55.2-59 replace head gasket cost

[la hi]

My 57, (454ci) blew a head gasket just when I was selling it. Any idea of what it would cost for a shop to replace both of them in Colorado?
It is a big job and I am not sure I want to do it, but could?!!

[MiraclePieCo]

How do you know it's a head gasket? What are the symptoms?

You're right: replacing head gaskets is a big job. If your heads are cast iron they are HEAVY and hard to lift when bent over a fender (I lift them out with my engine hoist). Lots of things can go wrong and you might have to do it again (my record is three times - twice). Knowing how much work it is, I'd guess that my mechanic would charge $600 (8 hrs labor @ $75/hr) - but typically everything costs twice as much as I think it will. If a shop does it however, any re-dos are on them, and you can get the truck back on the market that much faster.

I watched an episode of Roadkill where they literally fixed a cracked head with one of those chemical additives (K-Seal). Not saying I recommend that, but I'd be remiss if I didn't at least mention that option. It's what a used car lot would do ;-)

[_Ogre]

you pissed your truck off when you mentioned that you are selling it
probably lose your brakes next or get electrical gremlins through out the system


give up now, maybe 2021 will be nicer to you ������

[la hi]

Right on!! My repair shop will charge around $1,200 and that makes me think about the K=seal mentioned by Miracle.

[mr48chev]

Not knowing what chassis it is in or what is in the way it is hard to estimate what the exact cost would be.

Then you have to figure that you may have other issues after the shop gets it torn down and it won't just be swap head gaskets and go.

Some shops are automatically add a certain percentage to labor charges simply because you have a rig with an engine swap rather than a factory installed engine even though your truck may be bare bones with nothing in the way of quick and smooth work. The "it's going to take extra time even though it looks easy" thing.

labor costs can vary so much even in the same town just do to overhead costs. The shop in a bright shiny new building in a high traffic area may have to charge twice what a shop that has been in the same building across town for three generations with the building having been paid for years ago. The guys in the old building can make the same profit while charging less just because they don't have the extra expenses.