jor

I have a blown head gasket on my 98 4L Cherokee. I'm looking for a mechanic recommendation in the Tucson area. I got one quote for this yesterday but it seems quite high to me at $1,200 to $1,500 (head bolts, pressure check head, resurface, valve seals). Anyhow, any experience with typical cost of this procedure and/or Tucson area mechanics? Thanks.
jor

BenS

That's a good price honestly. I'm relatively new to jeeps, but I know when I replaced the head gasket on my volvo I spent about $100 on gaskets, $100 for a new radiator, $500 for the head to be resurfaced, straightened, and a valve job, $90 on head bolts, $30 on the chemical valve cover gasket, tools, etc. I think in the end I spent around $800 and if I had a job at the time I wouldve spent more to do it right. A mechanic quoted me around $2000-2500 to do it. Depending on why the head blew I'm assuming it would cost around $400 to do it on a jeep assuming all of the valves are salvageable and the head isn't cracked. An extra $800 on labor for that type of job is nothing.

hbracing13

That kinda high imo. I'm charging someone around 700 to do headgasket on a malibu. The resurface and clean is 80 the gaskets and whatever else is around 300-400. If you can do the work yourself you will save a bundle of cash or have a buddy help and throw him some cash. Plus you'll learn how.

DieselDaze

WOW !!!! I obviously haven't done a head gasket in a long time, maybe 14yrs and I used to have V8 resurfaced for $80-100 valves seated and the whole nine yards...

yikes !!!! btw there is a ghetto way to resurface the head if its not to badly warped and a few mils off... take a big piece of glass (like a table) 3m spray down some 400grit wet/dry sand paper (like 4 sheets) spray a little water and pass the head on there until you can see it cut well, for the final strokes use WD40 in place of water to polish.. pending surface you may have to use multiple sheets obviously and a couple hours of your time....

never done it but it can be done.....

shop it out, worse case scenario find a shop to surface the head and seat valves and do it yourself

hbracing13

I've done the poor mans resurface with a sharpening stone with wd40 and it was really damn flat, checked it at all points and no dips or high spots but took a while to do it too.

Any machine shop can do the head, I've gone thru napa its the cheapest or get a rebuild head it still cheap them new and cheaper then having the valve job runs about a 100 per head plus parts.

dans98xj

The cheapest way to do it is your self. You can reuse the head bolts and you could get away with not having to resurface the head (unless you over heated it). You could also get away with not doing the valve seats and if you don't remove the intake and exhaust manifolds those are two less gaskets you have to buy. I did the head gasket on my 98tj along with changing a piston (broken piston skirt) but the head gasket was only like 40 or 50 bucks. The hardest part was taking off the head with the manifolds on it weighs about 150 pounds, so you might need a friend or lift to help with that. I cleaned it with some break clean and a lite wire brush and that got all of the carbon off the head. put it back together and it ran like a top when it was done.

Just a thought why spend the extra money unless there is other problems that warrant the cost.

freegdr

How did you come to this conclusion ?

jor

Didn't realize I had gotten these replies. Thanks to all. I've done head gaskets before but years ago. This job, however, is more than I want to get into. Makes me long for an old V-8. Anyhow, I found a place that sounds good here in Tucson and I'm going to have them do it. I'm hoping the head is not cracked; the place I've chosen tells me that they are robust and it is unusual for them to crack. Keeping my fingers crossed. I'll have them do a valve job too along with a water pump as long as everything is apart. I will post after it's done for those who might also be looking for Jeep service in Tucson.
jor

Parsnip

My buddy and I here in Virginia would do the labor at 200$, gaskets are about 100$ total at parts store (new seals, re usable vc, etc) and head bolts about 29$. Last time I did my hg about....4 months ago it cost me all of 50$

DieselDaze

how many miles did you get out of this job?? I've done 350's this way and wouldn't get many miles to merit the work, then again I was hard on driving them

if you do something like this its a must to replace the head bolts !!! (at the least)

OP, if you had a V8 it would be twice the work (two heads), but easier to get to...

if you were closer to Bullhead City my uncle would hook you up...

btw, a true "shade tree" mechanic would spit on the head rub it on a curb a few times and call it good

dans98xj

I ended up selling my TJ about 6 years ago. as far as I know it is still running today. every time I am by my old job I usually see it. I did this work on it when it had about 150,000 miles on it. The head bolts on the 4.0 can be used over again, I would not use them more then twice. They are not like some Ford head bolts that you have to torque to spec then back off then re-torque then turn 90 degrees to reach the required spec which stretches the bolts.
I like the "shade tree" mechanic quote you have.