York area garage (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Nov 6, 2017
Threads
6
Messages
54
Location
York,PA
Website
shanksmare.com
Well after spending the winter doing the headgasket in my 80 my wife’s 4runner has decided it wants a headgasket as well. I don’t have time to do it myself and we need a semi quick turn around. My normal garage won’t do it.

Any recommendations on good independent Toyota mechanic in the York/Lancaster area?

The culprit
 
Grahams auto in Ephrata/Akron.

I've known Trevor for many years and have recommended him to a lot of people.

For reference, the last head gasket I sent to them was a newer Avalon V6. It was over $5k when all was said and done, and I have always been told his prices are pretty reasonable....
 
Not what I want to hear. My garage said ballpark 2k, but they don’t do them.
 
5k sounds like alot but I've never looked at a avalon either.
 
Doing a quick estimate (I guessed on the year) but assuming it’s an 01 you’d be in the $2-3k range and we are $110/hr. That would also be assuming the heads don’t need any machine work.
 
Thanks dci. That is the range I was figuring. 2004 by the way.
 
No luck here Dev ... the garage I deal with in Wrightsville shys away from head gaskets. They make so much money on just inspection related items they don't really do major repairs.
 
I was curious so I looked up a 2012 Avalon. I’m assuming that is a timing chain motor as it pays 26 (!) hours to do both head gaskets. That’s more than double what a 4 runner pays.

Yikes! Well, that would explain the cost I suppose. I know I was shocked when I heard what it ended up costing him.
 
No luck here Dev ... the garage I deal with in Wrightsville shys away from head gaskets. They make so much money on just inspection related items they don't really do major repairs.

Eric? I know he is always booked out a ways.
 
On my 05, I had to do them at 176k. Couldn’t find anyone local that I trusted, so sucked it up and went to the dealer. Out the door was around $3500 and took 2 days. That included new gaskets throughout, water pump, timing belt, heads gone through and new valve seals.

One trick I saw that they did to save labor and time was to leave the exhaust manifolds attached to the heads so as to not have to replace the studs that would have broken or the gaskets. Just disconnected at the downpipes.
 
Eric? I know he is always booked out a ways.

Yes Eric. He has one of his guys do a head gasket for me a while back on a work van. They did it after hours as side work.
 
Best shop in York, Complete Automotive Repair. The owner, Mark Ditt is a Marine and all around great guy. He has two competent and honest employees. He’s been wrenching on my cruisers since my 80 series and has done everything from engine work to axles.

Now if you’re going to go there and expect him to do the work for dirt cheap... please don’t bother. If you want an honest, competent and fair mechanic who turns wrenches, pays taxes and feeds his family with his skills and training, tell him Rob sent you!

Complete Automotive Repair & Service
470 Allegheny Dr, York, PA 17402
+1 717-845-2277
Google Maps
 
I may give them a call. Have two others I have called and one I am waiting to hear back from. So far everyone seems to be right in like at $2000-$2500. Not looking for the cheapest, just someone that has some experience with the job. The two that quoted are experienced Toyota shops. Weikles in Felton and Marietta Motors. The one I am waiting to hear from is Max Miles, asian car specialist and a mile from home.
 

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