$6k quote for head gaskets on 4.0 SOHC?

[JJMaine]

My truck needs head gaskets at a minimum and I took it to my local Ford dealership and they quoted me $6k to do them and that's if the cylinder heads and block are both fine. I know this price is high but I'm wondering how over the top is it? I took it to Ford because I don't know any good independent shops and if something goes wrong I need to be able to get it fixed under warranty.

They said 12 hours labor at $175 an hour which comes to $2100. So $4k in parts???

I've been talked out of a reman engine it sounds like that's an even larger gamble. The truck is too nice not to fix and I need it to get to work. I'm stuck and not sure what to do. Ford already charged me $600 to "diagnose" the problem even after I told them exactly where to look. It took me 5 minutes to bore scope cylinder 4 and see coolant on top of the piston. Somehow it took them 3 hours

Any advice is welcome. Thanks

 

[JJMaine]

Also, what do you guys think the chances are that the heads and block are still good? I've owned the truck for a year and 15k miles and I never overheated it. I'm just getting some coolant seeping into the cylinders when the truck sits so it misfires a bit on start up but runs perfectly fine after that.

I asked them what the price would be if the heads were bad and he said "we'll cross that bridge when we come to it". Id like to mosey on over that bridge before they get me by the balls for $6k and then I have to just pay whatever extra they feel like charging me.

 

[superj]

they are charging that because they hope you go somewhere else.

alot of places, not just automotive shops, will do that when they don't want the job. they will do it if you are willing to be screwed but they are not happy about it

 

[JJMaine]

Yeah I guess I'll go pick up my truck and pay them their diagnose fee and figure something else out. I just don't see how they can make up their own price when labor costs a set amount and parts cost whatever they cost. I can see an independent shop being able to but I thought dealerships might be different. Now I know, thanks

 

[SenorNoob]

Find another shop would be my advice. There's no way it's 4k parts to do head gaskets unless they're planning to replace timing set at the same time or every seal in the engine. Even then that seems excessive. I could see it being more than 12 hours in a DIY situation. That should be pretty accurate for a shop though.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Find another shop would be my advice. There's no way it's 4k parts to do head gaskets unless they're planning to replace timing set at the same time or every seal in the engine. Even then that seems excessive. I could see it being more than 12 hours in a DIY situation. That should be pretty accurate for a shop though.

I am not super familiar with it but generally you pull the engine to do the timing system. You also have to remove the timing system I would assume to get the heads off of a SOHC engine.

So they are probably figuring on pulling the engine.

And then at that point why would you reassemble with a 14yo timing set?

 

[rubydist]

You must pull the engine to do the head gaskets or timing chains on the 4.0 sohc. I think its more than 12 hours of labor - iirc its like 15. $5k at the dealer is about what it will cost. An independent shop might get it done for $4k but you need to make sure they have the special tools they need to do the timing.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

You must pull the engine to do the head gaskets or timing chains on the 4.0 sohc. I think its more than 12 hours of labor - iirc its like 15. $5k at the dealer is about what it will cost. An independent shop might get it done for $4k but you need to make sure they have the special tools they need to do the timing.

My friend is a diesel mechanic, he went the powerstroke route when he did his timing chains and lifted the cab.

 

[Blmpkn]

First problem is you took it to a Ford dealer... Their rates are 75% higher than the shop I bring my stuff to...

I generally always trust an independent shop to do better work than a stealership as well.

 

[ekrampitzjr]

Don't know if any of you are seeing this with pre–2011 Rangers, but some Ford dealers have long had a policy of not doing any work on vehicles more than X (say, 10) years old or more than 100,000 miles. That could explain the inflated cost. When I got curious and asked the local dealer about the cost to replace the timing-chain cartridges, its estimate was about $5K for me too, same as Rubydist said.

The problem is with finding a good independent shop that is willing to do any of this heavy work. Some shops out my way that used to do things such as head gaskets have gotten out of it. Too many headaches and too few techs able to do this work, so they said.

 

[19Walt93]

My truck needs head gaskets at a minimum and I took it to my local Ford dealership and they quoted me $6k to do them and that's if the cylinder heads and block are both fine. I know this price is high but I'm wondering how over the top is it? I took it to Ford because I don't know any good independent shops and if something goes wrong I need to be able to get it fixed under warranty.

They said 12 hours labor at $175 an hour which comes to $2100. So $4k in parts???

I've been talked out of a reman engine it sounds like that's an even larger gamble. The truck is too nice not to fix and I need it to get to work. I'm stuck and not sure what to do. Ford already charged me $600 to "diagnose" the problem even after I told them exactly where to look. It took me 5 minutes to bore scope cylinder 4 and see coolant on top of the piston. Somehow it took them 3 hours

Any advice is welcome. Thanks

First, Ford didn't charge you anything, your Ford dealer did. Their estimate should include an itemized list of parts so you can compare apples to apples when you get another estimate. I'd question an independent's experience and access to special tools for the 4.0 SOHC before hiring them. After 42 years at a Ford dealer I'm convinced that independents don't know what they don't know.
If head gaskets are going to cost $6000 I'd look into a complete reman. Just not one from Jasper.

 

[Blmpkn]

First, Ford didn't charge you anything, your Ford dealer did. Their estimate should include an itemized list of parts so you can compare apples to apples when you get another estimate. I'd question an independent's experience and access to special tools for the 4.0 SOHC before hiring them. After 42 years at a Ford dealer I'm convinced that independents don't know what they don't know.
If head gaskets are going to cost $6000 I'd look into a complete reman. Just not one from Jasper.

Any independent shop worth it's grease will be able to time a motor that was sold for 14 years. Especially one that sold in THAT kind of numbers..

***Hell.. just about every new double banked euro motor has A MUCH worse timing setup than the soch.. all on the back of the motor as well..

They still get er dun..

 

[Uncle Gump]

For that kind of money... I would seriously look at a replacement engine.

 

[Shran]

First problem is you took it to a Ford dealer... Their rates are 75% higher than the shop I bring my stuff to...

I generally always trust an independent shop to do better work than a stealership as well.

I don't think this is the case any longer but for a few years our local Ford dealer had the cheapest labor rate in town and that was including independent shops. They also had really good prices on tires and oil changes. I don't think any independent place charges less than about $125/hour now.

My wife took her new car in to the Honda dealer because the power steering stopped working and a bunch of lights came on... they charged her $800 to replace the battery and solder a couple wires that a rabbit chewed off. Sometimes they are kind of a rip off but I would have never figured it out and she was 400 miles away...

You must pull the engine to do the head gaskets or timing chains on the 4.0 sohc. I think its more than 12 hours of labor - iirc its like 15. $5k at the dealer is about what it will cost. An independent shop might get it done for $4k but you need to make sure they have the special tools they need to do the timing.

If they told him 12 hours at $175/hour that math = $2100. Even 15 hours is $2625. Guess I'm not sure why there are $4000 worth of parts and shop supplies there either.

 

[Uncle Gump]

The estimate should be itemized.

What did it say you got for 6k?