Blown Head Gasket Costs?

[Bangaz Boy]

Hey guys, looks like I may have a blown head gasket or worse case scenario a cracked block. I'm waiting on a few quotes from some workshops, but I was curious to see what I would be up for to replace the head gasket. What have some of you guys paid? I know its not a cheap fix but I would like to get an estimate at least. Thanks.

[MercuryMotorsport]

Here is what is involved to do the job.

Labour to remove turbo side

Labour to remove inlet side

Labour to remove head

Machine head surface

Check shim clearance, adjust if req'd

Replacement head gasket (we would use Nitto head gasket)

Replacement head bolt (we would use ARP2000 stud kit)

Replacement inlet gaskets (we would use Nitto metal gasket kit)

Replacement exhaust manifold gaskets (we would use Nitto metal gasket kit)

Labour to re-install the head

Labour to re-install turbo side

Labour to re-install inlet manifold

Replacement coolant

Replacement oil

Replacement oil filter

Replacement spark plugs

Replacement rocker cover gaskets (if req'd)

That is all I can think of. Unfortunately, not a cheap exercise, but a great opportunity to upgrade to metal head gasket, head studs, Nitto in/ex gaskets etc.

[Bangaz Boy]

Awesome, thanks for that response, that really helps to see whats involved. Much appreciated.

[LiQuid IcE]

We just did all the work our self and this is what it cost us approx. (on an rb25det stagea)

200 for the full engine gasket set (OEM, off a forum member, expect to pay an extra 100, think eBay USA was the cheapest, its almost the same price to buy just the gasket, then you need to get stem seals and stuff separately anyway so buy the set.)

600 for the work on the head (a couple of water jackets welded, 24 stem seals = $$$) (place in Dandy. should cost much less if your head is in good condition, or more if its cracked, ours wasn't cracked.)

we did timing belt kit/waterpump/thermostat so that was another 200-300 and replaced all the rubber valve cover washers so there was an extra 100 to 200 there coz could only find it through the dealer. also replaced some water hoses, also through the dealer..

think I was quoted like 500 or 600 for labour if I was to get it done from someone else.

Edited July 27, 2010 by LiQuid IcE

[LiQuid IcE]

also add head bolt set to that, forgot the price off the top of my head

[Bangaz Boy]

Cheers Liquid Ice, gives me an idea of what I can save if I was to do it myself with a few handy mates, I'm guessing some of the GTR parts might be a little more expensive so i'll have to factor that in. Just looked it up, approx $500+ for ARP 2000 Head bolts, RB25s are half the price. Cheers.

[FrangaR33]

Hey guys, looks like I may have a blown head gasket or worse case scenario a cracked block. I'm waiting on a few quotes from some workshops, but I was curious to see what I would be up for to replace the head gasket. What have some of you guys paid? I know its not a cheap fix but I would like to get an estimate at least. Thanks.

I suggest you look at the reason why the head gasket blew in the first place, very often people replace the gasket only for it to happen again. Just do a bit of homework as to why GTR headgaskets go and then either see if you can find the problem yourself or take your suspicions to a good mechanic. Good Luck.

[MBS206]

Doing it yourself will save you around $2000+ in labour (And the markup mechanics put on parts!)

I paid $330 for a 25DET VRS kit which has everything you need to lift and replace the head.

I paid $560 to have my head crack and pressure tested and then fully serviced.

At the same time you should do your water pump, timing belt, and all idlers.

At a shop, doing everything you should do (To save you doing it within a year anyway) would probably be around $4000 I would guess (Parts for bits like water pumps, timing belts etc, plus all labour, plus rebuilding the head)

But you need to find out why it popped first.

[Bangaz Boy]

Yeah I'm a bit suprised its popped, although its not 100% confirmed if its the head gasket or head or what, i'm just getting the usual signs. Chocolate milkshake colour to the coolant, slight loss of coolant and minor oil sheen on the surface on the coolant, no milky residue in the oil/head though and temps are and have always been stable. i'm just hoping for the best preparing for the worst.

About 10,000 - 14,000 kms ago (I bought the car at 5,000 km after the work had been done and everything was fine), Power play imports (done with previous owner) took the engine out, pressure tested it, went all out and replaced all the gaskets, water pumps, oil pump, timing belt, 100,000km service all done with nismo, nissan or quality aftermarket parts as part of preventative maintenance for the mods they carried out (-5 turbos, HKS cam gears, NIsmo injectors, Nismo fuel pump, Power FC, Greddy EBC, pods, exhaust etc.). Bascially one of the main reasons I bought the car, as I thought I would be possibly avoiding an issue like this, I guess not. I don't drive the car hard, only give it a squirt here and there around some nice roads and 99% of the time it runs on low boost 0.8 bar (high boost 1.2 bar) with gear changes <5,000 rpm 95% of the time. Anyway I'm going to have to get it checked out and find out exactly whats going on, just wanted to know what I could be up for. Thanks for all the replies.

[biddy]

Hey just a thought. My mum had a Golf Gti a few years back which had the same symptoms as yours and straight away I said Head gasket. My dad decided to get an independent gti specialist (ex vw mech) to come and have a look. As soon as he looked at it he said "no its not the head gasket, same symptoms and thats what vw will tell you but its actually the oil cooler". I'm pretty sure the oil cooler was similar to the standard oil cooler on the gtr. i.e oil to water heat exchanger that the oil filter mounts on.

It was a pretty easy fix and I think most of the expense was for his time to clean all the oil out of the cooling system.

Maybe a long shot but worth a thought.

[Bangaz Boy]

Hey mate thanks for ur input, I'm hoping/praying it might be something like this and not head gasket or head. I only just got the EPA emissions test passed after having the car off the road for 5 months, had the car for 2 months before I was pinned with the EPA. Just couldn't wait to drive it and then having to deal with this issue, made my heart sink. The saying "u don't own a gtr it owns u" couldn't be more true.

[FrangaR33]

Yeah I'm a bit suprised its popped, although its not 100% confirmed if its the head gasket or head or what, i'm just getting the usual signs. Chocolate milkshake colour to the coolant, slight loss of coolant and minor oil sheen on the surface on the coolant, no milky residue in the oil/head though and temps are and have always been stable. i'm just hoping for the best preparing for the worst.

About 10,000 - 14,000 kms ago (I bought the car at 5,000 km after the work had been done and everything was fine), Power play imports (done with previous owner) took the engine out, pressure tested it, went all out and replaced all the gaskets, water pumps, oil pump, timing belt, 100,000km service all done with nismo, nissan or quality aftermarket parts as part of preventative maintenance for the mods they carried out (-5 turbos, HKS cam gears, NIsmo injectors, Nismo fuel pump, Power FC, Greddy EBC, pods, exhaust etc.). Bascially one of the main reasons I bought the car, as I thought I would be possibly avoiding an issue like this, I guess not. I don't drive the car hard, only give it a squirt here and there around some nice roads and 99% of the time it runs on low boost 0.8 bar (high boost 1.2 bar) with gear changes <5,000 rpm 95% of the time. Anyway I'm going to have to get it checked out and find out exactly whats going on, just wanted to know what I could be up for. Thanks for all the replies.

It might be a buggered thermostat, normally if its a head gasket there is milky almost cheesy residue on the oil cap. The thermostat was buggered in a few cars I looked at and there was massive amounts of burnt coolant. Also the thermostat being dead might be the reason the head gasket blew (if it is actually that) because of the car overheating. For a car to overheat there doesnt always have to be the classic plooms of steam at the side of the road sometimes they just quietly cook themselves.

[West]

Looks like a cracked head.

[Ben C34]

Looks like a cracked head.

dude, this thread is from 2010¡!

[AngryRB]

oh dear....

[Gareth]

dude, this thread is from 2010¡!

yes but the car is currently for sale and still has the issue so....