BHG fix cost.

[deranged]

I'm 99.7% sure it's a BHG. I can see some fluids coming out from beneath the head near the exhaust manifold at cylinder 6. I'm going to take the head off, take it to a good local engine shop to get it worked on. I'm also not sure which head gasket to go with. I want the most durable if I'm pushing about 12-15psi with stock turbo/IC and aluminum pipes.

I don't care to spend more to get better quality in both machining and head gasket/misc other parts. I just need to know a rough estimate of how much to fill the ol' bank account before trying to tackle this in about a week.

 

[dugums]

Shop prices around here (this is a shop that will do it right and knows 7m gte's very well):

$1750 - composite gasket, basic head machining only
+ ARP's
+ Gaskets

~$3300 - mhg, basic head and block machining
+ ARP's
+ Gaskets

++ Any other machine work desired (valve job, porting, etc.)
++ Anything else found wrong during job


OR

Do it yourself

+ARP's
+Gaskets
+Machine Work
+A bunch of money
+Blood
+Sweat
+Tears
+Sanity

Your choice

 

[cruisnhard]

I had a similar leak and it turned out to be a coolat hose going to the heater valve.

 

[GrimJack]

I had a similar leak and it was the head gasket - blew from the coolant jacket on #6 to the outside world, oddly enough, and didn't actually leak much. It still passed a leak down test with flying colors, of course, as the combustion chamber was still perfectly sealed.

It got annoying eventually, so I tore it apart and fixed it anyway.

 

[LordLo]

BHG fix cost...

-3 days of your time
-A headgasket
-ARP studs

 

[Keros]

BHG fix cost...

-3 days of your time
-A headgasket
-ARP studs

With coolant in the oil, the risk of developing rod knock goes up exponentially if the engine isn't disassembled and cleaned, and the oil pump replaced.

 

[GrimJack]

BHG fix cost...

-3 days of your time
-A headgasket
-ARP studs

Unless your head is warped, which is likely. Or annealed, if it's been overheated a lot, which is also likely. Or your block / head sealing surfaces are badly pitted, which is also likely.

Show me a guy who puts a gasket (even an OEM gasket) back on with unprepped surfaces and I'll show you a guy who is going to do it again shortly.

 

[CzA]

"Show me a guy who puts a gasket (even an OEM gasket) back on with unprepped surfaces and I'll show you a guy who is going to do it again shortly."

Well Said.

Less you know what you are doing, take it to a shop. And i can't stress on the word "know".

PEace........

 

[ms07s]

Doing all the work myself saved me lots of cash. I spent $300 geting the head done, about $200 for my head gasket, another 200-300 in hoses and other gaskets and seals. However going to a dealership or shop will be very expensive, $3000+ around here.

 

[veedubin]

BHG fix cost...

-3 days of your time
-A headgasket
-ARP studs

I agree with all except 3 days ... did mine in 13.5 hrs one shot. I used a felpro headgasket, and prepped the head and block with a scotchbrite pad and permatex gasket remover. After it was completed, I then took myself and my brother (who helped ) to breakfast at 5am pulled an allnighter/day and did it. no problems at all afterwards. And it was the #6 water jacket, but it went into the cylinder. I also never developed rodknock after that. I am currently rebuilding tho due to a previous owner mistake of not tightening the crank pulley bolt.( long story short the nose of that crank has been severely damaged by the woodruff key for the harmonic balancer) so yea parts list:

Felpro headgasket set.....$150 on the hook up through advanced auto
ARP headstuds...............$120 on the hook up through American speed centers
new set of OEM NKG plugs (platinium or iriduim i can't remember) 1 heat range colder..........................$6 a piece with the hook up of course.

My hook up is my commercial accounts with various dealerships and parts stores.

 

[LordLo]

I used a composite gasket, so I just torqued it down with ARPs after giving it a good clean. It's been on there for 2 years now, been through a ct26 boosting 20 psi and now it's on a T4 boosting 9psi.

Maybe I'm just lucky. :biglaugh:

 

[cuel]

I'd do it for $2000. Felpro gaskets set, head work, including valve job, new water pump., t.stat., and timing belt. New acc. belts, oil, Wix filter, and new coolant. If you want specialty parts(ARP bolts/studs, special coolant, etc.), the price would go up accordingly.

 

[deranged]

Well I have a couple friends who race dirt track around here and they have some pretty serious engines in their cars. I'm going to get one of them to help me with some work (since I've helped them since I was 9 with theirs). I'm not going to get a shop to do it.