how much is a head and valves job for a 92 chevy silverado 1500, v8 5.0L, extended cab, 204,xxx miles
A replacement head is about $200 plus labor to install A valve job is around $80
Mileage? by potential of no longer working you mean a ineffective hollow (no longer Firing) good? {Low Compression?} 80% is Boarder Line working no longer, 60% is thoroughly ineffective. you need to have a Leak Down try carried out to be sure if the problem is Valves or rings; Valves (Rebuild Head(s) Valves), rings (complete Engine Rebuild), wintry climate; Will start up perhaps however the tension will Drain the Battery after some starts.
About $1,200 to $1,500 depending on the shop labor rate. But the job is almost pure labor and (with the exception of the machine work on the heads) almost any novice mechanic can do it. You could save yourself a bundle if you are capable of removing the heads yourself and then reassembling the engine with the reconditioned heads. The machine work to do the valve job (depending on the automotive machine shop you take the heads to) will only cost about $180 to $200 per head and that includes hot tank cleaning, magnaflux checking for cracks, resurfacing the heads, reaming and replacing the valve guides, resurfacing the valves and valve seats, and installing new valve seals. Your only other expense then would be the top end gasket set (head gaskets, exhaust and intake manifold gaskets, and valve cover gaskets), a new thermostat and gasket, fresh anti-freeze, and a fresh oil change and filter. You can ask the machine shop any questions you have concerning the tightening sequence and torque specifications of the heads and intake manifold and they will give you that information. If you are not sure you can do the job yourself or you don't have the tools, maybe you have a family member or a friend who is a do-it-yourself mechanic who will help you. The most critical part of doing the job yourself is to be careful to torque the heads and intake manifold to the proper specifications and in proper sequence.
