ROUGH price for head gasket replacement...
 

I'm just after a ROUGH atm price for head gasket replacement..


Option 1: replace- both HG, water pump, cambelt


Option 2: as above but with forged parts.. But what parts??
Pistons and what else would be the weakest link.. Con rods?

Basically option 2 would be CAPABLE of big power but not actually producing it.. So would be JUST engine internals rather than turbo, fmic etc..


I did post a while ago about my engine overheating and the general feeling was that the HG has gone/going.. So now I'm just trying to understand a ball park figure as to the costs of replacing HG V's forging.

Car... 2007 hawk eye 2.5 ltr... Up rated fuel pump, 3inch cat back exhaust with sports cat, remapped.

Thanks and please be nice:notworthy

mm

get a cosworth gasket and 11mm stud/nut upgrade as a minimum, i would suggest forged pistons as the ringlands could be damaged or going there and you're into the guts just at this stage, then new main bearings etc

headgasket is basicly full rebuild, dont heed that advice and the crank bearings may let go after doing the HG.

As a minimum you'll want

ARP studs
Cosworth head gaskets
Forged pistons
Forged bearings
Remap

+/- connecting rods, pinned linings etc

Give David at APi a call, or Alan Jeffery or Finch Motorsport.

A few grand pal, full rebuild or don't bother. HG on its own is a chocolate fireguard and wasting $$$'s IMO

Good Idea call APi.:thumb:

01926 614522 or 614333

If you're in the Yorkshire area give Richard Henry a call 01274 732508.

+1
I used Paul @ Finch Motorsport :thumb:

Also had, oil pump PRV mod, secondary air-pump delete & new clutch!

Well, you asked for a rough price and 6 posts later you still haven't got one, but plenty of advice.

I think that's to be expected. There's a few options, including your idea(s).
A full rebuild (done professionally) will always sort things and a professional would be best placed to advise you of all valid options, especially if they have the engine apart in front of them.

I'd suggest having a word with a reputable engine builder. They'll be able to give you a quote for the work you want done, and other quotes depending upon what they might find once it's opened up.

In other words, if you don't go the whole hog at the start you'll know the possible costs (in terms of risk and financially) of having or not having work done.

What part of the world are you from - there seems to be recommended builders all over, not that it should stop you travelling to a good one?

Cost is very difficult, as it's dependant on what stage the customer wants...
From my limited experience of only one forged build, but it was very recently on MY07 RB320...

Most engine builders would refuse to just replace the HG alone, as the bearings usually fail following a HG failure.

As above for up to 450bhp.

If you want 450+ you'll definitely need rods on top of the above & advise getting CDB work.
There are EJ257's out there running easily 500-600bhp on this with appropriate ancillaries...turbo, 14mm head studs etc!!

All this starts circa £4k for up to 400/450bhp, this is just for the build without the cost of a new turbo & cooling & then just keeps getting more expensive the more power you want.......
The VF43 on the Hawkeye is good for 380'ish bhp. the OE top mount is supposedly good for 400bhp & some are doing more. Chevron Motorsport make a top mount using F1 technology, that is good for 500bhp+
The benefit of retaining the top mount is reduced lag & less weight compared to a front mount! But potential for heat soak!

Hope this helps!

Yes.. Was just asking for a "rough" price.. But never mind :wonder:

Thanks for your help:thumb:


Great help:thumb: thanks very much:notworthy

Rough price done here, drive in, drive out £1200.00 + VAT No need on a late car [ New age on unless serious mileage ] to automatically do the big ends. They are much better for crank safety than the old GC8's, which I would never dream of doing just head gaskets alone on.

No doubt you'll get buried now with offers of mates and 'specialists ' who can do it for half of that and so on.

But at least I was brave enough to offer a 'rough price'

Call to talk it through if you want sensible advies. David APi No obligation.

01926 614333

thank you very much for your brave post..!
im not interested in "mates" deals and "specialists" prices..my car is my pride and joy.. so she will ONLY go to a reputable, trusted well known garage for ANY work done on her..
at the end of the day im going to have to ring around a few garages anyway, but was just looking for a rough price to begin with. and now that you've supplied that I can start looking at MY funds to see as to what I can and cant afford.

ill be giving you a ring towards the end of next week:thumb:

thanks

My local quoted £2k for head gasket job on 07 sti

Just for gasket replacement? Or did this include anything else.

Cambelt and water pump

Overpriced by miles!

QED. :thumb:

I'm off topic here, of course, but I'm heartened that a specialist such as yourself(ves) are happy to go for a HG only.

I've never understood why it'd be such a bad idea _not_ to change bearings on the crank if the HG was caught early etc, so I've always put it down mainly to misunderstanding from the "recommenders" part.

I would not dream of doing just head gaskets on any GC8. They have an amazing habit of wrecking the big ends about 5 or 6 weeks after the head gaskets are done. AND given that it happens often, most customers will go with the advice and freshen up th bottom end.

Maybe it is poor cleaning whilst doing the head gaskets that causes a problem. Any of the carborundum particles from the Emery paper, getting down into the oil galleries whilst the heads are off being cleaned will destroy bearings and the particles will never get caught in the filter.

I would also advise doing the bearings on a new age after say 100,000 miles whilst doing a head gasket failure, as it is clearly nearing the end of the engine's life and a stitch in time...

So there is no hard and fast rule, and whilst there is a cost involved to do the extra, there is a possibility that you'll be doing it all over again soon, PLUS with an argument from the car owner.

I've said it on here many times:

There is never enough money to do it right, but always enough to do it twice.... Substitute "time" for the word money if you prefer,

David APi

My HG was done locally. No-one advised me about bearings, and I didn't know to ask, nor did the guy who did the job.

It destroyed the bearings on the bottom end six months later. In France :(

It's a VERY expensive way to save money.......

That is probably "just one of those things" , when head gaskets affect them they rarely last a month.

Whereas we all know that the crank and bearings are the weak link in a flat four Subaru engine. So I think you were unlucky for sure, but probably not related.

David

chocolate piston debate
 

Hi David, just a quick question: when remapping my hawkeye WRX recently, mucho detonation was discovered which limited the power I could have to 282 burps. The general verdict was ringland problems, as the car is showing 96k miles. What would you recommend to get a reliable 350-375bhp (I have VF43 etc.) and what would the cost be (roughly :thumb:)
Thanks in advance

Pm'ed