Mitsubishi Repair: Mitsubishi Eclipse, valve spring retainers, peacock al

Question
99 Eclipse GS

Do you know what a reasonable charge would be for replacement of piston rings and valve seals for a 99 Eclipse GS?  

Are there any other parts of the engine that should be replaced along with the rings and valve seals?

Thank you,

Al Peacock  

Answer
Al,
A piston ring set for your car goes for around $150-$190 from the dealership (part # M04741401), and a valve seal goes for about $4 (part # M04648619).  But remember, you'll need 16 seals; one for each valve.  Other items to consider (and which are typically recommended) are valve spring retainers, valve keepers, camshaft seals, and a new head gasket.  Also keep in mind you may want to consider replacing any bent valves and/or worn valve springs.  None of those items are all that expensive, but when dealing with valve items, you usually want to replace any item for all 16 valves.  So any replacement part you pay for concerning valves, multiply that part price by 16 so you can cover them all.

Since the cylinder head needs to be removed in order to replace your piston rings, the head gasket is a good replacement.  Replace any gasket or seal as recommeneded by your mechanic.  If your mechanic finds a bent valve, just have them replace only the damaged valves.  Repalcing all 16 can be very costly.  

So if your current cylinder head is in good shape, and you only need to replace rings, seals, head gasket and small valve components, you're probably looking at around $300-$350 in parts.  Your labor cost will depend soley on the mechanic performing the job.  Most mechanics charge between $60-$80/hr.  And this may be a 5-7 hour job.  So from those number, I would ballpark a price between $600-$1000 for parts and labor.  But you may want to get a few quotes from different shops.
Good luck!