machine shops head job ? $

[BWOLIVER]

Just got a call fro my local machine shop with a price of $410 for checking the heads, new valve seals, hot tank, and removing a broken bolt from the intake manifold. Is this about right or or am I getting screwed?

 

[skippy]

Just got a call fro my local machine shop with a price of $410 for checking the heads, new valve seals, hot tank, and removing a broken bolt from the intake manifold. Is this about right or or am I getting screwed?

get another estimate or two,sounds high to me.

 

[skippy]

get another estimate or two,sounds high to me.

does the price include valve job,guides and new springs?

 

[BWOLIVER]

no it doesn't, thats why it sounded kinda high to me also, but I haven't had to due any machine shop stuff for 10 yrs.

 

[BWOLIVER]

There are only 2 shops in the area that I know of and this guy has a great rep. with the hot rodders etc... I suppose I could be paying for the rep.

 

[skippy]

i haven't either,we need some of the other members to chime in.sounds high to me.

 

[Hardwareman]

I can get a head completely rebuilt for that around me.





Allen

 

[enginepaul]

Just went to e-bay and a guy has a single head for $200.00
Mine were done by a wholesale shop - a head shop that services parts stores and some engine shops- for $189.00 a couple years ago.
Some shops confuse these heads with the 2.9 that had a lot of failures, so the estimate high.
For that price you should be getting new guides, valves and springs too. I'd get on the phone and check some more.

 

[JoshT]

Well my machinist (he also builds engines, not just machine work) said my most of my valves and springs were good. Those that weren't I replaced with spares (good spares according to the afore mentioned machinist) from a spare set of heads I had picked up to get rebuilt before I found one was cracked. I had my heads cleaned, checked, new stem seals installed, and valve job done for probably 200-250 total. I can't find my receipt for the work to get you an exact price, and not sure I want to go looking through that pile of receipts again. Now as for the machine work on the block, can you say ouch? I think total it cost me a little over 800 for my machine work on this motor.

 

[michowski]

You can buy new heads completly done with new valves, seats, springs, the work for that price. I got 2 new heads off ebay for about 400 shipped. They even paid for the core shipping.

 

[BWOLIVER]

thanks everyone for your responses, talked to the machinist and got a discount $395 including head set and cleaning up my intake including removal of broken bolt and heli coil. of course I still feel a little cheated, but need to get the rig on the road. just won't use them for anything else in the future.

 

[ammocj]

I was quoted higher than that with all new valves and complete engine gasket kit.
I'm home so seldom that I'm going to have em do it just so I can reassemble it when I finally do get a chance.
I was going to strip my other heads off the block to see if I could save a few bucks but that would put me a month back on getting it on the road.
I figure I'll strip my other motor after this ones running and rebuild the bottom end, shop for a 4 barrel intake, then just swap these heads onto that, but that's probably 2 years down the road at this rate.
Al