Head gasket prices for wrx

[Bouncer]

Sorry to bring this up again but I'm stumped at some of the prices I've been getting.....the cheapest is someone in north Glasgow at 600 and said it'd take him 2-3 days max. I got 2 other quotes, one's 1300 the other's 1600 and take them a week easy ...why would the first be so cheap and seemingly be able to do it half the time, he did say though that I'd be lucky to get for under 12....but like I say, why is he so cheap.

I'm thinking about doing it myself but I'd need to buy a decent socket and other things I don't have but wouldn't know till I started....I'd be **** scared though, plus it'd take me a week or over.

Or I could get the engine taken out the non turbo and put it in the wrx, i'd then have probably the only wrx shelled non turbo in the country :)

[Gambit]

I would have said £1.2k is about what most places would charge might take them a week with being busy and getting parts but for someone who knows what they are doing and has the time 2 to 3 days is easily possible. I'd be tempted to have it swapped for ease and cheapness :D 

[Bouncer]

It wouldn't any cheaper swapping Gambit, the cheapest turbo engine I've saw so far is about 450-5 then hiring the hoist, and i'd need some decent tools....so tallying all that i'd be just the same as the guy doing it for 600

[Jay762]

Its the time vs money thing again - Halfords professional tools are fairly priced and come with a like for like guarantee you don't need a huge variety to do the job. Crane hire is circa £50 a week or £10 a day

 

a head gasket is £22

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HEAD-GASKET-FOR-SUBARU-IMPREZA-2-0-1995-2000-1281-/330877329848?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item4d09d361b8

 

or full gasket set to sort the issue on both sides £70 - £90 (cant remember what year yours is)

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SUBARU-IMPREZA-94-97-LEGACY-91-94-TURBO-EJ20GN-EJ20-2-0-HEAD-GASKET-SET-/130645540238?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&fits=Car+Make%3ASubaru|Model%3AImpreza|Cars+Type%3A2.0+Turbo+GT+4WD&hash=item1e6b14bd8e

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SUBARU-IMPREZA-TURBO-EJ20-96-00-STEEL-HEAD-GASKET-SET-/130360169098?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&fits=Car+Make%3ASubaru|Model%3AImpreza|Cars+Type%3A2.0+Turbo+GT+4WD&hash=item1e5a12528a

 

oil will be £30

 

some coolant £12 - £25

 

this will get you started

 

 

but you have to decide what you want to do with the two cars you currently have.

 

£600 to get one car fit for selling is fine if you are happy with the delta negative against the original purchase cost

 

or you could do something like this and keep the wrx putting it back to standard as you originally posted

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Subaru-impreza-Engine-turbo-WRX-STI-EJ20-/271285540711?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item3f29e0d767

 

and then drive it about knowing the engine is sound

 

or put this one in and sell it

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/subaru-impreza-wrx-v1-v4-wrx-engine-/261293828402?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item3cd6536932

 

just depends what you actually want to end up with

[savage bulldogs]

I'd put another turbo engine in ,fitting the non turbo imo would be a pita due to ecu and loom differences.

Iv only ever removed a scooby engine a few times and can now remove one in 2.5 hrs .

Is your wrx a early one ?

Because it might have a closed deck block ,which can be identified by # marks near the oil pressure sender. if so (just the block halves) sell for £300 + so you might recoup some money with the old engine afterwards .

If you don't fancy removing the engine yourself try asking for a quote on a engine swap instead , as it should be cheaper due to less labour and no machining costs

[Tlag]

Pay no attention to the time it takes issue. I did my twin turbo Legacy in 9 hrs once. That was from engine off to engine on again. (I wouldn't do it again mind, about killed me) :).

I would suggest the average is about £1200 to be honest. The cheap one is too cheap in my opinion. I doubt the heads are being skimmed for that, which really should be done on these engines.

[Gambit]

Right so we all know if we use Tlag for engine repairs he can do them in 9 hours ;) 

[Bouncer]

Thanks for the links Jay, I don't have a grand spare though, but that's a good offer if I did, like I say though, I think the only things i can do is either get fixed for 600 or another engine. Thing is though, getting another one, I won't know what it's like till I turn the key and do a few 100 miles.

I know you mention gasket kits, i'd get the one about 170 from import parts, that's what would bump the price up taking mine out and rebuilding it. I really don't know what best thing is to do.

Savage....it's a pity you're where you are, because if I did go down the other engine route, I could maybe have got your help (i'd have paid you for your time and tools ect). Like I say above though, I'll really need to decide what I'm going to cause just now my head's right up my !Removed!

[Bouncer]

I would suggest the average is about £1200 to be honest. The cheap one is too cheap in my opinion. I doubt the heads are being skimmed for that, which really should be done on these engines.

I know it's cheap, very, he said the others were about 12 + and he's right, this is the heads skimmed too as he uses a local well know place, I'm tempted to use him but don't want any "oh I've hit a few snaggs, I need more money, it's going to be around the ££££££££ mark sorry" then I'm in the ****

[Gambit]

If that's the case whichever way you jump is a gamble I know I have been there. I would go for the guy who is cheap but stress to him that once the pot he has quoted is dry that's it there is no more. I'm sure this is why I will never win the lottery  I would want to help people to much :D As long as you don't want my bottle of beefeater it's all cool ;) 

[Bouncer]

Yep, if I do it and go with him, I'll need to be adamant that there's no more.....the thing is if he still tries it on, what do I do, he'll have the car and in bits

[Gambit]

See if he will take sexual favor's as payment ;) I'm not sure from a legal point of view, but I'm sure they can't just do the work and bill you for it. I know my mate always rings people up to let them know if there is anything else, but will say he can get round it if it goes bang they took the risk and not him. So I would just say stress that's it you can pay cash maybe if that's maybe how he's going to doit ?

[Miggs]

you would also need a new cam belt kit which has the idlers and tensioners and stuff, using the old one is possible but not advise, the cheap quote might just be using the old parts and ONLY doing the head gasket, theres only 2 x 14mm nuts/bolts holding the engine to the mounts and then the rest of the nuts and bolts theres literally very few sizes needed for tools wise, a Halfords pro set is a good bit of kit for the money though and i'd be surprised if you ever needed another tool if you had it, also the heads should be skimmed to save putting them on to find they have warped, again it is possible to not need doing but for the sake of an extra day or so and a few more quid it'll save money in the long run

 

if it were me doing it i'd find another engine that can be proven mileage, servicing and cam belt kit and fit that, quicker and easier and i think will be cheaper

[Bouncer]

That's the thing Miggs, it's not cheaper putting another one in, not even with the cheapest I saw by the time I added in a gasket kit, tools, hoist, coolant, thermostat, new belt, oil....I don't know how that one guy can do it for 600, and btw, he'll replace the things I just mentioned, and the heads skimmed , that's why it wouldn't be cheaper for me to do it.

[savage bulldogs]

I'd have gladly give you a hand fella , if you'd been about 600 mls closer and I wasn't about to do a gearbox change on mine .Don't mean to rub salt in the wounds, iv also got a spare engine but, it's only fit for scrap now due to me selling the cam covers ,sump and inlet then leaving it uncovered in the garden .

I'd have a look on scabby net and buy one off a trader on there (at least you'd be able to kick up a fuss if it went pop). Whereas if you get yours repaired to cheap (no machining or new timing belt as tlag said) it might go pop anyways .

Dunno what year yours is but ,v1 to v4 long engines are compatible (due to the inline inlet stud pattern) you'd just have to fit your inlet, fuel lines and water crossover pipe if it wasn't the exact version as yours .

I've had my engine in and out twice in a day (everything had been off before though) but ,I still wouldn't wannabe be making a habit of that lol

I'd pushed the crankshaft oil seal in to far (which makes them leak) so had to remove the engine replace and reposition seal and refit the engine again . Which ever option you choose best of luck bud and I'll help you out with pics and advice if needs be

[Bouncer]

Thanks Savage....you're about 350ish from me, I've got relations in Kettering, could have visited them lol....like I say above, the sport's going for an mot today and hopefully help me decide what the hell to do. I do like the wrx too though and I know the longer I use I just topping up the water/coolant, I'll probably do damage, especially with winter coming in

[savage bulldogs]

You're welcome bud

Don't mean to keep advertising traders on here lol , but I think this bloke on scooby net local to you

http://bbs.scoobynet.com/full-cars-breaking-for-spares-438/984891-1996-subaru-impreza-sti-v3-406-silver-breaking.html

I know the car in the link has head gasket failure but ,

He breaks scoobs and might be able to help ;-) drop him a pm

All the best Clive

[Bouncer]

Cheers, na don't worry about advertising, I appreciate all the help and links believe me, I'll have a keek at them :)

[Gambit]

I shouldn't worry about it either could do with getting some of them on here anyway :D 

[Miggs]

if the guys gonna do a proper job at that price then it does seem a !Removed! good price, BUT is it the old adage of "if it seems to good to be true it usually is" do you know anybody that's used him in the past, the more references you can get for him the better, just for peace of mind, i don't mean to be sceptical but i've seen so many people that have got a cheap job at a garage and it's turned out they haven't had the work done that they have paid for, i try and do everything myself to A. keep costs down and B. i know it's been done properly with the correct parts, i'm lucky in the fact i have the time, space and all the required tools so i can see your dilema

[Bouncer]

I know, I know one guy that's used him but not for anything like that

[Miggs]

bit of a difficult one from my point of view, i don't want to encourage you to go for it and it turn out to be a bad idea, i'll feel guilty for telling you to do it, then again i don't want to see you paying twice as much when you could well have got the same job for less

[Bouncer]

It wouldn't be anyone's fault here, it's a choice i'd make be it right or wrong, I know what you mean though.......I've never been in such a position with a car in my life

[Swayze88]

So Bouncer, to bump a 3 year old post what did you do in the end and who did you go with?

I'm in central belt Scotland going through the dilemma of either doing the HG myself or finding a reasonable price garage to do the work for me.

 

Just noticed that Bouncer hasn't been active since 9th October 2013.... cant imagine I'll get a response.

[Tidgy]

HG on a subaru is bottom end rebuild job, aka full rebuild. So make sure you find some one who knows what they're doing.