how much should i expect to pay to install a new head gsket? they put a MLS gasket in when they did the rebuild but don't remember how much it was for just the head gasket....

a $15 thermostat just cost me my headgasket.

if you're paying someone to do it you're looking at 700-1000 dollars. I would say buy the tools and the manual and do it yourself. It would be cheaper and you would learn something about your car.

RRE charged me $500 for parts and labor.

time to sell the car

haha no no no man,
its just a gasket. like they said, get manual, take the sh!t apart and tag/label everything as your doing it, replace the gasket and throw some of that gasket sealer stuff, and put it back together. im sure you could do it in one afternoon. well actually save yourself a ruined back. take it apart saturday afternoon, throw on the new gasket and put it back together sunday. there ya go.

will a chiltons manual get the job done? i need to order one. any special tools i'll need for the job? anyone in the portland area want to help?!?! lol.

dino used to have the FSM's hosted online, dunno if they are still there, but if you have good bandwidth and want to download some huge files and have a laserjet and an extra toner cartridge to print them out... I did at work on some of their HP 5SI's, they took a long while, about 3000 pages from all the manuals.... but work footed the bill for the toner and paper :-)