Ok, I'm pretty sure I won't need to wash for a month after getting taken to the cleaners this time, but I had no other choice.
Long story short, I had a coolant leak (not too heavy), went to the AutoZone to pick up a compresion tester and came out to a hydrolocked engine (it must've blown out much more on the trip to the store). I had it towed to a shop in town that I had heard good things about and got the call a day later... $2350 for headgasket, valve job, oil, coolant, and all the jazz associated. 14 hrs of labor @ $74/hr.

Whadaya think? I know I can't do anything about it now, but I just want to hear what you guys think about this places charges.

sounds right but isn't hydrolocked mean you fawk the block too

too bad you couldn't have done it yourself the 3800 isn't hard to change the head gaskets at all, i would do it again if i had to for sure

Hydrolocked when cranking isn't too big of an issue. Just burn up the starter and some wiring if you don't stop. Now, hydrolocking when you're driving down the road (CAI low to the ground sucking water) is really bad.

$74/hr is a bit high, but if they do quality work, it might be worth it to know it was done correctly.

I was hoping it was just the plenum (I replaced upper and lower intake gaskets about 6 months ago), but it was locked solid away from home and I just got too frustrated with it. The shop confirmed that there was no damage done by the water-lock but I'm sure figuring that out will cost me too.
Oh well.

DIY?

Ok, just got news back.... Not just head gasket.... both heads are cracked. F&$K!!! Now $3250. Any suggestions for a cheap place to order heads or just a new engine?

ed morad or a junkyard.

where are they cracked? ask to see them and snap some pics?

Every set of 3800 heads has had small cracks near the valves. But that wouldnt cause coolant to leak.

I have no idea, the machine shop called back and said there would be no point to machine the heads because they are both cracked. I feel really hands off with this one so far. I just started back up at school and am moving couldn't be a worse time to be down to one car. I'm trying to call Ed now, but his line is always busy.

wait.. you have an L36...

I have a set of heads in my garage... but shippping is going to suck on them...

I have a set of L36 heads as well that I could get rid of for cheap... I say if you can work on your car, this would be a much better DIY and save that grand in labor....

I just got in touch with Morad. 1500 shipped for an L36 w/ transmission attached, 38K miles from a 2001 GT rear passenger collision donor. Whaddaya think? I'm thinking it sounds pretty good. Any guesses on how much it'd cost to get put in?

Thats a great deal. How many miles?

I did mine in about 8 hours, that was with the car in driving condition... So if you look at that for a figure for labor charges... shop around, if you have some buddys willing to help, rent an engine hoist for (here they run about $25 a day) and spend a weekend DIY...

Also, I got my engine from Ed over a year ago. Runs great, Highly recommend him.

38,000 miles.

Not only do I not have space in the garage because of moving, but I have no friends with any sort of technical inclination here in columbia. Right now I have resigned myself to paying for labor at a place I can trust and spending my time studying. Anyhow, I'm waiting on a quote back from the shop its at now and then I'll start shopping.

Ok, one more quick question.... Does anyone know if this 2001 tranny will work in my 99 gt? The guy from the shop called back and said that he had someone tell him it won't work. Something about the 99 tranny being year specific or something.

97s are the odd balls.

the 99 is no different. it will work perfectly fine ur car.

According to wikipedia, "Starting in mid year 2000 models, all 4T65-E models received an upgraded valve body." This couldn't have anything to do with it could it?

Here's the deal.... I've got the shop telling me they checked with a local salvage guys who checked his salvage manual and it says that only 99 trannies can go into a 99. Morad says its a transmission line fitting issue and they'll send whatever ones I need. Then the shop guys says that he heard there is a different intake on a 2001 also.
I want to pull the trigger on this thing and get it done but I feel like this shop guy is almost against it. ( I know he's just trying to make sure we don't get an engine and tranny in there that they can't do anything with and save me some bucks)

The '01 will be fine. Upgraded valve body is just that: an upgrade I'd trust Ed over your shop guy, Ed has been doing 3800s for a long time.

It will work fine, trust Ed. When you place the order, remind him about the tranny lines you need with it.

Thank everyone! I just got of the phone with one of Ed's guys and got the correct fittings sent with it too. Hopefully by the end of next week I'll be back in the GP.

I'm not sure how you went from needing new heads to a salvage engine and tranny. But, I am impressed with the deal you got from Ed as well as the advice from others on this thread. Good luck. You're going to have a practically new car when you're done. I'm sure it will run great for long time.

wow, thats a good price for that. I think you will be happy with your purchase.

Got the engine and tranny off the delivery truck this morning. It looks good, not as clean as mine, but it'll clean up.

I figured if I was going to pay close to a grand for a couple headers and still be left with a bottom end with 140K on it and possibly some bearing damage already, I might as well chekc to see how mouch I could do the whole thing for. Turns out it will cost me about $600 more in the end and I'll be much better off.

You should have upgraded to a L-67 setup .

Yeah, I wish I could have. Its not that I really had extra money for any of this, but I figure I'm better off now. Does anyone have any experience with swapping trannies and how the speedometer reacts? Will it be off a bit?

I got it back today and everything works perfectly! Well, at least the engine and tranny do. I picked it up today and the steering seems much tighter (tougher to turn the wheel, not more responsive), and the steering wheel is now about 5 degrees off from top-dead-center when I drive straight. I reckon it could have been any of three people/places that contributed to this, but I want some opinions before I go pointing any fingers.
The tow to the shop could have messed something up (believe me, it was a scary looking old rattletrap of a tow-truck), the shop that took care of all the work coult have messed something up, or.... and I don't think this has much validity, but I'm not to familiar with the steering system... I guess it might have done some damage while I rolled my hydrolocked car out of the drive way and down to the tow truck. Now keep in mind, I had it in neutral, but I had to crank on the steering wheel like crazy because the power steering wasn't effective.
Any ideas?


All that being said, I am so happy to have her back running and I can seriously feel the youth of this engine! Woohoo!

you alignment is out, that is why ur wheel isn't straight and you find it harder to turn. It's not anyones fault, it's because you just got your tranny swapped. They would have done some prying and pushing which could have thrown it out.

Congrats on the swap. Hope everything else works out.

Ok, I had thought the steering wheel thing would be from allignment, but I hadn't thought it would affect how hard it was to steer. I'll go get it fixed today.

Well the alignment straightened everything out but its still much stiffer than before.

hmm, did you check your power steering fluid? If it's not that it's just low I would take it to the shop and tell them to have a look.

Methinks that is the plan today. I checked the fluid right after I got the alignment and it's fine. Oh, well. It's always something.