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Old 02-10-2024, 12:37 PM   #352 (permalink)
JSH
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Join Date: May 2009
Location: PDX
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Adventure Seeker - '04 Chevy Astro - Campervan
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Piotrsko View Post
Don't see 9g as "expensive" anymore for a major repair just a CODB. Yes the tranny might be 2500 but figure how much labor particularly in a transverse mount. Sometimes you gotta yank the whole motor/tranny. The timing belt kit for my golf was $300 but labor to remove and replace was imho excessive @3000 and that doesn't include having the specialty tools needed or the tiny hands to fit in the engine compartment. It did take a whole day as opposed to forever for me and the shop has a reputation for good, warrantied work.

Having said that, 9 large would cause me to get a replacement, but I don't know what the costs of a new vehicle is anymore and really don't intend to find out.
Yes, labor is expensive but at about $100 / hour for an independent shop that is 65 hours of labor. The last transverse engine I replaced (Caravan) took me about 25 - 30 hours (2 Saturdays) and that was doing it for the first time in my garage without a lift. Any professional shop should be quicker. (I also took the time to clean every part as I swapped it from one engine to the other and cleaned and touched up the engine bay.)

Yes, $3300 for a timing belt is excessive. I just paid $1470 parts / labor to have the timing chain replaced on my Acura. Dealer wanted something like $3000. Think about the hourly rate being charged if the work was done in one business day. Even if the guy worked 12 hours (very unlikely) that is $250 per hour.
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