Where are you planning on taking it? Tator's Garage? If so, best choince you will ever make on the car. :thumbs2:

 

Just get the parts and do it yourself. You could have it done over the weekend easily and save a few thousand.

 

If you plan on taking it anywhere, I'd say Tator's Garage like Mike mentioned.

 

They're telling me it's only 10 hours labor. So do the parts really come out to $2500 at the dealership? The dealer here in town said they couldn't do it because they needed a special tool (?). Can someone give me a list and source for the parts I'll need? I've done head gaskets before, but never on anything more difficult than a small block Chevy.

Thanks,
Dave

 

If you have done it on a chevy before you can do in on a viper. It's still just a pushrod engine, just with 2 extra cylinders. And it's actually easier to work on. I can't think of any special tools you would need off the top of my head and I have taken a few of them apart.

 

Thanks for the vote of confidence. I just tried to get another quote from a old dealership near DC and they said that they won't quote me without looking at the car because "many Vipers that we've done have had to have the cylinders resleeved once we got them apart". I couldn't hang up fast enough.
I've got the shop manual. Does Tator's still sell the parts/a kit to do the job? If not, what will I need besides head/exhaust mani/intake mani/ valve cover gaskets?

 

I have DOZENS of Gen-1 head gaskets left from out buy in @ 208.95 each.

The reason your job was quoted so high is that Mopar tries to charge you 600+ EACH for those head gaskets!

No problem sending them to Chuck for your job!

 

Changing the head gaskets when there's nothing wrong with the ones that are on there? Is this common PM? Unless they do some major damage when they go (for some unique reason to Vipers), I wouldn't touch them until there's an issue!

 

Give Chuck a call if you have any questions/issues. 914-763-3136



The original headgaskets are a common failure on GEN 1 cars, it's one of those if it hasn't happen yet, it will kinda things. No very common, people change them before they are needed though.

 

Originals were paper type material new ones are multi layer. Cometic makes new style with difference thickness if want to bump compression slightly. You can get them from Viper Specialty for about 350.00 to 400.00 a pair. If you want OEM I will sell you some at wholesale and ship for actual shipping. PM if interested

 

call dan at viper specialty for the gaskets and have him ups to tator....ya cant go wrong.

chuck tators number 914-763-3136 CALL HIM

 

Why, if the exhaust is not smoking white. Just keepup with the antifreeze changes. It will keeps it anti corrosive properties, and help prolong the head gasket.

 

I would not change them unless they are leaking , not every Gen I had issues...

 

As if the Devil himself were listening. Went out to the garage today to move the Viper over and make room for a project arriving today, and there's a little white sludge on the inside of the oil filler cap. Found a local mechanic friend who is willing to give me a hand with the job in my garage in a few weeks. Should save me about $2000. The only things I'm not able to find online are valve cover gaskets and a water pump gasket. The car has 50,000 miles on it. Should I just replace the water pump?

 

valve cover gaskets are the reusable type I would check the condtion when removing. water pump takes an oring not gasket about a 2.00 part. I would replace tstat while in there if it were me. Let me know if you need any OEM parts.