update to question .. am i being ripped off?

First I am giving the garage the benefit of the doubt as it can indacate a gasket problem but always thought it was mixing water with oil and not fuel unless internal leak to cylinders.
As for smoke from exhaust may be sheer co-incidental fault which the garage wouldn't know at the time. In my experience of same it's the oil control rings on the pistons worn. New oil control and compression rings on all pistons. Have experience all of this on car and motorcycle but fortunately of an age at the time I did the strip down and re-build on both myself, just paid for grinding, rings,pistons, small ends.big ends, gasket sets, and had the crank tested on mic it was ok.
Tje worst senario is a replacement re-furbed engine block using your existing cylinder head which will need re-face grinding to the engine block or you'll have another gasket blow out.
Unfortunately you'll have to put trust in your garage and if they have a good local reputation you won't get ripped off. Oh! one other I've even had a circlip break on a piston conrod and hitting cyclinder wearing a tapered slot in cylinder wall.

BB
January 2011

£1200 to do a head gasket seems very expensive but do not know the book time or labour rate that you were charged,if the pistons/bores showed no signs of damage when it was off then it is understandable that the pistons weren`t removed for inspection,did the garage leave debris in the cylinder when the head was replaced?that is the million dollar question and one I very much doubt the garage would own up to,there again the damaged piston may have been ready to go,one thing is to look at the piston when it is off and see if there are signs of impact from debris being left there but doubt if you will get anywhere with your complaint,if the bore is ok then a new piston could be fitted only which may be cheaper than a replacement unit

cdc
January 2011