i've got a cracked head or a blown gasket. how much should i expect to pay to repair? 1986 gl wagon

I have an EA81 with a blown head gasket. A local shop said they would do it for $250. I dont know if thats a good deal or not. I have decided to do the job myself........but if you dont have the time then $250 sounds like a good deal to me.

Thats a good price, in-fact I would be a little suspicious at that price????

I would see what kind of condition the head is BEFORE making any kind of decision.

 

If the mechanic quoted you a price for a supposed "fix", I would be skeptical.

Best case scenerio: blown gasket only (one side) with no damage to the head. The $250 quote is probably parts and labor based on this assumption.

 

Problem is, the job usually involves more - sometimes much more, depending on the severity of the meltdown. The labor isn't what kills you. It's new parts, machine shop services etc. And this is just to repair the damage already done. Both sides really need to be checked and resealed with fresh gaskets. Just because it blew on one side, doesn't neccessarily mean the other side is free of damage.

 

And to do any kind of thorough job, you really need to eliminate the ALL the weak links, and this might mean a cooling system overhaul. At the very least, you need to address whatever caused the vehicle to overheat in the first place.

 

I would find out how much he (or someone else) will charge you to remove and evaluate the heads. That's the only way you'll get an accurate estimate of the total cost.

 

Get his price, and come back here for more opinions

 

good luck, John

And remember: It's better to have a cracked head than to be a crackhead."

crack head thats funny

 

I would be rather suspicious of a quote that low. thats gonna be one ghetto repair job. I am in the middle of a saturn gasket job and I told the owner 900 or higher if I find more problems. I dont mess around. cheap labor = cheap quality. I dont know what labor rates are in your area but here expect to pay close to 100.00 per hour for a high end shop. I only charge 40.00 on the side.