Well the spanner said that i am getting a new whole top end which i'm guessing might be replacing quite a few things, will call him on monday to find out.
Like Brian said I would be checking the tune before going any further. Pat
Don't forget a BARE head requires your valves to be reseated and fitted to the new head, gaskets to be supplied and valve stem seals etc , freight costs if applicable, oil, filter, coolant, sealants, new head bolts, thermostat, any hoses that look suspect, water pump if suspect, hose clamps, and last but not least labour at least 7 hours all up.
$3500 isn't all that out there if the labour rate is around $100/hr, and the sublet costs of the head assembly / valve job can be as much as $200.
There are a lot of cheap heads available too, make sure you are getting a good quality one, the South American ones are the ones from the place making parts for international engines in Brazil, who make the HSTGV 2.8 .
JC
I hear what you are saying re pricing Joker but to me paying more for a Landy spanner to work on it equates to a 1000% increase in post work reliability, quality work having "the knowledge" and post work peace of mind.
Fix it once and forget it so to speak. And the specialists may be more amenable to owning and fixing a post work problem than a general purpose spanner due to his specific knowledge about the behaviour/performance of Landrovers.
I know of a couple of massive mechanical problems which resulted in succesfull legal proceedings occuring when engines were rebuilt in house by general purpose spanners without "the knowledge" and then failed [big time] within days.