I heard back from the second dealer...
They said the first dealer did not replace the head bolts (!) and that they were stretched, and that this was the likely cause of my continuing leakage.
I was under the impression that new head bolts are
standard procedure with a head job. I find it particularly aggravating because I stressed that I wanted to replace whatever parts were questionable since I knew the job was 90% labor. Total cost to the first dealer of replacing the head gasket, radiator hoses, and coolant tank was $1750... not spending another $50 for new head bolts seems ludicrous.
The second dealer also found some pitting on the engine block which they recommended filling in (with welding) and then resurfacing. They didn't feel the pitting was currently causing the leak, but filling it in would be the way to fix it "right" to ensure the job stayed done.
In addition, they recommended a valve job (which the first dealer neglected to do while the head was off... in retrospect, perhaps that's a good thing).
So... the total estimate from the second dealer for head gasket replacement, engine block resurfacing, and valve job is... a whopping $3200. Aieeee!
I won't have itemized costs until after the weekend... but in the meantime does anyone have an opinion on that cost, and whether I should have the additional work done?
The total cost seems absurd to me given the value of the car. But I don't want to get "cheap" now if it does make sense to do the resurfacing and valve job with the head off.
I'm assuming I'm stuck for another $1700 just for the head gasket, so even if the additional $1500 is overpriced, perhaps it makes sense to do it if it helps get me an additional 100K miles out of the engine. That is, assuming it's REALLY fixed this time, and assuming some other disaster doesn't befall me.
Frankly at the moment I feel like telling them to keep the car and leasing a hassle-free new Camry.
