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I have to say head gaskets on a 3.0L VUE is very uncommon. Perhaps you could have the shop who is working on it explain it better and you could follow up because I have seen exactly 1 VUE 3.0L head gasket leak.
Labor to do the water pump and timing belt should be around 4 hours. Maybe a little more if the water pump leaked and made a mess they need to clean up.
it is not only the replacement of the gasket, they most of the time need to flatten the head. That will cost. If the head is not flat, you will most likely blow out the next gasket to, within a few miles.
Header gaskets are fairly expensive to replace. It depends on the labor rates of the repair facility. I would try to find a local community college that has an automotive degree program. Usually they will charge much less for the fix (to help students learn) than a garage. If that isn't an option I would replace the head gasket and not the whole engine. Of course, if there is other damaged caused by the leaky gasket that is another story. There is a lot of labor involved with replacing a header gasket. I would say anywhere from $500 to $1000 anyway. Hope this helps.
To replace a blown head gasket requires a lot of labor on this vehicle. Its a v6, meaning you have 2 head gaskets to replace instead of just 1. It requires removing air cleaner, disconnecting battery, removing most of the accessories that are belt driven, removing the intake manifold, egr valve and tubing, exhaust manifold on both sides of engine, timing belt removal, valve covers, and a few smaller items. After removing everything on top of the engine, you'll have access to the cylinder head bolts. Removing them will allow you to lift off the cylinder heads. Before replacing the gaskets, you must send them to a machine shop to have the gasket surface milled true flat again. They must also be inspected for cracks (which will sometimes happen with blown head gaskets) which would render them useless.
If this is a vehicle you really like, perhaps consider investing in a quality used motor. Its less labor intensive, less repeat repair, and you may come out saving a few bucks.
The labor alone will come to over $1000. I know the reason I changed my own head gaskets was that the shop wanted $800 for labor, and that was the cheapest I could find. Your heads won't be cheap either, unless you cam buy them from a yard, in which case you are still looking at at least $100 each.
IMO, you should really be looking into a complete engine from salvage, or shopping for a new car. It just isn't cost effective to repair your engine at this point.
Hello coolbelt: My name is Roger and I will be glad to help. I would strongly recommend not using any add to the coolant quick fix products. All you are doing is adding to the cost of the repairs.You will end up with cooling system plugged up and heater core plugged up. Check around at other shops on the cost of repairs. A head gasket replacement is expensive on newer cars. The parts and labor are expensive. Not as expensive as a fix in a can could be. Should you need further help please just ask. Please rate the answer you received. Thank You for using Fix Ya. Roger
1.9L SOHC - head gasket set which includes all gaskets needed to remove cylinder head with thermostat runs about $150.00. Head mechine ( check for cracks and milled ) $145.00. Labor time to remove and reinstall cylinder head 8.5 hrs X shops labor rate.
1.9L DOHC - head gasket set and thermostat runs about $210.00. Head mechine $175.00. Labor to remove and reinstall cylinder head 10.7 hrs X shop labor rate.
Labor times per Mitchell labor book, this is a guide all repair shops used.
Many internal engine problems, such as a blown head gasket, cracked head or cracked piston, can be repaired without having to replace an entire engine.
Potential
While taking the time to replace an engine may seem labor-intensive and costly, it will add years to a vehicle's life and will save a car owner from the cost of having to buy a new car.
Benefits
Taking a car to a mechanic and replacing an engine with a used engine can cost between $1,000 to $2,000 for parts and labor.
Solution
Car owners interested in replacing their engines with new ones can expect to pay anywhere between $2,000 to $4,000.
Speculation
For those interested in doing the engine replacement themselves, purchasing specialized tools needed for the job is a cost to consider in addition to the price of a replacement engine.
I replaced my whole engine foe $500.00 with a 90 day warranty from junk yard motor ran great and it only had 40,000 miles on it do not wast your time with just the head if you plan to keep the car . good luck
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