Porsche Enthusiasts Club Forum

The bill for head gasket replacement shows 42 hours labour at £50 per hour, £200 for a water pump, £234 for a gasket set, plus numerous "sundries" and then VAT on top of that. Total £3244. This was in 1998.

I am just really struggling to understand how it can take 42 hours?
What do others think?
That is a really long time. To put it in perspective a qualified AMG engineer can build an entire V8 AMG engine in 3.5 hours from scratch. Or 4.5 hours for the V12. AN ENTIRE ENGINE! Not take the heads off and pop them back on.
I guess I am showing my mechanical ignorance here.

Anyway .... lets hope its something we all don't have to worry about and Lightning at least the PO felt the pain!

Hi

It isn't a jigsaw puzzle.... Like...easy fit pieces....

Ok..let me estimate how long it would take me....and i have worked on, raced and pulled a LOT of V8 engines...

Hmmm...

Ok first the engine head gaskets CAN be done in situ, but easier to pull the whole lump...

Lets say 6 hours to pull it....

Then strip ancillaries then heads off....

Lets say 4 hours....

Then examine damage etc and decide what to do....

Lets say 1 hour...

Lets assume (maybe) only a head gasket gone....

Clean heads and rebuild both heads back onto block...

Lets say 4 hours.....

Drop lump back in....

Lets say 4 hours....

Retune etc etc and any odd and bobs like oil flush and new filter, and new oil etc etc...

Lets say 2hours....

If I was rushed I COULD do all that faster, but to do it PROPERLY (if my own engine for instance) then those times will not be far out....

Thats a total of 21 hours.....now the OPC were getting paid by the hour lol....so 42 is twice my time but in THEIR financial interest....

But even on my times 21 x £125 per hour plus VAT = £3084 at todays rates ...

Plus say £500 in parts....

thats 3.5k ish....

All the best Brett

Some of the best mechanics in the business can be had for £50 an hour. They are also very fast compared to say opc. But having said that if the heads are coming off they should have new guides & have the valves re-cut. Be skimmed both faces etc. Thats going to be £1500 in engineering work to do it right before you start. Soon get to 3K. If it wasn't done then thats a massive rip off!

Well, the car is still OK 13 years and 40,000 miles on, so whatever they did was alright. The work was done by Charles Ivey, London and they are a well respected Porsche specialist.
I just had the sump gasket replaced by a local guy here in Woodford, near Stockport and by the time they'd changed the oil, the antifreeze, and various other bits and pieces I had a bill for £1002. Work on these cars is not cheap.