to all real mechanics and shop owners
Originally Posted by GueSS Who
I have done over 30 set of head on LS1 cars and for a good shop with a good experienced person it shouldn't take more then 4 hrs. It takes about 30 mins more if you are using studs. If it is old style gaskets it takes a bit longer also to get the mating surface clean. I always clean the carbon from the pistons and check the block for being straight. This process always consist of cleaning threads too. I do it the fast way though. A friend of mine took a stock head bolt and made a groove on both sides of the bolt. Take a impact and run the bolts done till they stop. Pull the bolt out and the grooves are full of ****. Do it again if need be. 4hrs at most for me.
No matter if it is a vet or a F-body the heads will go on with studs in. If you still have the A/C box in an F-body you have to take the lower 2 studs out of that side before sliding the head on and then screw the studs down manually after the head is on.
Don't do this because stuff gets lost. Not intentially but it will happen. Let the person that took it off put it back together in every case. This works for damn near everything in life. It works out for the best that way. I have had to clean up peoples messes before and it is not fun.
No matter if it is a vet or a F-body the heads will go on with studs in. If you still have the A/C box in an F-body you have to take the lower 2 studs out of that side before sliding the head on and then screw the studs down manually after the head is on.
Don't do this because stuff gets lost. Not intentially but it will happen. Let the person that took it off put it back together in every case. This works for damn near everything in life. It works out for the best that way. I have had to clean up peoples messes before and it is not fun.
See like I said there are some guys that can do it in no time. 4 Hours is awsome. It defentially takes me longer.
I haven't done 30 of them though.
I 100% agree with the taking apart ='s loosing ****.
It's a pain to put someone else's project together.
Originally Posted by JZ'sTA
See like I said there are some guys that can do it in no time. 4 Hours is awsome. It defentially takes me longer.
I haven't done 30 of them though.
I 100% agree with the taking apart ='s loosing ****.
It's a pain to put someone else's project together.
I haven't done 30 of them though.
I 100% agree with the taking apart ='s loosing ****.
It's a pain to put someone else's project together.
well, I read that he's asking about a head swap. I can do this in about 6-7 hours, more so if I have the shop vac to suck the coolant out before I pull the heads. If we are talking about a heads/cam, I'd say it's another 1-1.5 hours.
Time for this kind of thins can vary wildly between someone who has done it before (I'm on my 11th or 12th, all my own or a friend's). It also depends on just how chill and careful you are with it. If you dont need to have it up and runngin the next day, and you feel like taking your time and doing everything right, you could add a couple hours easily. Little things like cleaning carbon, scraping graphite gaskets, changing the oil pump/ gasket, etc start to add up.
Also, I never had to take out a head stud to get the head over the studs in my 99 Camaro. AC box is right there, sure.... but for some reason mine baaarely clears.
Then of course there is the time to diagnose what you did wrong when it doesnt run right afterwards... thats a little wildcard. I once put the MAF in backwards it took us a LONG time to work out what was wrong.
Time for this kind of thins can vary wildly between someone who has done it before (I'm on my 11th or 12th, all my own or a friend's). It also depends on just how chill and careful you are with it. If you dont need to have it up and runngin the next day, and you feel like taking your time and doing everything right, you could add a couple hours easily. Little things like cleaning carbon, scraping graphite gaskets, changing the oil pump/ gasket, etc start to add up.
Also, I never had to take out a head stud to get the head over the studs in my 99 Camaro. AC box is right there, sure.... but for some reason mine baaarely clears.
Then of course there is the time to diagnose what you did wrong when it doesnt run right afterwards... thats a little wildcard. I once put the MAF in backwards it took us a LONG time to work out what was wrong.
Yeah $600 is pretty much the norm for head swap. I did pull up book labor time and that is probably what you are being quoted with:
Labor Skill Level Warranty Standard
Cylinder Head Assembly
Replace
Right Bank A 6.9 9.8
Includes: Transfer All Parts And Reface Valves & Seats.
Left Bank A 6.7 9.4
Includes: Transfer All Parts And Reface Valves & Seats.
Both Banks A 10.4 13.7
Includes: Transfer All Parts And Reface Valves & Seats.
Labor Skill Level Warranty Standard
Cylinder Head Assembly
Replace
Right Bank A 6.9 9.8
Includes: Transfer All Parts And Reface Valves & Seats.
Left Bank A 6.7 9.4
Includes: Transfer All Parts And Reface Valves & Seats.
Both Banks A 10.4 13.7
Includes: Transfer All Parts And Reface Valves & Seats.
Originally Posted by gollum
You will have to remove the motor to install or remove heads from the head studs. I know of one shop that drops the motor from bottom for just a cam install. They say it is easier that way.
GueSS Who works at a shop and he knows his **** like no other.
The trick to not getting water in the bolt holes to vaccum the water out of the block. No water in the block no water in the bolt holes when the heads come off.
As for time for me to do it i am there with CJ 4-5 hours.
The trick to not getting water in the bolt holes to vaccum the water out of the block. No water in the block no water in the bolt holes when the heads come off.
As for time for me to do it i am there with CJ 4-5 hours.