jb904 Posted February 5, 2009 Posted February 5, 2009 my 98 ls400 is in the shop getting fixed up for various things and an oil leak being one of them. people at the shop said that they need to replace a valve cover gasket and the cost is estimated at $350 for parts and labor. am i going crazy? a gasket and labor for that much? are these special gaskets or is there multiple ones involved in this job? someone please provide insight..... :(
AzHotLS Posted February 5, 2009 Posted February 5, 2009 That's probably about right, it's fairly involved. Here's a tutorial on how it's done: http://www.lexls.com/tutorials/engine/valvecover.html If you back out of this thread and do a search for "+valve +cover +gasket" you'll find other threads talking about it. In one of them, someone mentioned they fixed their leak problem by just tightening the valve cover screws.
BillyShaft Posted February 5, 2009 Posted February 5, 2009 Special = Has an L on it and costs more :(
jcrome04 Posted February 5, 2009 Posted February 5, 2009 $350 for parts and labor? YOU buy the parts from Carson. http://www.trademotion.com/partlocator/ind...amp;catalogid=0
90LS400Lexus Posted February 6, 2009 Posted February 6, 2009 That's probably about right, it's fairly involved. No wonder so many of them (like mine) are leaking and replacement is hesitant. It took us 10 minutes to change the valve covers gaskets on my 1972 Chevrolet. :)
landar Posted February 6, 2009 Posted February 6, 2009 my 98 ls400 is in the shop getting fixed up for various things and an oil leak being one of them. people at the shop said that they need to replace a valve cover gasket and the cost is estimated at $350 for parts and labor. am i going crazy? a gasket and labor for that much? are these special gaskets or is there multiple ones involved in this job? someone please provide insight..... :( If it includes the 8 spark plug tube gaskets, as AzHotLS says, its probably a fair price.
landar Posted February 6, 2009 Posted February 6, 2009 It took us 10 minutes to change the valve covers gaskets on my 1972 Chevrolet. :) So, where is your 72 Chevy now? :whistles:
SW03ES Posted February 6, 2009 Posted February 6, 2009 I think $350 sounds cheap... I wouldn't balk at $350 to replace ANYTHING on a Lexus pretty much...
cardona6569 Posted February 7, 2009 Posted February 7, 2009 I bought mine from Rockauto Felpro brand, the brand racers usually use, no problems so far no leaks. I would also recommend the instalation of lock washers on the bolts this will ensure the torque stays put and ensure less leaks over the years. CPR
eatingupblacktop Posted February 7, 2009 Posted February 7, 2009 Like AZ, landar, and SW have said, it's a lot of work and don't forget the Lexus rate is at the top end for labour. Toyota will be cheaper. An import tuner/specialist still cheaper. Indie cheapest. Find a tech (from referrals) that you can trust as an alternative to the dealer if you want ot save $. R&B, I thought only pitchers balked! :P Or are you suggesting a new technique for dealing with dealers? What happens if they balk too? Could be a balkfest.:whistles:
Threadcutter Posted February 7, 2009 Posted February 7, 2009 my 98 ls400 is in the shop getting fixed up for various things and an oil leak being one of them. people at the shop said that they need to replace a valve cover gasket and the cost is estimated at $350 for parts and labor. am i going crazy? a gasket and labor for that much? are these special gaskets or is there multiple ones involved in this job? someone please provide insight..... :( jb; Yeah, $350 seems like a lot of money. After having done this a number of times, once you include taxes, parts and material costs, that will leave you roughly 3 hours for labor @ $90/hour. I'm old and to me, $350 is a lot of money. However, with as involved as this is, I think it's a fair price. You're not getting any discounts, but the shop isn't getting rich either. BTW; What is the condition of your starter? If you've been having any issues (whatsoever) with it, now might be a good time to get it changed out. The starter lives in the saddle between the heads, all the way back towards the firewall. The starter is relatively cheap ($200), it's the labor that's the killer ($600 - $700). In terms of labor costs, you're probably already one third of the way there. Something to consider.
blake918 Posted February 8, 2009 Posted February 8, 2009 I've changed the valve cover gaskets on my '95, and it is not a difficult or time consuming task (about 2 hours total). I was looking at my '99 since they need to be changed, and it's not going to be an issue either. It looks the same as the '95 except I have coil packs to unbolt instead of ignition wires.
90LS400Lexus Posted February 9, 2009 Posted February 9, 2009 It took us 10 minutes to change the valve covers gaskets on my 1972 Chevrolet. :) So, where is your 72 Chevy now? :whistles: Tucked away in the garage until spring.
SW03ES Posted February 9, 2009 Posted February 9, 2009 BTW; What is the condition of your starter? If you've been having any issues (whatsoever) with it, now might be a good time to get it changed out. The starter lives in the saddle between the heads, all the way back towards the firewall. The starter is relatively cheap ($200), it's the labor that's the killer ($600 - $700). In terms of labor costs, you're probably already one third of the way there. Something to consider. This is great advice. In fact, I'd go ahead and replace the starter even if you aren't having any problems now....you will.
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