What's an acceptable period of time ....

[streaky]

to change the 2 head gaskets on a V8 EFi?

My local work shop has quoted for three days labour but I've done them in a single day before.

Cheers all.

S.

[landyfever]

somewhere between 10 to 15 hrs would be fair, depending on any seized bolts etc :(

[Blknight.aus]

3 days is acceptable but they are not full days..

no more than 18 hours total time charge.

day 1 4 hours to strip everything off
day 2 4-6 hours for measuring the head and face of the block transporting to a machine shop and machining if required
day 3 4-6 hours to put it all back together and retime then tune the engine.


More if the block needs work, Less if its just a pop and swap.

[Ferret]

I was charged 9.5 hours recently for a 'pop and swap' job

[CraigE]

V8 head gaskets 3 days?:eek:
I have to say not being a mechanic it still only would take me a a day at the most. Its not really a complex job. When doing this type of job I usually do cooling sytem change/flush, oil change and often valley gaskets and lifters at the same time. Have done a couple of Rover V8s, Holden & Ford V8s and 6's, Pajeros, Nissans etc
I would be asking for an hourly breakdown. At an 8 hr day 24hrs seems excessive. If we are talking just a straight gasket change. If we are talking skimming of heads then a bit longer, but the workshop time should not be much longer apart from sending the heads for skimming and this does not take much. Last set we had done cost $200.
Labour is the biggest cost on a job like this.

[Blknight.aus]

which is all great if yours is the only car being worked on and no-one comes and bothers the mechanic.

I stand by a 3 day turn around if its done properly and nothing slows up the job unjustly. like not being able to get the head to a machinist or the block being bent.

[It'sNotWorthComplaining!]

If the heads are taken to a machine shop to be machined, tested etc then the time they spend at the machine shop should not count towards the days of labour. You should be charged labour and reco of the heads.
I did mine and it took 2 days to pull off and refit my self, and I day in the machine shop

[loanrangie]

I was charged 9.5 hours recently for a 'pop and swap' job

I did mine in 3 hours, straight swap didnt even remove the inlet manifold just loosened the bolts enough to get the heads/gaskets off.

[loanrangie]

which is all great if yours is the only car being worked on and no-one comes and bothers the mechanic.

I stand by a 3 day turn around if its done properly and nothing slows up the job unjustly. like not being able to get the head to a machinist or the block being bent.

3 days timeframe is ok as long as your not being charged 3 days labour.

[400HPONGAS]

You did what , loanrangie ? You would have to do more than just loosen the inlet manifold bolts , you would have to take them clean out . Unless you just lifted the heads enough to get the old gasket out and a new ones in (line up dowels gone ?)
Truely an amazing feat !! Lots of good head and block face preparation totally avoided . ruff as guts , but ay , whatever parts your hair LOL

[PhilipA]

to change the 2 head gaskets on a V8 EFi?

My local work shop has quoted for three days labour but I've done them in a single day before.

Cheers all.


I would say it would depend on how many Pakistanis were allocated the job. The minimum to change a light bulb in Riyadh embassy was 9 , and they took about 10-15 minutes, while sorting out who supervised, who actually climbed the ladder, and of course who were the 2 or 3 who held the ladder, and who passed the light bulb to the nominated changer.

So if 10 pakistanis are allocated the job it would probably take 3-4 days, but one English mechanic could probably do it in 1 day as long as he was not an old communist from the Leyland production line. In that case it would take 2 weeks.

I would also check the oil containers as I once looked in a container/pump of diff oil in Riyadh and there was 20MM of sand in the bottom.

Regards Philip A

[400HPONGAS]

That wasnt sand , it was ground up banana Skins LMFAO !!!