I'm assuming he removed the oil pan to remove the FOD from the old rails.

I'm assuming he also removed a valve cover to acess the timing chain.

As a rule, you should not need any kind of sealer thats not part of the gasket (some gaskets come with a sealer which is dry to the touch, but seals under heat/pressure (ie installation))

If the mechanic is even contemplating reusing a head gasket, he is an idiot and I would never trust another car to him if my life depended on it. If he's refering to a valve cover gasket, thats a different story. Sometimes you can reuse a valve cover gasket, but rule of thumb is when in doubt replace it. I'm replacing a valve cover gasket on my car tonight becuase I suspect it may be the cuase of a leak and it has a flat spot in it where it shouldn't. It's less than $10.

Head gaskets typically run for $75 to $100 depending on the car
Valve cover gaskets typically run $5 to $20 depending
Oil pan gaskets $10 - $30

Check on Fastlane for your specific car and you can get an idea. For what the mechanic is charging you per hour, it's probably cheaper for you to have him do it right and replace the gasket rather than pay him for his time to Jerry-rig an old gasket with silicon. (Gaskets are meant to be replaced from time to time, seldom reused)

Again, I'd be skeptical of him needing to pull a head for new guides... perhaps there's more difference between the 119 and 117 engine than I know of. Hopefully another member with some 119 experiance can chime in.


Good luck