Anyone else had this replaced or done it themselves. Just had my mechanic tell me it needs to be done, was given a price of around $400 including a heater tap and new coolant. Cheers.
V6? Yes, straightforward and considerably cheaper than $400 if you don't cost your own time while doing it - probably allow a (short) day if you're asking about it. There is a How To on changing a VR manifold and a Series I VN isn't very different to that. Undo the bolts in stages, and outside to inside, the reverse of retensioning them. Apply head stud sealer to the bolts that pass into the cooling system. Changing the oil (and filter after running the engine) is a good idea as it's easy to drop coolant and bits of gasket into the engine/sump even if you're careful.
did this job a few years ago on my VP. Had the help of a friend who is pretty cluey and it still took a while. We did it in a day but it took most of the day. Not too difficult but quite a few bits and pieces to get out of the way and then re-install. We had a manual to work from and so could check our way through the list as we went. It is important to use the correct sealants and also to use a thread locking product on the interior manifold bolts because you do not want them to come out later and get sucked into your motor! That happened to a VT of ours after a mechanic just backed the manifold bolts out to raise the fuel rail and then re-tightened them without locktite. The car was never the same again. I would say $400 is a pretty fair price for a mechanic because, from memory, the manifold gaskets are pretty expensive by gasket standards. I think I got them from Holden but realised later that non-genuine would have saved me a bit. Hope this helps cheers
