$625 for head refresh?

[jmvar]

Does this sound steep? That is what the machine shop quoted my mechanic to go through the head of my '95....

I figure there is some markup there on my mechanic's end but that sounds really steep to me. Doesn't include milling the head if it needs it, just the valve job and cleaning it up.

TIA

 

[GXO]

If they take it out that doesn't sound bad

 

[jmvar]

that is just the machine shop's labor....

labor for the HG job is going to be $875 on top of that....

 

[Tentsontop]

That's way too steep. I don't know what they're doing, but having the valves done, surface milled and head cleaned is about $250 locally for me.

 

[jmvar]

that's what I thought...heading over to the regional boards to find another machine shop, if anyone knows one in the DC metro area please let me know. Preferebly in Maryland up 270.

 

[cpg]

Does this sound steep? That is what the machine shop quoted my mechanic to go through the head of my '95....

I figure there is some markup there on my mechanic's end but that sounds really steep to me. Doesn't include milling the head if it needs it, just the valve job and cleaning it up.

TIA

I paid a bit more than that thought it was steep also.

 

[FrankTorres]

Does this sound steep? That is what the machine shop quoted my mechanic to go through the head of my '95....

I figure there is some markup there on my mechanic's end but that sounds really steep to me. Doesn't include milling the head if it needs it, just the valve job and cleaning it up.

TIA

For $625 it should include; pressure test, milling, valve job, valve adjustment and a nice big bow with some candy.
Take the head to the machine shop yourself...

 

[IdahoDoug]

Yeah, I'd ask your mechanic how much of a markup he's charging on that. Some shops routinely mark up things like that by 100%. I'd have to look, but think I paid less than half that for a full head service that included a total disassembly, cleaning, pressure test, replace the valve stem seals, measure the head bolt thickness for reuse, mill .010 , valve grind, valve adjustment and reassembly. There literally was nothing else to do on it. Of course I dropped off and picked up the part.

But I don't live in a major metro area that's got high living costs and won't let you own a handgun. Until recently that is - heh. Congratulations on that victory, DC. Now the freedoms extended to the rest of the country are available in our capital!!!

DougM

 

[jmvar]

Thanks for everyones input.

I knew it was going to be more expensive than most of the prices I saw everyone else paying when I did a search just because of where I live.

Talked to the machine shop and the bill is $500 for cleaning, milling, valve grind and adjust. So the mechanic is marking it up $125 which I don't see as unreasonable.

Gotta pay to play, I have $900 in parts from C-Dan and and $875 in labor so far, hopefully this will be the last big item for this job....notice I said for this job

 

[TX_TLC]

Thanks for everyones input.

I knew it was going to be more expensive than most of the prices I saw everyone else paying when I did a search just because of where I live.

Talked to the machine shop and the bill is $500 for cleaning, milling, valve grind and adjust. So the mechanic is marking it up $125 which I don't see as unreasonable.

Gotta pay to play, I have $900 in parts from C-Dan and and $875 in labor so far, hopefully this will be the last big item for this job....notice I said for this job

Then whatever you do don't real IdahoDoug's newest post concerning his (new) HG...

 

[MSGGrunt]

I paid $350.00, including shipping from MA to FL to have mine rebuilt by Clearwater Cylinder Head in Clearwater, Florida. This included milling the head, replaced one or two exhaust valves, a regrind, and a couple of seats and new valve stem seals. I went with them after taking one look at the antiquated equipment I saw at my local machine shop. They had great customer service and I was very pleased with their work.

 

[vadimb]

If you have someone else do the labor on removal and install, I would suggest having them take care of the head. If you take it to a shop yourself, the mechanic will not warranty anything, and if you bring the head back to the machine shop, they will blame the mechanic. Either way you will be out of money. If you have the mechanic take care of it all, then he is responsible for all of it. That is what the markup is usually for, kind of like insurance.
Good luck

 

[jmvar]

If you have someone else do the labor on removal and install, I would suggest having them take care of the head. If you take it to a shop yourself, the mechanic will not warranty anything, and if you bring the head back to the machine shop, they will blame the mechanic. Either way you will be out of money. If you have the mechanic take care of it all, then he is responsible for all of it. That is what the markup is usually for, kind of like insurance.
Good luck

This is exactly why I don't mind paying his markup, his recommended machine shop, he dropped it off, he picked it up, if anything goes wrong there is no pointing fingers......ideally.......markup is there for human error.

I don't nesecerily agree with it but it is part of the system, if I take my car to a mechanic instead of doing it myself I just have to accept that.

 

[alia176]

I paid $160 for a mill, clean, and R/R the valve stem seals. The head didn't need a valve job.