blown head gaskets estimate
- Thread starter cleex024
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progress4m
Member
This is about 2.5 or 3 times less than it should cost for this job…
also why is it that too cheap? how long does it really take to take off the heads? on my bmw 335i i can do a valve cover gasket in 4 hours from start to finish and that was my first time doing it.
so heads cant really be that much different. i figured a pro should be able to take the heads off in about 2-3 tops and another couple hours to put them back on so figure 6 hours for labor times 100 dollars per hour is $600. so even if i factor in a couple more hours and cost of head gaskets should be around $1000 plus the $250 for machining is right around $1200.
if anything this is on the expensive side no?
hearno
Senior Member
You come here asking if something is a fair price and when everyone tells you that it's way too cheap you try to rationalize it by comparing a head gasket job on a Toyota to a valve cover gasket job on a BMW because "heads can't really be that much different..." Maybe you should spend some time searching this forum for past estimates from people that have had this done. Good luck, you'll need it.
http://www.toyota120.com/forum/showthread.php?t=22777
http://www.toyota120.com/forum/showthread.php?t=22777
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Well you asked and we answered.
All data quotes about 23 hours. Toyota quotes 22 or 24 hours.
Your quoting 6 hours for a job you have never done. Maybe you should do it and revise how the rest of the world does this job and save everyone a lot of money.
If your guy can do it for $1200 including machine work I wish you good luck.
REALLY?? ARE YOU SERIOUS??
Heads are a LOT more involved. First off you have a LOT more to remove. Like the intake manifold and exhaust manifolds. When was the last time you removed an exhaust manifold? Those bolts can get welded on. Valve cover gasket has maybe as high as 10 bolts and it took you 4 hours. Multiply that by 20 to remove the heads. Most modern heads are too involved for your backyard mechanic.
Yes a professional mechanic can do it faster...but it's still going to take them 15+ hours to do it. And that's if everything goes PERFECT. And then there's parts.
. Intake manifold gaskets
. Exhaust manifold gaskets
. New head bolts...most head bolts these days are use once bolts..
. Valve cover gaskets.
And lets not forget the timing chain. As long as you're in there it's a good idea to replace the chain and gears. The vehicle is 10 years old.
As others have said...$1200 is cheap.
sorry i didnt mean anything by comparing my bmw valve cover to this...i just was using it for my comparison to ask how this truck differs. i really wanted to know why the price seemed low to everyone without me searching because i dont really have time as i have to drop the car off today.
trust me i know it gets annoying when people ask the same thing over and over again but i did search a small amount about this but couldnt find anything like the above quickly which is why i just started a thread.
anything sorry again but thanks for the help...that thread really did help me and i think this mechanic is capable but just doesnt know what it involved in this paticular truck.
ill still drop off the car and see what he says while hes working on it...i dont mind him booking me around 20 hours as long as he fixes the problem as this is the only other issue i am having with the truck. and for the guy that lives in the area ill let you know how it turns out.
so I just dropped off the truck and he took a look at it again and said that it was a newer model than what he originally thought. so new quote was $1500 after everything but i told him that maybe when hes in there go ahead and change everything out like chains, pumps and all and said it might come out just over $2000 or so.
he said book time comes out to around 16 hours and he would charge me $875 for labor then parts so I think he just a fair kind of guy...his shop had a bunch of lexus and toyotas so seems like he does decent...guy didnt seem like a scumbag either.
of course all this doesnt mean he does good work on cars but i will let you know what i think once all finished.
again sorry about the posts above where it seemed like i was doubting you guys...wasnt doubting just raising questions to figure out why it was going to cost so much money.
Thanks for all the help guys.
he said book time comes out to around 16 hours and he would charge me $875 for labor then parts so I think he just a fair kind of guy...his shop had a bunch of lexus and toyotas so seems like he does decent...guy didnt seem like a scumbag either.
of course all this doesnt mean he does good work on cars but i will let you know what i think once all finished.
again sorry about the posts above where it seemed like i was doubting you guys...wasnt doubting just raising questions to figure out why it was going to cost so much money.
Thanks for all the help guys.
JBecker
New member
At that price, I'd be concerned with quality of replacement parts used. Is he using a Japanese gasket kit, or one of those Chinese ones from rock? Same goes for head bolts, water pump, timing chain and guides, is he reusing the hydraulic tensioners or replacing them?
Going with Chinese sources for the above parts will cut the cost in half, but I wouldn't put them in my truck given my experiences with these parts.
These are just things to consider when performing a repair like this. Getting the lowest price isn't always the best choice.
Going with Chinese sources for the above parts will cut the cost in half, but I wouldn't put them in my truck given my experiences with these parts.
These are just things to consider when performing a repair like this. Getting the lowest price isn't always the best choice.
i understand where you are coming from but only his labor is cheap...everything else is coming from toyota as he does dealership work for them also. parts he is just going to charge me whatever it costs him with probably a little up charge.
if the job calls for replacing the bolts he said he will replace them and just charge me so im really not too worried about it. but his hourly rate does seem a bit low but i think thats because he made a mistake of quoting me too low and now that its going to be much more labor he said he would just charge me like $60 an hour for 16 hours.
also he said he would change the oil and coolant since he has to drain all that and he would put in the toyota coolant and mobil 1 oil which is what i use so i was happy about that.
wrestler157
New member
I just got mine done by toyota and cost me $3200
ouch that hurts...would hate to have this "simple" task to cost so much since the parts literally only cost couple hundred lol.
so did you feel a difference in power after you got it done? huge difference in feel?
wnelax04sr5
New member
check out this thread man. its not just nuts and bolts
Head Gasket Blown - 2004 V6 - Toyota 120 Platforms Forum
i know its not thats why i put the quotes in...i just said simple cause thats what i was just thinking that it should be but its not lol. and the thread you posted was previously mentioned and i already looked through it.
also mentioned was that it was indeed at least a 16 hour job and my mechanic has already upped the price but reduced his hourly rate cause he made a mistake.
