific order, then you tighten to a higher torque.

Then you need to put the timing belt back on. There's going to be an UP label on each cam. That has to be completely vertical for both, and the crank sprocket notch needs to be vertical as well. However, on the DOHC engine the valve springs will make the cams not stay in position. If this is your first time, go to NAPA and by the tool that holds the cams in place for $10. Snap it in, making sure both cams are aligned properly, and put the timing belt back on. If the cams are up but the crank sprocket notch is down, just rotate it one more time. If you are in doubt, make sure all notches are up, then stick a long screwdriver down into the sparkplug hole for cylinder #1 (one closest to the driver's side of the car) and make sure it's at the top. Then slip the timing belt on, and push on the tensioner while tightening it so the timing belt is on properly.

Then put the timing belt covers back on.

Then put the crank pulley back on and tighten the bolt to spec.

Reattach all the hoses, manifolds, distributor, and pour some oil over top of the cam lobes. Then put the valve cover back on and put your accessory belts back on. Then refill with oil and coolant.

Start it up and should be fine now. If it runs rough or lacks power, you might have not gotten the timing belt on properly. You can either recheck it or take it to a shop, normally about $70 for them to adjust it.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by mr.beeks &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">if you get it done cheap w/part over $400.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

no way i would say

headgasket: $50
labor: $180-$200

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JDM_violator &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">no way i would say

headgasket: $50
labor: $180-$200</TD></TR></TABLE>

No way man considering set hourly rates for the average shop is 70-90 bucks.

 

I would have to agree on the $400 plus range.

 

DIY!!

there is no other way to learn than to get your hands dirty and start taking things apart

I head gasket is a mostly simple straght forward matinence job, $50 for the part and an afternoon wrenching and learning

perchase a helms manual and you will be good to go

 

if that car blew a head gasket you can just slap another one on. you have to get the head milled because of it being warp which is one of the reasons that the head gasket could've blown. you are gonna have to take a trip to the machine shop to get your head milled and made sure that it is completly level.

 

i paid 800 2 years ago at a reputable shop. 99$/hr labor plus 150$ to deck the head and charged me 75 for the gasket now i can change head gaskets with my eyes closed so expletive shops

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by b00sted_hatch &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">if that car blew a head gasket you can just slap another one on. you have to get the head milled because of it being warp which is one of the reasons that the head gasket could've blown. you are gonna have to take a trip to the machine shop to get your head milled and made sure that it is completly level.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I"m runnign w/a blown headgasket as we speak in my GS-R.. Just put some stop leak in it and I'm runnin great (for the time being, wasnt a bad leak).

Regardless, when I was checking into evrything, I could get the head check and/or milled for $80.00. Its absolutely ABSURD to JUST replace the headgasket and not have the head checked/milled.

Stupid.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JDM_violator &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">no way i would say

headgasket: $50
labor: $180-$200</TD></TR></TABLE>
no way in hell. more like $1000, at least at shops around here.

 

what kind of shops do i need to go to to get the head milled? how can i tell if it is warped?

 

Usually it won't sit right on the block. Like you can put it on and it wobbles slightly. Or you can lay a straightedge on it and see.