Oldsmobile Cutlass 1998 cost to repair head gaskets?

Question

I have a Oldsmobile Cutlass 1998 at 155 000 miles. Firstly, I though there is a leak in the coolant system. I was putting water every 3 days and it worked fine for few months. However, probably with the time the leak got bigger and I overheated it once. Then i decided to take it to the repair shop I was told it is gasket and it will cost me around 500$. I didn't do the job. Today after driving with around 75 miles per hour the engine stoped working. I pulled over waited for half an hour and the road asistance told me it is the head gaskets are blown. I got it towed to the nearest repair shop. They didn't even look at it but just told me that head gaskets will cost me aound 1600$ which is almost the price of the car. Do you think that is the real price of this job or he just wanted to take an advantage of me? I think it is the same job that I was going to get done for 500$, just the difference is that the gaskets are blown now, not just leaking. Any other suggestions? Thanks!

Answer 1

Sounds like you really abused this engine. Head gasket replacement is not an easy job (lots of time involved), as if you overheated the engine the heads should be checked to see if warped. Then milled to correct. Since the heads are off you might as well as have the heads rebuilt. But as you say the car is not worth it then it may be time to say good by and look for another. Assuming you can find a car in better condition for the money you have available. Your call.

Answer 2

When you overheat an engine you create more heat then can be displaced. Cast iron expands at different rates then aluminum. Block, iron : heads aluminum. This scuffs the gaskets and why they need replaced. Water induced into the combustion chamber, by leaking gaskets, has a higher pressure then fuel burning. this causes the gaskets to fail completely. You did not say witch engine you had. Some engines are an interference engine. this means the valves MAY contact the pistons if the timing chain breaks, what does that have to do with this you ask? Some times the valve guides swell from to much heat, and hold the valve down and the piston contacts the valve. This bends the valve and you need a valve job as well. I have seen this happen too many times. NEVER put additives into the coolant to repair leaks! Any additive only gets attached to smaller holes to seal them. This only plugs up the smaller passages such as a heater core. If you read the back of additive packages it tells you the product is only for temporary repairs. I am a master auto tech with 20 years experience. I can see the prices but not untill more investigating is done.

Answer 3

First, I would not sink that kind of money into an old engine with 155K on it. Get a mechanic and start the thing up again, even if it is gaskets they dont stop a car from starting up. Something else is wrong.

Second, It probably is NOT the headgaskets especially if youve not overheated for a long time, I mean like a scorcing hot engine. Pobably those round rubber seals on the cylinder casings where they seal off at the bottom line near the crankshaft.

Try this, It works wonders on old car engines that people want to tear down and replace gaskets. Go to a Ceramics supply house and get about 1/2 quart of ceramic glaze. Yes, ceramic glaze, any color or clearance kind is just fine. Take that and dissolve about 10 tablespoons of it in a quart jar of hot water and shake it well for at least 5 minute or so disolving it thoroughly in the water. Then make sure the car is warm and you have that cover off the radiator filler. pour that down into there while someone holds the gas to a good higher speed than idle, not a race heck out of it just a good speed up. put the cap back onto the radiator and drive it at around 50 or so for 15 minutes or so.

That ceramic will get into the hole and seal it up forever. I have a 1986 Cadillac deVille with a 4100 engine in it and it had a leak somewhere in the thing which i never found. A fellow suggested this solution and it has fixed it permanently and that was 5 years ago and 50,000 miles ago. This engine now has near 230,000 miles on it.

Have you checked that heater valve that is mounted on firewall, those thing leak and go undetected. If you put this ceramic glaze in there youl see the stuff leaking and sealing that off the same color as the glaze.

Try this solution, Dont monkey around with cylinder gaskets or replacing those rubber seals not on some engine with 155K on it. I got this from a fellow who runs a local trucking company and has about 10 delivery trucks on road and he uses this and swears by it. He's never ever replaced a single head gasket in his 25 years of owning the business so I know this works well.

Answer 4

Oldsmobile Cutlass 1998

Answer 5

My neice's Nissan blew the head gasket and I got her a quote for about 1200-1300, but with your engine being water locked (the reason the engine stopped working). Before only a little bit of coolant was getting through but with continuing to drive it caused the gasket to get worse and more and more coolant was getting into the cylinders. A little bit of coolant the engine will just make it steam and send it out of the exhaust but with more coolant in there the liquid cannot be compressed and will lock up your engine. I would bite the bullet and have the work done and soon the coolant sitting in the cylinders will cause rust over time and then we are talking a lot more machining and money.

Answer 6

1998 Oldsmobile Cutlass

Answer 7

For the gasget job alone it is in the 500 range. You may have caused some other damage by driving it with a bad gasget for that long though. If I were you I would take it to the other mechanic that quoted you 500 and see what he says.

Answer 8

at my shop 587.00 including tax. you may have fried the motor why did you still drive it. 1600 would be for a new engine. not installed. you cracked your engine block the engine is no good.

Answer 9

500 bucks about all depends on what parts are used where you get them and who does it