Remanufactured motor

WolfLMM

Making Chips
Nov 21, 2006
4,005
26
48
38
AL
Lol wow your right people never cease to amaze me either.

Moral of this story, don't tell someone they're ignorant because they question the validity of some Duramax repair pricing. Of course, you feel the way you do cause your the shop owner (I presume). In this case I'm the customer and I have the right to question pricing. My customers do the same to me, and I have to compete with shops in China and India..... The "I have to pay overhead and labor" sob story gets me nowhere, as it does for you as well.

Toughen up buttercup. My orignal post wasn't directed towards anyone in particular.
 

Evan@InglewoodTrans

yerp
Vendor/Sponsor
Aug 5, 2010
3,118
65
48
40
Western MA
Moral of this story, don't tell someone they're ignorant because they question the validity of some Duramax repair pricing. Of course, you feel the way you do cause your the shop owner (I presume). In this case I'm the customer and I have the right to question pricing. My customers do the same to me, and I have to compete with shops in China and India..... The "I have to pay overhead and labor" sob story gets me nowhere, as it does for you as well.

Toughen up buttercup. My orignal post wasn't directed towards anyone in particular.

I know your post wasn't directed at anyone in particular. I said how I felt about it then you let your crotch show. Ive been called many things but your the first one with buttercup I'm very impressed. I'm done with the non productive Internet arguing over nothing as I don't enjoy it. Have a good night :)
 

WolfLMM

Making Chips
Nov 21, 2006
4,005
26
48
38
AL
I know your post wasn't directed at anyone in particular. I said how I felt about it then you let your crotch show. Ive been called many things but your the first one with buttercup I'm very impressed. I'm done with the non productive Internet arguing over nothing as I don't enjoy it. Have a good night :)

Come on man, it's passing the time at this boring Christmas party I'm at:angel:

And I've never been accused of "letting my crotch show" I'm equally impressed.

Good Night:hug:
 

TheBac

Why do I keep doing this?
Staff member
Apr 19, 2008
15,614
1,869
113
Mid Michigan
With the dollar amounts being bantered about, I begin to realize I'm in the wrong business. I mean that in a good way.
 

LWATSON

future trans limpers
Jul 30, 2008
2,587
1
36
55
Scotland Neck NC
I know what parts cost, and I know the amount of labor that goes in a head gasket job. I would gladly pay 4k+ to have mine done by a qualified tech. I could do it myself but it would take forever and the thought that one little simple mistake puts me back at square one is very discouraging. Piece of mind is worth allot to me.
 

WolfLMM

Making Chips
Nov 21, 2006
4,005
26
48
38
AL
My parts were less than 1500. Including arp studs. I don't remember exactly how much cause I bought injectors and all too..... (Injectors and all not included in that 1500 figure of course)
 

Jrmat1

New member
Dec 11, 2014
22
0
0
Ok, thank you everybody for your comments. today was day 1 of working on the truck and within 10 minutes of pulling into the bay, I noticed coolant dripping from the exhaust. I would say that confirms a HG issue or possible crack in the block. I spent the majority of the day getting everything peeled back and the next step is to perform a compression test to test the integrity of the bottom end. I think it would be a mistake to spend time pulling the heads without checking that first. Please let me know if anybody has any suggestions for me. I'll keep you posted.
 

Jrmat1

New member
Dec 11, 2014
22
0
0
Oh, and one very important thing I forgot to mention is the coolant has mixed with the oil so that is why I'm really concerned about the condition of the bottom end. I feel like I'm taking a big risk just doing the HG because I don't know how long this truck has been driven in it's current condition. I didn't hear any knocking, but I must say this is the very first time I have actually seen coolant leak out of the tailpipe.
 
Last edited:

Jrmat1

New member
Dec 11, 2014
22
0
0
You're all correct, but since he mentioned being worried about other things wrong with the motor it sounds to me as if he was going to be doing it himself. If you have it checked out and repaired by a shop, you usually don't have to worry about it coming back broken.

You're right, however, who's to say the bottom end doesn't fall apart within a couple of weeks after the shop replaces the HG? It has nothing to do with the work they did so it's now on me. I didn't mention that the coolant has mixed with the oil in the first post so I'm sure that changes how you feel. It definitely worries me.
 

Jrmat1

New member
Dec 11, 2014
22
0
0
I got my heads cleaned and surfaced, new gaskets, ARP 2000 studs and an avant 4094 turbo installed for 7k...the head job and gaskets and studs was about $4,300

That being said, a year or so later I toasted the engine and bought a brand new/refurbished GM crate engine from GM with their standard 100,000mi warranty for $6800 out the door and installed it myself...

IMHO
The smart money would be spent on the new engine if you can do the job yourself, but remember there is always going to be other costs involved, may it be getting tools like a hoist and stand or a flywheel holder, or extra/new parts like a better H2O pump, balancer, injectors, turbo etc...and don't forget fluids, they add up quick

The $6800 only covered the long block which had a new H2O pump and oil cooler, front and rear cover, heads and valve covers bolted on but nothing else...

There's a few shops around that don't totally gouge ya for a head job, but even then it's gonna be close to a $4k bill...


I'm definitely going to look into this. That's the best warranty I have seen yet and at a fair price too.
 

Jrmat1

New member
Dec 11, 2014
22
0
0
Back on topic. How many miles are on the truck and what condition is it in? It's doubtful the motor is garbage. I would pull the motor and take the heads off. If it got hot enough to hurt it you will know. If all looks well have the heads gone through and put it back together and enjoy the truck.

82k, and what's the reasoning for pulling the motor to do the HG job ? I
Can see what I need to see with the heads off right? I just want to make sure I'm not missing something here.
 

DIESELMAFIAPER.LB7

<----new hotness
Jan 17, 2010
5,163
12
38
idaho
shop.dieselmafiaperformance.com
Guess those of us who do this to earn money should do it really cheap because 4k is to much? It's a lot of time and if I can't make any money I sure as hell won't go threw the headache of doing it for nothing.

To the op I highly doubt the motor is toast I'd pull it and tear the heads off and check them like Evan said also the bottom end will be easy to see if any damage has occurred pressure test and mill the heads for flatness.

If the bottom end is junk well your halfway done with a motor swap anyway
 

Jrmat1

New member
Dec 11, 2014
22
0
0
Guess those of us who do this to earn money should do it really cheap because 4k is to much? It's a lot of time and if I can't make any money I sure as hell won't go threw the headache of doing it for nothing.

To the op I highly doubt the motor is toast I'd pull it and tear the heads off and check them like Evan said also the bottom end will be easy to see if any damage has occurred pressure test and mill the heads for flatness.

If the bottom end is junk well your halfway done with a motor swap anyway

Yep, just trying to avoid unnecessary work because time is not on my side. The bottom end will not be easy to see if damaged has occurred. Sure, I can check compression or do a leak down test, but the bearings is what I'm the most concerned about. Unfortunately, you can't see those. It's just a gamble I'm not sure I want to take, but very well may take due to the cost involved of a new motor. The good news is I'm learning a lot through the process about this truck.
 

Jrmat1

New member
Dec 11, 2014
22
0
0
I'm not sure how long it's been mixing. That's what concerns me. I didn't look at the oil pressure so I'm not sure. I ran it just long enough to make sure the transmission worked and made sure I didn't hear any knocking. Definitely wished I would have looked at the pressure though.
 

WolfLMM

Making Chips
Nov 21, 2006
4,005
26
48
38
AL
Yeah whhhaa. A lot of shops popping up these days. I doubt they have liability insurance, pay the employees health insurance, offer 401k plans (company matched I might add) dental, eye, life, long and short term disability, hell I bet a lot of these new shops sneak by without workmans comp...... If you're a legit shop then 4k is with studs is reasonable. But for 2800 more I get a fully refreshed motor with 100,000 mile warranty..... Again comes down to making an intelligent decision with your money.

I'm sure some will be butthurt about being questioned, it's part of being in business so deal with it.