Citroen XM Forum

Not an XM but still a Citroen, just got a quote for repairing head gasket on a Citroen ZX 1.9 diesel. The car has AA parts and labour cover which will cover £475 of the cost but the total cost comes to £853 which I think is a tad excessive, this does include a new cambelt and water pump though.

This is by the same independent garage that does work on my XM so it would be done to a good standard.

Quote below:

Pressure test for cracks, skim, deck back valves and reshim valve clearances £285
Head gasket, engine gaskets, head bolts (good quality!) £95
Coolant £16
Water pipe £17
Cambelt £16
Water pump £30
Labour £252
subtotal £711
vat £142.2
Total £853.2


What do you think?

The breakdown is there so they are not hidding anything and the parts look like they are charging you cost + Labour which is very fair indeed £700 is about rihgt for what they are doing, you could do it for just under £500 inc the governments slice if they didnt go over the head but then they are doing a proper job.

What you really need to ask is, is the car worth spending £800 on? if the answer is yes then go for it, if you were thinking of upgrading maybe nows the time...............

D

£285 for a skim pressure and valve cut!! What they useing gold???

I can get heads skimmed up here for £30 witha de grease, and a pressure test for around £15 quid...

The XUD is tough, and myself not needed to recut valves... Thats a matter of preference though...

Sounds quite a lot, even to me really.. Even if they use a laminated tripple layer gasket, these are only around £30 quid.

Paul

citroenxm wrote:£285 for a skim pressure and valve cut!! What they useing gold???

I can get heads skimmed up here for £30 witha de grease, and a pressure test for around £15 quid...

The XUD is tough, and myself not needed to recut valves... Thats a matter of preference though...

Sounds quite a lot, even to me really.. Even if they use a laminated tripple layer gasket, these are only around £30 quid.

Paul

? its got to be a head gasket set though Paul and if a reputable garage is doing it and the head is off the valves should be seated and new seals fitted, the labour for stripping the head down, sending it off for your £50 test and skim then the new shims and the time to shim the followers up and re build it all with new gaskets head bolts and cam seals etc.

anyone at home can do a head gasket for under £100 but when your dealing with someone elses car things have to be done by the book and you have to be paying rent, rates, Labour and come away with a profit, the price is reasonable for the work being carried out, if the guy is just going to pull the head off and throw it back at the car with a gasket then its way too expensive but thats not what he's doing.

D

Dean wrote: if the guy is just going to pull the head off and throw it back at the car with a gasket then its way too expensive but thats not what he's doing.

Like a local Vauxhall dealer used to do... unbolt the head with manifolds and exhaust still attached, lift it up, pull off old gasket, quick clean up, slide in new gasket and bolt head down...

My two head gaskets have cost close to £200 in parts including skimming.

On an xud ive found theres no need to re shim unless theres a tap or a valve has been replaced..

Yes dean i realise its a garage and they have over heads to cover...

Paul

I think its a fair price for the work being done. As Dean says they have provided a price breakdown to justify their quotation. Again do you spend the money fixing this ZX, or do you buy another ZX for the same money?

Have been discussing it with the mechanic and he says that could save around £400 by fitting a replacement engine. He is going to look into this and see if this source that he trusts has one.
I thought I'd ask here if anyone has a good 1.9 engine in the south east, very much preferably with a Bosch fuel pump.

This model is a non turbo, would it be difficult to convert it to a turbo or too much hassle?

The reason why the overheating on the car wasn't noticed was because it has no temp gauge, just a stupid warning light that only comes on after overheating. The light didn't come on anyway! My girlfriend's dad was driving the car when this happened, seems a hose at the back of the engine near the exhaust popped out. I think retro-fitting a temp gauge would be a good idea after the car has been fixed but I'm wondering if some dash clocks from a ZX with a temp gauge would be compatible with the connections on this car that came without a temp gauge?

You'll find the Turbo Lump will slot straight in, HOWEVER, theres a fair few more things then this..

You will need the PULL Type clutch, then the adapter to go on the gearbox, so best to stick a complete engine AND gearbox, then change the clutch cable for a Pull type cable, then make sure you have all the intercooler pipes, the ZX/306 intercooler sits ON TOP of the engine like the BX had, so you'd need a 306 engine and box.

The drive shafts are well enginered so your exsisting ones would fit.. but that should sort it out. Later N/a engines had oil coolers so the pipes should be there already for that.. the existing rad should also do the job as early 306's had radiators with the side header on the rad not mounted else where..

Paul

Just buy a ZX turbo-D..less money, less hassle.

http://motoring.friday-ad.co.uk/orpingt ... -YI143KG19

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/used-cars/citroen/zx

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/Cars-/9801/i. ... 6.c0.m1538

You could then sell your old one for spares/repairs to someone who can DIY the head gasket.

Having just re-read your post, it appears you only have to stand £370, which is not bad as you would then have a car with the major known failure fixed.