BHG'ed, Does $2k Sound Like the Right Price?

[ChadMKIII]

*Sigh*
Well, I guess I'm an official 7M Supra owner.....I just BHG'ed.
Or so says my mechanic. But I've had the hunch for a while. Symptoms:
-Coolant Disappearing
-For whatever reason coolant overflowing out of reservoir overflow
-Eating oil
-Temp Spiking (from <1/2 to H in under 15s, only at lower RPM's)
-Goes right back down again in less than 5s if I bump it up to aroun 2500RPM.

Its been losing coolant and oil a lot for the past month or so, last 2 weeks the temp started spiking. I thought (hoped) it was just the thermostat, and I just babied it. Well Sun night the temp wouldn't come back down, so I gave in. Took it to the mechanic this morning, ran a block test, BHG positive. He says the temp spikes caused by air bubbles, which also cause too much pressure so the coolant overflows.

He says 1200 labor, about 3-400 for HG (maybe going MHG, what are the pros and cons?), and another 400 or so for machining. He's also gonna adjust timing, valves, etc..... Price sound right?

*Sigh* This is the last thing I needed right now lol. So I'm driving my grandpa's spare 87 Mitsubishi pickup (4cyl, one of the valves is shot so running on 3), no a/c, no pwr steering/door locks/windows, no abs, not even a radio......sooooo ghetto.


Cliffs:
-BHG'ed
-You guys think so too? (See symptoms at beginning)
-2000 sound about right for replacement?
-What are the pro's and con's of going MHG over composite for a DD? (Yes I will search that as well but if you have any experience you think would be helpful it'd be great)
-Stuck in ghetto pickup for now---hope car is fixed soon...

 

[MKIIINA]

thats really high. i had the local supra guru do mine for 800ish total including parts labor and machining

as for the mhg vs regular. its a tolerances question. if you arent going to be pushing things really hard the regular one is fine. the mhg has to have a nearly perfect surface (cut the head and deck block) or it might blow again.

 

[OneJArpus]

Here's a question you have to ask yourself. Do you want to spend 2K. If so do the following
1. Contact Jarco INC.
2. Ask them to rebuild an entire motor & install MHG w/APR's
3. It will cost 2165 or something of that nature.
4. Ship them your old motor
5. get 400$ back as a core
6. Buy an intake & do a custom exhaust or any other mod you want.

 

[suprastanger507mgte]

Chad, I pmed you . 2000 the norm for a shop if the they go by the book at the shop rate. Don'y pay that much. Check you pm.

 

[Nick M]

supra guru

:wtf: :nuts: :rofl:

 

[suprarich]

Yes, sounds like book rate to me too. 400.00 for a headgasket?

 

[NA86.5]

I was charged 2K down here in south texas to fix my BHG :3d_frown:

 

[starscream5000]

2K is really freakin high... I always say do it right... do it yourself. Take your time read up on other people's experiences. Research all necessary things you'll need and all the things you need to do to get it done right . Don't rush it! You'll save shit loads of money doing it this way, and plus once you're done you've learned plenty from it!

 

[Shytheed Dumas]

$2000 is high, but from what I've seen it's normal. I'm with starscream - do it yourself. I did it for $700 including buying a bunch of tools I needed, and it got me hooked on my Supra.

Doing a headgasket job is like consumating your relationship with your Supra! It's something everybody should do.

 

[Insidious Surmiser]

$200 max.... and that includes arp head studs...

no one touches my car, unless i'm right there workin w/ em....

 

[NewWestSupras]

$200 sounds about right if you don't have to do anything else. If you ever plan on more boost, I'd look into decking the block, front timing cover, and head for a MHG. I'm ripping mine down and rebuilding everything, but thats just me. Mines around 3K now, but 1/4 of that was forged pistons.

 

[born2drv]

i think $2k is fair/average considering they're in it to make money too and if they spend 3 days with your car that's 3 days less they'll be able to make money from other jobs.

that being said i would never let your average joe mechanic touch my car, i'd take it to a "supra guru" as well or a local tuner shop that works on supras a lot and have them rebuild it. that way you know both surfaces are perfectly flat, they used the right MHG, etc and you can sleep more easily.

 

[Insidious Surmiser]

fuck.. you could buy a already build and assembled 7m-gte off of here if you just wait long enough for one to pop up :dunno: 2k just seems like you're getting raped in the ass...

mk3 brent btw is running a lil over 400 whp (concidering he boosts 20-21 psi) and he dyno'd 399.x whp @ 18 psi IIRC.... stock head gasket tho, arp studs

 

[MKIIINA]

:wtf: :nuts: :rofl:

some of us are college students and dont have the time or facilities for a bhg. i have done turbo swaps in the parking lot of both my old dorm and in my appt complex but got some rather nasty stares. basically if the car needs to be apart over a night or so it cant be done out here. plus im willing to admit when i am in over my head (previously not currently) i had only owned my car for about 6 months when it blew as opposed to the 3 years + now.

 

[Insidious Surmiser]

hell... a head gasket can be done in a day... in fact... i'm gonna help cj (yakuzastinger) do his on sat. plan to be done by the end of the day... and he doesn't have a dollar to spend on the whole project... in fact... the supra he drives is the result of $500, and it's faster than mine (88 hardtop turbo, open stock dp, mbc)

 

[mc_h]

$2000 for a head gasket is ridiculous.
Hell, up here 1k gets you a JDM motor installed including labor.
Anybody that has worked on supras much can slap a new HG on and have it running within a few hours

 

[TobyCat]

call around chad, that seems too high. If you want somebody else to do it, then you're looking at around 1k at a regular shop. But if you have a garage, and aren't scared to get your knuckles dirty I'd just do it myself.

And you were quoted 1200 labour? Whoa, you might as well just give that guy signing authority to your bank account

 

[Neodeuccio]

I got raped by my mechanic when I blew my stock HG. Originally he told me it would be about a grand, assuming I got the HG (Titan Motorsports 1.4mm Multi-layer steel for $120 shipped, and great customer service, btw). Anyway, over 7 weeks later, my car was finally done, with a new cyl head, new valvetrain, new camshafts, and well over $1000 in labor. Total cost to me for a BHG: about $2500. And this guy was an old family friend... lying piece of sh!t...

I wish I had joined the forums before that...

Anyway, stay away from these guys that are in it to make money. Find someone on the forums that knows what they're doing and bribe them for help. You'll learn a lot, spend less, have fun, and possibly get it done faster.

 

[TobyCat]

Well, not necessarily faster if beers are involved, but WAY more fun Sunday afternoon, rip off the head and pack it up. Monday morning, call around to your favourite machine shop and drop it off. They will definately have it done before the weekend. Call them midweek, and ask how much material they had to shave off - use that to gauge what thickness of HG you need. By then you should have a set of new head studs or bolts on their way, along with a new HG from your favourite supra parts supplier. Saturday Sunday are beer drinking, wrench twisting good times. And if all goes well...you should have your car back by Sunday night.

Besides, this place is a *great* resource for asking and searching for answers. I blindly did a HG on a buddy's 4runner and tercel by going step by step through a haynes manual. You'll be fine with these pros around.

 

[Aaron J Williams]

Labor - 9.8 hrs @ 50/hr = $490
Fel-pro head set - $432.18
Arp head stud kit- $130
Antifreeze, oil change, shop supplies - $50
Total - $1102.18

That's what it would cost in my shop.
I'd say $2K is quite high.
Always get several estimates on big jobs like that,
it's your duty !