Jump to content
SAU Community

Recommended Posts

what a shit day...discovered my head gasket is shot and is leaking combustion into the cooling system. the workshop that did the testing qouted me anywhere from 2200-2500 thats with the head being taken off and pressure and crack tested. this SEEMS like a bit of a rip to me but i dont really know, thats what im here for. just wondering if anybody can recommend a place to carry out this work for me and possible machining of the head if it is farked. or if anybody has or knows of anybody with a reco'd head for sale. open to any other suggestions aswell. cheers, mark

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/189017-help-needed/
Share on other sites

well off the top of my head....

Head Gasket : $100-200

testing: quite a bit as it takes time.

Chilton Engineering...give them a call dont know there number but that is where my stuff is going.

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/189017-help-needed/#findComment-3407971
Share on other sites

Genuine Nissan RB20DET head gasket is $130 retail, im assuming the 25 gasket is about the same cost, If you are pretty good with the tools you could remove the head yourself and send it down to Chilton Engineering phone number is 3391 1672, we use them all the time at work, speak to David let him know that you were recommended by daniel from alfa romeo brisbane.

we just got a 4 cylinder head back from them, pressure tested stripped, valves re ground for about $500. it will be about $700 or so for a 6 cylinder head at a guess.

knowing like most nissan's they just split the head gasket and the head is ok, past 3 nissan heads i have seen the gasket blows out, check the head to see if its flat then bolt a new gasket in and away you go.

Dan B

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/189017-help-needed/#findComment-3408277
Share on other sites

farken rip off price indeed!!!!!

contact dan from elite racing on 0407 111 229 (3lit3_32 on here) and get him to do it. i garuantee it wont be anything near that.

plus the testing cost fark all. i got him to test a head i overheated, cost me under $50.(he sends his machining/testing to chilton)

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/189017-help-needed/#findComment-3408350
Share on other sites

well off the top of my head....

Head Gasket : $100-200

testing: quite a bit as it takes time.

Chilton Engineering...give them a call dont know there number but that is where my stuff is going.

yep gaskets arnt expensive... labour is..

as if u would test it.. check it visually.. slap the gasket on. seal up head on. away u go..

enjoy the vacuum lines and replace the water lines behind the head while ur ther.. :thumbsup:

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/189017-help-needed/#findComment-3408559
Share on other sites

Get it tested. It costs nothing to drop it on Dave's counter and have him check it for you if he is doing the work.

A pressure test/ vac test and shave will set you back around $120-130. This is at least the minimum you should do.

If it didn't get extremely hot then you won't really have to worry about major warping.

A full head service including valve regrind shouldn't be any more than $600. Chilton Engineering is the only person I would use considering his total professionalism and quality of work. He will explain everything and show you any bits or pieces that were damaged or worn.

Labour for a job like this is in the vacinity of 9-10 hours and you are silly if you just buy a head gasket. You WILL need inlet gasket and exhaust gasket. You WILL need exhaust studs and nuts and you will need to replace the thermostat. Depending on the gasket set purchased ( I recommend ACL ) you should find it to cost around $400-$500 for the full gasket set with everything ( including rocker cover gaskets and half moon seals ).

I would say a general workshop quote should be around $2000 - $2200 to be reasonable. This is to do a complete and thorough job.

$2500 would be on the high side but it would be fair to cover any unforeseen parts/damage. You could expect to replace heater hoses at the same time.

Cheers, Daniel

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/189017-help-needed/#findComment-3410067
Share on other sites

Labour for a job like this is in the vacinity of 9-10 hours and you are silly if you just buy a head gasket. You WILL need inlet gasket and exhaust gasket. You WILL need exhaust studs and nuts and you will need to replace the thermostat. Depending on the gasket set purchased ( I recommend ACL ) you should find it to cost around $400-$500 for the full gasket set with everything ( including rocker cover gaskets and half moon seals ).

I would say a general workshop quote should be around $2000 - $2200 to be reasonable. This is to do a complete and thorough job.

$2500 would be on the high side but it would be fair to cover any unforeseen parts/damage. You could expect to replace heater hoses at the same time.

Cheers, Daniel

Spot on there. I had mine done about a month ago with an ACL gasket kit. Paid a bit more than 500 for it though(not by much). I ended up paying $3,000 for all the work I had done at the time, that included other stuff unrelated to the head gasket issue though but for that job alone 2000-2500 would be where it's at.

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/189017-help-needed/#findComment-3410132
Share on other sites

ill definitely be goin to see them tomorrow. its not so much the money i have to fork out (although it fkn sucks, it has to be done). its the time thats gonna kill me as i dont have an alternate means of transport. thanks again for all the help guys

Mark

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/189017-help-needed/#findComment-3410608
Share on other sites

ill definitely be goin to see them tomorrow. its not so much the money i have to fork out (although it fkn sucks, it has to be done). its the time thats gonna kill me as i dont have an alternate means of transport. thanks again for all the help guys

Mark

Who you takin it to?

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/189017-help-needed/#findComment-3410948
Share on other sites

ill be goin to see the guys at chilton but somethins come up at uni so i wont be able to go and see them til tomorrow

Have you removed the cylinder head yet?

Chilton are engineers. They do the work on the head after it has been removed, they won't remove it for you.

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/189017-help-needed/#findComment-3411726
Share on other sites

Do not listen to the above advice, it's just f**ken ridiculous. You SHOULD get the head tested if it's overheated/popped the gasket.

Mark i can't believe you said that.

bahaha of course i was joking.. lol

i had u going ther. i forget the place we used to send our heads off to back at toyota.. suprisingly they only seemed to be 7M engines and 1 ZZE corolla.. but we replaced the gasket under warranty and didnt send off to the machinest..

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/189017-help-needed/#findComment-3412102
Share on other sites

Have you removed the cylinder head yet?

Chilton are engineers. They do the work on the head after it has been removed, they won't remove it for you.

haha well u just answered one of the questions i had for them. its something im not really keen to tackle myself. just means more money to fork out (f*kin thing). Also where would be the best places to look to source the replacement gaskets as ill probably go with the ACL ones you have recomended above. cheers,

Mark

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/189017-help-needed/#findComment-3413084
Share on other sites

sucks about the cash flow issue dude, i'm a uni bum too so i empathies with your position. but i would really think about what actions you take cause if you attempt to do it your self and drop the head or hit and its weak and it shatters (seen it happen to a PT Cruiser head) you will be in a certain creek without an important instrument.

also i wouldn't pay off what Dan from ERD says, i don't know him but the "in" people on here give him rave reviews about his work and knowledge... experience is your friend.

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/189017-help-needed/#findComment-3413684
Share on other sites

Just dload & print the manual and give it a shot, if anything you'll loose a weekend and 230$ for a cylinder head service and gasket if you get it wrong. You'll be suprised at how easy it actually is, just time consuming.

If you dont want to spend the 130$ on the test, just get a perfectly straight metal edge/table and use a feeler gauge or even torch to check whether or not it needs machining. I dont think a VAC test on the valves is really necessary on a low klm head like these atm. If its warped, definately get it pressure tested after getting it machined.

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/189017-help-needed/#findComment-3416595
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Similar Content

  • Latest Posts

    • Nice, thanks for sharing your progress....that's a pretty long list you are putting into it!
    • Decided to upgrade my pressurised plastic coolant expansion tank for a fancy pants alloy version The OEM versions can get brittle, even the new plastic one I got when I first got the car is a starting to show signs of "stress" I wasn't cheap, but it is basically unbreakable
    • Morning all, I have an RB25DET Neo that's in need of a rebuild. Will need new pistons etc due to detonation damage. Would anyone be able to recommend a shop in Southeast Queensland who I could bring my long motor to for a rebuild? Just want someone who knows RBs and whos built a bunch of them before. TLDR - recommended engine shops for RB rebuild.
    • Gday Thought it was about time I started a build thread! As expected this project has snowballed into a huge financial liability, but unless you’re strong willed and responsible, it’s not a surprise. Background -  My first turbo car was an R32 GTS-4, got my full license and then totalled my Au Falcon a week later, so while trying to sell my RMZ450 dirtbike to buy another car a bloke offered to swap the R32 which at the time I felt like I was ripped off but looking back and seeing prices of those now ($40kish) it was a good deal, I didn’t know enough about these cars to appreciate what I had so sold it before the RB20 blew up. Between here and there, out of 12 cars I’ve owned the note worthy ones are a V8 Lexus SC400 (soarer), a couple of XR6 Turbos and my beloved S15 which I had for about 3 years, picked it up for $12500, repairable write off but she was fine, gun metal grey/pewter and bone stock/unmolested until I got my hands on it. Ended up spending about the value of the car and 280kw, 2 demerit points by the time I got defected and sold it for $14500 (also $40kish in today’s market, rip) Fast forward to the present day, I’m in a much better position financially and daily an MQ Triton (great cars, pipe down Ranger Bois), I cruised marketplace and car sales for a few months looking for another R32, the best deal I could find was an absolute rust bucket half finished project for $12000, until this R33 popped up in Port Macquarie for $18k - unregistered and barely running but decent shape, kept an eye on it for a few weeks and the price steadily dropped, $16k then $15k then $14k, that was the point where I was like shit someone’s gonna snatch this up! It was owned by a young bloke who had big plans but him and his missus just had a baby so smartest move financially for them but big gain for me. So 2 days later I’m towing a car trailer to pick this thing up. Roughly 2 weeks and $3500 later I’m cruising around Newcastle in my beat up R33 all smiles and dose noises! It only needed some basic shit to get it going, coil packs and air flow meter, electrical stuff and all fluids changed, 158k kms and running pretty good, nice smooth engine after oil and coolant flush - when I say coolant I mean it had been filled up with tap water, every gallery and heater element was filled with rust, 8-9 flushes later and still had brown liquid coming out but she’ll be right. The car was painted R34 Bayside Blue at some point but whether it was a cheap job or just not looked after is anyone’s guess, clear coat flaking like sausage roll.  Was rethinking my choices and contemplating life, had it up for sale for $22k - still cheaper than any registered R33 but got little interest, next minute I had an opportunity at work - 6 months overseas for good money, so that was a no brainer, fast forward again and here we are with a 50% finished project. Current Mods - 200ish KW according to butt dyno Was tuned with Apexi PowerFC EBC (old school Greddy Profec)  Stock turbo (more shaft play than a Tinder date gone right) 3inch turbo back Varex muffler  Aftermarket injectors of mystery size, Power FC showed 36% duty cycle at full boost so not behd good size Someone had good intentions but stuck with the stock R33 MAF so we had misfires at 6000rpm due to the MAF hitting 5.2V So far I’ve redone the entire interior with carpet form Car Mats Direct, new Seats and steering wheel from Autotechnica, also sound system by Autobarn (mainly Kicker) Also MCA pro comfort coil overs - Hands down best purchase yet, worlds of improvement over the tired 30yrold shocks Goals - 450kw/600hp on flex tune New paint job - Midnight Purple 2 Engine is at the shop getting rebuilt with forged rods a pistons, new valves and springs, ATI Harmonic balancer, Aeroflow 7.5L sump, rear head drain and oil restrictors as per oil control thread* and cam covers modded for larger breathers, other stuff I can’t recall of the top of my head Parts purchased and to be installed once the engine is done -  Engine loom from Wiring Specialties including these options: Haltech Nexus S3 R35 Coil pack conversion  PRP Dual Trigger kit Fan controller  Other Parts -  262 Kelford Cams Turbo - Hypergear ATR43SS3-ProS with T51R mod (whistly boi) 6 boost manifold (high mount) 50mm Turbosmart Pro gate (plumbed back for legal reasons) HKS Super Turbo Exhaust with High Flow Cat Custom 3.5inch dump and front pipe 1500cc Bosch injectors  Fuel Pump walbro 525 Haltech MAP and IAT sensors Haltech Flex Sensor Fenix Radiator with dual thermo fans LS1 Alternator Kit Oil Filter Relocation from EFI solutions and Cooling pro oil cooler Many other things sitting in my garage waiting for that engine to come back. Progress pics to follow -  
    • Losses have to be less with DC coupling. Provided the battery inverter has decent MPP tracking ability - which really shouldn't be a problem. It's not 2005 any more.
×
×
  • Create New...