Is this a reasonable price to replace a head gasket?

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jpoole said:
I know this isn't the focus of the thread but how confident are you in the "bad HG" diagnosis? Did they provide good information on how they determined that it was bad?

It sounds relatively safe to trust the shop on their diagnosis but I'd personally want to know for sure before diving into the job given the costs and hassle involved in your situation.

HG as preventative maintenance can make sense but seems more appropriate when the 80 isn't needed for daily driving duties and when you have chosen the time for it.

Good luck!
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They didn’t really explain how exactly it was bad, they just told me that they got to look at it and do some tests that were showing it has a bad HG. This is also coming from the front desk, not the actual owners or mechanics. Very good points. It wouldn’t be so bad if this happened in summer, as I do have another car to drive. It’s just not optimal to drive in the winter time.
 
You started the thread with "My head gasket blew". Is that what you've determined or what they told you the problem was?

There are test kits available to determine if you have a blown headgasket. A P0306 is misfire on #6 which is the most common failure point on a blown headgasket. Is there milkshake in the oil? Does your coolant look cloudy? Is the engine overheating?

I pulled my engine in July 2021 and took it to my local machine shop. I spent $800 on the LCEngineering kit, supplemented about $500 in OEM parts, and paid about $1300 in labor. Removal and installation wasn't easy and we discovered issues along the way but all in all I spent way less than $3000 for a full rebuild.

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lumbee1 said:
You started the thread with "My head gasket blew". Is that what you've determined or what they told you the problem was?

There are test kits available to determine if you have a blown headgasket. A P0306 is misfire on #6 which is the most common failure point on a blown headgasket. Is there milkshake in the oil? Does your coolant look cloudy? Is the engine overheating?

I pulled my engine in July 2021 and took it to my local machine shop. I spent $800 on the LCEngineering kit, supplemented about $500 in OEM parts, and paid about $1300 in labor. Removal and installation wasn't easy and we discovered issues along the way but all in all I spent way less than $3000 for a full rebuild.

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That is just based on what they told me. As the check engine light had only came on on Sunday, I took it to them Monday and thats when they found the plug came unplugged for cylinder 6 injector. Then they mentioned the really bad exhaust leak. They tech was surprised at how well it ran with such a bad leak. I havent noticed any milky substance in the oil, but I did not check it and I did not notice any coolant missing. Rig only "overheated" this summer when I went wheeling in 102 degree weather, and it got up to about 212 degrees F. Other than that, daily use has been fine, freeway speeds seemed fine except for when it was misfiring.
 
212° isn't overheating. I'd get a second and third opinion if you really need this truck for transportation. For $8700, I'll fly to Portland, rent a hotel room and do the job in the parking lot. And go home with money.
 
This is all apples to oranges until you actually know what is being done for $8700 and $6500. The $8700 could include replacing all parts with OEM new and the $6500 quote could be a quick and dirty. Find out what each one includes and make your decision from there.
 
scottryana said:
This is all apples to oranges until you actually know what is being done for $8700 and $6500. The $8700 could include replacing all parts with OEM new and the $6500 quote could be a quick and dirty. Find out what each one includes and make your decision from there.
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Would the dealership not be using OEM parts? Everything is broad because no one knows how bad it is or what will need to be replaced.
 
Yes, but they may only be replacing the headgasket and fluids and charging you the rest for labor. As @scottryana said, the devil's in the details. Well, he didn't actually say that, but...
 
I saw something I never thought I'd see today, walking into my dealership to pick up parts. As I was walking in, an LKQ panel truck was pulling out. Now, those may have been OEM parts, but they sure weren't new OEM parts.

FWIW, that dealership does not get to work on my truck. Ever.
 
OGBeno said:
LKQ is a common source for engines for people who don’t have the money to pay for new OEM parts.

There are less wealthy people who drive Toyotas as well... They need them fixed too.
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I think that the less wealthy people who choose to take their vehicles to the dealership are probably less wealthy for a reason 🤔
 
If you have problems after the work, you will have way more leverage at the dealership.

My opinion.

Cheers
 
I agree with @SNLC as far as warranty afterwords. Curious how long Toyota would have your truck for that repair? Broadway Toyota? Is the truck currently running and if so how is it running? I would really want to hear how they diagnosed a head gasket leak?
 
Fj80oregon said:
I agree with @SNLC as far as warranty afterwords. Curious how long Toyota would have your truck for that repair? Broadway Toyota? Is the truck currently running and if so how is it running? I would really want to hear how they diagnosed a head gasket leak?
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Beaverton, one on Murray. The gentle is out till Friday, so I can't get anymore info about the dealerships work and what exactly they would do. That's kind of my next move is to see what work the dealership would be doing. I got a quote from Land Cruiser Specialists for $7500. After LCNW plugged injector 6 back in, it was running fine, idled much better than it did when I took it there Monday. I'm going to call them tomorrow and get some more info from them, and see exactly what work would be done for the $8700.
 
Well hopefully you don’t need a head gasket at all. If it is running well and your compression numbers are good you might be in the clear. You really need to test your coolant for combustion gases. That is the best test for head gasket failure.
 
I mean that would be nice if I didn't, save me a bunch of money. It was blowing a lot of smoke after they had plugged the injector back in. I will call LCNW tomorrow and ask why they say it is bad and what tests they did to confirm that. I'll report back here tomorrow. :cheers:
 
OGBeno said:
A quality HG overhaul with all of the other things that need to be done, along with machining, using all OEM parts, labor, fluids, testing, logistics, warranty, etc., depending on market conditions, should sit between $5000-10000.
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$10,000 for a top end overhaul?!?!
What kinda shops are you guys going to?!?
 
StaticTorque said:
Would the dealership not be using OEM parts? Everything is broad because no one knows how bad it is or what will need to be replaced
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William839 said:
$10,000 for a top end overhaul?!?!
What kinda shops are you guys going to?!?
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I am sure Beno is talking about doing all the "while you are in there jobs". $10k isn't hard to rack up when you are paying OEM prices and dealership labor rates.
 
If it's a toyota dealership with a body shop then they will have LKQ truck every day as insurance will not be paying for oem parts in majority of cases.
 
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