God help me this sucks!!!!
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 112
Likes: 0
From: Vandenberg AFB California
God help me this sucks!!!!
I could use some advice guys;
I found out today that my headgasket is shot...I would do the work myself, but I am in the military and moving overseas in about 35 days so I am not sure that I have the time to make this happen.
I took the car to the dealer to confirm my fears and they did. $2800 to replace both headgaskets and the waterpump.
First question is what did I do to deserve this????
(joking)
Second, does this price seem way to high?
Third, could I get the engine rebuilt for this amount?
Fourth, how hard is this really? How long will it take to replace both headgaskets?
Finally, what would you do?
I found out today that my headgasket is shot...I would do the work myself, but I am in the military and moving overseas in about 35 days so I am not sure that I have the time to make this happen.
I took the car to the dealer to confirm my fears and they did. $2800 to replace both headgaskets and the waterpump.
First question is what did I do to deserve this????
(joking)Second, does this price seem way to high?
Third, could I get the engine rebuilt for this amount?
Fourth, how hard is this really? How long will it take to replace both headgaskets?
Finally, what would you do?
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 12,518
Likes: 19
Changing both head gaskets should take a backyard mechanic all day saturday and all day sunday. You will need approx $200 worth of parts. Head gaskets, exhaust gaskets, complete intake gasket kit, oil, filter, antifreeze etc. The heads should be checked and resurfaced if nescessary. It is likely that the heads need resurfacing. This is a $50 charge at most machined shops. I would also recommend a small clean up cut on the intake manifold surfaces as well. Another $25 for this.
Long story short, $300 and 2 days should solve it.
Long story short, $300 and 2 days should solve it.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 2,107
Likes: 14
From: Lancaster PA
The price seems way too high to me but then again I do everything myself. You should be able to do the job in a weekend as long as there are no hidden problems. Ask alot of questions here and read the Helms manual and you can do it. Good Luck
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 40,156
Likes: 45
From: San Pedro CA
$2800 is robbery... how could they write that estimate with a clear conscience?
bastards. Making money is one thing, but doing it on the back of a service man? How reprehensable is this?
I agree with Pete.
bastards. Making money is one thing, but doing it on the back of a service man? How reprehensable is this?
I agree with Pete.
Intermediate
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 39
Likes: 0
From: jacksonville fl
way to much
go to a regular mechanic shop, im currentl in the middle of a head job, and let me tell ya there is nothing hard about this motor as far as tearing it down, its a basic 350 with a wierd looking intake on it. i would think along the lines of $ 800 to $1500. i own a mechanic shop, i charge on average $75.00 hr the book says on a 96 lt1 the head job is 13.00 and on the l98 it says 16.oo hr so lets say 75 x 16 thats $1200, i just dropped my heads off to the head shop to day today to have a three angle valve job, port and polish, and a resurface and that cost $300, and the complete felpro gasket set is $61.50 that brings ya to a total of $1561 plus tax so round it off to $1650.00. that is the most i would pay to do the job if i was you. forget the dealer there rates are rediculous and they are gonna use the crappy oem head gasket that goes around 100k miles. if you would like i could fax you an estimate, tomorrow and you could use it to get the best deal, because i know that if someone brings me an estimate, ill beat it just to gain the business, so pm me if you want sorry for the long write up
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,263
Likes: 0
From: CV ca
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13
Originally Posted by bogus
$2800 is robbery... how could they write that estimate with a clear conscience?
bastards. Making money is one thing, but doing it on the back of a service man? How reprehensable is this?
I agree with Pete.
bastards. Making money is one thing, but doing it on the back of a service man? How reprehensable is this?
I agree with Pete.
you got that right Bogus. 
That guy must be a real dirtbag. 
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,191
Likes: 15
From: Wallingford Vermont
I feel your pain. I need to pack and move my family in the next couple of weeks yet my chain-of-command thinks it's more important that I move a company's worth of trucks 200 miles.
Might I suggest you check out your local on-post "craft/hobby" shop (or what ever you USAF boys call it). The folks there can probably direct you someone who can oversee you and your project (maybe for a small fee). It's not rocket science, but maybe a little intimidating if you've never delved that deep. If you can help out (and learn) so much the better.
Gotta ask: are you taking the Vette with you overseas? If not, you could just pull the sparkplugs and fog the cylinders with oil (boat shops make a special oil for this). Then deal with the repair when you return.
Might I suggest you check out your local on-post "craft/hobby" shop (or what ever you USAF boys call it). The folks there can probably direct you someone who can oversee you and your project (maybe for a small fee). It's not rocket science, but maybe a little intimidating if you've never delved that deep. If you can help out (and learn) so much the better.
Gotta ask: are you taking the Vette with you overseas? If not, you could just pull the sparkplugs and fog the cylinders with oil (boat shops make a special oil for this). Then deal with the repair when you return.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 8,184
Likes: 3
From: Santa Maria, CA
Skrud,
if you decide to do it yourself off the base,
I'd be happy to give you a hand. Just provide sandwhiches, dorito's, and pepsi.
Also my bud Mike known here on the forum as "shinobi-x" could probably help out. He's good with vette motors also. 86Pacer is good with vette motos also, I could get him to swing by too.
Between the 3 of us and the forum, anybody else you can get, we could totally get'r done.
This weekend is out tho: Saturday the burnout contest/car show here in town and Sunday at Bakersfield for the nhra reunion.
Say, when is the next time the airshow will happen? I went to it about 3 years ago. It was great!
if you decide to do it yourself off the base,
I'd be happy to give you a hand. Just provide sandwhiches, dorito's, and pepsi.
Also my bud Mike known here on the forum as "shinobi-x" could probably help out. He's good with vette motors also. 86Pacer is good with vette motos also, I could get him to swing by too.
Between the 3 of us and the forum, anybody else you can get, we could totally get'r done.
This weekend is out tho: Saturday the burnout contest/car show here in town and Sunday at Bakersfield for the nhra reunion.
Say, when is the next time the airshow will happen? I went to it about 3 years ago. It was great!
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,277
Likes: 1
From: Santa Maria CA
Originally Posted by 89 Paul in Cal
Skrud,
if you decide to do it yourself off the base,
I'd be happy to give you a hand. Just provide sandwhiches, dorito's, and pepsi.
Also my bud Mike known here on the forum as "shinobi-x" could probably help out. He's good with vette motors also. 86Pacer is good with vette motos also, I could get him to swing by too.
Between the 3 of us and the forum, anybody else you can get, we could totally get'r done.
This weekend is out tho: Saturday the burnout contest/car show here in town and Sunday at Bakersfield for the nhra reunion.
Say, when is the next time the airshow will happen? I went to it about 3 years ago. It was great!
if you decide to do it yourself off the base,
I'd be happy to give you a hand. Just provide sandwhiches, dorito's, and pepsi.
Also my bud Mike known here on the forum as "shinobi-x" could probably help out. He's good with vette motors also. 86Pacer is good with vette motos also, I could get him to swing by too.
Between the 3 of us and the forum, anybody else you can get, we could totally get'r done.
This weekend is out tho: Saturday the burnout contest/car show here in town and Sunday at Bakersfield for the nhra reunion.
Say, when is the next time the airshow will happen? I went to it about 3 years ago. It was great!
Hit one of us up on the private messages and we or one of us could help.
Last edited by SHINOBI-X; Oct 3, 2006 at 11:40 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 7,625
Likes: 4
From: Director of Bands
St. Jude Donor '08
Originally Posted by GSCLONE88
go to a regular mechanic shop, im currentl in the middle of a head job, and let me tell ya there is nothing hard about this motor as far as tearing it down, its a basic 350 with a wierd looking intake on it. i would think along the lines of $ 800 to $1500. i own a mechanic shop, i charge on average $75.00 hr the book says on a 96 lt1 the head job is 13.00 and on the l98 it says 16.oo hr so lets say 75 x 16 thats $1200, i just dropped my heads off to the head shop to day today to have a three angle valve job, port and polish, and a resurface and that cost $300, and the complete felpro gasket set is $61.50 that brings ya to a total of $1561 plus tax so round it off to $1650.00. that is the most i would pay to do the job if i was you. forget the dealer there rates are rediculous and they are gonna use the crappy oem head gasket that goes around 100k miles. if you would like i could fax you an estimate, tomorrow and you could use it to get the best deal, because i know that if someone brings me an estimate, ill beat it just to gain the business, so pm me if you want sorry for the long write up
Dude, you ROCK!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 7,625
Likes: 4
From: Director of Bands
St. Jude Donor '08
Originally Posted by GSCLONE88
if you want to do it yourself , i can also fax you the alldata instructions on how to do it
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 6,694
Likes: 3
From: Less Talk, More WOT | Houston TX
Thats lame 
I hate dealers. Its not a hard thing to do with a little bit of patience and time. Its mechanically pretty simple, just alot of things in the way you have to take off. 
$2800 could get you a pretty nice complete 350 rebuild..
I hate dealers. Its not a hard thing to do with a little bit of patience and time. Its mechanically pretty simple, just alot of things in the way you have to take off. $2800 could get you a pretty nice complete 350 rebuild..
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 6,694
Likes: 3
From: Less Talk, More WOT | Houston TX
Originally Posted by GSCLONE88
the book says on a 96 lt1 the head job is 13.00 and on the l98 it says 16.oo hr so lets say 75 x 16 thats $1200
6 to 8 hours should be more accurate if you know what you are doing and worked almost straight through.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 112
Likes: 0
From: Vandenberg AFB California
Guys,
Thanks for all the replies....you have settled it. I am going to do this myself at the base auto hobby shop.
Plan is to dissassemble everything, send the heads out to be worked, clean and repaint the intake, plenum and valve covers and then put it all back together.
Without getting in too deep, what should I have them do to the heads, and can I get any additional HP out of them without getting crazy and getting in any deeper. Time is not on my side!!
Also, what exactly do I need to replace? I obviously know all the gaskets (by the way, anyone have a Felpro part number for everything?) but what about the heads? I heard something about the head bolts.
PS. Yes I am taking the vette with me to Hawaii.......can't imagine living in paradise without a vette to drive.
Thanks for all the replies....you have settled it. I am going to do this myself at the base auto hobby shop.
Plan is to dissassemble everything, send the heads out to be worked, clean and repaint the intake, plenum and valve covers and then put it all back together.
Without getting in too deep, what should I have them do to the heads, and can I get any additional HP out of them without getting crazy and getting in any deeper. Time is not on my side!!
Also, what exactly do I need to replace? I obviously know all the gaskets (by the way, anyone have a Felpro part number for everything?) but what about the heads? I heard something about the head bolts.
PS. Yes I am taking the vette with me to Hawaii.......can't imagine living in paradise without a vette to drive.
Intermediate
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 39
Likes: 0
From: jacksonville fl
your exactly right but that is what all shops go by including myne, but i do give breaks evry now and then , it would actualy take me prolly 4 to 6 hours just because i have done it to several different vettes, but i was also giving the worst case scnario estimate, with everything maxxed out so he would know what to go by, i would prolly do it for 900 ou the door if he was one of my customers, just because i have a hard on for vettes
Originally Posted by Wheelman
Aparently the book is paying for the mechanics time as he sleeps overnight... 6 to 8 hours should be more accurate if you know what you are doing and worked almost straight through.
6 to 8 hours should be more accurate if you know what you are doing and worked almost straight through.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 6,694
Likes: 3
From: Less Talk, More WOT | Houston TX
Originally Posted by GSCLONE88
your exactly right but that is what all shops go by including myne, but i do give breaks evry now and then , it would actualy take me prolly 4 to 6 hours just because i have done it to several different vettes, but i was also giving the worst case scnario estimate, with everything maxxed out so he would know what to go by, i would prolly do it for 900 ou the door if he was one of my customers, just because i have a hard on for vettes
Nothing against you...I know you didn't write the book. I wish I could find an honest shop like yours around here actually when I just didn't have the time to do things myself.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 6,694
Likes: 3
From: Less Talk, More WOT | Houston TX
Originally Posted by Skrud13
Guys,
Thanks for all the replies....you have settled it. I am going to do this myself at the base auto hobby shop.
Plan is to dissassemble everything, send the heads out to be worked, clean and repaint the intake, plenum and valve covers and then put it all back together.
Without getting in too deep, what should I have them do to the heads, and can I get any additional HP out of them without getting crazy and getting in any deeper. Time is not on my side!!
Also, what exactly do I need to replace? I obviously know all the gaskets (by the way, anyone have a Felpro part number for everything?) but what about the heads? I heard something about the head bolts.
PS. Yes I am taking the vette with me to Hawaii.......can't imagine living in paradise without a vette to drive.
Thanks for all the replies....you have settled it. I am going to do this myself at the base auto hobby shop.
Plan is to dissassemble everything, send the heads out to be worked, clean and repaint the intake, plenum and valve covers and then put it all back together.
Without getting in too deep, what should I have them do to the heads, and can I get any additional HP out of them without getting crazy and getting in any deeper. Time is not on my side!!
Also, what exactly do I need to replace? I obviously know all the gaskets (by the way, anyone have a Felpro part number for everything?) but what about the heads? I heard something about the head bolts.
PS. Yes I am taking the vette with me to Hawaii.......can't imagine living in paradise without a vette to drive.
